“If you think it’s a good idea, I trust your judgment. Let’s talk to Lex, Ben and Jack tomorrow too. Will it work on humans?”
“I don’t think so. The issue is what happens to wolves when given the virus. What it did to Gina, well, it was what it was because it forced her system to fight itself. It killed her immune system. Her cells disintegrated. What it’s doing to humans, I can’t deal with, with this vaccine. The problem is that there’s been no effective cure or preventative inoculation against lycanthropy for humans. We’ve isolated the virus and your people have been working for nearly four years on this and haven’t been able to find a solution. If we did human trials, it might work in a few years but with the escalating violence, the humans are even less inclined to work with us. We can’t force it either. I’ll speak with Benoit again, see if we can’t get National’s lab working on that aspect if we can drum up some volunteers.”
“You’re such a help to me. I wish...” He sighed, running his fingers through her hair. “I wish we could just be together without any of this stuff. I just want things to be simple and peaceful. I want to lie around with you in bed all day. I hate the thought of you being in danger. I hate the thought of my niece and nephew being in danger, of the child Nina is carrying being in danger. I can’t seem to stop it. Only you make it all right. You listen and you help. Thank you.”
She hated that he was so pained, wished she could make it better for him. Wished she could get rid of her brother for him and make the world okay again.
“I’m glad. I want to love you, Cade. I want to be at your side and run this Pack. I want my brother gone.”
“You’re not going to work tomorrow until noon. It’s a weekend and you’re exhausted. For now, eat the rest of that food and then you’re going to sleep. I’ll ravish you in the morning.”
She yawned and held him tighter, seeking and giving comfort. “I’m always for a good ravish.”
Cade lay awake, cradling the most precious thing he’d ever seen in his arms. Worried. Upset. Satisfied. Overjoyed. Not all the wolves had openly accepted her. While she was their Alpha, they hadn’t had the official ceremony to bring her into the Pack yet. That was planned for the next weekend. She held power over them but many distrusted her because of who she was. It had pissed him off to no end, but she’d simply accepted it and urged him to do the same.
Despite that rocky start, smudges of purpled exhaustion marked the skin beneath her eyes. She was at the lab twelve to fourteen hours every day and when she wasn’t there she was at home working. On top of that, a few wolves had trusted her and began to seek her counsel about health-related problems.
But she hadn’t been overwhelmed or annoyed by the added pressure. No, Grace had responded with joy and leadership, already making notes about the creation of a Cascadia walk-in-care clinic at the Pack house in Queen Anne.
She took her position seriously, which pleased him but also made him insane with worry. Several wolves who lived nearby had already spoken to him about sending their children and mates to the haven. He wished he had that option but knew she’d never do it, even as he suggested it to her earlier.
He supposed he wouldn’t have respected her as much if she didn’t insist on staying there at his side, but maybe not. Maybe he’d just be relieved instead of afraid of losing her.
Lex had already had an argument with Nina about it. Now that she was pregnant, he’d asked her to go to the haven with their grandmother. Both women simply looked at him as if he spoke gibberish. Damned female wolves. Smart and strong, capable.
He would have sighed but he didn’t want to wake Grace up. He wanted her to be well rested when he took her the next morning.
Chapter Ten
“Can you think of anything else you may have forgotten about Warren? Anything at all?” Ben asked her over the phone. “Sometimes you may not think something is important but that one little thing is the key to helping us find the main lab or his headquarters.”
Lex smoothed a hand up and down Grace’s arm and Cade paced. They’d had zero luck in finding Warren’s main lab.
She leaned forward and rubbed her forehead. “Why don’t I come out there? I can drive around and see what I can find and remember?”
“No! It’s too dangerous, Grace.” Cade spun to look at her and she visibly counted to ten.
Grace stood. “Cade, may I speak to you outside, please?” Without waiting for an answer she left the room.
Cade looked to Lex and rolled his eyes heavenward. Grace had a fucking spine of steel. She chose her battles carefully and he’d noted that once she took a stand on something, he’d just as well kiss it goodbye. “Take over. I’ll be right back.”
Once he got to the end of the hall where she stood near the windows, sunlight backlighting her like a freaking angel, he nearly fell to his knees before her.
“I’m dead set against this, Grace.”
“Cade, this is serious business. If we can find this damned lab we can make some serious strides toward taking him out once and for all. People are dying!”
There’d been more violence in the days following the last report. Groups of National Pack Aligned wolves were arming to the teeth and twice now, skirmishes had broken out with severe injuries and one death. Cade wasn’t inclined to tell his people they couldn’t defend themselves against the barbarism of Pellini. In fact, they’d been working with the Council of War to send Enforcer corps wolves, all specially trained, all over the country to the Pack seats of where clan resided, to protect their people. Some Packs had really well-trained Enforcers while others didn’t. It was the time to pitch in and help.
“We can’t just sit here while he does this, Cade. It’s not what Alphas should do.” Grace touched his neck. “I can’t. If there’s something that jogs my memory, I can’t risk not going. You of all people should understand.”
“Damn it, Grace. I can’t leave right now. I have to meet with Pacific and Siskiyou tomorrow and the next day. Can’t it wait until I can be there with you?”
“I rarely ask anything of you. But this is my job too and you know it. Let me do this. I’ll go and come straight back in time for the ceremony this weekend. I’ll take guards. Ben isn’t going to let anything happen to me. Maxwell feels so guilty about shunning my family he’s going to bend over backwards to keep me safe. Well, and keep from your wrath if anything did.”
He pulled her to his body with a groan. “You’re right, I know you are but I don’t want to risk you. You’re everything to me. I can’t bear the thought of you being in danger.”
“I know that. And I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think it was necessary. But I can’t live with myself if I don’t do everything I can to stop this.”
He growled. “Fine. Okay. But let’s get a safety plan in place. If it’s satisfactory I’ll be more at ease although I want you to fly out and right back, all right?”
She nodded. “I don’t want to be gone from you any longer than I have to either.” They went back into the room and Lex looked at his brother through hooded eyes.
Both males knew the fear of losing a mate.
“I can’t be there. Pacific and Siskiyou are expected here for a two-day meeting and Lex is running training sessions for this expanded Enforcer corps. How can you keep Grace safe?” Cade grabbed Grace’s hand and pulled her into his lap, holding her close. She snuggled into him and he rested his chin on the top of her head.
“I’ll come out from Boston and meet her plane personally,” Jack broke in. “I’ll be her guard the whole time she’s there. I’ll even escort her home. You know I’ll protect her with my life.”
It was Jack’s place as an Anchor to step in and as the man was one of the most powerful wolves in the United States, the offer satisfied Cade.
“And as apparently I’m chopped liver, I’ll also assign a team to her while she’s he
re.” Ben’s voice was dry but Cade knew he got it. Tegan had nearly died, Ben would never forget it.
They made arrangements to have Grace’s plane met first thing the next morning and for her to stay at Tegan and Ben’s should she need to. Dave and Hiroshi would accompany her as well. He hated it but he knew she had to do it and if he stood in her way, he’d be robbing her of her rightful place and duty as Alpha. He knew Jack would protect her with his life. Knew his sister and Ben would as well. He’d never actually considered blowing off his responsibilities before, but he craved just tossing the meetings aside to go with her to Chicago. But she wouldn’t have allowed it and he had too many lives in the balance to protect and think of.
Grace wandered out of the room when her part ended and all the Enforcer talk began. She itched to get back to the lab and work but knew when Cade finished up he’d come looking for her and be upset if she was gone.
She didn’t relish the idea of going to Chicago again either.
“Hey, you all right?” Nina came down the stairs. “How about a cup of tea? By the look on your face, I bet Cade will be baking soon. Well—” she looked Grace up and down “—after the sexin’.”
Grace followed Nina into the kitchen and made her sit while she took over the tea preparation. A commotion sounded downstairs and suddenly a goofy-looking three-legged dog bounded into the room, heading straight for her.
“Milton!”
To keep from landing on her butt in the middle of the kitchen floor in a heap, Grace put her arms around the dog to steady them both. He gave a happy groan and licked her face.
“Get off her. That’s an Alpha you’re licking all over.” Milton was pulled back and his face was replaced by the freckled, green-eyed woman with an eyebrow ring who must have owned him. “Hi, you’re Grace I wager. I’m Tracy.”
Before Grace could speak, she was enveloped in a hug from the only one of her sisters-in-law she hadn’t met yet.
“Whoo, hot werewolf alert. Hiya big guys.”
Grace looked around Tracy to see what Nina was talking about and saw her assessment of hotness was pretty darned correct. As they were most likely her brothers-in-law and Tracy’s mates, she looked back to Tracy.
“It’s nice to finally meet you. Oh and Milton. I’ve heard a lot about him.” She scratched behind his ear and he made that groan again.
“You must be popular with all the guys with those hands.” Tracy winked and turned to Nina. “My God, Nina, you weren’t kidding, she’s like, teeny.” And back to Grace again. “You’re very teeny. I feel like a heifer next to you. I’m going to sit next to Nina.”
“Thanks very much,” Nina said dryly. “Oh the eye candy over here? The one in the thousand dollar suit is Nick Lawrence and the one who looks like that hot professor you had dirty fantasies about is Gabe Murphy. Guys, this is Grace.”
“Grace who is getting a complex with all the comments about how tiny she is. Welcome to you, it’s very nice to meet all three of you. I was just about to make some tea, would you like some? Or something else?” All these giant males were positively oozing testosterone and it made her itchy to grab Cade and shove him against something.
“They’re in the office on a phone call with the Council if you’re interested.” Nina waved in the direction of the office.
Gabe nodded, kissed Tracy and turned to Grace. He took her hand and bowed, giving her a courtly kiss. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, as well, Grace. What you’ve done takes a lot of courage and character. It’s an honor to have you in the family.”
“Really, it’s nothing. Not compared to what you all do.” She blushed and Nick chuckled.
“Don’t be silly. I know how hard it is to deal with your family when they’re up to no good. But you risked your life to get us this information. That’s something. I know you haven’t been accepted on all fronts because of your brother but you’re always welcome in Pacific territory and I’m proud we’re related,” Nick said.
“Thank you.”
“Go on, you’re making her blush.” Tracy swatted Nick’s butt playfully and he winked at them and followed Gabe down the hall toward the office.
“Now, you were about to tell me what the hell is in the air.” Nina gave her a pointed look as she poured the hot water in the pot to steep.
“First, eat something. Here, pumpkin bread. I made it last night. Cade ate almost all of it but I held some back for you.” She put a plate in front of Nina and brought some extra out for Tracy as well.
She told them about the trip to Chicago.
“Wow. I imagine there’ll be loads of cookies to eat now. Cade must have flipped.” Nina forked some of the bread into her mouth.
Grace put out cups for the tea. “He’s upset. I would be in his place. I am actually. I don’t, well, I don’t have fond memories of Chicago. I’m not anxious to go back.”
Tracy sat back in her chair. Megan came in, gave her sister a hug and joined them, pouring out tea. Unshed tears stung the back of Grace’s eyes. Family. She’d never had that with her biological family. She’d had it with wolves from Great Lakes but then lost it. In that moment as the four of them ate and shared their troubles, the fact that she hadn’t had that support in years nearly knocked the breath from her.
Megan touched her shoulder. “Are you all right, Grace?”
The door down the hall slammed open and footsteps sounded as Cade rushed into the kitchen. He knelt at her side. “Honey, what is it? Are you all right?”
She sniffled, hating to be the center of attention. Damn that link sometimes. “I’m fine. I just remembered for a moment. Go back to your meeting.”
He leaned in and kissed her face, taking her tears into his mouth. “Remembered what?”
“What it was like before you. Before this.” She indicated the table, her sisters-in-law. “I didn’t have this. It was very lonely. But now I do and despite the war, despite the threat of violence, I’ve never been so happy. I know that’s selfish.”
Suddenly she was surrounded by many arms and even a cold, wet dog nose pressed into her leg. Surrounded by love and understanding. It comforted her but the bittersweetness was sharp and her tears flowed openly.
Cade felt her pain through the link and moved to her, not caring about what was being said. She needed him, he felt it and he’d provide what she needed.
Feeling her break this way, really truly feeling the depth of her loneliness of her life before he’d met her devastated him. Because he’d been in Seattle with his family. Loving them and being loved. Knowing always that he had a place in the world that was his.
And she hadn’t. When she’d been shunned along with the rest of the Pellinis she’d lost her place, that assurance she belonged. It would have been easy to overlook what the rest of them did, to overlook it and have a place among her own people. To wolves, being among Pack was second nature. It fed heart and mind and she’d shunned it because it was the right thing to do.
Admiration swelled deep along with his love for her. Seeing other wolves with their mates, he’d felt envy but knowing her then, knowing she was made just for him, knowing his soul was worthy of a woman like Grace? It made him a better man, strengthened his faith that this standoff with Warren Pellini and his thugs was going to end with them victorious and the threat Pellini posed to their race erased forever.
“Okay, tea is ready. Why don’t you go back to your meeting, Cade? We’re going to have some girl talk, feed Milton tofu corn dogs and gossip about you guys and your sexual prowess.” Nina smiled at him over the top of Grace’s head.
Grace’s tears turned into a snort of laughter and he kissed her, needing a taste. “Are you going to be all right?”
“Yes. I told you that already. Go on and work. We’ll talk when you’re finished.”
“We’ll do more than that. Just a warning.” He stood, happy at the
way she ducked her head and blushed. He trusted his sisters to help and reach out. He’d do the rest with Grace at his side.
Grace smiled as she washed up. Girl talk was something she’d missed a great deal and her sisters-in-law were really enjoyable people. Tracy was a lot like Nina, if the world could actually handle two of them. Megan was more like Grace but still had a dry, sharp wit. She was also lonely. Grace knew it, saw the same look in her eyes that had greeted her in the mirror every morning before Cade Warden had touched her that very first time.
Layla had stopped in as well to see Tracy, she probably enjoyed Layla the most of all the sisters-in-law. The woman was secure in her own skin, observant, funny, a great mother and Grace loved to watch her interact with her husband, Sid. The tall, lanky artist looked at Layla like she hung the moon. The two were total opposites and yet they worked on a level Grace only hoped she and Cade would eleven years down the line.
“Hey there. Need any help?”
She turned to watch Cade enter the room with that predator’s walk of his. Just the sight of him, all coiled up, the ease over the steely resolve, made her mouth dry up. God, he was sexy. So sexy it overwhelmed her at times. Never in her existence had she obsessed about sex but with him, she craved it every moment of the day. He brought out desires she’d never imagined much less given even an inner voice to. And he did it all with total ease.
“My goodness, whatever are you thinking about, Grace Warden? The blast of what you just sent through the link has made me very, very hard.” He backed her against the counter and ground his cock into her. An involuntary gasp came from within and she clutched at his upper arms.