Alpha’s Challenge

  “I don’t know why you had to go and be all reasonable and stuff. I was perfectly happy to be mad at you for being stupid and thoughtless and now you go and make sense and I have to agree.”

  He’d never scrub the memory of how she looked there, just as she collapsed, from his brain. The terror still stank on his skin. He’d wanted to kill Lex and Jack for letting her get into danger. Had blamed himself. Blamed Ben for calling her out to Chicago. But in the end, she was right. She did what an Alpha did and she did it well.

  People that had snubbed her just a few days prior had sent flowers and made phone calls to check in on her health. Of course she hadn’t thought of publicity when she did it, but it sure as hell had been a fabulous bump in how the rest of Cascadia perceived her.

  Lex tapped on the door just a bit later and entered with Jack, whose hair was still wet from a shower.

  He fell to his knees before her, hanging his head. “I failed you.”

  Grace leaned down and kissed his hair, drawing him back into a sitting position. “You didn’t. You did your job admirably. You took out the threat effectively and you saved lives. I was getting out of that car to help Megan. I would have done the same to help any of our wolves out there in need. I didn’t ask you in here to yell at you.” She looked up at Jack and smiled at him too. “Or you. Sit down.”

  “What’s up then, shortstuff? God.” He went to her and hugged her, breathing in her scent. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  Cade didn’t feel jealousy, a reaction he found interesting. He understood Jack’s need to touch her and be sure she was all right. He’d have felt the same way about Nina, especially before he mated with Grace.

  “I am too,” she said as Jack moved just a few inches away and sat. “I called you both in here to see how the investigation into who tipped Pellini Group wolves off to our location was going.”

  Lex looked to Cade and raised an eyebrow. Admiration raged through Cade at how perceptive she was. She’d nearly died and still hadn’t missed a thing.

  “We don’t know. Perhaps a cell phone call was traced when you left Chicago. The only people who knew were me and Cade and the people on that plane. I know sure as hell it wasn’t me or Cade and I can’t see why any of you would want to get shot at.”

  “Did you check all our cell phones? I didn’t call Cade when we took off. Tegan called when we were in the car on the way. No, wait, she called the pilot to tell him to ready the jet. Who called here?” Grace sat forward and the hair on Cade’s arms rose.

  “I just got a text message. I thought it was from you.”

  “I can’t even upload photos from my cell phone! I don’t know how to use the text messaging thing.”

  “You can stitch up a knife wound and you don’t know how to text?” Cade was amused.

  “Yes, well, one of them is useful. You tell me which you’d rather have in a pinch.” The look on her face made him want to smile but he decided it would be wise not to appear to patronize her.

  Lex leaned out and told Dave to bring Cade’s phone.

  “It had the correct info. The time you’d be arriving. Little x’s and o’s, you know love and hugs.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “And you thought that was from me?”

  “Well, sure! Is it too much to believe you’d send love?”

  She snorted. “No. But really, do I seem the x-and-o type to you?”

  “The pilot? Did we check him?” Jack asked.

  “Yes. The same guy who’s been flying our Pack around for fifteen years. He’s clean.” Lex opened up Cade’s phone and looked at it, scanning the message.

  “The company? You go through a company for this pilot?”

  Lex looked at Jack and stood. “Shit. Let’s go.” He didn’t wait for Cade’s permission, he knew what had to be done and Cade knew his brother enough to know he’d do it. If anyone had betrayed them, they needed to be questioned and then dealt with. His mate was nearly killed, as was his sister. There was no forgiveness for such behavior.

  “Go on and get to your meeting.” Grace didn’t speak of what Lex might be off doing. “I’m going to sleep for another few hours and then I’m going to the lab.”

  He sighed, seeking patience from the universe. “Fine. Sleep at least four more hours. Eat another full meal and I’ll accompany you to the lab and let you stay for two hours. This isn’t negotiable and yes, I’m being heavy-handed. I love you, I get to be.”

  Rolling off the bed, he held the blankets back for her to slide under and he tucked her in. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I don’t think I could survive without you.”

  Her serious brown eyes looked up into his. “We can survive all sorts of things.”

  “I wouldn’t want to.”

  Her beautiful lips turned up into a smile. “Oh, well, okay then. I’m glad I’m here with you too.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Grace woke up and took a shower, working out the soreness in her muscles. After dressing and dealing with minimal hair and make-up, she headed out and saw Dave just outside the door to her room.

  “Hey there. You okay?”

  He got to his knees. “You could have died and it would have been my fault.”

  She sighed. No one did guilt better than male wolves. It was stunning really, their God complex made doctors look tame by comparison.

  “Dave, stand up. This is silly. Don’t take so much on. You’re not Superman and you can’t dodge bullets. I don’t hold you responsible for anything but doing your best to guard me, and you did, so stop. I’m going to get a cup of coffee, you can come with me.” She ran a hand over his jawline before moving down the hallway, him on her heels.

  Nina grinned as Grace entered the kitchen. “Hey there, teeny. How are you feeling?”

  “In dire need of caffeine. Any coffee?”

  “I’m making some now. Well, for Lex and the council folks in the other room. This pushy doctor told me no caffeine for the next nearly six months.” One of Nina’s eyebrows rose and Grace laughed.

  “You have high blood pressure, Nina. The caffeine will only make it worse and then you risk having to go on bed rest for the whole pregnancy. And while seven months isn’t nine months, it’s still a long time to sit in bed. Chances are after you have the baby, you’ll be back to normal.” She poured herself a cup. “In the meantime, you can have decaf. The caffeine is very minimal.”

  “I’m glad you’re okay.” Nina ran a hand over her stomach as she spoke. Grace realized the subtle change in the woman she’d only known a few weeks. The standoffishness Nina had shown had disappeared and she treated Grace with the same snarky love that she did everyone else. That sort of acceptance made her feel a lot more comfortable living in the house.

  “Me too. Listen, I’ll schedule your prenatal exams this week and get the info your way. I’ve been thinking of putting a small health clinic down where the lab is. The equipment is there and I don’t know why we shouldn’t use it. I can see you here most of the time but occasionally, you’ll want to come down there so we can do an ultrasound and that sort of thing.”

  “Oh an ultrasound? I can see the baby and know the sex and stuff?”

  “If you like, I can try and determine the gender. No guarantees the baby will cooperate. Sometimes they just turn and show you their little butts instead of whatever they’re packing—or not, as it were. You hungry?” Grace grabbed a bagel and popped it in the toaster as she rummaged through the fridge.

  “No, I just ate. Lex shows up every hour to shove food at me. He’s already a good dad. I just hope I can be a good mom.”

  Grace put the food on the counter and took Nina’s hands. “You will be.”

  “I didn’t have a very good example.”

  The mantle of being an Alpha was heavy. She wondered how Cade handled it, feeling th
e emotions of all his wolves this way for so long. Nina’s worry sat on her tongue like bitter fruit.

  “I don’t know the whole story. Just what you’ve shared. But I know you gave your all to your brother, even when you were just a kid and despite his bad choices, he still came to you when he was in trouble. He knew you’d be there for him. And in the end, what I hear about him was that he’d become a decent member of the Pack. A good man.” She shrugged. “Seems to me, a kid growing up on the streets the way he did along with you, that’s down to you. The good man part. It’s going to be all right. You’ll learn, Lex will learn and the kid will own you.” Grace grinned. “Anyway, Beth will be over here every day and you can always call Layla.”

  “What about you?”

  “Me? My parents gave birth to two children and only one was ever important to them. I don’t think I had much of an example either.”

  “You’re a doctor. You’re compassionate and giving. I think you’ll be a great mother when the time comes. And Cade will dote and dote because that’s his way.” Nina snorted and Grace piled stuff on her bagel.

  “You have something to tell me, honey?” Cade said as he strolled into the room.

  “Hmpf. That was a hypothetical discussion.” Although they hadn’t taken a bit of precaution against pregnancy, it wasn’t that easy for wolves to get pregnant anyway. “It’s time to go to the lab. Did the samples arrive yet?”

  He put his arms around her and hugged her, kissing the side of her face and neck. She didn’t even pretend to be annoyed, it felt so good.

  “You smell good. And yes, they did and I sent them straight over but eat that first. Everyone knows not to touch a thing until you arrive.”

  “You want anything?”

  “No I’m good. I ate after you went back to sleep and I’ve eaten my weight in cookies.” He paused and she grinned. “Yes, I baked earlier. You know, some men get lap dances when they’re stressed. You should be grateful I bake.”

  She turned in his arms and looked up at him. “I love that you bake cookies when you’re stressed. And some men don’t have wives who’d tear their throats out if they ever let another female grind their feminine parts over their husband’s wedding tackle. You do.”

  He leaned down and nipped her bottom lip. “You know it makes me hot when you’re violent, right?”

  “You can collect your carnal due later on tonight. I have work to do.” Getting up on her tiptoes, she kissed him quickly and turned back to her sandwich.

  * * *

  Cade sat back and watched her dive in to her work at the lab. He also didn’t fail to miss the way the wolves showed her even more deference and respect. News of what she’d done to save Megan had spread quickly. People saw it in two ways. First as a commentary of what Pellini was capable of but secondly, proof their new Alpha was worthy of her position.

  No doubt he was relieved. It hurt him to see anyone in the Pack snub her. He knew she felt it, even if she’d protested that she understood it. And in a selfish way, it made him feel better to know the wolves in Cascadia understood the worth of his mate.

  She moved through the lab, wearing a white coat and carrying a notebook. Occasionally, she’d stop at a microscope or a computer terminal for a bit. He made phone calls but never let her out of his sight. Nearly losing her was too raw to get past at that stage.

  She didn’t waste a single movement. He’d realized over the time she’d been in his life how economical everything about her was. She didn’t waste words or movement. If she said it, it needed to be said and it came from her heart. He liked that precision about her, found it sexy. Well, he found everything about her sexy excluding that whole nearly dying thing.

  After two hours had passed he waited for her to notice him. But she was focused, her face a mask of concentration as she sat at a computer terminal.

  “Grace?” He approached quietly, working as hard as he could not to touch her even though he wanted to.

  “Hmm?” she answered absently without even looking up.

  “Two hours is up. About twenty minutes ago.”

  Dragging her eyes from her screen, she turned to him and took his measure. He didn’t want to stop her work, he knew it was important but damn it, she’d nearly died just the day before!

  He lowered his voice and pulled up a chair. “I know you’re busy and this is all very important, but you promised. You need to rest.”

  “I’m only just hours away from a few answers. I’m not a virologist and I’ve had to relearn a lot of stuff but this data from Warren’s lab is huge.”

  “Grace, I respect that. I do. After a good night’s sleep you’ll be even more able to concentrate and chase those answers.” Giving in to his desire, he brushed the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip.

  “That’s not fair.”

  “What isn’t?” He held back a smile, barely. If he had to use sex to get her in line, he would. When it came to her well-being he wasn’t above doing whatever he had to do.

  “I’m going to get even with you.”

  He laughed, satisfied when she turned and began to turn off her computer. “I can’t wait.”

  Grace leaned into Cade as he opened her car door and she slid in after kissing his shoulder. As much as she liked the Wardens and being so accepted by their large warm embrace, she wouldn’t have complained if her living room wasn’t always full of people and noise.

  Still, all the people filled her up, made the Alpha wolf inside her calm and gentle against the agitation of finding a vaccine, of the frustration of not being able to protect her people as fully as she wanted right when she wanted.

  But living with all those people underfoot curbed her ability to just be with Cade. To be Cade and Grace rather than the Alpha couple or relatives or whatever. It got tiring to be on all the time.

  “Cade?”

  He turned to her, his face lit by the yellow glow of the exterior lights of the secured lot. “Yes?”

  “Can we go to dinner?”

  “Are you hungry? I’m sure there’s a full fridge at home. I’ll make you something when we get back. I’m sorry I didn’t even think about that.”

  Dave looked at her in the rearview, she realized he understood what she meant.

  “Yes, yes I’m hungry but well...” She paused seeking the right words. “I just want some time alone with you.” Couple time where she didn’t have to share him with a dozen other people.

  He was quiet and she waved it away. “Never mind. Dave, let’s go home.”

  Cade touched her face as Dave pulled away from the lot. “Are you unhappy at the house?”

  “No. No it’s not like that. I...it’s just that I have to share you all the time. I realize it’s who you are, who we are but I realized earlier we don’t have much time just you and me.”

  “I’m sorry you’re not happy. It’s just this war and I have so much to deal with.”

  “I didn’t say I was unhappy. I’m not. I’m happy.” She shook her head. “Never mind. Really. I’m fine. I’m sure you’re right and after this we’ll have time.”

  He looked at his watch and she stiffened. She didn’t want dinner out to be yet another thing he had to shove into his schedule. He was under enough pressure.

  “Another time. I’m tired actually.”

  “Honey, how can I make you happy?”

  She smiled and hoped it reached her eyes. “I am. I said that already a few times. Let’s just go home and I’ll get dinner there.”

  He looked as if he struggled for words and then simply put an arm around her shoulders, sitting back next to her.

  Once back at the house, she wasn’t surprised to stumble upon over a dozen people in their living room. While Gabe, Tracy and Nick had left for Portland earlier in the afternoon, it seemed the rest of her extended family was visiting.
br />   Jack sprawled on a club chair and grinned as they came into the room. “Hey there, shortstuff and her mate.”

  “Hello, Jack.” Cade pulled her closer and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

  “Hey, handsome. I figured you’d gone back to Boston, this is a pleasant surprise.” She grinned. She did like the look of him there all ridiculously handsome and dangerous at the same time. “How long can we hog you for?” She moved to him and kissed his cheek.

  “I need to get back tomorrow first thing. I wanted to help Lex with a little problem we discussed earlier. It’s taken care of now so I need to get home to relay some information to Templeton.” His blue eyes flashed. They must have found something wrong with the company that sent out pilots for the plane.

  “Ah. Okay. Why don’t you and Lex join me in my office for a few minutes.” Cade turned to her. “I’ll be with you in an hour or so. Be sure to eat, Grace.” He cocked his head and she rolled her eyes for real.

  “Go on. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  “I was thinking about making dinner. Shall we toss something together?” Megan stood from where she’d been surreptitiously staring at Jack.

  “Good idea.”

  They started preparation, Grace tossing some chicken and steak onto the indoor grill while Megan and Nina worked on side dishes.

  “He’s very handsome. But Boston is a very long way away.” Grace looked at Megan as she sliced onions.

  “He’s smoking hot, that’s what he is. Good God. I have to ask, naked?”

  Surprised, Grace laughed. “Well, um, I didn’t see all of him. Just certain parts. Those parts were more than adequate. He says he doesn’t have a girlfriend right now.”