“You did a good job with her today, you know. She just wants you to be happy but I remember how hard it was to be her target.”Tracy groaned as she put her feet up on the bed in the hotel room she shared with Megan.

“I know she does, Trace. But hello, do it’s my choice? This whole wolf mate thing is sort of out of my hands. Plus,kinda busy you know? Being Enforcer is a big job. I don’t have the time mom does to think up ways to torture other people. My days are filled with keeping Nina in line and watching over Gabriella so Lex doesn’t stroke out when she plays at going up and down stairs. The usual.”

“I know. It’s just I’m so happy, I want it for you. I know it’ll come when it’s meant to and all that mystical stuff but I remember waiting. I remember wanting. I…well I think it sucks you and Jack aren’t mates. Or any of my wolves. I’d love to have you at Pacific with me. This having a baby thing is sort of scary. My mother-in-law is nice and all and with Ben’s kids living with us, it’s wonderful and I feel like I’m a mom already, but I want you. I want mom.”

Megan moved to lie besideTracy and her sister put her head on Megan’s shoulder with a soft, contented sound. The contact eased her frustration and they both relaxed.

“Portlandisn’t that far. I can be down there in three hours. All you have to do is ask. You know that, right? I love you.” Megan’s heart squeezed. For allTracy ’s tough talk, it was Megan who was still surrounded by the Pack they grew up in whileTracy was inPortland with her new family.

Tracysniffled. “I know. I’m just a bit weepy. The hormones are insane. I do love how Nick and Gabe just agree to whatever I demand though. That’s some heady power tripping.” Her sniffle morphed into a giggle and they both started laughing.

“Oh man. Cade baking cookies when his daughter needs a haircut, Lex popping a vein when Gabby decides it’s super cool to jump from the middle of the stairs down to the bottom floor. Sid is the coolest dad ever and lets the kids take over his studio to make giant art projects and Layla, the most uptight woman I’d ever known before Sid is all laid back when her daughter has blue paint stains in her hair for a week. And now you guys.

It’s so cool. Tegan and Ben are trying. It’s me and Dave now and he’s totally abandoning me when mom starts sniffing around. Believe you me, if Jack was my mate, I’d have nailed him ten times a day since we first met. Alas, nothing.” She shrugged. “I’m not pining. I’m super busy. It is what it is. I can’t change it. My life is really good except for the non-mate part. I date. I have sex. I have a great, albeit nosy family, a wonderful job.”

She exhaled sharply. “Aside from the really insane idea of a road trip to LA with my mother to a wedding, I’m happy.”

And it was true, Megan reflected the next morning as she’d shuffled into the car, a giant cup of coffee in one hand and a huge bagel stuffed with ten kinds of protein in the other.

She was happy. It wasn’t she thought about really. Some wolves were lucky enough to find mates early on. And others faced the horrible fate of losing them like Tegan had. It would happen when it happened so Megan thought it was utterly pointless to worry about it. It wasn’t who she was anyway.

By the time they pulled up to the front of the swanky resort/hotel the wedding would be held in, Megan was ready to pull her hair out. Or shove someone out an airlock. Take your pick.

“Hey, hold your horses!” Tegan said as Megan got out even before she’d put the car into park.

“I need to stretch my legs.” She grab her suitcase, get into her swimsuit and sit out by the pool. Things had been good in werewolf politics in the two years since Cade had taken over National. No drama. No civil war. Megan was sure would happen again, it always did, but it’d been some time since she’d had an actual vacation so it would be nice to have a little leisure time.

Still she couldn’t just abandon her grandmother in order to race to the registration desk.

So she grabbed her grandmother’s suitcase as well as her own and held her arm out.

“For a girl so fond of all the worst cuss words, you’re a good granddaughter.”Lia Warden smiled at Megan, mischief in her eyes.

“I think I’ve heard you use a few in your time.” Megan winked and her grandmother laughed.

The check-in process should have been quick. So of course it wasn’t. Her second cousin Sherry came squealing around the corner along with her mother who squealed equally loud and enveloped their mother into a hug. A three person, hopping, squealing unit that made Megan cringe and back slowly away.

“What the f**k is that?” Nina murmured.

“Why hello, Alpha Warden!” Megan smirked as a plan began to hatch. “That’s cousin Sherry, the bride to be, and her mom.Nancy is my mom’s favorite cousin. There are six sisters and they’re all just likeNancy onlyNancy is the calmest one.”

Nina’s eyebrows rose in alarm and Megan laughed.

“You’re shitting me?”

“I told you it was going to be like chewing tinfoil. I told you we should have flown. But does anyone listen to me? Nope. And you’re the Alpha so get on over there and start squealing too.” Megan shoved her and Nina sent her a look of alarmed murderous intent as Beth caught her arm and dragged her into the melee.

“Dude, she’s going to get you for that.” Tegan sidled up to her side, chuckling. “Still, it’ll be worth it just to remember that look on her face. Over and over again. Do she’d notice if I took a picture with my camera phone?”