That quickie earlier wasn’t enough.

Her feet, my God, her toes were deep red in the daintiest sandals. It seemed totally at odds with the tough Enforcer Layla had always spoken about.

“You have the sexiest, longest legs,” he murmured as he kept her close with an arm around her waist. He still smelled her on his skin and never lose that feeling.

She actually blushed. “Oh, well thank you. I run ten miles a day, I think that probably helps.”

When the elevator doors opened and they walked out onto the patio area surrounding two large pools, Layla launched herself at him with a happy laugh, dropping kisses on his cheeks. He laughed, hugging her back, happy as hell to see her.

Megan stepped away and more than her physical distance, he felt her emotional distance like a slap.

He set Layla away from him, no easy feat because she’d been hugging him, but before he

could turn to Megan, Layla gasped.

“Oh! You’re mated! That’s the best news ever. Congratulations.” She turned and began to yell that Megan and Shane were mated and people started to rush over.

Megan smiled dutifully at her mother and he noted her twin, Tegan, coming over to hug her sister too. He touch her, to reassure her, but she’d been swallowed in a sea of female wolves talking excitedly. It was a wedding they were all there for, he supposed, and that had to add to the thrill of a new mating.

He saw some of his male relatives and relief fell over him as Adam, a cousin of his and Sid’s showed up.

“Hey, congratulations to you. Megan is a really special woman. You’re a lucky man to have her.”

Shane couldn’t have agreed more. But he had he needed to discuss with Adam in private as well.

Megan felt Shane’s happiness at seeing Layla and kick him and punch her sister. Cripes this was stupid. Couldn’t she find a guy like Sid who wanted her that much?

Pissed off now, at herself for being pissed off as much as at them, all she do was escape and try to deal with her rampant emotions, but her mother had an iron grip on her arm as she busily began to plan a double wedding with Sherry.

“No. Mom, this is Sherry’s day and I don’t want to encroach on that. I need to go call Lex. I’ll be back. He’ll be mad at us for not calling right off.”

“Oh you’re right. We’ll all go to dinner tonight then. I don’t know Shane as well as I’d like. Where are you going to live? Surely notPackless inLas Vegas of all places?”

“I don’t know. We just met less than three hours ago. I’ll be back.” She indicated her phone, and her mother let go so Megan made a hasty escape.

Reality replaced the haze of the new mate bond. God this sucked.

Where would they live? Because her mother was right, she wouldn’t goPackless , give up

her career and her life inSeattle to pretend to be human three states away. She was a werewolf. She ran as a wolf every day if she could. Maybe he’d want to live inSeattle , want to try a life with a big family. They had a lot of talking to do.

Instead of going back to her room, she headed to the gardens in the resort to find a place to call Lex and to think over her situation.

Lex answered on the first ring. “Hi, hon. Is everything okay?”

“I met my mate today. It’s Shane,Layla’s anchor bond and he had sex with her and I’m never going to be able to forget it and how can I? She’s got bigger boobs and he lives in Las Vegaswithout a Pack and he probably wishes he was mated to her instead of me.”

She was pretty sure she didn’t even take a breath during all of that but she just needed to say it and he’d understand.

And he did. “Aw, Megan, gorgeous, of course he wants you as his mate. You’re just nervous and I can see why although I try not to ever imagine you or any of my sisters having sex. He is your mate. Period. What you feel for your anchor is special, yes, but you know as well as I do, it’s not the same as a mate bond. Cade does not feel for Nina what he feels for Grace. I imagine it’ll be hard but you’ll get through it. As for him being Packless, honey, is that what you want? Are you sure you can be happy that way?”

No she couldn’t. A werewolf was meant to live in a community with other wolves. They survived, thrived, through touch and being with those in their family. It was part of who.

She saw Shane’s wolf and she never wanted that, not for herself and not even for him.

“No. I’m Enforcer of Cascadia. It’s not just what I do, it’s what I was born to be, part of me. I’m hoping he’ll want to come up to live inSeattle . We haven’t talked about it yet.

Right now Layla is rubbing herself all over him and he’s surrounded by Wardens.”

“She’s not rubbing herself all over him. Lay would not do that to you. Hell or to Sid. Go back and face him. Talk to him. Tell him if he hurts you I’ll be forced to kill him. I love

you and I’m so happy for you. Shall I come down? Gabby and I can be on a plane in a few hours.”

“No. He and I need time alone, away from family to try and work all this stuff through. I love you, Lex.”

He chuckled softly and Megan heard Gabby talking like a monkey on the other end. “I love you too, Megan. Everything is going to be. The bond will guide you and get you guys through.”

“Where the hell have you been?”

Sometime later, Tegan, Tracy, Nina, Grace and Layla all burst through the wrought iron gate and into the garden.

“What’s it to you? Not like you noticed I was even there.” How dare Layla give her attitude!