“You have to tell him. You’ve involved humans in this whole thing and more than just with one crazy Pack member getting into a bar fight. This is essentially terrorism against them. If you don’t deal with the human authorities you’re going to turn them all against you.”

“Against us,” Megan said from the backseat.

“Uh, yeah. About that, Molinari says she’s going to see me later tonight? Just what does this thing entail?”

“It’s a ceremony. Most of the Pack will be there to welcome your wolf.”

Nina stiffened and shut up. She didn’t want the rest of the Pack there. She wasn’t sure she even liked the rest of the Pack.

“Nina?”

“Not now. We’re here and you need to deal with Stoner.” Her body language was sending him the message not to mess with her and he warred with himself for several moments.

“Will you accompany me when I brief him? You have some information that we need to share with him and you can explain it better than I can.”

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight? I’m trying to include you.”

Megan heaved a sigh from the backseat. Lex pulled into the garage and jammed the car into park. He turned to face his sister and Nina scrambled out of the car and into the house. “Do you have something to add?” he demanded of Megan.

“Lex, you are one of the smartest people I know. You’re compassionate and generous but you are so stupid when it comes to women!”

“What does that mean? Why are you all so damned mysterious?”

“We aren’t! You are so dense. Lex. Nina is really intuitive. Haven’t you noticed that? She doesn’t just blather on like so many people. She watches and listens even as she disarms people and keeps them off balance with her sharp comments. But she’s very observant. I bet you she can tell you what everyone in that hospital corridor was wearing, whether someone was walking with a limp or not, if someone was hiding something.”

“I know that. That’s why I asked her to be there when I briefed Stoner. I thought she’d be pleased I was including her.”

“Lex, the voice you used was tense and you were annoyed as you said it. Have you not noticed that despite her tough exterior, Nina is a bit insecure?”

“I was annoyed because she wasn’t telling me something. And she’s not insecure, she’s defensive. I never know where I stand with her.”

Megan shook her head at him. “Did you notice the way she reacted to the news that the whole Pack would be there tonight? Lex, the Pack stood there while someone tried to kill her. No one helped her. While you’ve explained it and she has accepted the Pack way for the most part, she can’t have the warmest of feelings for us all because of it. Oh and hello? She’s going to transform into a wolf for the first time in a few hours. That may be just a teeny bit stressful.”

She got out as he did and put her arm around his waist as they walked toward the door. “And you do know where you stand with her. She adores you, Lex. I’ve never seen you this happy, even your agitation is happy. She’s your equal and she’s not afraid of you like those other females were. You’re not insecure or you wouldn’t pop off to each other the way you do.”

He rolled his eyes as he opened the door. “Damn it, Meg, you’re the smart one.”

“Yeah, I know.”

He chuckled and headed in to deal with his mate.

* * * * *

When he walked into his office he saw her there, back to him, looking out the window. He crossed and stood behind her, his body barely touching hers. He bent and kissed her neck and she sighed sweetly.

“I do really want you to be here when I talk to Stoner. You’d be helping me,” he murmured into her ear.

She turned into him and put her head on his chest. His arms closed about her body. “How much do you want me to say?”

“Just follow my lead. Cade will be here as well.”

She tried to move back but he pulled her tighter against him and kissed her forehead before letting her go.

* * * * *

Ben Stoner approached the house with a casual air but it was clear he was taking in every detail. Lex appreciated that about the man. He was observant without being outwardly judgmental.

Dave led him into the office, where they’d set out some beverages at the table rather than have Lex sit behind his desk. Now was not the time to make anyone feel like they were trying to outrank anyone.

Cade, Lex and Nina all stood and Stoner snorted and waved them all down. “Let’s cut the shit, shall we? Get to the point.”

Lex smiled and they all sat and he laid out the basic story about Carter, the gambling debts and the now-missing vaccine.

“We have our own problems with crime, Detective Stoner. He’s absconded and has given something very important to less than trustworthy elements in our society. Nina has gone through his computers and we’ve got a basic idea of what happened, but where we are right now is finding out who’s got the remaining vials of the virus and getting them back before anything else happens.”

“I can’t believe you have organized crime.” Stoner’s voice was laced with disbelief.

Cade shrugged. “You have your criminal element, we have ours. It’s not something we like to advertise. I hope you understand that our telling you all of this entails a great deal of risk and trust on our part. We do it to protect weres and humans too.”