“Oh, he tried.” Eli smiled. “In fact, he ranted at her to ‘stay inside the main lodge where she’ll be safe.’ Roni just stared at him until he started squirming and gave in.”

“She reminds me of Kye when she does that,” chuckled Shaya, referring to Taryn and Trey’s infant son, who was also her godson. “He never cries or shouts if you say no to him. He just stares at you until you give him what he wants.”

Kathy took a seat, grinning. “It even works on Nick.”

Affronted, Nick scowled. “No, it doesn’t.” But Shaya, Kathy, and Stone continued to tease him about it while they all ate, much to Ally’s amusement. He looked close to strangling all three of his tormentors when his cell phone rang. He left the room to take the call. When he returned, both surprise and suspiciousness were wafting from him . . . acting like pinpricks to her skin.

“That was Donovan,” Nick announced, garnering everyone’s attention. “The hit on us and the Phoenix Pack has been canceled.”

“Canceled?” echoed Bracken.

The Alpha male nodded. “Someone removed the bounty two days ago.”

“You don’t look relieved,” noted Stone.

“It just seems too . . . easy.”

“Well, I don’t find it so shocking.” Kathy stood and began collecting the empty plates. “Kerrie didn’t seem to be having any luck getting people to cash in on the hit.”

“I find it hard to believe she’d just give up.” Derren toyed with his mate’s hair, unable to stop touching her.

“Maybe she’s decided to cut her losses.” But Eli didn’t sound particularly convinced.

Shaya sighed. “Whatever the case, at least there’s no longer a bounty. That’s something.”

“We should still remain on guard,” advised Derren.

“I agree,” said Nick. “Now I’ll pass on the news to the Phoenix Pack.”

Once breakfast was over and she and Derren were strolling out of the kitchen, Ally said, “I guess we’d better get to work, huh.” At the blank incomprehension on his face, she rolled her eyes. “I’m Beta female now. That means I have responsibilities to the pack, just like you.” And she was hoping to ease Derren’s load a little.

Surprised by her statement, it took Derren a moment to respond. “You don’t need to help, baby. Not all Beta females take on responsibilities.” Many did, but not all, because it wasn’t an easy position to fill. “You already have a tough job.” There was no one else in the pack who possessed any healing skills, which meant that not only did they rely on Ally for warnings of danger but also for her ability to heal. As that effectively made her their healer, she basically needed to be on call at all times. “I’d rather you saved your energy in case someone needs your healing skills.”

Ally fisted her hands in his T-shirt. “You listen to me, Derren Hudson. I’m Beta female of this pack now, and I am going to take on the duties that come with that. Not just because I should, but because I want to.” She pressed a light kiss to his mouth. “You’re right that I can’t afford to be tired when I might be needed to heal someone. But I can still help in some ways.”

Pride filled Derren—his mate didn’t resent his status; she accepted it and embraced the fact that it was a status she now shared. It deeply satisfied his wolf, who needed that acceptance of who he was. Derren cupped her face. “You’ll make a good Beta female, you know.”

She smiled winningly. “Of course I will. I’m awesome.” He chuckled. Turning serious, she said, “I don’t mind doing paperwork and monitoring the pack web, but I won’t be able to work in an office without going stir crazy.”

Pack webs were social networks and, just as a person’s Facebook page might be exclusive to their friends—permitting only said friends to post on their “wall”—a pack’s web page was exclusive to pack members. Packs were allowed to check out the profiles of other packs through the webs just like people could look at others’ Facebook profiles.

“Can I work from our lodge?”

Derren licked over his claiming mark. “If that’s what you want.”

“If anyone from the pack has any problems, send them to me.” Her voice turned embarrassingly husky and breathy as he sucked on the mark. “I’ll deal with that.”

She’d probably be a lot better at that than he would, he thought. He bit her lip and then licked over it to soothe the sting. “All right.” He smacked her ass. “Let’s get started.”

Despite knowing how capable his mate was, Derren had wondered if she’d cope well with the duties she’d decided to take on, wondered if she’d still feel so strongly about them once she realized how mind-numbingly boring they could be. But each time he went to the lodge to check on her, she offered him a bright smile. She finished the paperwork in record time, updated and spruced up their pack web, and helped Caleb deal with a few minor issues he’d been too nervous to bring up to Nick.

When Derren finally returned to her at the end of a long day, they ate an evening meal together before going on a run in their wolf forms. For hours, the black wolf and the white wolf played, tussled, and lunged. On arriving back at the lodge, they returned to their human forms.

Later, lounging side by side in the hammock, Ally said, “I have a question. Since I’m part of the pack now, will I have to give up this place to move into your lodge?”