She took her position seriously, which pleased him but also made him insane with worry. Several wolves who lived nearby had already spoken to him about sending their children and mates to the haven. He wished he had that option but knew she’d never do it, even as he suggested it to her earlier.

He supposed he wouldn’t have respected her as much if she didn’t insist on staying there at his side, but maybe not. Maybe he’d just be relieved instead of afraid of losing her.

Lex had already had an argument with Nina about it. Now that she was pregnant, he’d asked her to go to the haven with their grandmother. Both women simply looked at him as if he spoke gibberish. Damned female wolves. Smart and strong, capable.

He would have sighed but he didn’t want to wake Grace up. He wanted her to be well rested when he took her the next morning.

Chapter Ten

“Can you think of anything else you may have forgotten about Warren? Anything at all?” Ben asked her over the phone. “Sometimes you may not think something is important but that one little thing is the key to helping us find the main lab or his headquarters.”

Lex smoothed a hand up and down Grace’s arm and Cade paced. They’d had zero luck in finding Warren’s main lab.

She leaned forward and rubbed her forehead. “Why don’t I come out there? I can drive around and see what I can find and remember?”

“No! It’s too dangerous, Grace.” Cade spun to look at her and she visibly counted to ten.

Grace stood. “Cade, may I speak to you outside, please?” Without waiting for an answer she left the room.

Cade looked to Lex and rolled his eyes heavenward. Grace had a f**king spine of steel. She chose her battles carefully and he’d noted that once she took a stand on something, he’d just as well kiss it goodbye. “Take over. I’ll be right back.”

Once he got to the end of the hall where she stood near the windows, sunlight backlighting her like a freaking angel, he nearly fell to his knees before her.

“I’m dead set against this, Grace.”

“Cade, this is serious business. If we can find this damned lab we can make some serious strides toward taking him out once and for all. People are dying!”

There’d been more violence in the days following the last report. Groups of National Aligned Pack wolves were arming to the teeth and twice now, skirmishes had broken out with severe injuries and one death. Cade wasn’t inclined to tell his people they couldn’t defend themselves against the barbarism of Pellini. In fact, they’d been working with the Council of War to send Enforcer corps wolves, all specially trained, all over the country to the Pack seats of where clan resided, to protect their people. Some Packs had really well-trained Enforcers while others didn’t. It was the time to pitch in and help.

“We can’t just sit here while he does this, Cade. It’s not what Alphas should do.” Grace touched his neck. “I can’t. If there’s something that jogs my memory, I can’t risk not going. You of all people should understand.”

“Damn it, Grace. I can’t leave right now. I have to meet with Pacific and Siskiyou tomorrow and the next day. Can’t it wait until I can be there with you?”

“Cade, I rarely ask anything of you. But this is my job too and you know it. Let me do this. I’ll go and come straight back in time for the ceremony this weekend. I’ll take guards. Ben isn’t going to let anything happen to me. Maxwell feels so guilty about shunning my family he’s going to bend over backwards to keep me safe. Well, and keep from your wrath if anything did.”

He pulled her to his body with a groan. “You’re right, I know you are but I don’t want to risk you. Grace, you’re everything to me. I can’t bear the thought of you being in danger.”

“I know that. And I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think it was necessary. But I can’t live with myself if I don’t do everything I can to stop this.”

He growled. “Fine. Okay. But let’s get a safety plan in place. If it’s satisfactory I’ll be more at ease although I want you to fly out and right back, all right?”

She nodded. “I don’t want to be gone from you any longer than I have to either.”

They went back into the room and Lex looked at his brother through hooded eyes. Both males knew the fear of losing a mate.

“I can’t be there. Pacific and Siskiyou are expected here for a two day meeting and Lex is running training sessions for this expanded Enforcer corps. How can you keep Grace safe?” Cade grabbed Grace’s hand and pulled her into his lap, holding her close. She snuggled into him and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

“I’ll come out from Boston and meet her plane personally,” Jack broke in. “I’ll be her guard the whole time she’s there. I’ll even escort her home. You know I’ll protect her with my life.”

It was Jack’s place as an anchor to step in and as the man was one of the most powerful wolves in the United States, the offer satisfied Cade.

“And as apparently I’m chopped liver, I’ll also assign a team to her while she’s here.” Ben’s voice was dry but Cade knew he got it. Tegan had nearly died, Ben would never forget it.

They made arrangements to have Grace’s plane met first thing the next morning and for her to stay at Tegan and Ben’s should she need to. Dave and Hiroshi would accompany her as well. He hated it but he knew she had to do it and if he stood in her way, he’d be robbing her of her rightful place and duty as Alpha. He knew Jack would protect her with his life. Knew his sister and Ben would as well. He’d never actually considered blowing off his responsibilities before, but he craved just tossing the meetings aside to go with her to Chicago. But she wouldn’t have allowed it and he had too many lives in the balance to protect and think of.