Suddenly she was surrounded by many arms and even a cold, wet dog nose pressed into her leg. Surrounded by love and understanding. It comforted her but the bittersweetness was sharp and her tears flowed openly.

Cade felt her pain through the link and moved to her, not caring about what was being said. She needed him, he felt it and he’d provide what she needed.

Feeling her break this way, really truly feeling the depth of her loneliness of her life before he’d met her devastated him. Because he’d been in Seattle with his family. Loving them and being loved. Knowing always that he had a place in the world that was his.

And she hadn’t. When she’d been shunned along with the rest of the Pellinis she’d lost her place, that assurance she belonged. It would have been easy to overlook what the rest of them did, to overlook it and have a place among her own people. To wolves, being among Pack was second nature. It fed heart and mind and she’d shunned it because it was the right thing to do.

Admiration swelled deep along with his love for her. Seeing other wolves with their mates, he’d felt envy but knowing her then, knowing she was made just for him, knowing his soul was worthy of a woman like Grace? It made him a better man, strengthened his faith that this standoff with Warren Pellini and his thugs was going to end with them victorious and the threat Pellini posed to their race erased forever.

“Okay, tea is ready. Why don’t you go back to your meeting, Cade? We’re going to have some girl talk, feed Milton tofu corn dogs and gossip about you guys and your sexual prowess.” Nina smiled at him over the top of Grace’s head.

Grace’s tears turned into a snort of laughter and he kissed her, needing a taste.

“Are you going to be all right?”

“Yes. I told you that already. Go on and work. We’ll talk when you’re finished.”

“We’ll do more than that. Just a warning.” He stood, happy at the way she ducked her head and blushed. He trusted his sisters to help and reach out. He’d do the rest with Grace at his side.

Grace smiled as she washed up. Girl talk was something she’d missed a great deal and her sisters-in-law were really enjoyable people. Tracy was a lot like Nina, if the world could actually handle two of them. Megan was more like Grace but still had a dry, sharp wit. She was also lonely. Grace knew it, saw the same look in her eyes that had greeted her in the mirror every morning before Cade Warden had touched her that very first time.

Layla had stopped in as well to see Tracy, she probably enjoyed Layla the most of all the sisters-in-law. The woman was secure in her own skin, observant, funny, a great mother and Grace loved to watch her interact with her husband, Sid. The tall, lanky artist looked at Layla like she hung the moon. The two were total opposites and yet they worked on a level Grace only hoped she and Cade would eleven years down the line.

“Hey there. Need any help?”

She turned to watch Cade enter the room with that predator’s walk of his. Just the sight of him, all coiled up, the ease over the steely resolve, made her mouth dry up. God, he was sexy. So sexy it overwhelmed her at times. Never in her existence had she obsessed about sex but with him, she craved it every moment of the day. He brought out desires she’d never imagined much less given even an inner voice to. And he did it all with total ease.

“My goodness, whatever are you thinking about, Grace Warden? The blast of what you just sent through the link has made me very, very hard.” He backed her against the counter and ground his c**k into her. An involuntary gasp came from within and she clutched at his upper arms.

“You,” she whispered. “Always you, Cade.”

“I love it when you look at me like this. Like you want to eat me up and lick your lips afterward.”

His hands roamed all over her body and she closed her eyes, luxuriating in his touch. “I love it when you touch me like that. Like I’m so precious you’re afraid I’ll break but you can’t help yourself.”

She opened her eyes to find his just inches away as he bent down to kiss the tip of her nose. “I can’t help myself, Grace. But you’re so small, so important and such a miracle to me I’m afraid you’ll disappear like smoke in the night.”

“I’m wearing three-inch heels,” she said, losing a bit of breath as he kissed the spot just below her ear.

“And you’re still small. But I like that. You make me calm just by thinking of you. Well, you make me want to f**k you every time I think of you too. But my point is, you’re regal and cool and petite but you take up every part of me. Your wolf is amazing, just like you are. I’m this big lumbering fool and you’re this pixie and yet, you’re mine.” He shrugged and she smiled, reaching up to run her hands through his hair. Loving the way he felt.

“I am. And you’re mine. Don’t you let that hussy from Siskiyou flirt while I’m not here. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how she bats her eyelashes at you.” Heifer.

He chuckled and suddenly her blouse was open, his hands on her br**sts. “God, I love that you’re bare under your blouses. Drives me nuts to see you walking around. Does it feel good, Grace? The cool fabric against your ni**les?”

“Anyone could walk in here,” she said, not convincingly.

“They could. And you didn’t answer my question. Sometimes I see you move and your ni**les press against the fabric and my response is Pavlovian. My mouth waters, my tongue wants to swirl around your nipple until you make that squeak. The honey will make your pu**y all slick and ready for me.”