“I’m a werewolf. Fuck me, please.”

He laughed and picked up the pace. She arched in response, her body growing even more slick.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. The table hit the wall as he f**ked into her body. He never took his gaze from her face so he caught the look of surprised pleasure when her orgasm hit, felt her cunt tighten around him.

“I love you, Cade.”

Christ. That was all it took after feeling her come around him and after four more thrusts he came so hard he saw points of light in his vision.

He kissed her forehead. Then each one of her hands as he helped her up and back into her clothes.

“Now you can go talk to Lex and I’m going to shower. Meet you in our room shortly. If you’re not back within half an hour, I’m hunting you down.” With one last kiss, she was gone and he was left with her scent all over him and a smile on his face.

Grace took a hot shower and changed into some sweats and went to check on Dave and Hiroshi. It didn’t surprise her to see Beth there pampering Dave. Dave’s mother was her sister and from what Grace understood, Dave had been like another child to Beth and Henri when his mother had died.

Beth smiled at her, hugging her tight. “I’m glad to see you back. I hear there was trouble?”

“It’s okay now. Honestly.” She blushed, thinking of how embarrassed she’d be if her mother-in-law had wandered into the kitchen for a snack just a few minutes before.

“I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like for you. Not just with the Challenge but then well, being the Supreme Alpha. I’m going to miss you both so much. Just a few years ago all my children were right here and now three of them are going to live in other states. I suppose it means we’ll have to visit Boston more often. I have enjoyed getting to know you, Grace.”

Her mother-in-law was a very warm woman and Grace would miss her.

“One thing at a time. Let’s just get through the Challenge and then we’ll deal with moving. I just want that part over with.”

She took Dave’s vitals and checked in on Hiroshi before heading back to their room. Seeing Cade wasn’t back yet, she shucked out of her sweats and into, well nothing but some lotion.

Stretching, she reveled in the slight soreness of her muscles. She’d needed to be with him like that, with him letting go of his control and taking her with such ferocity.

When he came into the room a short time later his face was grim although it did lighten some when he saw her naked there in bed.

“Tell me.”

“Your parents, Grace. They helped this assassin, not a very good one, thank God, triangulate you with your cell phone. I can’t believe both Lex and I didn’t even think about how your old cell would be dangerous and have it replaced.”

“My parents?” She got to her knees, feeling sick. “My parents helped someone try to kill me?” She shouldn’t have been so hurt, they’d rejected her when she opted to not join Warren’s group and even when she’d been back in touch, she supposed in her own way she’d rejected them too.

“I’m sorry.” He sighed and shook his head, holding her without saying anything else.

Sometime later, he made love to her slow and gentle. Neither of them spoke but through their hands and mouth on the other. He was her family, the one that mattered.

Chapter Seventeen

“Cade’s on the phone, Grace,” Dave called to her across the lab. She’d started some limited trials on the vaccine and had been putting in long hours over the week following the discovery that her parents had tried to harm her.

She picked up. “Hi there, what’s up?”

“I just wanted to tell you the Challenge has been set for two weeks from tomorrow in Boston.”

She suddenly had trouble finding enough air to breathe. She sat and Dave was there, his hand on her shoulder.

“Okay. I need to get working then. This has to be finished.”

“I want to see you now. I’m going to have Dave drive you to me and you and I are going to sneak off for a night. We can’t afford more than one, too much is going on. But you and I need the time.”

“Yes. Yes. I want that too.” She handed the phone to Dave who said, “uh huh” a few times and hung up. “Give me five minutes.”

She dashed off and gave some instructions before grabbing her stuff and heading out. They’d doubled the guards on the lab just in case anyone else knew the location, so plenty of well-armed werewolves nodded at them as they passed before loading into the Hummer.

Dave did all sorts of switchbacks and funky driving before dropping her off at a corner where Cade waited in another SUV.

“I’ve got it from here. See you tomorrow.” Cade nodded to Dave and helped Grace into the car.

“I have you totally all to myself? As in alone? You and me alone?”

“Yep. I packed you a bag of clothes to wear to the lab tomorrow. You won’t need anything once we get where we’re going.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Some minutes later, he pulled up to a gorgeous A-Frame style home nestled in the mountains. “Believe it or not, my parents own this. It’s a vacation home. There are guards everywhere but no one will bother us.”

He pulled into the garage and once the door had closed she sat back and closed her eyes. “Do you hear that?”

“What, honey?”

“Nothing. No chatter from the living room. No television and stereo in another part of the house. Just your heartbeat and mine.”