She’d waded back into a life with someone, opened herself up to belonging with, belonging to a relationship and it made her vulnerable. Made her naked to being harmed and Ben Stoner could possibly bring back the kind of pain she felt when she lost Lucas.

And she couldn’t bear it, not like that.

It wasn’t so much that she felt betrayed by Ben for what he’d done that morning. But in her caring for him, in her relationship and connection with him, she’d harmed her family. She’d put something else first and had failed everyone. Failed herself, failed her Pack and failed Ben because she couldn’t be what he needed her to be.

Being alone began to be something she missed a lot more than being lonely.

Chapter Seven

Ben stalked back to his office, a roaring headache just behind his eyes. As Tegan predicted, the man lawyered up immediately and they’d gotten nothing from him other than his name.

The lawyer claimed the car was an innocent mistake, the perp said he’d bought it only the night before for cash from a stranger. Ten years ago Ben might have been incredulous at such a story but he heard stuff worse than that on a weekly basis. Still, they charged him with car theft and possession of an unlicensed weapon.

But he’d just walked back from the court house from the arraignment. The guy was released on bond and Ben doubted very much they’d ever see him again. He wasn’t sure what made him angrier, that Tegan had been right or that he’d just made her even less safe.

“Stoner.”

Ben jumped at the sound and saw Lex standing in the hallway just outside the door.

“Look, I’m sorry. He just bonded out. I couldn’t do anything else.”

Lex walked in and closed the door. “He’s got a tail on him. Tegan suggested it earlier.”

Ben sighed heavily and sat down. “Good idea. How…how is she?”

“Pissed off. Hurt.” Lex shrugged. “Before we get into that, did you find anything out from this guy?”

“No. I was about five minutes behind the arresting officer and by the time they processed him and I got through and into the interrogation room, he’d pokered up after requesting representation. I have a name.” Ben paused, looking at his notes. “I’m giving it to you as the liaison, not because of what I am to your sister.” He wrote the name down and handed it to Lex.

“And just what are you to my sister?”

Ben scrubbed his hands over his face. “Hell if I know. All I do know is that I want to see her and make this right. I expect she’s pretty angry at me right now. But I can’t apologize for it, Lex. If I had let her lean on that guy, I’d have been turning my back on what I am. I can’t do that.”

“And now he’s gone and if she hadn’t been what she is, you’d have dick. Remember that, Ben. And don’t you dare get self-righteous on me. This piece of shit has something to do with a man who’s attempted to kill multiple members of my family and who wouldn’t blink before harming Tegan to get what he wants. Warren Pellini is a werewolf.

This is werewolf business. You can’t do anything to him but I can. Back off and let me do it.”

“You don’t know that for sure. I can’t stand by and let you be a thug, Lex.”

“I’m not asking permission. And I’m not a thug. Humans are thugs. I’m the Enforcer of the Cascadia Wolf Pack.” Lex stood tall and proud. “I do not seek human leave to do wolf business. Make no mistake, we will take care of this threat. You can help or get out of the way. But it will happen.”

“If you keep your wolf shit out of my business, I don’t see it and I can’t stop it. Now, I’m told Tegan is at your place and will be for a few days. I’d like to come up to see her when I get done here. Is that going to be a problem?”

“If you can survive the visit with your dick intact, you go ahead on.” Chuckling, Lex held up the scrap of paper and nodded. “Thanks for this.”

“See you later.”

“Look, she’s been alone a long time. She’s hurt and more than anything else I think she’s scared. So go easy. Oh and she’s a werewolf female. There’s really no more complicated being in all creation than a werewolf female. Beautiful, magnificent, the world is better with them than without. But you’ll never figure them out even as they aggravate you so much you want to drive a screwdriver into your eardrum. Good luck.”

With a snort, Lex left the office, laughing softly all the way down the hall.

Tegan looked up from the pot of sauce she was stirring. She felt Ben come into the house and sighed.

Nina came into the room about five minutes later.

“He wants to see you.”

“I don’t want to see him.”

“Really? If you’re truly serious, I’ll send him away. But…” Nina hesitated.

“But what?”

“Tee, you do want this to work out right? I mean, you want to be with him?”

Tegan turned and faced her sister-in-law. “I do. He’s my mate. You know what that is, what it means. I love him. Even right now I ache to see him, to feel him with me. But I can’t be with him if he’s not going to respect me. And I can’t be with him if he can’t accept what we are to each other. I know he’s a human and the whole thing is shocking to him so I get that he needs time to process but I need something from him. I need for him to be more than hungry to f**k me. I want him to admit he’s hungry for me , period.”