“I’m getting her back.”

Cade shrugged. “Of course you are. The question is, Ben Stoner, how much the bill will be for ignoring her for five days. At first she was hurt. Moped around. Now? Now she’s pissed off. And have you ever seen a pissed off female werewolf? No, you’re thinking you saw her mad at you five days ago. My sisters are all quick to anger but just as quick to let it go. You saw a spat, and some hurt because you didn’t respect her with liberal amounts of guilt thrown in.”

“She should feel guilty for not seeing me! I came here to work it out and she wouldn’t even do me the courtesy.”

Cade had the audacity to chuckle as he leaned back against the railing of the deck overlooking the woods. “You’re an idiot. Guilt because she felt she’d failed her family.

Her Pack. She went to her mate to share her concerns and the guy got away. She tried to talk to you about it but you gave her guff and reminded us all how much you didn’t love her. Remember that?”

“You’re a smug bastard.”

“I am. I’m the motherfucking Alpha of one of the most powerful werewolf Packs in the world and you hurt my sister. You have no idea how much that makes me want to rip your head off. And I can. You’d best remember that. You’d best remember that you’re drawing breath right now instead of bleeding out in the woods behind me because my sister loves you and you love her, you stupid f**king human. My sister has lost enough, do you hear me? Play time is over. You lost your little personal vision quest to find yourself or whatever the hell you told Tegan you needed to do before accepting the obvious and the inevitable. If you can’t have the spine enough to admit you love her—all of her, not just the need to f**k her—you get the hell off this property and don’t you look back. Don’t so much as breathe in Tegan’s direction ever again or I. Will. Kill. You. In time I’m told the pain of your mate’s absence won’t hurt as much. Certainly not as much as my killing you will. If it makes you feel better, I told her to get her shit together too.”

Ben had always thought Lex was a badass but right then, he understood with utter clarity why Cade was Alpha and not Lex. A shiver of fear worked through him even as he was angry at the idea of being denied access to his woman.

Fuck. His woman .

“Tegan is my woman and I’m going to her. You can take your threats and shove them. You may be a werewolf but you can’t outrun bullets.”

Cade snorted. “I can.” He shifted and moved so fast Ben didn’t even see it until he stopped on the other side of the deck. “Accept that there are things in the world you can’t explain but are true nonetheless. You didn’t wish for the mate bond with Tegan but you have it. And you’re a lucky man. She’s the best and you’ve found something wolves, wolves like me, yearn for for decades. Go to her and grovel, dumbass.”

Ben sighed. “Damn it. I hate when other people are right.”

“Get used to it, Ben.” Lex strolled onto the deck. “You think I get to be right with Nina? Now, the real question you need to ask yourself is whether you’d rather be with her or be right without her. Because being right and lonely sucks. Anyway, women aren’t that hard to figure out. Listen to her, respect her. You’ll fight a lot, she’s been stubborn since birth. You’ll make up, buy her pretty things, or in Tee’s case, new weapons or somesuch and you’ll go on. You can be happy and be connected and be right half the time. But don’t you go over there if you can’t commit. Because after Cade kills you, I’ll kill you too.”

Ben threw his hands in the air and stomped off, heading back to Seattle and toward Tegan’s house.

Tegan felt Ben pull up outside and relief battled with fury. The bastard runs off for five days and now he shows up?

“Tee? Honey you okay?” Her sister Tracy touched her arm.

Josh, the Pacific Pack’s Enforcer put his arm around her shoulder, concern on his face. “Tegan, did we do something wrong?”

“Get your damned hands off my mate!” Ben banged on the front door as he peered through the front windows.

“Oh, now I’m his mate?” Tegan ground her teeth.

“I can’t believe that prick is here,” Tracy growled and Nick looked up from his place on the couch.

“Let it be, sweetness. Tegan, darling, do you need Josh to kill him for you?” Even while threatening death, her sister’s husband looked handsome and completely chill.

“He totally would,” Tracy added hopefully.

Josh laughed. “Gladly. Or, shall I help make him realize what he’s been blowing for the last five days?” He nuzzled her temple playfully and Ben’s yelling got louder. “It’s not like I’d have to fake finding you very attractive.”

“As much as killing him would satisfy my initial feelings of rage at his behavior, I’d miss him in the end. He’s actually a very good man. And thanks, a girl needs to feel attractive every once in a while.” Blushing, she kissed Josh’s cheek and moved to the door. Unlocking it, she stood to block Ben’s entrance.

“What the hell is going on here?” he bellowed, trying to come into the house. She put a hand out to stop him and the shock of the contact made them both gasp. Her love for him, the way she’d missed him, ached for him, crashed through her.

With a cry of surprise, Ben moved her hand out of the way and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her tight.