“Look, I don’t apologize for doing what was necessary to keep Pack order.”

“How furry of you to say so.” She got up and went back to the fridge. Annoyed, she pulled out eggs and milk, placing them on the counter.

Nina could feel Cade glaring at her back as she pulled out a bowl and a whisk and set about making scrambled eggs. She took her time just to f**k with him.

“We can’t just keep being mad at each other, Nina. You’re my sister-in-law and I’m your anchor bond as well as your Alpha.”

She turned on the gas below the skillet and put a pat of butter in to melt. “Hmm. Is that an official pronouncement?”

She tipped the bowl, pouring the mixture into the skillet, and put it in the sink before moving back to the stove where she stirred the eggs.

He fumed as the food cooked. Finally she pulled out two plates and halved the eggs and put one plate in front of Cade and sat down with hers.

“Oh. Thanks.”

Nina hid a smirk at his confusion. Cade Warden might be her Alpha and the big cheese, but he and his tool of a brother had to be properly trained as to how to treat a woman. This He-Man routine of theirs had to stop. If she was going to live there, it would be on her terms, too, or not at all.

They ate in silence until she stood up and put her plate in the sink.

“So are we okay or what?” Cade asked.

She turned to him. “Eventually I think we will be. On one level, I trust you. As a member of your Pack, I trust you’ll enforce the rules that keep werewolves safe. But that doesn’t mean I trust you, Cade, to protect me, Nina. I would have given my life for you or Lex. But you don’t feel the same and that’s taking some getting used to.”

He stood and went to her. Taking her hands in his, he searched her face as he tried to think of the words to say. “Nina, you can trust me. There is no one more important to me in the world than you and Lex. I love my family but you two are my tri-bond. In many ways, you’re my mate too. It nearly killed me to watch you being attacked. I tried to find you a way out. And no, I don’t think it was your fault. But I also knew that a werewolf could easily kill a human. I had to make the choice that was best for the Pack. But that doesn’t mean you can’t trust me.”

“You can’t have it both ways, Cade.” She gently took her hands back and kissed his cheek. “I’ll get over it in time. But I don’t think things between us will ever be the same and maybe that’s a good thing anyway.”

“What are you doing up so early?” Lex asked as he came into the kitchen.

Nina stepped away from Cade and went to Lex. She kissed his chin. “I have to get to my shop today. It’s been a week. I’ll need a car. Oh, and I suppose a bodyguard, too.” She sighed.

“You what? Jesus, Nina! You. Almost. Died! People are trying to kill you. They burned down your house. What does it take to make you stay home and be safe?” Lex yelled this so loud that the bass of it vibrated her spine.

She idly waved a hand in his direction. “Indoor voice! Knock it off tantrum-boy.”

“Tantrum-boy? Nina, Lex is right. You need to stay here where we can protect you.”

She narrowed her eyes at Cade. “Oh yeah, well, let me see…nope, you’re not the boss of me. And I’d like to point out a very important point—this entire ball of shit originated with werewolves. The murder attempts? You people. Hell, right in front of you in one situation. So, f**k off, won’t you? Because I’ve got a business to run and we still need to find my brother’s killer.”

She moved to walk out of the room and Lex’s arm shot out to stop her. Only she turned and growled at him and everyone got very quiet for a moment.

“Nina, your wolf is surfacing.” Cade’s voice was calm and low.

“Don’t poke at it with a stick, then.” She turned back to Lex. “I’m going to work. Period. End of discussion. I’m going to wait downstairs for five minutes and then I’m taking one of the Mercs and leaving. You can roll with that and give me a bodyguard. Or sit here and wring your hands all day. It’s all the same to me.”

With that pronouncement, she breezed out of the room.

Lex slammed a fist into the wall and let out a frustrated groan. “Are you in the field today or here?”

“Here. Go with her, Lex and take Megan with you. It’s time you let Dave take over being my chief bodyguard and you do Enforcement full time. Right now, she’s our biggest priority. She’s under threat and she’s right, we do need to find that murderer.”

“Carter is a part of it. I can taste it.”

“I think so, too. I’ve never doubted your senses about stuff like this anyway.”

Lex sighed and turned to his brother. “I’m going to bring two more men onto your personal detail.”

“Do it. Now get down there before she takes off without you.”

Lex grinned and held up a small black cube. “Not without the electronic key she doesn’t. The engine won’t turn over without it.”

Cade laughed. “Living with the two of you is going to be really interesting.”

“Something like that,” Lex called out as he left the room. He motioned for Megan to follow him and they headed downstairs to the garage.

* * * * *

Nina was sitting in the car, talking on her cell phone when they got inside with her. She shot him an annoyed look when he touched the cube to a spot on the dash near the ignition and started the car. He made sure she saw him pocket the cube where he could keep custody of it, too.