“Aye.”

“As your pack leader, I make the decisions, and then if they’re wrong, I’m to blame and no one else.”

“You mean everything you did to try and make her leave was your fault?” Frederick asked.

Grant smiled. That was one way to put it.

“She’s going to hate me,” Frederick said sulkily.

“It’s up to you to make it right with her,” Grant said.

“You mean I have to tell her. Myself.”

“Aye. She’s in the study working on new charts. Why don’t you go in and make your peace with her?”

Frederick swallowed hard. “I will.”

Grant felt a little bad that the boy had taken his lead in doing what he had done, though he doubted Colleen would be upset with the lad. Still, Frederick had to make amends for his own past deeds when he was in the wrong. It was all part of growing up.

Not that Grant was going to let him do this all on his own.

***

In the study, Colleen had just finished creating one of the budgets when she heard a light knock on the door. She thought everyone in the whole pack knew by now that when she was working, she didn’t mind anyone coming in. They didn’t have to obtain permission to see her.

“Come in,” she said.

The door opened slowly and Frederick stood there, head bowed a bit like a beta wolf, looking like she planned to execute him on the spot. She smiled brightly at him, trying to diffuse the tension in the air. She wondered if the only reason he came to see her was because Grant had talked to him. She would talk with her mate afterward about that. She really hadn’t wanted him interfering.

“Come in, Frederick. To what do I owe the pleasure—”

“I came to apologize,” he said, eyes downcast, not moving from the doorway.

“Come in and shut the door, why don’t you?” she said in a motherly way. “Have a seat,” she said and sat across from him near the windows in the little reading alcove.

“I let Hercules into your chamber. I didn’t make him get into your bed. I just…well, the door to his lairdship’s chamber was already ajar. And I peered in and saw your door to his room was open. I just thought Hercules would startle you, but I didn’t think he’d get into your bed.”

“I see. Why did you do it?” That was all that mattered to Colleen.

Frederick didn’t say anything.

“The notion was yours alone?”

“Aye, well, I got the idea from his lairdship when he asked me to let the dogs loose in the great hall for the meal.”

She smiled at the memory. Someday she would tell her own children about their father and how hard he had tried to chase her off.

She couldn’t help being amused that the boy most likely thought taking the initiative to leave Hercules in her room would have pleased Grant. Admiring Frederick for wanting to please his pack leader, she couldn’t fault him.

“So I believed he would be delighted with me if I let the dog in your room. I thought it was really quite brilliant of me,” Frederick continued.

“I totally understand. But now you’re sorry.”

“Aye. You’ve been so nice to me and taught me how to train the dogs and…” He swallowed hard. “You’re Laird MacQuarrie’s mate now and our pack leader, too, and well, I just had to tell you the truth. Even if you hate me for it.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “Let me tell you a little secret. I already suspected as much.”

“You did? And you didn’t say anything to me about it?” He sounded and looked awed as he raised his brows and his eyes grew big.

“No harm was done, except it cost me a little more sleep.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, but he looked somewhat relieved. “How did you know?”

As if she couldn’t have determined what had happened with just a little sleuthing. “You said you tucked the dogs in for the night. You mentioned they weren’t ‘locked’ in, as if saying anyone else could have let one out. But you were responsible for them, and I suspected you had brought Hercules into the keep that night.

“You also willingly mentioned he had to have used the wolf door, but he hadn’t. I checked. He used the side entrance after someone opened the door for him. Of course, a lot of smells circulated around the door at the time, but yours and Hercules were also present. Not one of the other dogs, though. And from what I’ve seen, the dogs aren’t ever inside the keep except for the special occasion when they were allowed to sit at the meal with us. True?”

“Aye, my lady. I’m sorry.”

“Since you were also responsible for bringing them in to dine with us, I assumed you had also brought him to my chamber.” Not to mention it seemed like something a boy would do. “You are forgiven. Besides, it was all Grant’s fault.”

“Why is it Grant’s fault?” Grant asked, entering the study, a smile curving his mouth as his darkened eyes focused on Colleen.

She felt a little thrill at the sound of his deep, dark, and very sexy voice. His tone wasn’t angry, but more—he wished to pay her back for saying what she did to the lad.

Frederick jumped to his feet, tangling his shoes in the rug, and caught himself by grabbing the chair’s high back before he fell.

Colleen wondered how long Grant had been eavesdropping. She’d been listening so intently to Frederick that she hadn’t even heard Grant open the door and slip into the room. Quietly. Like a wolf on a hunt.