Nina was still hurting that the Pack had stood by as she was attacked and nearly killed. It was her mission to make them all more democratic and a heck of a lot less bigoted toward humans. It was a sore spot and she didn’t want to have children who would be part of that hierarchy until she could feel better about it.

The room got quiet for a moment. It was an old argument. Lex got up and kissed the top of Nina’s head and hugged her, not knowing what else to do. He loved her and she was his and he kept hoping the situation would mellow over time.

“So when does the big bad Mediator come to town?” Tracy asked to change the subject. “This whole thing reminds me of the scene inLa Femme Nikitawhen they bring in the Cleaner and everyone gets all freaked out and scared.”

“Ah, I was meaning to talk to you about that. He’s holding the mediations in Portland. You want to come down and help me? Nina is coming, and well, we all know how very good she is at holding her tongue and playing werewolf politics. I’d like your help in managing the paperwork. Nina, tongue firmly held,” Lex looked at his wife with narrowed eyes and she shrugged and tossed Milton a corn dog with a bit of mustard, “will be my eyes. She’s good at knowing when people are up to something. But I’d like someone who can help with the Pack politics. Cade will stay here but I get to bring three wolves and I’d like it to be you, Nina and Megan.”

“How come he’s not coming here?”

Cade plated up the steaks and carried them to the table, where they all went to sit down. Milton went to lie in the corner near the fireplace on his dog bed, sated with the food Nina had given him.

“He’s a mediator. He’s going to come in, tell Nick and me that we’re both full of shit, kick our asses and make us each give up something and work to find a solution. If he had it here, he’d be giving me a lot of power. Ours is the more powerful Pack by far. I get it. But I think it’ll be a relatively quick process too.

We get along well with Pacific and it’s not a big deal to enlarge the buffer.”

“So why is Nina coming? I mean, no offense, I think traveling with Nina is a hoot and all. But if it’s a quick thing and you can trust the Lawrences and this mediator, why have her sneaky-peeky eyes on them?”

Nina snorted. “A hoot? You go with that big vocabulary, teen wolf.” Tracy made a score mark in the air with a finger. “Anyway, my theory is that he doesn’t trust me to be here without him.”

“He’s afraid I’ll steal her away.” Cade smirked and Nina laughed.

“Dream on. Is it a crime to want to be with my mate and take advantage of hotel sex?”

Tracy put her hands up in surrender. “Ugh! That’s enough sharing, thanks. So okay, well, yes. I’m sure I can get Charity to deal with the store for a few days. When do we go?”

“Tomorrow, if you can work it.”

“Let me call her and see. You know we have to stay in a place where I can have Milton.”

Lex looked at the dog, who was now on his back, three legs in the air, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. “That dog isn’t firing on all cylinders.”

Nina smacked his arm. “Hey! He enjoys life. He’s a Lab, they’re all a bit goofy but he’s very smart, you know. You just underestimate him. You do that a lot for someone who is supposedly the Big Bad Enforcer. Take one look and dismiss.”

He grinned and kissed her hard. “You’re right, beautiful. I’m sure Milton is a genius. You were certainly a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Or a siren in librarian’s clothing.”

“You’re so going to get lucky.”

“Ugh. I’m going to go call Charity.” Tracy pushed away from the table and went into the office.

They finished dinner and Lex went to make calls while Nina and Cade cleaned up the kitchen.

“You’ll take care of him, right?” Cade asked quietly as the two worked side by side. “And Tracy too?”

She quirked up a smile and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “Of course. Nobody is going to f**k them over on my watch. I promise.”

His hand stayed at her hip, thumb sliding back and forth over the exposed skin between her sweater and pants. Her heart sped up as it always did when he turned his attention on her like that.

Their connection through the tri-bond tied them together emotionally and physically, and because Cade and Lex were brothers, in many ways Nina was biologically close to being his mate too.

“I’m going to miss your smart mouth,” he murmured and stepped back before he did something monumentally stupid like lean in and kiss her.

She smiled, a bit of bittersweetness at the edges. There was so much there between them that would never be realized. Despite that, other than Lex, he was her heart and she loved him as a friend and brother and as her Alpha, and a part that she tucked away loved him as a man. But she would never let that part free because Lex was her everything. He was what made her take every breath, her laughter and her annoyance and her safety and comfort. He was her other half.

“I’ll call you every day and bitch at you. I have a list, you know.”

He barked out a surprised laugh and turned on the dishwasher. “I bet you do. You call me if things get out of hand.”

She nodded and shrugged. She wouldn’t call without Lex’s input. Cade was her Alpha, yes, but she didn’t follow him blindly and she wouldn’t go around Lex, especially when it concerned his job. Nina knew that Cade didn’t mean it in that way, he just cared deeply about his siblings and his wolves, but it was not something she’d do.