She stood and turned around and faced him. "I'm sorry. I was overreacting." She placed her hands on his chest.

He stared at her, appearing even more puzzled. "You're not mad?"

She offered him a smile that came from deep within. The thought that her grandfather hadn't given up on seeing her filled her chest with a light bubbly feeling. She cut her gaze toward the computer and then met Lucas's gaze. "It hurt to feel that I came second after everyone else, but-"

"You don't come second. When I get on the Council, I'll have the power to put a stop to all this crap. The younger werewolves are clamoring to have someone on the Council to voice their opinion. I'll get their support and the elders won't be able to tell anyone who they should see or share their lives with. They won't hold anyone responsible for the sins of their parents. Please give me a little time."

"I will. And I'm sorry I was a bitch."

"I never said you were a bitch." He pulled her a bit closer. So close that the warmth of his body sent a wave of pleasure through her.

"I know," Kylie said. "And I get it now." She met his gaze and moistened her lips with her tongue. "Didn't you say something about kissing me?"

His brow wrinkled, but with a smile. "I don't think I'll ever understand girls."

"Then stop trying." She lifted up on her tiptoes. She wanted to kiss Lucas senseless, and then she wanted to send him on his way so she could find out what her grandfather said in his e-mails. But the moment Lucas's lips found hers, when his warm chest pressed against her breasts and his hands slipped up under her shirt to fit against the naked curve of her waist, she decided that the e-mails could wait a little longer.

This ... this was magic. The kind she could do without screwing up.

* * *

That night, Kylie lay in her bed with her clothes on, waiting to hear Miranda come in from her nightly outing with Perry. Their evenings were getting later and later. Not that Kylie could blame them. Pulling away from Lucas after their little make-out session had been hard-even with her grandfather's e-mail waiting for her.

Lucas had been humming with desire, and she'd been humming right along with him. The ability that male weres had to seduce their mate had bitten into her heart and soul. His touch had felt so good, she hadn't wanted to stop. It was getting harder not to give in. And yet ... she did stop.

Maybe because of the e-mails.

Maybe because she didn't want the hint of any unresolved issues to be involved with her first time. And while she understood that Lucas was following his quest, deep inside, it still stung.

Then again, probably the biggest reason she hadn't given in was because Della and Miranda had been sitting outside on the porch. Yup, that was for certain the biggest reason she'd found the willpower to stop things from going any farther than they had.

The fact that she and Lucas had ended up lying on the sofa, kissing, while her two best friends were on the porch, had her blushing when she'd faced the two of them after Lucas had left. Making it worse was knowing Della could smell the pheromones they'd put out.

However, that blush and those pheromones were, hopefully, going to help make tonight's plan work. The plan Kylie had come up with as soon as she'd read her grandfather's e-mail requesting that she meet him-alone-at Fallen Cemetery.

Had her grandfather learned the truth? That until recently his wife, Kylie's grandmother, had been buried there in a mismarked grave?

Her e-mail back to him had been brief: I'll do everything possible to be there at 1 AM. The fact that she hadn't heard back from him bothered her very little. He'd asked. She'd answered. What more was to be said? But it hadn't stopped her from checking her inbox every fifteen minutes.

The biggest downside to this whole thing was the lie she'd have to tell her roommates. A lie that was only going to work if Della wasn't automatically tuned in to hear Kylie's heart beat fast at the white lie. If Kylie could state the untruth and Della automatically believed it, she might not even check Kylie's heartbeat. Or at least Kylie prayed it would work that way.

A few minutes later, Kylie heard Miranda and Perry on the porch. Kylie got out of bed. Quietly, she moved into the living room, waiting for Miranda to come inside. Kylie knew Della was probably already aware that she'd risen from bed.

The door opened. When Miranda saw her she gasped.

"It's just me," Kylie said.

"What are you doing up?"

Not chancing lying twice, she commenced with her plan. "Did you see him?" Kylie asked.

"See who?" Miranda studied her. "Are you having one of those weird vision things again?"

"No. Did you see Lucas? He's supposed to meet me and we're ... going somewhere to be alone." Shooting to the window, she glanced out. "I see him," Kylie lied, and felt the guilt. "Gotta go."

Miranda grabbed her elbow. "Are you going to...?"

Perhaps it was Kylie's imagination, but she could swear she heard Della getting out of bed.

"Tell Della for me. Tell her I want to be with Lucas. Tell her I said to please let us have this time." If Della was listening now with her sensitive hearing, she'd recognize that as the truth. Kylie did want to be with Lucas.

Knowing it was imperative she leave before Della arrived, Kylie skirted out into the darkness, leaving Miranda standing there with her mouth slightly agape.

The late August air held a hint of coolness as Kylie bolted off the porch and ran as fast as she could away from the cabin.