He shot her a glare. "Smart a.s.s."

"Aw, I love you too."

He snorted and faced forward again, resisting the urge to nibble on her bottom lip. And the urge to kiss her. And the urge to lick over his mark. His wolf, on the other hand, liked all three of those ideas and was growling his encouragement at Trey. His wolf had...missed her. He brooded and fretted when he wasn't around her, pushing at Trey to go hunt her down. Whenever he was around her, his wolf wanted to lick every inch of her and roll around in her scent. It was dumb and it was pathetic and it made Trey want to kick his wolf's a.s.s.

Eventually they arrived at a restaurant in the next territory that Taryn knew belonged to the wolf pack that the Mediator was part of. She also knew they wouldn't be having the meeting inside the restaurant, but within the wooded area behind it a place where many shifters had come to blows in the past when Mediation meetings hadn't gone so well. Hopefully this wouldn't be one of those times.

Seeing the tension in Trey's shoulders as he opened her car door and the way he very reluctantly stepped aside, she smiled. "Your wolf doesn't want me to go, does he? He doesn't want me being around the naughty wolf." The poor guy was in totally unfamiliar territory with all this protectiveness and possessiveness.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm glad you find this amusing."

Knowing what would ease his wolf, she did what she hadn't yet seen anyone do. She invaded Trey's personal s.p.a.ce, sliding her arms around his waist. Oh it could be said that she had been up in his personal s.p.a.ce plenty of times while he f.u.c.ked her senseless, but s.e.xual touching and social touching were two very different things, two very different needs. And it seemed like Trey had conditioned himself to ignore the latter need. He stiffened for a few seconds and then his arms went around her, surprising her. Little by little the tension in him eased as he allowed his wolf to take solace in her closeness and her scent. "Ready?"

"Let's get this over with," he grumbled. In keeping with their true mate act, he took her small hand in his and kept her close as they followed the narrow pebbly path that ran through the wooded area. Although he had been a.s.sured that there would be enough security to guarantee that his uncle couldn't make an abrupt attack, Trey still listened intently as they walked. His hearing picked up nothing other than the scurrying of the small forest animals, the even breathing of each of his pack, and the crunch of fallen dead leaves and sticks beneath their feet.

The path stopped at a clearing and there, at a long wooden table, sat his uncle Darryl, three males from Darryl's pack, and a tall dark guy who he guessed was the Mediator. Standing either side of the table were six tall, bulky males who were clearly some members of the security team. His wolf tensed and growled at Darryl's scent, offended by it. The memories of the day Trey attacked his father slapped him hard. He could remember his father's sneers, snarls and the harsh words that had inevitably robbed Trey of all control. Even now he couldn't regret what he'd done and he doubted that he ever would.

Forcing away the dark feelings attempting to swamp him, he tightened his hold on Taryn's hand as they strolled over to the table. Everyone stood as they reached it, and Trey watched as Darryl's eyes zoomed in on Taryn and the marks covering her.

"Let's all sit, shall we," suggested the Mediator as he took the head seat. Trey sat with Taryn and Dante on either side of him while Tao, Ryan and Dominic stood behind them.

The evil uncle was not at all what Taryn had been expecting. It was hard to believe he was actually related to Trey. There was no resemblance there at all except for the strong nose. His squinty eyes, lazy posture, perfectly parted dark hair, and sly smile all gave off the impression of a smarmy, cunning b.a.s.t.a.r.d. She couldn't help feeling satisfied that her presence had thrown him.

"Afternoon, everyone," said the Mediator, rubbing his prominent jaw. "My name is Dean Milton and I've been appointed by the council to act as Mediator in this dispute. My role is to guide this discussion and aid you in exploring your issues in the hope that an agreement can be reached. Note that both parties are free to leave at any point and that a decision will not be made in your absence. Before we go any further, could each party please introduce themselves, starting with the Applicant."

"Darryl Coleman, Alpha of the Bjorn Pack," the smarmy a.s.s drawled with a self-satisfied smirk. "On my right is my Beta and on my left is my Head Enforcer. At my back are some of my enforcers."

Dean nodded then looked at Trey. "Now if the Respondent could also introduce himself and the wolves with him."

"Trey Coleman, Alpha of the Phoenix Pack. Behind me you'll see my Head Enforcer and two of my enforcers. On my left is my Beta and on my right" he stroked a hand through her hair "is my mate, Taryn." He knew the smile he shot his uncle wasn't a pleasant one.

"Thank you," said Dean. "Now I'll ask you both, beginning with the Applicant, to outline the issue as you see it. I ask you not to interrupt each other."

Darryl straightened in his seat. "It's been a long time, Trey. You look well. Can I ask how the rest of the pack are doing?"

"You can, but I won't answer."

"I see you've mated. A beautiful female."

"Well we're not here to exchange pleasantries so cut the s.h.i.t."

After a sigh, he fixed a concerned look on his face. "It is regrettable that our pack divided the way it did. It never sat well with any of us. I, in particular, worried for your safety and that of those who left with you."

Trey heard a snort behind him and thought it might have been Dominic. He was tempted to snort himself.

"A great many of us have carried that guilt. But you know your father...I do not wish to speak ill of the dead, but it is a fact that my brother was too d.a.m.n stubborn for his own good. He refused to lift the banishment no matter how hard we appealed to him. As unfortunate as his pa.s.sing is, it has also given us an opportunity to introduce changes and progressions. And we wish to welcome you back into the pack. With me as Alpha, of course."

Dean arched a brow at Trey. "As the Respondent, what is your stance?"

He began ma.s.saging Taryn's nape, drawing strength from her closeness to keep his wolf calm. "You always did talk s.h.i.t, Darryl. I prefer bare facts. Shall I share some with you? A bare fact is that you were right at my father's side when he banished me, encouraging his decision. Another is that if you had really wanted to overrule the banishment you could have, as Beta, applied to the council. A third is that you couldn't care if I live or die, your motivation to unite the pack is not regret or concern. So what the f.u.c.k is it?"

Taryn noted that the Mediator didn't look in the least bit surprised that Trey wasn't interested in a civil discussion. He could probably see through Darryl's act just as easily as they could.

"I don't blame you for this anger, Trey," said Darryl. "But why not let it go and unite the packs once again?"

"Why not just tell me what this is really all about? Is it my territory that you want? Is it to enlarge the pack? Is it just to be a pain in my a.s.s?"

Where the idea came from she wasn't sure, but an idea suddenly occurred to Taryn. "Maybe he has a perverse wish to see you bow down to him." All eyes darted to her and then to Darryl.

Dante pursed his lips. "Maybe it's all four."

"You can't tell me that neither you nor your wolf has missed your homeland," said Darryl. "Surely you've dreamed of coming home many times."

Trey blew out a breath and shook his head. "Did I ever wish to return to a place where people who were supposed to care for me had been so eager to sling me out? No, no I didn't at all. The whole prodigal son thing isn't for me."

"So you have no inclination to unite your pack with Darryl's?" asked Dean.

"None whatsoever," replied Trey.

Darryl's expression turned dark and bitter. "Don't make this become a battle. It's not one you can win."

"Did I introduce my mate properly? I don't think I did, did I? Taryn, meet Darryl Coleman. Uncle, meet Taryn Warner." He grinned inwardly at the flicker of unease that crossed Darryl's face.

"Taryn Warner," repeated Dean, smiling at her. "You once healed a friend of mine, Lennox Gellar, his nose had been broken. You were also the person who broke it."

She shrugged. "He deserved it." Oh and he really had.

"If your reputation's anything to go by, that wasn't your first broken nose." At her unrepentant shrug, he asked, amused, "You don't think that perhaps you have anger management issues?"

"Punching people is managing my anger."

Strangely not liking the playful banter going on between his mate and the Mediator, Trey tangled a hand in her hair a shifter gesture of ownership. "Are you going to do the wise thing and drop this?" he asked Darryl.

"The wise thing would be for you to sign an agreement now that says our packs are now one and I rule as Alpha."

Taryn couldn't stop the snort from popping out. "And who in La La Land told you that would ever happen? Probably the same person who told you that you're a good liar."

He spluttered. "Excuse me?"

"Oh come on, you talk so much s.h.i.t I can smell it on your breath."

"I take it this means no agreement can be reached," said Dean quickly, obviously wanting to stop the conversation from becoming any more argumentative than it already was. "Darryl, do you wish to pursue this further or are you willing to withdraw your application?"

"I'm not backing down."

Trey leaned forward in his seat. "Then I accept your challenge."

Dean sighed. "You know the drill. Twelve weeks. Twelve weeks must pa.s.s before either of you can act on that challenge. Hopefully you can both come to an amicable agreement within that time."

"How many times does that actually happen?" she asked Dean, curious.

"More often than you might think. About forty-five percent of the time disputes are nothing but impulsive challenges that neither side particular cares to follow through with once their tempers have eased. Without that twelve week cooling off period there would be many pointless battles and many pointless deaths. So maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to placate the humans by forming a council."

Darryl snarled. "Unless within that time my nephew agrees to unite the pack, my challenge will be followed through. Those wolves are mine. And I'll very much enjoy taking those caves of yours. Maybe I'll even take your mate as mine."

Trey's menacing growl had everyone jerking. Feeling him tense as if to spring, she squeezed his hand hard enough to cause pain a sharp pain that would cut through the anger fogging his thoughts. She curled her upper lip at Darryl. "Call me shallow, but I do prefer good looking guys. And you...well it seems like the best part of you dried up on your mom's thigh." She probably shouldn't have found it so amusing that he didn't seem to be breathing, but, well, it was a b.i.t.c.h thing.

Dean quickly said, "Meeting over. Trey, I'm going to ask you and your wolves to leave first."

"What do you mean first?" griped Darryl.

"In the interest of preventing confrontations from occurring, the protocol is to keep ten minutes between the time that each party leaves."

Eager to be away from Darryl before his wolf surfaced, Trey stood upright, pulling Taryn to her feet. "Let's go, baby." Surprising him, she leaned against his arm, offering him support that he hadn't known he needed. "I'll be seeing you soon, Darryl," he growled, his eyes flashing wolf. The temptation to tear off his limbs and rip out his throat for trying to lay claim to what was his was riding Trey hard. Satisfied by Darryl's nervous expression, he nodded and stalked back to the Toyota.

Once back on pack territory, Trey closed himself in his office, needing that privacy to fight off the memories haunting him and the grey cloud that seemed to be hanging over him. Yeah he was a brooder. It wasn't the memory of his dad severely wounded that haunted him. Nor was it the memory of how many suddenly turned against him just like that. It was a memory of something far worse, something that he shouldn't be able to shove to the back of his mind to only haunt him from time to time. But he wasn't a person who 'felt' the way everybody else did. He knew instincts, he knew urges, he knew logic, but 'feelings'...not so much.

It wasn't that he was cold, just that he'd closed himself off a long time ago as what he now knew was a defence mechanism. It was most likely a bad thing and strongly linked to his underdeveloped conscience, but it was also one of the things that had made it possible for him to take on the responsibilities of Alpha at fourteen and get his pack through that difficult time of the banishment.

As usual, Dante never left him to brood in peace for long. A knock on the office door half an hour later was followed immediately by Dante's entrance. He was the only wolf who didn't wait for permission to enter, and he was the only one who could get away with it. "Are you done?"

"Is Greta back yet?"

"Got back about ten minutes ago. She's in the kitchen packing away boxes of some weird herbal tea. Um, I think you might want to know that on my way here I saw Taryn going to refill her coffee mug."

Trey groaned. "s.h.i.t. Tell me they're not alone."

"Who do you think will start cursing first?"

Sighing, Trey strolled out of his office en-route to the kitchen to rescue his mate from his rather antisocial, borderline psychotic grandmother.

"I don't like you."

Taryn almost laughed at the growling old woman sitting at the table. The second Taryn had entered the kitchen Greta had begun hovering around as Taryn refilled her mug and then perched herself on the counter, dipping mini cookies in her coffee. Going by how nosy Greta appeared to be, Taryn had been expecting her to ply her with dozens of personal questions. Instead, she had sat in total silence as she watched Taryn's every move, scowling the entire time.

Rather than irritated, Taryn found herself amused. Greta reminded her of her bitter grandmother. She also reminded her of Norman Bates' mother in Psycho. "Now that's not a very nice welcome for your grandson's mate."

"You might have gotten one if you'd been his true mate," she snapped, flicking her short fuzzy greying hair away from her face. "But you're not."

"No, I'm not."

"And I don't like or trust you one little bit."

Taryn gave a slight shrug. "I guess it's a good thing that I don't give a s.h.i.t."

A dramatic gasp of outrage escaped from Greta. "How dare you speak to me like that! You will watch your language in my presence."

"Yes ma'am."

"This mating-for-a-deal wouldn't have happened in my day. I told him he didn't need a mate to build alliances Darryl won't go through with his challenge. But did Trey listen to me? Noooo. And now look what we've ended up with. A tiny little fart with a tarty tongue. All his life I warned him about power hungry females, but has he listened to me? Noooo. He's not only gone and brought one home, but he's mated with her. Well you just remember that you won't be here for long. And don't expect me to treat you as Alpha female. You're nothing as far as I'm concerned. Just some cling-on s.l.u.t who wants a position she never would have had if she hadn't made a deal with my grandson."

Taryn c.o.c.ked her head at the old woman. "So...the dead do contact us."

Greta growled and pointed at her. "I've seen your sort before."

"Really?"

"Common. Disrespectful. A hussy -"

"How did you know I was a hussy?" It was a strain not to laugh as the woman became more and more irritated by Taryn's lack of reaction to her taunts. Greta had nothing on her own grandmother.

"- and as if that's not bad enough, you're blonde. That's all we need, isn't it. A bimbo."

"Hmm. I really hope I don't sound condescending that means talking down to someone but, you know, you really shouldn't believe everything you think."

Another growl. "My grandson doesn't need a hussy."

"Well he must want one."

"He'll want you out of here as soon as he sees what you're really like. He'll sling you out. Yeah, and he won't be gentle about it."

"Oh I do love a rough touch," said Taryn dreamily.

"Think you're funny, do you? Think you're smart?"

"You want to know what I think? Okay. I think you've been behaving as mistress of the place because your Trey's grandmother. You look at me and you see a threat to your lovely little world and you don't like it. Well I'll tell you something, Greta. If you think I'll be scared away by a sour crone who's so old she dreams in black and white then you're in for a ma.s.sive disappointment. I made a deal with Trey, and I'll be here until I've lived up to my half of it. In the meantime, feel free to keep up the insults and the intimidation techniques all I ask is that if at any point it seems like I care please tell me because I really don't want you getting the wrong impression."

Greta, her face purple, slapped her hand down hard on the table. "That's it. Out. I want you out. Now." When Taryn just stared at her Greta growled out, "I. Want. You. Out."

Taryn held up her index finger. "Just give me a second. Attempting to give a f.u.c.k...Attempting harder to give a f.u.c.k...Sorry, there was an error. f.u.c.k not given."

Both women looked up as Trey and Dante walked in and skidded to a halt. Taryn found her mouth curving at their nervous looks. Obviously they had guessed Greta would be like this. Taryn's wolf settled a little as she picked up her mate's scent. "Aww, Trey, you didn't tell me your grandmother was such a kind, delightful soul."

Trey was surprised by Taryn's smile. Clearly she was holding up just fine against Greta.

"You really want this trollop as a mate?"

"Watch it, Greta," Trey cautioned in a low voice.

"I don't have to be polite to her. She's nothing but a hussy!"

"You sure like to repeat yourself, don't you, woman," said Taryn with an air of boredom.

"I want her gone!"

He folded his arms across his chest, trying hard to prevent a grin from surfacing. If Greta was looking so fl.u.s.tered and annoyed then she was obviously losing at the confrontation she had undoubtedly begun for no other reason than she didn't like females around him. "That won't be happening."

"I refuse to accept her as part of my pack!"