aWill they come for us right off?a Leila interrupted, thinking longingly of her own .38. Fool that she was, shead left it in the hallway all this time and never thought to pick it back up.

aMost likely not.a Grey kept his eyes on the picture window -- that huge picture window that was suddenly more liability than a.s.set. aTheyare looking for a weakness and havenat found one yet.a aWeall be all right, Mommy.a Lin smiled at her. Patted her hand. Leila smiled back and watched her other hand curl into a fist. Leila needed to make sure they were all right.

Dek leaned over and slid her revolver into her hand. Thank you, Jesus. It couldnat all be a show, because he was back to reading her thoughts without a problem, knowing what she needed the second she did, or even long before. Maybe things were all right after all.

As all right as you could be with a pack of werewolves after you. Inconveniently, she remembered in vivid detail everything Dekas old clipping had said about what might happen. Dek had lost his mother, but head survived somehow. Not everyone was that lucky. If there was an attack, what might happen to her own baby? She hadnat wanted to think about it, but now b.l.o.o.d.y, frightening images crowded in.

aI think Iam feeling a little dizzy.a Leila heard her surprised voice a long, fuzzy way away from her body.

Chapter Eight.

aLeila. Baby. Are you listening? Are you able to hear me? Leila, will you f.u.c.king open your eyes?a That was Dekas voice, d.a.m.n near screaming in her ear. She wanted to respond to the urgency in his tone -- and shut up the shouting -- but she was so tired. He could wait just a little longer, surely, until she got the gray mist cleared out of her brain.

There was something she had to ask, though. Something that couldnat wait. She licked her lips, forced the word through. aLin?a The voice immediately lowered down to a more soothing rumble. aOh, baby. I wondered there ... Lin is fine. Grey has her outside, until we got you moving again. You scared her half to death.a aI didnat faint. I never faint.a aRight. Well, you decided to sit down and take a rest on the kitchen floor for a little too long.a Leila blushed. aIall go see Lin and rea.s.sure her.a aIall carry you.a aStupid.a aStupid yourself. I donat trust you to stand right now. Youad fall over and hit your fool head,a her lover said tenderly, and then she was pulled up, left dangling in the air, with her head spinning all over again. She hung on to Dekas shoulders and let him carry her away.

It was quiet outside as the sun disappeared slowly from the sky. So quiet. She wondered if it was safe to be outside, but she figured the he-men around her, particularly Mr. Head He-Man, who was hauling her around at the moment, would laugh if she mentioned her concern.

aSheas over there.a Grey was propped against the porch. He pointed to where Lin was dangling from a pecan tree limb. aLinas fine. How about her? She doesnat look so good.a He never called her by name if he could help it, but if she strained a little, she thought there might be some faint concern in Greyas voice.

aBetter.a Leila cleared her throat, embarra.s.sed at the squeak in it.

aShe need the ER? We could get her in without anyone knowing about us. Sheas human.a The usual scorn in that word was muted just a little maybe.

aBetter to keep away from them if we can,a Dek said. aBesides, sheas coming to.a aI hate hospitals.a Leila was pleased to realize she sounded much firmer this time.

aIam keeping an eye on her.a Dekas finger lightly traced what must have been a bruise on her cheek. Leila winced. She must have fallen. aThe minute she looks like thereas a problem that some time wonat take care of, Iall get her checked.a aWhatever.a Grey shrugged. aYouare the boss.a ad.a.m.n straight.a Dek kept his hand on her, circling her back in slow, light movements. As if he was checking to see she was all right. As if he wanted to keep being sure of it.

She stared over at Lin, who was running around and around a tree. aYou know, why are you growing pecans anyhow? That doesnat go with your macho image, cowboys.a aSheas feeling better, boss.a aYeah.a Dek squeezed her shoulder a little. aSheas back to being nosy and demanding. Go ahead and answer the ladyas question, Grey.a aWe canat raise animals. They get too skittish around us. And, well, you never know what might happen --a aDuring a full moon. Gotcha.a She pushed away from Dek. aIam starting to feel fine now. Really.a aYou still look a little ragged.a Lowellas voice behind her made her jump. aMaybe you should rest some.a aMaybe you worry about me too much.a The dark jealousy was still there, lurking underneath. The wash of possession, the mix of joy and pure showing-off when he f.u.c.ked Leila in front of his packmate, was gone. But above all that was something more, something worrisome.

Dek didnat like it.

That d.a.m.ned mostly human female. If Leila ever knew what a hold she had on his b.a.l.l.s, head be dead meat. Head chosen to treat that little escapade of hers with Lowell as an experiment. Fun and games. It was, mostly. Alpha females did things like it all the time in their packs, showing their own dominance. Leila was learning to be an alpha b.i.t.c.h, like it or not.

But what if she didnat like what she had to become? She wanted him. She still did. He could feel it whenever she got wet, see it on her face when she looked at him. h.e.l.l, he could touch and taste and smell her wanting whenever they got in the same room. But he didnat think she wanted everything that came with him. Was her slap and tickle with Lowell the start of her trying to pull away from the pack?

That would be a d.a.m.ned shame.

Something was off tonight. Not just the threats and the fainting, but something else. Grey tilted his head, trying to figure it out.

aDaddy, look!a Lin called from the distance.

aYeah, sweetie,a Dek called to her, but he looked at Leila instead. Grey scowled. There was something ... he caught the whiff of her scent mingled with ...

aMaybe you do worry about her too much.a Grey stared, eyes narrowed, at Lowell. The kid shifted his feet.

aI have something to tell all of you.a Lowell spoke abruptly, a little too loudly. He didnat look at Dek directly, not even for permission to speak.

No one answered for a long moment. d.a.m.n it, all of them knew exactly what was up except him. Grey hated that.

aWhatas up, pup?a Fine. He was willing to be the one to ask. Obviously he wasnat going to find out anything if he waited for the rest to speak up.

aI care about all of you. I thought I should say that first. And -- and Iall miss you when I leave.a Lowellas voice was more confident, more certain than Grey ever remembered it being. aThis is good-bye.a Grey stared at the omega. Lowell looked different, just as he sounded different. His head was up, and his shoulders werenat hunched over in that deferential slouch. d.a.m.n. The pup seemed more determined. More adult.

aNo need for that.a No matter what had happened.

aYeah. Yeah there is.a aYouave thought this out, Lowell?a Dek asked. Grey wondered if head ever called the kid by his proper name before. If any of them had. But Dek seemed to know now was the right time for it. aBecause we want you to stay.a aIave been doing nothing but think about it,a Lowell said. aAnd about ... well, about a mate. Iave been thinking too much about what that would be like to be satisfied here.a Dek looked at her. aWhat about you, Red?a aWhat about me?a Leila sounded like the village idiot, but then, Grey wasnat so sure he wasnat gaping at them as if he were a second one.

aAre you staying?a aYou donat want me to? Youad rather I went with Lowell?a Grey gave her credit. She sounded almost as hurt as he would be if Dek had said that to him. But none of this added up. He could live without Lowell or the woman in the pack. But Dek? When the h.e.l.l did he let go of family? Of this woman? It was unimaginable. He didnat understand anything that was going on. Even stranger, somehow Grey found himself being the one who gripped their alpha b.i.t.c.has elbow, holding her steady. She looked like she might just pitch over again if he didnat. Her d.a.m.ned mate was still standing a little away from her, hands shoved in his back pockets. What the h.e.l.l was with Dek? He never had a problem talking.

Dek spoke to her -- to them all -- much too calmly. aItas your choice, Leila. Mostly members of the pack have none. Iam bound -- maybe more bound than anyone else -- to the pack. But Iave been thinking. An alpha doesnat have to be challenged before leaving. She can go before then, when sheas no longer useful to the pack. Or, like Lowell, when he decides to find a new pack or a mate. You can stay, of course. You might be safer with more weres to guard you rather than just one. Iad offer you the choice to do whatever else you want, if it were possible, but it isnat. You and Lin are in too much danger alone.a aYouare giving me any choice? Alphas never give choices.a It sounded like she was finally getting the idea, human though she was. Grey almost relaxed. d.a.m.n. He hadnat even realized he was as tense as the couple in front of him.

aIall always be alpha. But youare a human. Well, mostly human. You need different rules. It doesnat matter what I think about what you should do.a aI see. You could give me up, but not the pack.a Idiot woman. She had missed everything important. Why did non-weres misunderstand the most basic ideas? And Dek wasnat saying a d.a.m.n thing. He just stood there with his fists balled up, staring at the human. Good G.o.d, if everyone stayed silent, she might really leave.

No women around. Everything back to normal. Grey stole a look over at his boss. Everything and everyone would be the same but Dek.

Oh, h.e.l.l. Someone was going to have to step in, and why the f.u.c.k did it have to be him?

aYouare a fool, and you have it all wrong.a Grey told her, almost pleasantly. aDonat you see the alpha b.a.s.t.a.r.d is doing this for you? He and Lowell both are tearing themselves up inside so you can have things any way you want. They both want you that badly. Real weres never get chances like that. Heas letting you leave if you donat want to be part of the pack. You can have him with us, but you canat have him without. What he really ought to do is take you by the scruff and shake sense into you until you canat leave.a Head asked her to leave. Was the giant pain in her chest from her fall, a wound she hadnat felt before, or was it just from his words? The hurt clawed into her as if it were physical. Leila gasped for air.

Doing this for her? Greyas vinegary tone had cut the panic and pain long enough for her to think. Dek had said he wanted her to have a choice. That had to be some kind of first in were history, but she needed to know why.

aYou can shut up now, Grey. And you, Dek --a He looked over at her, his expression polite and remote and totally unDek-like. She opened her mouth and decided words werenat enough. If she was going to have to be honest no matter what, she was going to make it count. And he wasnat allowed to be distant from her.

Leila walked over and grabbed Dekas shoulders, shaking him with every other word. aI love you. I love all of the pack, but I love you. Thatas not a were emotion, I suppose. You donat love me. Iam your mate or your responsibility or whatever it is females are to you, but itas different for me. So if youare doing this to make it easy on me or to punish me or -- Donat.a Oh, h.e.l.l. She was crying and her nose was clogging up and her voice was getting all quivery. This was not the way to make a forceful statement. Leila let go of him to wipe her eyes and tried to come up with the right words. But all she could manage was aJust -- just tell me what you want, Dek.a aWere you really afraid Iad leave you?a Dekas low rasp in her ear and his tight embrace made her c.u.n.t tighten even before the wordsa meaning hit her brain. aAre you trying to get yourself f.u.c.ked silly in front of the entire pack?a He sounded like they did when they had s.e.x. He was as hard against her as he was when they did, too. G.o.d, it was just like when he was so crazy for her he couldnat stand it anymore. But if she had no intention of making public s.e.x a mainstay of their relationship, shead better start talking and stop bawling. She could do that. She was strong.

aI wouldnat mind.a Leila gulped and blinked the last of the tears away. aSo long as you were doing it.a Well, that didnat come out the way it should have. Dekas eyes got even hotter and more intense. Whoa, baby, she was going to melt.

aMe, either. Except for Lin.a Dek straightened and spoke louder. aI take it that means you donat want to go?a aI donat want to, really. Not unless you leave. But what it really means is that Iall go wherever you do, boss.a She almost giggled at the way his eyes narrowed when she called him that last word. He could look as fierce as he wanted, but she knew he liked it. aBut there are going to be some changes around here. Iam going back to school, like it or not. And weare going to see that Lin has plenty of opportunities to do what she wants ... and ...a aMommy? Did you see me?a Lin ran up to pull at her elbow just then.

With an effort, Leila got her mind off being f.u.c.ked silly. aYes, honey. I did. Youare getting very big.a aPretty soon Iall be big enough to fight the bad guys, too, and not just hide.a Lin looked at her nails thoughtfully. aIall need some claws, though.a She stretched her hands out to Lowell and smiled.

aYouall have huge claws when you grow, princess. You can decorate them when you arenat going into battle.a Lowell squatted down to Linas eye level. aI wanted to be sure to tell you what I just told everyone else. Iam leaving today. Iall miss you.a Lin stared at him, slack-jawed for a moment. Then she glanced at everyone else to see their reactions. Finally she scowled and crossed her arms. aNo! You belong to us. Who will get me at school? Who will clean up after everyone? Who will Grey yell at? You have to stay.a aAnother strayall come by to do all that soon enough, princess. I have to go find another place for myself.a Lowell straightened and backed away. as.h.i.t. Somebody take her before she cries.a aLowell, sheas right. What she and I both told you. You belong here as much as any of us do.a Dek kept his hand on Leila, but his voice was calm.

aI donat want to challenge you, Dek, bad as I want your mate. Besides, I couldnat do it now and win, even if I wanted to. Neither of us wants me to spend years waiting for you to show a weakness, getting ready to fight you. But I canat stay here as I am.a Lowell shrugged. aSo Iall take my chances on leading some other pack. Finding a mate of my own.a aAdios, then, Lowell.a Grey cuffed him lightly on the head. aBe careful.a aNo fun in that.a Lowell grinned, a little uncertainly. aGood-bye.a * * * * *

aI was told I had to come and give you this.a The teenaged kidas lower lip was stuck out in the biggest pout Dek had seen since his five-year-old was told she couldnat have dessert. But the catch in the kidas throat sounded like grief, rather than temper.

aHey. Some present.a Grey looked in the bag. aA tail and ears.a aThat was our packas alpha. My dad. The new boss ran me off.a Their messenger swallowed. aI was told to come to you. He said there was an opening for me here.a aI think Lowell made sure that pack wonat be sniffing after us.a Grey shook his head. ad.a.m.n. I didnat know the little b.u.g.g.e.r had it in him. His first try, too.a aHis first try that he meant to win,a Dek corrected and sniffed the bag. aAll in all, itas a real nice token of his appreciation. Our little boy has grown up.a aYou, pup. Whatas your name?a Grey turned to the gangly adolescent.

aRossi.a aWell, Rossi, thereas no time to clean you up, but mind your manners. Youare going to be the ring-bearer.a aWhat?a The kid looked startled out of his misery, and Grey roared with laughter. aWelcome to your new pack, kid. We can do that ceremony after we get done with this silly-a.s.s one.a aMy G.o.d. You live in this huge place with no one but Lin and those two yummy men?a Sasha gave her the thumbs-up sign. aSome women have all the luck. Why didnat that big brute take one look at me and chase me down that night at the bar?a aHey, I invited you to the wedding. If youare nice to me, Iall throw the bouquet in your direction.a Leila twitched the spaghetti strap of her gown into place and stared at the corsage pinned at her shoulder. aIs everything straight?a aYouare gorgeous.a Thea hugged her.

aThe other big one. Is he attached?a Sasha peeked out to where Dek and Grey stood, looking as GQ as Leila had ever seen them.

aNo. Not exactly.a Leila paused and grinned. aBut donat get any ideas. You were right about Grey.a aI was right?a aYeah. Heas gay. Just as gay as you said back in the bar. In fact, head probably love to jump Dek right now. He might even be willing to make it a threesome as long as he could get his hands on my husband-to-be.a aLeila, are you kidding us?a For the first time ever, Thea and Sasha both looked stunned almost speechless.

aNope. But thatas OK. Weare all really, really close.a Leila winked. aI might be willing to consider the idea someday. After the honeymoon glow fades.a d.a.m.n, she just might. Give her a little inspiration, a full moon, and Dek to make her feel wicked, and it could happen.

Her two buddies blinked at her, mouths open. Then they laughed.

ad.a.m.n it, girl, you got us.a Thea shook her head. aYou always used to be so nice, too.a Snickering, they all headed for the room that held the minister and Dek.

For a moment Leila thought she heard a wolf howl in the distance.

Vaya con Dios, Lowell.

aGo on, girl. Stop hovering at the door. I might make that man of yours change his mind if you wait too long.a Thea poked her in the back.

Leila started and took a hesitant step into the living room.

No. There shouldnat be hesitation today. A bride should glide down the aisle, the center of attention. Like royalty. Like a princess.

aMommy, youare beautiful!a Lin trilled out across the room, jumping up and down in her new sequined shoes. aYou look just like a fairytale.a Dek smiled at her from across the room. d.a.m.n decorum. Leila picked up her skirt and ran to him. Straight to him. He caught her before she tripped over her ridiculously long skirt. Lifted her right off the ground to twirl her around. Her hair tumbled and her face flushed. And she didnat care.

Dek. Ah, Dek.

aLeila, I just want you to know something right now.a Her groom cleared his throat and braced himself the way he hadnat needed to when he kept her from falling. aWhen we make the promises to love each other? I mean them.a aAhhh.a Thea audibly sighed behind her.

She wanted to sigh, too. Or weep. But Leila smiled instead. aIf you make me cry and ruin my make-up, Iall -- Iall bite you after the ceremony, Deklin.a aMore promises, baby? Then letas start this wedding thing now.a aIam very glad I decided to run away with you all those years ago, Big Bad Wolf, seeing as it led us here.a Dek grinned, just the way he had back then, and whispered in her ear. aJust wait atil tonight, Red. You know what big bad wolves do to little girls like you once we catch you in bed.a

Treva Harte.

Treva Harte read far too many romances for far too long. One day the inevitable happened. She started writing her own brand of romance. She claims taking care of the family's neurotic miniature dachshund and raising two elementary school age kids is a full time job itself, but in addition she works as an attorney in a city with many other attorneys. She and her husband both like writing in whatever time they have left, so they often fight over--sorry, since they are attorneys they NEGOTIATE-- keyboard time.

You can visit Treva on the Internet at www.trevaharte.com or email her at