I spent the rest of the day in the bedroom, pushing back a day beset with problems. Matt came in a few times to check in on me, asking about my aching shoulder and if there was anything he could do to make me more comfortable. A smile perked my lips, but I resisted the urge to have him climb in bed and soothe me in a more sensual way. We had guests for dinner, so we had to be on our best behavior. Besides, I felt a tad bit guilty about leaving Vaughn alone in our kitchen to whip up a meal that should have been shouldered by us. Still, I convinced my husband that a calming nap would refresh me in time for our dinner guests.

A hand smoothed along my back, forcing a smile to bow my lips. It lured me from the depths of sleep, but my eyes remained closed as a soft heated hand caressed the swell of my back. The space closed in around me. Lips touched my cheek and elicited a moan from my mouth. A smaller hand caressed my shoulder, just as warm as the first. It smoothed my upper arm, fingers staying clear of my injury as they drifted across my shoulder and to the back of my neck. Someone's knuckles caressed my face, a thin set of lips pressed into my cheek.

Wait a minute. Confusion knitted my eyebrows and I threw my eyelids back. If I had paid attention to the scent, I would have known it wasn't Matt.

Stephan and Aiyana snuggled close, leaning on their extended arms and gazing at me. He sat in a pair of faded jeans and a white, button-front shirt opened to reveal a white tee underneath. His overgrown bangs shrouded his emerald green eyes. Aiyana wore a pair of beige pants and a matching multicolored sweater. Her long black hair disappeared behind her back and her cinnamon skin turned a shade darker in the dimly lit room.

Excitement flared from within. I swung my arm back to welcome them with a hug, but my aching muscles bit into my shoulder. I stifled a yell and jerked my appendages back in place. Laughing, Stephan gathered me in his arms and smacked a kiss on my cheek.

"Are you still mad at me?” he asked.

A twisted smile pierced my lips. I wanted to be angry with him, but I couldn't. “No. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook. Let's just call a truce since I jammed an arrow in your face."

"Fine by me.” He delivered another smacking kiss across my jugular.

Aiyana snaked her arms around the two of us, leaning her face close to mine. “We missed you so much. But I don't forgive you for worrying the hell out of me. I should have gone to North Carolina and dragged your ass back here. What were you thinking?"

I sighed. “Please, Aiyana. I heard all I want to hear about it from Matt, Vaughn, Bryce, and this lug nut holding me."

Stephan snickered near my ear.

"Well,” Aiyana said. “It wasn't enough. Next time you start acting crazy we're locking you away at the den. Here you are, coming back hurt and in stitches."

I untangled myself from Stephan's arms and scooted to the end of the bed. “I need to get ready for dinner."

"That's why Matt sent us up,” he said. “He was going to come up himself, but we volunteered."

"If you're here, then that means everyone else is here, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Shoot. Why didn't you guys say anything?” I rushed to the dresser and dug through several drawers looking for something more appropriate than a tee shirt and a pair of shorts.

Aiyana put her hand on my shoulder. “Relax. Matt's keeping everyone company. He wanted me to help you get dressed, but Stephan tagged along because he wanted to surprise you too.” Turning, she pulled him off the bed and hustled him out of the bedroom. She closed the door and turned to me, smiling and shrugging her shoulders.

I half smiled. “Thanks, Aiyana. But I don't need someone to stick me in a pair of pants. Everything's fine."

"I know, but we haven't had any girl time since you've been back and ... Well, I missed you.” She resumed her position by hugging me from behind and pressing her cheek into mine. “I meant every word I said. You go running off again and I'll kill you when you get back."

"I'm not going anywhere.” My hands rested on top of hers.

"You better not. You're still a newborn pup to us, trying to learn her way around our world. At the rate you're going, you'll never settle down."

Oh, I'd settle down all right. When I was six feet under. That would come sooner or later, depending on how long I stayed with the Hunting Club. I wanted to leave them, but I couldn't do it as long as they remained in such a state of unrest. We beat back the enemy this time, but there would always be more to come.

Yeah, Aiyana. I'll settle down as soon as I feel that the Hunting Club is able to stand on their own two feet. And I pray that'll be before anyone in the Georgia Pack gets a clue.

After I put on a pair of chocolate corduroy pants and a multicolored turtleneck sweater, Aiyana and I headed downstairs. Before we could reach the last step, Matt rounded the corner with his nose in the air, whiffing out my scent. A smile bowed his sensuous lips. He held his hand out and kissed my cheek.

Keeping me close, he whispered, “You sure you're up to this?"

"As long as it's not an inquisition,” I whispered back.

Chuckling, he clasped his hand in mine and we entered the living room together.

Evan greeted me first. He encircled his massive muscles around my shoulders. I thought for sure he'd hurt me, but like the others, he was careful of my injury. Vaughn stepped up and tapped him on the shoulder. Ignoring him, Evan smiled an enormous grin, mumbled his objection, and tightened his hold. Vaughn leaned forward and muttered something ominous in his ear. Evan let go and backed away with his hands raised. Shaking his head and smiling, Matt guided me toward the couch.

Two unfamiliar faces sat in attendance. They looked like the last two people in the world who I would have chosen as the Alpha Pair. Okay, maybe I was being a little hasty. Uh-huh.

Isabella sat in the center of the couch with long black hair sculpting her face. Perfect cheekbones and a wonderful smile displayed a string of pearly teeth. Her dark eyes narrowed to slits. Her golden tan complexion looked natural, but I could have been wrong. And good lord! Where she did get that top? Two guesses: Fredericks of Hollywood or Prostitute Monthly. The corset top barely covered her voluptuous breasts. Her sensual voice alone could have earned her a spot on the phone-sex hotline.

As for Seth, he looked stiff and uncomfortable being the only one in the room wearing a sport jacket. He had a manicured black beard around his mouth and up the lining of his jaw, and his hair combed away from his face. Speaking of which, a solemn look etched his visage and coursed through his penetrating dark eyes. When I picked up on the British accent, his uptight demeanor made sense. Thank goodness my UK friends were quite the opposite. I guess being the Pack Alpha, he felt he had an image to uphold and couldn't afford to let something as trivial as joviality crack his stolid exterior.

Isabella greeted me with a warm handshake, holding my hand a little longer than necessary, whereas her husband gave a quick jerk with a bone crushing grip. Between his cold handshake and a thin line across his pink lips, this was the first time I had second thoughts about the company we would keep. Talk about screwing up your first impression. Then again, who I was to throw stones about first-time meetings? The last time they came to our house, Matt and I ended in a knockdown drag out.

After some idle chitchat, Matt excused himself into the kitchen to prepare the dishes for serving. I followed.

"What are you doing?” he asked, grabbing a huge salad from the refrigerator and clutching three different kinds of dressing in the other hand. “One of us should be in there keeping the company company."

"Don't get me wrong,” I said, closing the door behind him. “But I don't want to be alone with those people."

He laughed. “You know everyone out there except for Seth and Isabella. There's nothing to be afraid of and nobody's going to hurt you."

"Unless you hurt us first,” Isabella said, appearing at the entranceway.

"Good luck.” Matt kissed me on the cheek and strolled out of the kitchen.

The creep. I should have smacked him upside the head for leaving me along with her. This wasn't just the boss we were entertaining. These people would dictate our future and the role we would play in their tight family unit. I hated the idea of letting someone have that much power over me, but I promised myself I'd do whatever it took to make sure our children grew up in a safe environment.

Isabella leaned on the opposite side of the island, her arms extended to the sides. A pair of opalescent eyes drilled into mine, though a smile splayed her face.

"There's no sense in trying to hide out in the kitchen,” she said, her voluptuous, motherly voice peeling away my anxiety.

"I made a fool out of myself in front of everyone,” I confessed. “Having you here in my house again, I feel as though I should crawl down the evolutionary chain."

"And once you've crawled back to civilization, do you think it will make things better?"

"No. I'd still feel like a fool every time I saw you.” I folded my arms and leaned against the island across from her. “Good lord ... You saw us at our worst and you still came back. Why are we so important to you? You should be kicking us out of your territory after we sneaked in here and set up house the way we did. I'm sure I've given you more than enough ammunition over the past few days to think twice about us not being troublemakers. Not that we are. Well, not under normal circumstances, anyway."

A half-smile splayed Isabella's lips. “It sounds as though you've been beating yourself up over the past few days. Plus, you're a woman after my own heart. But don't get me wrong. What you did was irresponsible and foolish. Not to mention dangerous, sneaky, self-centered, childish ... Need I go on?"

"If you want. You've had the upper hand since you knew we were here."

Her eyebrow arched. “Then you've learned a few things after all. But that doesn't get you off the hook."

"Then what will?"

"How about keeping your nose clean, for starters? We knew you guys had issues the day we got that tip about your mate being a crooked lawyer. Two years and no conflicts. That's remarkable by our standards. That's why we chose to work with you. But when you take off by yourself, thinking you can handle anything that comes your way, it's inexcusable."

"I didn't mean to—"

"What happens next time? We've got too much invested in our anonymity to risk your wanting to settle scores on your own. No one is a lone gun in this pack. There's a strict hierarchy enforced and nobody is exempted from the rules. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes. B—"

"The next time you go gallivanting around on a save-the-world crusade, you tell someone what's going on. Not hoard information that could be detrimental to all of us. I don't give a damn about this Parry person or what favor he thinks he's done for us by giving you two away. But if he sticks his fat ass in our business ... I'll be more than happy to lop off a butt cheek. Any more problems and the same goes for you."

After that can of whoop-ass, I wasn't sure what to say. Sure, I heard everything she said and wholeheartedly concurred—including that part about chopping my ass off—but how should I respond? Should I respond at all? I opted for keeping my mouth closed and lowered my eyes. When in doubt, play the submission hand.

Isabella sighed. “I told Seth that I had to be the one to chew you out. After all, it's my job to keep the females in line."

I met her gaze again. “Not meaning to brown-nose, but you do one hell of a job at it."

"Thank you. Now we can move on with the rest of the evening and you can feel comfortable in your own home again.” Isabella picked up a covered pasta dish, batted an eyelash, and left the kitchen.

If I fell out of line again, I'd get the next flight out of town to keep from finding out what she would do. The well-mannered person I had met in the living room had been replaced by a woman who could cow me with a mere scowl. I experienced firsthand what true dominance meant by the way her dark eyes drilled straight down to my soul and left me shaken. Isabella went beyond earning respect. She demanded it. Being the Alpha Female gave her that right and she exerted it to the fullest. That earned my respect not only for her place in the pack, but more so for her willingness to protect what she loved.

The rest of the evening held laughter and fun-filled conversation at the table. Seth hardly broke a smile when the conversation called for it, but instead maintained a private discussion at the end of the table with Matt. His stoic presence reminded me of a nun during my one and only year of Catholic school. Seth would have been right at home, rapping knuckles and knees when people fell out of line. With my husband sitting at the head of our table and him being the closest to him, from time to time Seth would tap Matt on the forearm or simply mumble something that kept a dialogue going between them. It didn't bother me. I had Isabella and Aiyana at my end of the table to keep me company.

When dinner finished, everyone retired to the living room for more talk and dessert. The werewolves sat in silence, stuffing their faces with either chocolate cake or sweet potato pie. My gorged stomach couldn't take another bite, so I basked in a cup of spiced chai.

I turned to Isabella and said, “You never answered my question."

She finished munching a forkful of pie. “Which was...?"

"Why do you really want us to join your pack?"

Everyone stopped and stared. Okay, maybe I should have waited until they had their fill and then brought up the subject. Better yet, maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all.

Seth sipped his tea then asked with that haunting British accent, “Does it matter, Ms. York?"

"Just a question. If you don't want to answer, then that's fine. I was only curious.” I sipped the chai, hoping he would leave it alone.

"So am I,” he replied. “Why should it matter?"

I placed my cup on the coffee table. “Let me be frank—"

"Please don't,” Matt interrupted. “The last time you spoke your mind I thought we'd get run out of the state before we could get back home."

Stephan and Aiyana exchanged a look and snickered.

"No,” Seth said, “let her continue."

"Well, my husband and I want to join the pack because we're lonely and we want to have that sense of family again. A stable environment where we can raise our children. You guys seem to have it all. A nice den—from what I hear. A successful business, a tight-knit pack. What in the world would make you guys so attracted to us? And don't say it's my delicious scent, either. I've gotten an earful from Stephan already."

"You hittin’ on my wife?” Matt had a playful smirk tugging his dimples.

Stephan chuckled. “Who can resist?"

"You son of a—"

Matt leapt off the floor and tackled Stephan to rug. Their playful wrestling had plenty of destructive potential to worry me; at least, my human half thought so. I picked up my cup and retreated to the dining room where I could sit in peace. Ignoring the two oversized children, everyone walked around them, retreating to either the dining room or the kitchen. When I heard a whack, I shuddered. Matt would be okay, but he forgot we rented this fully furnished home. As the saying went, “you break it, you buy it.” Isabella and Seth followed me, him taking the seat at the head of the table and her sitting next to me.

Jerking my head toward the commotion in the living room, I said, “In terms of our loneliness, need I say anymore?"

"No,” Seth replied, and sipped his tea.

"Then why are you guys so willing to take us in?” Another thump wreathed me in annoyance.

"My turn to be blunt. Your husband possesses a rare commodity among our kind. We tend to stay away from high pressure jobs because of our volatile personalities. It's no secret that we're highly strung at times.” He glanced sideways towards the ruckus in the living room.

"So that's all Matt is? A valuable piece of merchandise?"

Isabella placed her hand on mine. “There's more to it than that. My husband is only giving you a quarter of it. You and Matt together are a rare breed. It takes incredible strength to survive all the obstacles you two have faced. You two complement each other in ways I can't begin to imagine."

"Barring recent events,” Seth interjected, “you're an excellent example of a mated pair. Some think a strong pack is one that subsists on money and power. I've pushed our pack to think in terms of the old ways. The ones that have helped our people survive for thousands of years. Where things like family, knowledge, and adaptability are like gold. You and your husband are the embodiment of that. We need more resolute mated pairs such as you two."

"Does that mean Matt and I are in?” I asked. Another thwack gutted me. I whirled around in my seat and shouted, “Would you guys knock it off? We're renting. When we get in our own home, you two can break all the furniture you want."

Matt and Stephan froze in place and mumbled apologetic responses. When they untangled their limbs and stood, I turned my attention back to the Alpha Pair.

"You're not in yet.” Seth took his time sipping his tea again before continuing. “We're not big on ceremonial tasks. However, we do believe in having some order when it comes down to integrating strays into our pack."

"We're inviting both of you to stay a couple of days at the den,” Isabella added. “It makes the transition easier for everyone concerned."

"How many people live in your den?” Matt asked, huffing his way to the dining room table.

"Twelve,” Seth replied. “One mated pair lives in Savanna, managing a smaller spa facility there. They come up twice a month. Sometimes more. The others live in Vinings, Marietta, Roswell, et cetera."

"Where's your den?” I asked.

"In Legare. The den belongs to everyone, whether they live there or not. For the ones who don't live there and can't find a safe place to change, they know the den is always available. We own more than three hundred acres of unspoiled woodlands."

"I run my interior design business out of my home in Roswell,” Aiyana said. “Granted it's minutes from the den, I—"

Stephan ensnared her from behind and smacked a kiss against her cheek. “Hardly a day goes by without her having company. As a matter of fact, we're all trying to convince her to move back to the den."

"Why?” I asked, glancing to Matt—my teacher—for an explanation.

"Because it's not good for a female wolf to live alone,” Isabella said, slightly miffed and cutting a quick glare at Stephan. “I understand the need for independence and wanting to exert your own will. But being who we are, I fear for my females. A rogue can come at any time and try to snatch her up for their own."

Seth cleared his throat. “Those who move out are always welcomed to move back if they feel the need."

"Have you ever excommunicated anyone?” I didn't want to ask the question, but I needed to know. With the turns my life took, I wanted to be prepared for the worst.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'd prefer not to discuss it."

Isabella cut her eyes to Seth before answering. “We excommunicate people for many reasons, Alexa. The most popular ones center on disobeying orders, acts of betrayal, causing trouble. Anything that endangers us."

"Do you let them back in?” I asked.

"It depends. Sometimes yes, most of the time no."

"Then you guys are certainly different."

"Not really,” Seth said. “We're the same as everyone else, only a little more open-minded. However, when it comes down to endangering our existence, we're not. I have no qualms about pitching you to the road or worse if the situation presents itself."

Several people cocked an eyebrow and stared in my direction. Having heard enough, I nodded and left for a chai refill.