my face telling me to send you over. I asked him to this meeting, but he couldn’t make it. Cubs.”
Everyone assumed expressions of amusement. Graham wasn’t happy unless he dominated everyone … except the cubs in his life. They pretty much led him around by the tail.
Reid knew the feeling. Donny’s fear last night that he and Peigi would leave him had hit Reid hard. Soldiers, cops, firefighters—anyone who worked for the good of others went through that, he knew. The choice between helping the world and making sure your own child was safe, protected, and happy was the toughest one there was.
Eric gently pulled Peigi into an embrace. It was the hug of a Shifter leader passing reassurance to one of his own, letting her know he was there for her, whatever choices she made.
Reid watched Peigi loosen under Eric’s touch. She’d badly needed someone like Eric when she’d first been rescued, with his true promise that he would protect her, unconditionally. Michael, who’d been her leader, should have done that for her, but hadn’t.
Eric led unselfishly while Michael had only wanted to dominate. Eric had sacrificed himself for others—Michael sacrificed others for himself. This was the difference between a good and bad leader, Stuart had learned, and why he trusted Eric with his life.
Nell and the ladies insisted on hugging Peigi after Eric moved off. Diego bent an eye on Reid.
“Not gonna hug you,” he said. “But don’t worry about coming in to work until you get this sorted out. Your desk will still be there.”
“Xavier that happy working my case load, is he?” Reid asked.
“Xavier needs more to do.” Diego spoke with the sternness of an older brother for a younger. “It’s good for him.”
“I’m sure he’s thinking that,” Reid said without cracking a smile. “Tell him I’ll be back as soon as I can. I like my job.”
This had surprised him at first, but Reid had discovered he was a good police officer and enjoyed detective work. Finding a bad guy and stopping him had been satisfying, making his lonely exile more bearable.
Diego, who had started the DX Security firm when he’d quit the police force to mate with Cassidy, had given Reid a way to continue stopping bad guys, for which Reid would be ever grateful. The bad guys had learned to fear Reid, Xav, and Diego, and the words DX Security could send a tremble to the most hardened drug dealer’s heart.
Reid and Peigi finally left the house—with all the Shifters still hopeful Peigi would accept the mate claim. They’d ceased saying so, but Reid knew it, their excitement barely dampened as they said their good-byes.
“Ready to face Graham?” Reid asked Peigi as they walked down the long street in the direction of the Lupine section of town.
“Sure. I’m interested in his opinion too.” Peigi’s hand hung stiffly at her side, near but not touching Reid’s. “Will you tell me something honestly?” she asked. “If it weren’t for me and the cubs, would you be running through a gate to find Cian and take on the hoch alfar?”
Reid swallowed, knowing the answer. “Yes.”
“Thought so.”
Stuart took her rigid hand and pulled her to a halt. Peigi turned reluctantly, but she faced him.
They’d stopped at the edge of another Shifter’s yard. Reid knew the Shifters inside the house would be watching out the window—no one minded their own business in Shiftertown—but this was too important.
“Let me tell you why.” Reid stood close to her, toe to toe, sneaker to sneaker, and let his voice go quiet. “Because if you and the cubs weren’t here, or didn’t like me around, I’d have nothing to lose.”
Peigi’s dark blue eyes flickered with competing emotions. “I never want to stop you.”
“You don’t.” Reid lifted their twined hands to his lips and kissed her fingers. “You’ve given me something to live for—you. I don’t want to lose what I’ve found. I know you believe I stay in Shiftertown and help you and the cubs because I have nothing better to do, but that’s not why.”
Peigi flushed. “I did think that,” she said softly. “That you’d leap at the chance to go back home.”
“No leaping.” Stuart kissed her fingers again, then leaned to her and pressed a swift kiss to her lips. He imagined the Shifters—a family of Felines—in their living room, watching avidly, maybe passing around popcorn. “It’s killing me that everyone expected I’d want to go, to leave you like it was nothing to me.”
“Is that why you made the