it was a real possibility, so why is this a problem now?"
"Because they scared you," he told me. "That's the only reason. I will not have someone living here that makes you afraid to leave your house. Elena, you're a wolf now, and that means we can stop treating you like a human. We don't have to hide our need to step up or stand between you and anything you don't like. I don't want to lose that perfection before I've gotten the chance to enjoy it."
"And I'm not the entire pack," I reminded him.
"You are to me." He reached up to cup my face. "You're my mate, and if that means I have to step down as a beta to keep you safe, then I will. I don't want to, but I will if I have to. That's why we're trying to think this through. Not because we don't want to help, but because we don't want to ruin everything just when it's getting good."
"With me?" I asked.
It was Henry who answered. "With all of Wolf's Run, Elena. We've made it through both of you turning. We've handled the video and having a human step in to help - and that's a bigger deal than you know. Never before have wolves been saved by humans, and the girl has been made an honorary pack member."
"Why honorary?" Gabby asked, stepping back into the room. "Why can't she just be my beta?"
"She can," he assured her. "Although that's never been done before either. But she's honorary because she doesn't live here. No other reason. When she's old enough to move into the community, she'll be a full member. Right now, she's still a kid, and so are you, little pup."
Gabby rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever, old dog," she said with a smile.
Surprisingly, Henry grinned. "Go set the table, Gabby. Ashley should be here - "
He didn't even get to finish before the door opened. "I brought company!" Ashley announced.
I turned to see Vic - and only Vic - following her in. The man was dressed in a nice button-down shirt, a clean and well-fitting pair of jeans, and he looked like he'd cleaned up for this. He also paused just inside the door even as Ashley kept walking.
Lane turned and glared at the man. "You?" he asked.
"Be nice," Ashley warned him as she continued around the corner, clearly heading for the den.
"Vic," I said, heading toward him. "It's ok, you're allowed to come all the way inside."
He smiled, but then his eyes jumped up to land on the men behind me. "I'm trying very hard to be small and non-threatening, and I'm getting the feeling that it's not working."
"You aren't small," Lane told him.
"You aren't either," Vic pointed out. "What the hell kind of wolf are you?"
"A line old enough that we don't know," Lane admitted. "I also spent a couple of years living wild." He pointed at his eyes. "So, a little more yellow than most. You? Born a bear?"
"Turned as a kid. I was twelve. Dad took me hunting. We came across a massive Kodiak, and Dad decided to shoot. Bear fought for all he was worth, mauled the hell out of me, and Dad ran. The bear grabbed me by the leg, and I was too hurt to do more than cry about it. Was sure I was dead. And then he shifted into this old asshole of a man. Got a real quick lesson on what was about to happen, turned five days later on the full moon - which peaked during the day - and my family spent the entire time searching for me. Well, they found me about a day after I turned, but I was just a little too healed up. After that, they never acted the same, so I left Alaska and moved south when I was old enough."
"And the bear who turned you?" Henry asked.
Vic's eyes jumped over to him. "You have a title, sir?"
"Not anymore," Henry assured him. "Ian and Ashley are my kids."
"Ah." Vic nodded. "Well, between the age of twelve and eighteen, I would seek him out. Sometimes I found him, other times I didn't. He taught me what I needed, made it clear he didn't want me on his territory, and I used college as a reason to get the hell off his land. And, here I am."
A single laugh came from the side of the room. I looked over to find Ian standing there with his