"What?"

Instead of instinctively stepping back as he stalked towards her, she raised her brow. "You don't want to fu...?"

"Stop talking," he growled as he laid his finger on her lips, cupping her jaw in the process.

Lorraine's breath scrambled in her throat. Still, she managed to narrow her eyes. "You don't tell me what to do."

"Right," he murmured, eyes intent on her lips. "But I can shut you up."

His breath on the corner of her lips as his thumb trailed over them like a work of art was enough to do that.

Still, Lorraine refused to take her eyes off his, even as her insides melted in anticipation.

He... he was going to kiss her. And she had no intention of stopping him.

His extended fingers tightened slightly on her throat as his breath drew a hot trail from her lips to her right ear.

A swift nip on her lobe made her jerk involuntarily, the action pushing her hard nipples into his chest.

She could already feel his hard bulge against her, which surprisingly did not make her pull away.

"I won't stop." The words sounded faint under the sensation swamping her body, yet they were just as hot. "A taste of you, and nothing will stop me."

"I... who said anything about stopping?" Lorraine was more than sure that could not have been her voice.

His ragged breath as his hands tightened on her shot a thrill through her. Now, he would...

"No." The word sounded tortured as he suddenly jerked back from her.

The eyes she had unconsciously closed snapped open as an unexpected feeling of rejection slithered through the hot frenzy in her body.

She held herself rigidly as she blurted, "No?"

He shook his head, took a step towards her and stopped just before he held her again. "No, Lorraine. I won't let you reduce this to... what you are doing," he finished with a limp wave of his hand.

"What am I doing?"

"Putting this down to just the mate heat, Prickly. That."

"I told you to stop calling me that." She glared at him.

His stormy look was replaced so swiftly with a grin that she blinked. This man.

"Maybe when you stop pushing me away, I will consider that."

He stepped towards her again, and she was the one who stepped back this time.

She couldn't believe she was actually feeling put out because he would not screw her brains out. She had always thought of him as annoying, and now she wanted him to fuck her until she forgot everything?

"This is your fault," she blamed her wolf, since the Moon Goddess was too far away to take responsibility for the mating she had shoved on her.

To Logan, she said stoically, "You had your chance and decided to blow it. I won't offer again. Now, let's get the rejection part over with."

He smiled as he folded his arms, all former agitation gone, like he was in control again. "You have not been listening, have you?"

"You haven't been making much sense," she answered curtly.

He nodded blandly. "Then let me repeat myself. Lorraine Spears, I am never rejecting you. I will haunt you until you realise that you can't live without me."

The arrogant... Wondering how on earth she had felt all the confusing emotions earlier, Lorraine gave him a derisive look as she said, "I only thought you were just an insufferable fool. Didn't know you are delusional too."

The insult rolled right off him as he stepped towards her again with widespread arms, saying, "See, babe? That's why I want us to get to know each other. How else will you discover all these wonderful qualities of mine?"

Lorraine almost lost the battle with the smile that sprang to her lips. She settled for an aloof look, even as he held her folded arms.

"Stay with me, babe. And you will find one thousand and one reasons to fall in love with me."

His intoxicating scent was messing with her again, so she tried to shrug him off.

Instead, he caged her in his strong arms, kissed the tip of her nose, and his grin disappeared as he stated, "Answer one question for me, please."

"What?" she blurted automatically, wishing he would let go of her before she melted into his arms.

"Your low blood sugar. That is a very rare thing for a werewolf. Any idea what caused it?"

The reminder of how he had seen her vulnerable, twice now, made her stiffen, and she jerked out of his hands as she gritted out, "I told you to mind your damn business."

"Lorraine, I..."

Annoyance crossed his face as his phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out to disconnect it, but hesitated as he saw the caller ID.

He looked apologetically at her. "I am sorry. I need to..."

"None of my business," she muttered as she stepped around him.

"Damien," she heard him say into the phone as she stepped out of the treehouse.

Damien. That was his beta. The one who had played a crucial role in the queen's rescue when they were in the human world.

Logan had put him in charge of the pack when he decided to follow them to Moonvale to root out those who wanted Athena dead.

Even though she did not want to admit it, Lorraine knew he did it partly because of her.

Just as he was mostly staying on in Silvergate now because he expected her to change her mind. She wouldn't.

"If the beta is calling him, maybe something important happened in his pack. He would be leaving, Lorraine. We can't let him leave like this." Kiarra's panicked deduction rumbled in Lorraine's mind.

She was surprised that it did not sit well with her, even as she said, "He can choose to go where he wants. I don't care."

"I care!" Kiarra snapped. She had always been mostly supportive in everything Lorraine did, but she had proven to be quite difficult when it came to Logan. "He is our mate! We shouldn't let him go!"

"I can't possibly tie him here, can I?" she muttered tersely. "He has a pack to run."

"We can go with him," Kiarra insisted.

Lorraine's step faltered as that possibility sprang into her mind like an unwanted burr.

"I am doing nothing of the sort. Stop talking about this," she snapped, ignoring Kiarra's sulk as she picked up on the sounds behind her.

He was still far behind, but she knew he could easily gain on her anytime.

"Lorraine, we need to talk!" His call made her want to shift into her wolf, outrun him and never stop.

She stopped herself from doing that and broke into a run instead.

Shame dogging her footsteps at her uncharacteristic behaviour, Lorraine entered the alpha house, glad she had beaten him there.

She intended to stay away from him until he gave up and returned to his pack.

Very soon, she would need to leave for Moonvale too, even if the queen decided to stay on in Silvergate.

The problem with Guinevere might have been resolved when the bitch blew her head off in front of Raymond two days ago, but there were still other things to handle in Moonvale. First on that list was Lance, the damn traitor.

Lorraine was looking forward to venting all her frustrations on the damn delta who had colluded with outsiders to hurt their queen.

Then...

"Lorraine, you are back. Great. Come join us. I have something to tell you."

Lorraine's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Athena's voice.

She looked around to see that she was walking past the dining room without acknowledging the queen, who was seated on the alpha consort's lap while they fed each other.

Just beyond the table were the three bassinets that held their triplets. The babies Athena had almost lost.

"One more reason to skin Lance alive," Lorraine thought, even as she berated herself for letting her thoughts take her mind off her surroundings.

"My queen." She bowed slightly in greeting as she entered, acknowledging Raymond with a bow too.

"Join us," Athena gestured to the spread of savoury breakfast in front of them.

Lorraine's stomach growled because she had not eaten much at dinner the night before, while Logan's gaze was pinned on her like a brand.

But sitting out here now meant risking him catching up with her and trying... whatever with her again.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but I am actually not hungry yet. I will just get something later," she responded hastily.

"Oh, okay then," Athena replied, to Lorraine's relief.

She was already turning away when Athena's voice stopped her. "You know what you need, Lorraine?"

"What, my queen?" She turned back with a questioning look.

"A holiday", Athena declared cheerily.

Even her stoic expression did not stop the surprise from showing on her face as she echoed, "A holi...?"

"Yes. Raymond and I were just talking about it. You've worked diligently all these years, Lorraine. Through the war and even after. Yet you've never taken a day off for yourself. It's high time, don't you think?"

Athena's smile contrasted sharply with the strange feeling stirring within Lorraine. A feeling like she was no longer needed.

"But I don't want a holiday," she said tersely. Then she immediately schooled her tone when Athena's smile dimmed slightly. "I mean, there is still a lot going on right now. Lance..."

"...will be dealt with. Just as the other things too. I don't see why that should stop..."

"But I am your beta. My place is by you. I don't... don't make me take a holiday, my queen. I..."

"Oh, there you are." Logan's scent assaulted Lorraine's nose even as his voice interrupted her.

Her hands curled into fists by her sides as she turned to him in frustration.

"Leave me alone," she screamed at him in her head, but he barely glanced at her before turning back to Athena, a serious look on his face.

"Sorry for interrupting this, but..."

"Oh, he knows how to apologise," Raymond, who had started off on the wrong footing with Logan, muttered just before he popped a grape into his mouth.

He grunted as Athena elbowed him lightly in the stomach, even as she smiled at Logan. "No, it's fine. What's going on?"

Ignoring Raymond's taunt, Logan responded to Athena. "I need to leave, Athena."

A hard thump hit Lorraine's chest as she watched his lips move.

"Something's come up in my pack." His gaze darted to Lorraine, and she looked away.

Still, she could feel his lingering gaze on her as he continued, "I have to handle it."

Athena immediately got off Raymond's lap and came towards Logan, ignoring her mate's grunt of displeasure as she asked, "I hope it's nothing serious? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No." Logan smiled. "This I must take care of."

"Oh, alright then. You must leave at once. I will tell Greta and..."

"No, let them stay." He shook his head, referring to the midwife and nanny who had handled Athena's childbirth. "I saw her heading to the clinic earlier. I think she and your pack healer are getting along well."

"True. Carmen mentioned learning from Greta's experience. We don't have resident midwives, so I suppose Greta's traditional ways have been helpful these past days."

"But she belongs in your pack. I can't keep..."

"She can come later. Let her treat this as a kind of holiday."

"Thank you," Athena said with a fondness that made Raymond's brows pucker. Then she suddenly beamed as she looked at Lorraine.

Lorraine was already dreading what she would say as Athena clapped her hands excitedly. "Speaking of holidays, Lorraine just got one. I think she has been on the clock for so long that she does not know what to do with free time."

Something close to dread bloomed in Lorraine's stomach as she saw the realisation, mingled with a blooming smile, spread across Logan's face even before Athena declared, "This is perfect."

"My queen, no... I can't..."

"You might not even have so much free time on your hands, I think. Logan might need help with whatever he is going back to handle. You know how I rely on your skills in handling situations. Do this for me, okay?"

Lorraine felt like a trap had just shut on her when she looked from Logan's barely concealed smile to Athena's hopeful expression. "My queen, you know I can't deny you anything, but..."

"Perfect. You are the best." Athena kissed her cheek and turned to Logan. "You will want to leave immediately, right?"

"Yes."

"Then get to it. Bye, Lorraine." Athena waved airily, turning away from Lorraine in dismissal.

"My... I..."