I gave Timothy a tight hug when we got out to the car, and he pulled me clear off the ground. "Don't be a stranger, Sis."

"I won't, Baby Bro," I laughed. It felt good to reiterate the title of siblings. It made my heart fly to have a brother again.

He set me down and sighed. "I didn't think I could be alpha with years to learn. Now I've only got a few weeks."

I squeezed at his hand and gave an encouraging smile. "You'll do amazing." I tilted my head over my shoulder to Adam and Nate. "These boys got their positions early too, and they didn't have help. Dad will still be around, and Alpha Nate I'm sure would be happy to fill in formalities again."

"Of course I'd be happy to answer any questions, Alpha Timothy."

Tim nodded, "thanks man."

I playfully hit my fist against Tim's chin. "And besides. If you don't step up, then I'll be in charge. And you know what that means?" He looked confused and I hunched over to look dark and scary. "Every meal will be ...smoothies."

The look on Tim's face was full on horror.

Nate then came and lifted me into his arm cage. "Your first lesson Alpha Tim, know when to retreat! Run Tim!" Nate started tickling my sides and I squealed in shock as Tim ran for the Thatcher mansion.

"Bye Sis!" He yelled.

"Buh...Bye!" I tried to speak out through the spilling laughter.

Nate put me down and I stepped away to catch my breath a moment.

When I finally took a few deep breaths, I yelled my war cry. "Now you've done it, Nate!" I came after him with my innocent ninja karate punches and smacked at his abs and sides a few times. He just watched me with interest.

"Good job, Kitten." He patted my head when I was done.

"Shut up," I grumbled with a smile and then wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged into him, remembering not to tilt my nose.

Gosh darn it, Dad! Why did you have to say that to me? My cheeks flamed.

When my cheeks finally cooled, and his arms came around my back to hug me gently back I spoke softly into his chest. "I'm sorry about your family Nate. And I'm sorry my family is the reason they're gone."

"Hey," he said quietly, "it's alright. Don't you worry about me." He hugged me tighter and rested his head against mine. "What you did for Lone Raine, well, all of the packs around here was amazing. You made Milo step down his title and guarantee the treaty will stand. That makes up for everything that happened, and you weren't even responsible."

I untucked myself, "really?"

He nodded, eyes sincere, "yeah. You were brilliant in there."

My smile enlarged. "Thanks."

"Uh? Hey guys," Adam spoke from the side carefully. "Can I call bro code here? I think that's all I can take."

Nate and I laughed, and I peeled myself from Nate's arms and strode right up to Adam. In one quick movement I pulled on his neck and kissed him hard. My fingers went through his hair, and I pressed hungrily and passionately against him.

And oh gosh, nope-nope-nope, I did not hate kissing.

I broke and then leaned to whisper against his cheek, rubbing into his smooth jawline. "Is that better, my Cyclops?" Then I quickly pulled from his arms and walked to the car. "Coming boys?"

Adam stood dazed, chest heaving, and a smile like the sun against his face.

Nate laughed at his expression. "I better drive."

Nate still had the keys anyway, so he got into the driver's side, and I bent into the back. I had my seatbelt already on and situated by the time Adam had regained his breathing and slid in beside me.

"You're going to make poor Nate be our chauffeur?" I asked with a smirk.

"I can't sit in front. Seatbelts broke. You don't want me to be unsafe right?" He winked.

Nate's eyes hit me from the rear-view mirror. "It's alright Elise. Why don't you switch to the middle seat? He probably needs you close after all that mess in there."

I smiled to Adam and unbuckled to the center seat. Adam's arm came around me.

Nate laughed. "Just watch the tongue. There's no blackout wall between us. I don't need to see that." His eyes twinkled. "I might get jealous."

Adam kicked Nate's seatback and laughed. "Shut up and drive, Ace." He then touched tenderly at my cheek and brought my lips to his in a sweet chaste kiss. "Love you, Elise."

I smiled up through my lashes and nodded.

He then hugged me against his side, and I tried not to get my nose too close to his neck. Dang that was going to be stupid hard to remember all the time.

Nate drove, and him and Adam retold their favorite parts of the day, like when I punched a baneknife into my own father, or that fluffy pink dress.

I cut in my favorite, voice a little provocative. "How about when I learned I tried to seduce you both by showing too much shoulder?"

Both guffawed, already in fits of laughter of their favorite retellings.

"Oh, man." Nate laughed, his eyes still on the road, but practically wiping tears away. "I would've paid another six hundred dollars to have seen your face when you realized he wanted to talk about the birds and the bees."

"Sorry Elise," Adam chuckled. "But I wish I would have been able to see that too."

I whacked Adam's chest. "You!" I pointed to his nose, "would have gone screaming out of there like a little girl if he had said 'I need to talk to you about mating with my daughter'."

"Bro!" Nate nodded. "You would have run out, tail between your legs and left your mate to defend herself!"

"Maybe," Adam conceded placing a kiss at my hair.

"Some big strong protector you are," I laughed.

Adam grinned, "when it comes to you, Alpha Milo, and the mating talk, you are on your own. He tried to murder me when he thought I didn't want to date his daughter. Can you imagine what he'll do after we, well," his neck went red, "well, we get ready for kids."

I smirked, "Well, we are in the backseat of a car."

"Hey," Nate chastised from the driver's seat. "I thought I said no hanky panky."

"Hanky panky? What are you ten?" I laughed. "And no," I leaned up and flicked at Nate's ear. "You just said no tongue. Plenty to do without that."

"Elise?" Nate's eyes widened at me through the rear view. "What happened to our shy, sweet girl that didn't even want to give out a phone number, she was too pure?"

My teasing halted, muscles tensing.

I didn't know.

And then I realized I was acting all sexy or something and buried my face in Adam's chest. My cheeks flared too. Was I really insinuating that I'd take Adam right now?

Oh gosh.

This whole day was a disaster.

Both wolves started guffawing again.

And whatever I was doing clinging into Adam, was probably also a sign of stinking mate submission. I just couldn't control what I didn't understand!

Maybe I should just get Adam to mark me and be done with it.

"You guys want to stop anywhere?" Nate asked. The laughter on the air finally calming.

"No," I untucked myself with a deep breath. "I've got about a million phone calls about a home fire I need to make."

Nate nodded, and then turned down the fish hatchery road.

Adam's hand stroked through my hair, and I leaned against him with a pleasant smile. I was starting to love when he did that. "We can go to my office. I can be there for whatever you need."

"Thanks," I said dreamily as he still played with my hair. "I've been putting it off. I'm kind of scared about it."

"You are allowed to be scared. Losing your home is a scary thing."

"I still don't know if I care to rebuild though. Are you guys really okay with me staying in Lone Raine?"

Nate snorted.

Adam kissed the top of my head. "Why would we want you anywhere else?"

I sighed thinking about my bees. "I wish I could have brought my animals though. Especially the bees. Wolfsbane poisoning looks worse than I thought."

"Now you know why it scared us so bad to see you with wolfsbane veining," Nate mentioned.

I widened my eyes and nodded toward him, though he couldn't see it. "I get it now. Milo's looked scary. And was even worse by the time we'd left."

Nate shrugged. "That's why I said there was something to your honey cure." His eyes met mine from the rear view again. "All the men that came back with wolfsbane poisonings are all healing much faster. My veining is only at my shoulder now."

I smiled sadly. "At least it could help them."

"Maybe we plant a bunch of wolfsbane around the property and keep bees. We could see if we get the same result?" Nate wondered.

"Is that wise?" I asked pulling off of Adam's shoulder. "Isn't that like me planting poison ivy all around my property and hoping I can dodge it every time I walk out my door?"

"Eh," Nate made a noise. "Maybe we can plant it far off and you can be our caretaker."

My eyes glazed over as I dreamed of being in a bee suit out among a field of aconite, wolves darting about the trees in the background.

Nate laughed, taking in my expression. "She's already planning it."

Adam chuckled and pulled me back against him to play with my hair more. "Just make sure your plan involves showering before you touch any of us. Wolfsbane burns by touch for us."

I turned to Adam. "Do you think it would do more harm to me now that the mantle is out? Like the silver did?"

"Huh," he thought. "Maybe. I hadn't thought of that." He turned back down to me and nuzzled into my hair. "Now you don't get to know. Because we're not ever testing that theory."

Nate breathed out a laugh. "Shouldn't have said anything Elise."

Nate and Adam then waved to the gate keepers as we passed into Lone Raine Territory.

I watched out the window, still snuggled against Adam, as the cabins came into view. This time felt so different than the first time coming. Men and women were outside together. Many looked fully in love. Children played together, some digging in the dirt. Even some men as wolves running around letting me catch peeks of them through the trees in the distance. But it all felt good. It all felt like home.

Milo may want me at Wilde Claw, but I couldn't deny that Lone Raine was where I was always supposed to end up. I was meant to end up with these wolves either ten years ago or now. But I couldn't help thinking that all this time made me a stronger person.

I put my fingers at Adam's cheek, tracing against his jaw. He looked down and smiled with all the love I knew he had. Ten years of it.

"Thanks for being strong for me. I know you fought against me and for me for all that those years."

"Maybe my subconscious knew that I shouldn't fully reject you."

"Smart subconscious."

He gave a half smile and kissed my forehead.

Nate parked around near the office wing, and I followed Adam through the hallway.

Danielle was stationed at Adam's office door, holding an armful of clothes. "These are for you, Miss Elise."

I looked down to the slices in the fabric at my stomach and gave a smirk to Adam. "Didn't want to keep seeing my lovely belly?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "You've got blood on your dress too, just thought you'd like a change." He sniffed at his shoulder. "And I think I want to be out of clothes with Wilde Claw's scent too."

I took the outstretched clothes from her. "Thanks Danielle. I guess that would be nice."

"You're very welcome, Miss Elise." She pointed to a door opposite. "That's a restroom when you're ready."

"Thanks." I turned to Nate and Adam. "I'll be back in a sec."

Nate smiled and patted my back. "You did good today. I'm going to head to my office, so I'll see you at dinner," he smirked to Adam, "that is if you two can keep your paws off each other long enough to make it to the hall."

Adam gave a lighthearted punch to Nate's shoulder. "We'll see you at dinner."

"Good luck on your insurance calls Elise," Nate chuckled rubbing at the area.

I smiled and pressed on the door to change. "Thanks, bye Nate."

Adam smiled and turned to his office door. "Just come in when you're ready. See you in a minute Elise."

I quickly changed into the comfortable outfit Danielle had brought. It was all new clothes, but fit well and snuggly.

I came out of the restroom holding my dress, ready to head over to Adam's when Danielle stepped from the wall. "I can take those to be cleaned and patched."

"Oh, thanks," I handed her the bundle.

She made a cute curtsy. "I'm happy to serve you, Beta Female Elise."

"So formal," I laughed.

She giggled. "I know. I'm just happy that Adam has found someone. Nate's had a few girlfriends, but Adam has always been alone. I guess we all know why now, but it was sad for many years."

"I thought it was sad too. Nate had told me that there was so much stuff in the Beta Female room that I couldn't even pack a goat in there. It was supposed to be funny, but I remember being sad for him instead."

She smiled. "But he has you now. It worked out how it was supposed to. And we almost have the room in order. There's just a few more things to move out and then we'll get the furniture moved in. And then it'll be ready for you."

"Thanks," I said simply, and then thought a moment. "Did you already move the playhouse?"

"We haven't made it that far yet," she laughed. "We needed a good walkway."

"Can that be kept in there?" I asked awkwardly. "I picture it in the room now."

I pictured it with littles climbing all over it.

She nodded with a large smile. "We can definitely do that."

"Thanks," I said with a mirroring grin. "Well, I better get to my calls."

"Bye Miss Elise."

"Bye."

I knocked once and then entered into Adam's office, trying to pump myself up for all the mess I was about to get in.

I'd almost rather speak to Milo about the birds and the bees again.

Almost.