She just hatedadmittingit.
She also hated sitting around and notdoingsomething about the situation. From when she was named Head Enforcer by Peyton when she turned twelve, she’d always met every threat, every problem, every issue head-on. She never ran from a fight, she never balked at doing dirty work when necessary, even if it was something as simple as having uncomfortable conversations with people. Shehandledthings.
It was herjob.
The only times she hadn’t handled things the correct way from the start were when shit went sideways, and really bad things happened as a result.
Like Endquist almost killing her and Ken.
To be fair, she had no idea Endquist was the same wolf who’d killed their parents, and nearly killed her, too, when she was a baby.
Then, Manuel Segura and his men showed up at the Idaho compound, looking for Joaquin, and nearly killed Ken and Nami in the process.
Okay, so Ken and Nami found Duncan and brought him home as a result of their off-road ordeal, but it could’ve ended badly.
And then Segura escaped the compound, only to show up again months later in Florida, with a far too uncomfortable amount of information about the Targhee Pack.
Granted, it was Carl and Mateo who turned Segura over to Dewi, so she could finally execute the fucker once and for all.
Sure, it was Ken who did the actual killing, but dead was dead.
Didn’t get much deader than a bullet through the brain, followed by a trip through their woodchipper.
Then, they and their pack had gained the Carl and Mateo, and Mateo’s little sister, Brianna, as packmates, so that was atotalwin.
Butstill.
Dewi buried her face in the crook of Ken’s neck and deeply inhaled.
Mate.
His scent always calmed her, soothed her.
Grounded her.
Reminded her she was no longer alone, and had someone unquestioningly in her corner.
Someone she knew would never lie to her.
“Promise me I’m doing the right thing,” she quietly said once they were alone again. “Promise me staying here isn’t running away, and that it’s the right thing.”
“It’s the right thing, sweetheart. You know it is. If we were directly under attack, absolutely I’d support you taking up arms to protect us or someone vulnerable. Inthiscase? We need to strike a defensive posture. There’s no shame in that, no fault in the tactics. No cowardice or shirking of duty. It’s what a smart military commander would do. Why divide your forces, unnecessarily, on an uncertain outcome?”
She lifted her head to meet his sweet brown gaze. “I hate this,” she admitted. “Waiting. Not knowing. Not being able to meet the foe head-on. Not being in the middle of the search. I’m not used to this. Do you understand how difficult this is for me?”
He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know it is. So do Peyton, Trent, and Badger. I’m reasonably sure Duncan has a clue, too. And they love you for wanting to go, but you know they’re all right. We all can’t be wrong on this.” He brushed a kiss across her lips. “How about we go back to bed for a while?”
For now, his kiss finished dissolving Dewi’s last remnants of irritation over being sidelined. Dewi playfully arched an eyebrow at him. “Not to nap, she asks her mate very hopefully.”
He laughed. “Notto nap, he assures his very gorgeous mate.”
She held her hand out to him. “With pretty words like that, Dr. Ethelbert, I think I could be persuaded.”
“Ooh.” He pulled her in for another hug, this one definitely more bump-and-grind than cuddle. “You are the first person who ever made me feel sexy to hold a PhD. You’re also the first person I ever had sex with at work. You know, I’ve had alotof firsts with you of the sexy kind.”
She smiled. “I know. And believe me, I’m glad of that.” She led him down the short hallway to the bedroom. They both quickly stripped, then she playfully shoved him back onto the bed and straddled him. “You know, you’re the first guy who ever made me think being kept barefoot and pregnant maybe isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
Dewi wasn’t prepared for it when Ken gently caught her wrists in his hands and his expression shifted, serious. “Whoa. I told you, Dewi, that’snotwhat I want for you. I want you to beyou. I’m sorry we goofed up and—”
