“I am on your side.” She rested her chin on his chest. “That’s why I’m bringing it up. You need to talk about it.” When he didn’t speak, she said gently, “Hey, if you don’t want us to form a pack, we won’t.”

“But…?” he prodded, sensing there was one.

“But I think that you do. You’re a natural alpha. I think, deep down, a part of you must want it, must want to be part of something and want to give your wolf the sense of purpose that any alpha likes to have.”

“My wolf does want it,” he admitted, “but he wants you more, so it doesn’t matter.” She smacked his shoulder. He winced. “Hey!”

“Of course it matters. I don’t want your wolf feeling in any way unfulfilled.” She didn’t want their bond to always remain incomplete.

“He doesn’t feel unfulfilled. Besides, you don’t want to be an Alpha female since you’ll need to travel a lot for the job I’m confident you’ll get. I’ll be traveling with you.” He was no longer worried that her being an Alpha female would place her in danger, not after witnessing her strength over and over, and not when he knew that the people who were sneakily trying to make him their Alpha would never challenge her anyway. They saw her strength, and they respected her. Plus, they knew she was talented with weapons, and they didn’t want to die.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t be an Alpha. There are some dispersed packs out there. I know usually shifters don’t like their packs to be that way, but if people are trying to influence you into forming a pack while knowing that’s the only way it could be, it’s obviously not going to be something they’ll care about. I can’t promise I’ll be any good at the Alpha female thing.”

He dropped a kiss on her mouth. “You could do anything.” He was certain that she’d make a good Alpha female, just as Taryn had said. Shaya wouldn’t be loud and forward like dominant Alphas; she would lead in a diplomatic, calming, supportive way. He could give the pack the feeling of physical safety, and she would give them the feeling of emotional safety. Providing the people in his pack could totally accept that, it could work. “I thought you wouldn’t want that position.”

“Miss a chance to boss people around?”

Toying with her curls, he told her, “It’s not something I need, Shay. Wanting something and needing it are two different things. You’re what I need.”

“Ah, but if you can have what you want and what you need, why shouldn’t you?”

Unsure what he wanted, he said, “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Like what?”

“Like the fact that I don’t want you fighting against the humans with us on Thursday night.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I knew you were going to say that.” She wasn’t exactly surprised. He was her mate; he wouldn’t want her in any form of danger. “I know you like to have your own way, and I know that sometimes I compromise, and I know that sometimes you sneakily talk me into consenting to what you want”—he smiled, not in the least bit apologetic—“but I won’t budge on this: I will be part of what happens Thursday night.”

“Shay—”

“I’m just as angry as you are about that preserve. Those bastards did things they deserve to die slow, agonizing deaths for. On top of that, one of them tried over and over to rape you in juvie. Then there’s the little fact that he wrecked the salon and had someone shoot at us. I’m not letting that slide.” To her surprise, he wasn’t scowling, he was smiling. “What?”

“You should hear how righteous and very Alpha-female-like you sound.”

She blushed. “Females feeling vengeful on their mate’s behalf can sound a lot like that.”

“It’s not just me who has a problem with this. Your wolf doesn’t like it either, does she? She’s nervous at just the idea of it.”

Her wolf was, indeed, pacing anxiously. “Granted, she’s not keen on the idea of being in a situation that violent. But she’s also reassured”—okay, slightly reassured—“by the fact that I have no intention of shifting and expecting her to deal with it.”

He frowned, confused. “You don’t intend to shift?”

“It’ll be kind of hard to use my rifle with paws and claws.”

“Rifle?” he echoed disbelievingly.

“Thanks to my dad and our hunting trips, I’m a really good shot. I deserve to be a part of this just as much as the others do. The other males haven’t asked their mates to stay behind—it’s unfair to expect me to stay behind just because I’m submissive and—”

He silenced her with a look. “This has nothing to do with your submissive status, so don’t even go there.” He was becoming increasingly offended by her repeated accusations of him thinking less of her due to her submissive status. “Trey and Dante aren’t asking their mates to stay behind because the situation isn’t personal for them. My wolf has wanted to get a grip on Logan for a long time for a long list of reasons, and he’s none too happy with the shifter who created the preserve either. During the attack, his sole focus will be on getting to them. You’re the only thing that could distract him, the only thing that would matter more to him than ripping those f**kers apart.”

“You’re saying I’ll place you in danger.”

He cupped her chin. “You’re my only weak spot, Shay. Logan will know that. On that battlefield, it’ll be you who he’s looking for. If you’re there, my wolf will be distracted and anxious and won’t be able to focus on getting to Logan or the shifter—and that will make it easier for them to get to one of us.”

Well, when he put it like that…“What if I promise not to enter the battlefield? What if I promise to stay on a spot out of sight? It’s not like I need to get close to use my rifle.”

That placated him and his wolf slightly, but the idea of her being anywhere near Logan still turned his stomach.

“You can even help me choose which spot.”

He scrubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t like it, Shay.”

“Of course you don’t. Just the same, I don’t like the idea of you playing a part in the battle, but I haven’t asked you to stay out of it, have I?”

Twisting the situation to get what she wanted? “Baby, that’s sneaky.” Because she made a very good point.