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Darien said, "Come with me, you and Elizabeth" He escorted them into his office and shut the door "Elizabeth doesn’t know this, but I need you ho what this was all about--a new problem for the pack, Tom said, "Because…?"

"The neners of the hotel will be here this weekend to start renovations on the place I need to make sure we don’t have any trouble with the pack when the owners show up"

Tom folded his arms "Our cousins can help out there"

"That’s what I’m worried about," Darien said, ultraseriously

"Maybe it’s Peter’s turn to watch out for the new she-wolves in the pack" This time, Tom wouldn’t ensure that an accompanied she-wolf--in this case, three of them--didn’t stir up trouble with the pack He already had his own

When they arrived at Elizabeth’s place in Canyon, Texas, the next , Tom loved the coziness of the two-bedroom, one-bath home surrounded by land and mesquites and junipers He decided the warmth of the holancing around at her place, "coain, you ht of it that way before"

"I like it" Toathered her in his aret very far frory We had no food on the plane, and I feel like having a steak"

She looked wary, as if she already knehere this was headed "I don’t have any steaks in the house The last time--"

"The last time you weren’t with me You know they say that you should revisit the place where you experienced soain," Torocery store…" she said

"Nope, let’s go to the butcher shop I want you to have only good memories before we leave here Besides, we need to pick up your car if it’s still parked there"

"All right, but if the steaks are full price, you’re paying"

He laughed, then hurried her out to the rental car and drove her to the butcher shop

She sighed with relief as he parked at the shop "My car’s still here" She glanced at the butcher’sand with an I-told-you-so look, she said, "No sale signs"

S "Steaks are on me"

When they walked into the store, the butcher’s blue eyes rounded "I wondered when you’d co about whether he was the new boyfriend "What will it be?"

"Rib-eye steaks sound good to you?" Tom asked Elizabeth

"Yeah" She turned to stare at a sleek-looking woh-heeled boots, as checking out grilling spices on a rack, a package of lanced at them She sniffed the air, the action so reminiscent of a wolf shifter that she stole both Tom’s and Elizabeth’s attention