The ringing of his cell phone woke Lee up from a fitful sleep. "What the fuck?" he grumbled, pushing hair away from his forehead. Groaning, he reached out, grabbed the phone from its place on his nightstand, and punched the "accept" button. "What is it?"

"Is that how you say good morning to your grandmother?"

Shitfuckshitfuckfuck ...

He coughed to clear his throat and sat up in bed. "Uh, sorry, Nana. Good morning."

"That's better," she replied cheerfully. "Did I wake you?"

"Uh, yeah ..." Lee scratched an itch on his right side.

"I'm sorry about that, dear, but I need you to come over as soon as possible."

He sat up straighter in bed. "Is everything okay, Nana?"

"Perfectly. I'll see you soon."

She hung up and Lee pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at his home screen in bewilderment. Nana was up to something. Being deliberately vague was how she usually conned the grandkids into doing yardwork for her when they were small.

Well, whatever it was, he couldn't keep the clan leader waiting. Lee rolled out of bed, stretching and yawning. Goddess, he felt like shit. The ever-present spectre of rage couldn't go away quickly enough. He padded to the bathroom for a brief shower. After tossing on jeans and a T-shirt, he grabbed a box of Pop-Tarts from the kitchen cupboard and shoved two into his mouth, chasing them with nearly-expired milk straight from the jug.

As he headed for the door, he paused and looked down at a small plastic bag from the Peacewood Zoo sitting on his sofa. Shit. Just when he thought they were getting somewhere, he had to fuck it up.

Leaving his bachelor cabin, he shifted, a giant black wolf the size of a horse standing in place of a man. Lee bowed his head and stretched, joints popping. It had been a few weeks since he let his wolf out—when he and Caleb went up against Alpha Owen. Lee licked his jaws, brow ridges furrowing. Thinking about that day only served to fuel his emotions and the last thing he wanted to do was lose control. So he stuffed all of that negative stuff into a tiny box and shoved it into a dark corner. One didn't keep Nana waiting.

Movement caught his eye and he turned to see Sawyer exiting their house. She spied him and waved. She was looking healthier day by day and the hollows in her collarbones were filling in. Well, if everything else in his life went to shit, at least his sister was back home where she belonged.

Tucking that little bit of happiness away, he turned around. Off he loped, crossing through several backyards until he reached his grandparents' house.

Nana was waiting for him on the back deck. As he began to shift, she held up a hand. "Stay put We're going for a run."

Lee blinked. What was she up to?

Nana walked down the stairs and shifted, her wolf form as black as his, but smaller. Whereas Lee had a white patch on the back of his neck, Nana had one on her chest.

"Follow me," she said, long white fangs flashing in the morning sun.

"Nana ..." Lee began, but she was already running. Sighing, he dug his claws into the grass and chased after his grandmother.

They entered the woods, weaving between massive Ponderosa pine trees and towering, ancient Oregon white oaks. Lee had run this forest his whole life, but he had no idea where Nana was leading him. His paws thumped on the needle-strewn ground, nascent shoots and saplings snapping under his weight.

The trees opened into a small clearing, just large enough for two high-ranking werewolves to fit comfortably. A pile of rocks covered in a thick carpet of green moss and tiny mushrooms was tucked under the crossed trunks of two shattered oaks.

Lee padded to a halt. He knew this place well. As kids, he, Sawyer, and others regularly played here. The rocks at various times had been a volcano, a mysterious island with a precarious bridge, and a Martian landing site. More than once, he and Caleb dared each other to climb the fallen trees and leap as far as they could.

Nana sniffed around the base of the rocks, then sat down, curling her thick tail around her paws. "Your luna and her father paid me and Poppa a visit last night."

Lee's jaw dropped. Of all the things she could have said, he wasn't expecting that. "Why? What did she say?"

Nana's right ear flicked. "She was very concerned for her safety and her daughter's safety."

Lee sighed, the tip of his tail twitching. "She told you what happened at the zoo."

His grandmother nodded. "I assured the Kohls that it was temporary and there was nothing to worry about."

She paused. There was more. The Kohls couldn't have driven out here just for that. "And?" he prompted.

"Do you love her?"

Lee's ears pricked forward. "What?"

Nana pawed at the ground. "Kelsi. Do you love her?"

Lee shifted his gaze to the rocks. "I want to."

"I see." Nana rolled her shoulders, powerful muscles rippling beneath her black coat. "If she wasn't your fated mate, would you have still asked her to marry you?"

He looked up. "I—what?"

Nana studied him with wise brown eyes. "There's a lot more than what Kelsi is telling you, dear. She knows you wouldn't have given her the time of day if you didn't form this bond."

"Is that what she said?" he asked. Of course, dumbass, the dry, snarky side of him piped up. She told you herself that she wasn't pretty enough for you.

"Not in so many words, but I can read between the lines," his grandmother explained.

Lee took a deep breath. "I ..." he began. "Probably not," he admitted, looking down at the ground. Some omegas were attractive, but he'd always been drawn to beta women. That's just how things were.

"Then you have to be honest with her," Nana said. "And yourself."

Lee lifted his head, whiskers twitching. "I'm sorry?"

Nana sighed. "Lee, you may never have your sister's love story. You have to be prepared for that."

She may as well have dropped an anvil on his chest. Lee sank to the ground, ears folding back. "It's all I've ever wanted ..."

"And Kelsi?"

"She's been trying to get away from me the moment I called her name at the Ball."

Nana rose and padded over to him, gently licking his forehead. "I think the two of you need to sit down and have an adult conversation about this."

"After what happened yesterday, I don't think she wants to talk to me right now."

Nana hummed soothingly. "Poppa and I invited the whole Kohl family to a picnic this afternoon. You can talk then."

He jumped to his feet, bumping his forehead against the bottom of Nana's jaw. "You did what?"

She worked her jaw back and forth, then smiled, tongue lolling. "Grandmothers love to meddle, my dear."

Great.