“That sounds like an amazing idea.” Ben shook his head. “Her mother and I don’t want her to leave. We get that young wolves like to go out and explore, and get all that wanderlust out of their body, but she is our baby girl.”“I’m going to take care of her,” Luke said. “I promise. I better go and ask for Maya’s help.”Ben nodded. “Er, my daughter can be quite stubborn, and I don’t know what hurt her, or who, but she has a good heart. She loves this pack. I know she’ll be a huge help to you.”Guilt swirled in his gut. Deep down, he knew he was the problem. He forced a smile to his lips. Luke wasn’t used to having to put this much effort in, or to even want to give this much effort to people.Heading across town, he stared at the DIY store and saw it wasn’t particularly busy. For his plan to work, he would need to ask her when she was surrounded by the pack. The only way to do that was at lunchtime.Crap.What he was doing wasn’t fair. He knew that, but he had to keep Maya close to him.

“Okay, so we can now condemn the bathroom sink,” she said.“I think it would be best if I actually purchased a whole new bathroom.”She nodded. “You’re right, because, wow, my ass must be strong.”He chuckled.“I wouldn’t complain about your ass being in my hands.” He winked at her, and Maya didn’t know what to do. Was he flirting?“We’re going to need to … you know … deal with all of this, so we’re going to need help. I can call John. He’ll be able to send reliable hands. He’ll also know how to dispose of it as well,” she said.“Then call him,” he said.“I think it would be best if I told him in person.” She wanted a reason to leave and to put some much-needed space between them.Luke smirked and took a step toward her, then another. She refused to move back, and not because she was worried about breaking more of his home.“Do I make you nervous?” he asked.“No, you don’t make me nervous, but I want to make sure this is done properly.” The lies fell from her lips easily. “Don’t you w

“I am. I’m heading out there soon. I stayed behind to make sandwiches.”“Ah, makes sense.” Leah poured herself a mug of coffee and didn’t even bother with cream and sugar. “What’s the matter, honey?”“Nothing, why?”“Ah, you see, it has been twenty-three years of knowing you and I know something is bothering you.”“Nah, it’s nothing.”“I can’t help you fix it unless you talk to me.” Leah moved closer to the counter. She pulled out the chair next to her and took a seat. “I’m all ears.”“It’s…”“Does it have something to do with leaving the pack?” Leah asked.“Yes and no. I don’t know.” She frowned. Her mother was the only person she wanted to talk to about this kind of thing. Anyone else would have way too many questions. “Actually, can I ask you questions about, er, about mates?”“Have you found yours?” Leah asked, smiling.She chuckled. “I was, er, I was curious, you know, about you and Dad, and I guess mates in general.”“Go ahead. I will answer as best I can, but I will admit it’s

It wasn’t for her own good.You failed.You hurt her.And because of him, she had starved herself for a long time, but no more. Luke wasn’t going anywhere. He was there at the pack to stay. Maya would see that he meant to be her mate. He intended to give her a life she deserved, and he would never stop.She didn’t even realize it, but without even trying, she had given him something he had forgotten he craved.Maya had given him a home.*****The days passed rather productively. Maya spent her mornings waking up, enjoying a cup of coffee, and watching Luke as he held up swatches for her to help him decide the color scheme of the house, even furniture. They were still a long way off from furnishing the house, but he wanted to be prepared with orders.So far, most of the upstairs was fully plumbed and the electric outlets were all working. Maya had gotten electrocuted downstairs over a miscommunication. Her tongue had been numb for a couple of hours afterward and some of her hair had st

“It has been a long day.” He sighed.“Did I hear that you were having some difficulty?”“Yeah, it would seem the attic is a bit of a problem. Lots of old wires, and some of the roof is a little unstable. Years of neglect will do that. At the moment it doesn’t leak, but I think it would only be a matter of time before it does.” He sighed. “I’m working on preventing that from happening.”“I get it. This house is turning into a labor of love. Are you sure it’s worth it?” she asked.“I’m sure. I have no plans to go anywhere.”“But I’ve seen you looking at your bike,” Maya said. “You’re not thinking about jumping on that thing and running away?”“Never. I’m not running from you. Not now. Not ever.”He was pretty sure he saw a smile dance across her lips. He didn’t point it out as he didn’t want her to feel self-conscious. In the past few weeks they had come a long way, but he didn’t want to spoil what they had built. Even though he wanted to go further. That kiss had been freaking … everyt