“He probably also thought that getting me out of his way would not only leave you understaffed and without someone to rehome the loners, but that it would mean the Phoenix wolves would no longer care what happened here. He didn’t realize that they class you, Madisyn, and the shelter as under their protection.”

“You’re a Phoenix wolf now,” Ryan growled at his mate.

Makenna smiled before turning back to Dawn. “He most likely sent the cougars here in the hope that you’d feel so threatened and scared that you’d ask him for help, but all he’s done is earn himself an enemy by pissing off the cougars.”

“You’ve done everyone here proud, Dawn,” said Madisyn.

Forcing a smile, Dawn patted Makenna’s hand. “I wouldn’t have been able to do all that without the help of your pack.”

Ryan’s pleased grunt made Makenna’s smile widen.

“Still, his meddling worked in some ways.” Dawn sighed. “The shelter is almost full, which means more expenses—money and supplies I just don’t have. The new sponsors don’t give as much funding as the sponsors that we lost. Worse, Riley, Dexter, and Savannah were forced to leave because of his actions. This place should be a sanctuary.”

“It is,” Colton insisted. “The residents still think of it that way or they would have left by now.”

Madisyn nodded. “You heard what Riley said: she’d stay with the Phoenix Pack until the Remy situation blows over. They plan to come back.”

“I’m just so worried that the council will give him what he wants.” Dawn rubbed her cheek. “Loners aren’t seen as people who have the same rights as other shifters. Remy’s word will have more weight than mine for that reason alone. Plus, he could blackmail them or bribe them.”

“It doesn’t matter what he does, Dawn, or what the council decides,” said Makenna. “Remy Deacon will not get his hands on the shelter. It. Will. Not. Happen.”

Ryan grunted his agreement.

“I mean it, Dawn, I’ll kill him before I’ll let him have it.”

Dawn squeezed her hand. “We can’t go to war with them, honey.”

“No,” agreed Ryan, “but my pack can. Makenna’s one of us now.”

“That means Makenna’s fights are our fights too,” Trick stated, his tone one of total resolve.

Again, Ryan grunted his agreement. He’d always be at his mate’s side.

Dawn smiled at each of the males. “You’re all too good to be true.”

Makenna gave Dawn’s shoulder a squeeze. “Let’s go to your office. We need to discuss how to proceed tomorrow.”

Madisyn nodded. “Remy’s going to present a damn good case. It’s important we do the same.”

“If he doesn’t get what he wants,” Dawn said, “what do you think he’ll do?”

Ryan had said it before, and he’d say it again: “Dead men can’t do anything.”

Having finished his final perimeter check of the day, Ryan was just about to return to the caves when he heard, “Ryyyyyaaaannnn!” Turning, he saw the Alpha pair and the Beta pair relaxing at the patio with Tao, Riley, and Kye.

Waving frantically, Kye hurried to Ryan and then climbed him like he was a fence post. Not much amused his wolf, but the pup sure did. Gripping him by the back of his shirt, Ryan detached a laughing Kye with a grunt. The pup grunted back with a wide smile. Ryan headed for the other wolves, frowning as he picked up the scents of snake and cheetah. It was only as he neared that he noticed Savannah was dangling from a tree branch upside down and Dexter was smacking the tree with his shoe.

Dexter gave him a somber, studious look that told Ryan he was being sized up. Then he dug his hand into his pocket and offered Ryan half a cookie.

Taryn laughed. “Where is he getting this food?”

“He’s a hoarder,” said Riley. “I think it was because he was surviving mostly on scraps until he arrived at the shelter.”

Ryan took the cookie to be polite. It was no surprise that Kye snatched it and ran off. Dexter gave chase. That kid was fast, even for a cheetah.

Threading his fingers through Jaime’s hair, Dante tipped his chin at Ryan. “I see you changed your shifts around.”

“I’m glad,” said Trey. “It’s about time you saw yourself as more than an enforcer.”

Smiling, Jaime nodded. “Makenna’s good for you.”

Of course she was. She was his mate.

“I gotta say, I wouldn’t have pictured you with someone like her.” Taryn snuggled closer to Trey. “Fate seems to enjoy surprising us.”

“On another note, Trick told me that Remy turned up at the shelter earlier,” said Trey, face hard. “I’m not surprised he threatened to reveal Zac’s whereabouts if you’re present at the meeting tomorrow. Part of the case he’s making to the council is that the shelter has no protection. But if some of our pack appear, it will cancel out that side of his argument.”

“Do you think he really would contact Zac’s old pack?” asked Riley, her eyes on Savannah.

“I think he’ll do it whether we go tomorrow or not,” replied Ryan.

Dante nodded his agreement. “We’ve helped Dawn and the shelter. We’ve screwed up his plans in a major way. He’ll want revenge.”

Jaime’s hand fisted so hard her knuckles turned white. “We can’t let Zac’s old pack get their hands on him. And we can’t let Remy get his hands on that shelter.”