“They’re Guards,” Ben said.

Graham stiffened. “Guardians?”

Ben shook his head. “Guards. Back when Shifters were created, Fae made a special breed of them they called Guards. They were a little bigger and more ferocious than typical Shifters, and created to guard the highest generals, the clan leaders, and the emperor.”

“Rear guard, you mean,” Graham said. “To take care of the cowards who wouldn’t go out in actual battle.”

“You got it.” Ben nodded and took a sip of beer. “Unfortunately, the Fae made the Guards a little too good. When the Shifter-Fae war came along, the Guards turned around and defended the Shifters instead of the Fae. They knew a lot about the habits of the highest-ranking Fae, and they used that knowledge to take them down. They fought the Fae to the death. The main reason the Shifters won that war is because of the Shifter Guards. Unfortunately, ‘to the death’ meant literally. The Guards died to the last one. Extinct. Or so we all thought.” Ben gestured with his beer bottle. “Those two cubs are Guards. I guess the genetics made it through. Who was their father?”

Graham shrugged. “I don’t know. Their mother was one of my wolves—she died bringing them in, and she never would say who the father was. None of my other Lupines would admit to it, so I figured she’d found a wolf from another Shiftertown, or maybe one who’d stayed in the wild. She died without naming him.”

“Hmm,” Ben said. “Interesting. Well, keep an eye on them.”

“Great,” Graham said, though the anger in his voice had lessened a long way. “They’re out with Dougal right now. Probably watching Dougal chase tail.”

“They’ll take care of Dougal,” Ben said. “Who’s babysitting whom, that’s the question.” He chuckled, took another sip of beer, and glanced out the window. “Hey, Graham, looks like your wolves are ready to parley. Enjoy yourself.” Ben set his bottle by the sink, came to Misty and kissed her cheek, then grinned at the snarling Graham, and exited through the front.

“Crap.” Graham slammed down his bottle, winced, and touched his side. Shifters healed quickly, he’d said over and over to Misty this week, but even so, Graham wasn’t ready for a full-blown fight.

Graham walked out of the house to his back porch, Misty following. Graham pulled himself up straight to face the crowd of Lupines who’d gathered at the edge of his yard. “She accepted the mate-claim,” Graham told them, his voice as strong as ever. “Get over it.”

“We know.” The wolf called Norval fixed his gaze on Misty. “We don’t accept it.”

“Don’t care,” Graham said. “I formed the mate bond with her. What am I supposed to do? Throw that away?”

Several of the wolves moved uneasily. The mate bond was an almost sacred thing—to come between two Shifters who shared it was cruel, not to mention dangerous.

“Other Shifters have given up the mate bond for the good of their clans,” Norval said.

“True,” Graham answered. “Other Shifters, not me. And that was in the wild, where those choices meant survival. These days, we don’t have to deny a mate bond so full-of-themselves Shifters don’t get their knickers in a twist.”

A few of the wolves chuckled. Norval only looked more angry. “Watch it, Graham. I’ll challenge for Shiftertown leadership if you break this faith.”

“Go ahead.” Graham shrugged his large shoulders. “I’ll slam you down. Then your second will climb over your dead body to take the clan leadership.”

More movement, some of the Shifters drifting away from Norval, others gathering behind him.

Misty saw Dougal approach and stand on the edge of the crowd. Graham shook his head ever so slightly, and Dougal nodded back, silently staying where he was.

“I accept the mating,” a female voice said.

The Lupine woman Jan stepped out from behind Muriel. Her arms were folded, she wouldn’t look at anyone directly, but she glanced defiantly out of the corners of her eyes. “Misty Granger will be a good mate for Graham,” Jan said, her voice firm. “She’ll have our backs.”

Norval bristled. “You don’t know what the f**k you’re talking about.”

“Yes, she does,” Misty broke in. A hiss of distaste went through some of the Shifters—a female, human, speaking to dominant Shifters—unheard of. Misty jabbed a fist in Jan’s direction and grinned at her. “Jan and me, we’re sisters under the skin.”

“Misty saved me from being taken by the Shifter Bureau,” Jan said. “For that, I stand by her.”

“I do too,” Muriel said. “Jan told me what happened. While you alphas were skulking around avoiding the Bureau men, Misty was saving Jan’s ass. She also saved Graham’s. We wouldn’t have a leader right now if not for her.”

“She also got Graham into trouble in the first place,” Norval said angrily. “He got shot and nearly taken by the Fae because he went running after her.”

“Pay attention,” Muriel said. “The Fae would have grabbed Graham any way he could. Misty brought him home and kept the Bureau from finding out we’re digging under the houses.”

Norval’s eyes narrowed. “Are you ‘sisters’ with her too?”

“No,” Muriel said. “But I’m not stupid. You want Graham to mate for the good of his Shifters, or so you say. Or maybe you’re trying to force a match that’s for the good of you.”