“C’mon, Gabe, we need to get you back to your lodge. Marco and Casey will bring Zack home once he’s healed. It shouldn’t take long.” Nicky led the younger boy to his car. Scott and Jamie helped them all in and took off back toward the lodge. Gabe put his head back on the seat, suddenly unable to keep his eyes open, and no one spoke on the short journey back home.

Zack sat with the other two alphas, Marco and Casey, at a large table in the common room, watching their mates dance. Casey had a proud, appreciative look on his face, as Rory in his tight blue jeans and T-shirt swayed provocatively to the music. Sexy, but refined and respectable, he had eyes only for Casey as he beckoned him out on the dance floor. Casey declined with a wave of his hand, but his eyes rarely left his mate.

His voice was warm and proud as he spoke of his mate. Casey told them, “Rory used to be too self-conscious to dance, especially out there with the other pets, but he’s overcome much of his shyness in the months sincewe’ve been together.”

Marco, on the other hand, had an expression of dismay, much as Zack suspected he looked, as they watched their beautiful pets strut their stuff on the dance floor. Both Gabe and Nicky had taken off their shirts to show off their nipple rings. Gabe had come up with another pair of the damn things for Nicky to wear.Nicky’s blond hair and Gabe’s midnight black hair whipped around together as they bumped and ground their way through an old school Donna Summer disco number.

Rory came back and sat down after just one dance and leaned his back up against Casey, while Casey stroked his arm and whispered something in his ear to make him blush.

Watching them together, Zack sighed, wishing his pet could be a littlemore like Casey’s, instead of flaunting his sexy little ass all over the dance floor.

Marco saw the expression on Zack’s face and laughed, clapping a hand on his back.“Get used to it, Zack.If he’s anything like Nicky, your life just got very interesting.” He stood.“If you can’t beat ’em,” he said over his shoulder, “join ’em.”

Behind Nicky, Marco grabbed his waist and pulled him sharply up into his crotch. Whatever he said in Nicky’s ear made Nicky smile and cuddle his butt even closer into Marco’s bulging crotch. That left Gabe out there dancing alone, his eyes on Zack as he danced closer to where he sat.Zack’s legs opened up as he came closer, and Gabe stepped in between them, his bulging crotch almost even with Zack’s face.

“Would you like a lap dance, baby?” Gabe didn’t bother to lower his voice.

Zack’s face flamed. He pushed Gabe into the chair next to him and growled into his ear.“I may be recovering, but I can still spank that ass.Stop showing off.”

“Ah, honey, I’m just having a little fun. I like to dance.”

“You know I don’t like it when you dance that wayin public.”

“I don’t want to fight with you, Zack. Nicky and I were just having some fun.” Gabe sat next to Zack, his chin in his hand watching Nicky and Marco dirty dancing. He sighed a little, and Zack groaned, pulling him over to put an arm around him and whisper in his ear.“I’m sorry to be such a grouch, honey.I guess I’m just frustrated, becauseI can’t get out there with you yet like Marco’s doing with his mate.”

“It’s all right.”

“No, it isn’t. I shouldn’t take it out on you. I keep going over and over in my mind how this could have happened.This is my pack’s home, Gabe. I’m the alpha. I’m responsible for my pack’s safety—for mymate’s safety. Hell, I can’t even protect myself.”

Scott appeared at the door and crossed quickly over to Zack. He glanced nervously at Gabe, who leaned against Zack contentedly.“Uh, Alpha, could I speak to you privately?Over there?”

Zack, a little irritated over the interruption, nodded and followed Scott to the side of the room.“What is it, Scott?Did you do the search of the house like I asked you to do?”

“Yes, sir, and it’s what I have to talk to you about. You know how you said to search everybody’s room while most of them were down here celebrating your recovery?”

Zack nodded impatiently.“Well? Did you find something?What was it?”

“You’re not going to like this, sir. We searched every room like you said. We even searched your room, Zack. Tim insisted we do every room.Anyway, we found this.” He held out a small plastic zip bag containing small white crystals.“We think this is the cyanide.”

Zack shook his head.“I’m not understanding. Are you saying you found this in my room? Are you saying I poisoned myself?”

“No, sir. It-it wasfound in Gabe’s boot, sir, stuck all the way down in the toe.”

Zack turned shocked eyes to his gamma.“What? Are you trying to say Gabe poisoned me? No, it’s impossible.” He shoved the bag away and started back to the table, but Scott pulled on his arm.

“Wait, sir, please. Just at least let us talk to him. Question him some. Jamie is upstairs waiting, along with Tim. Of course, you can come with him.It’s just he’s an outsider, and nothing like this ever happened in our pack before he came.”

Zack snarled and turned such a furious gaze on him he backed up a step or two.

Scott tried again.“I like him, Zack. I like him a lot, but he never wanted to come here, and the way you two fight sometimes…I heard you say he’s never told you he loves you, even when you were so sick. Hell, he cried all the way down the mountain when you made him leave, but when we all thought you were dying, Inever saw him shed one tear. Not one, Zack.”

Zack’s face was red with fury, and his hands trembled. “I don’t believe it.” He strode furiously over to where Gabe was sitting and took his arm.“Can I see you a moment, Gabe?”

Marco, who was back at the table with Nicky, looked up curiously as Zack turned to him.“If you’ll excuse us, Marco, everyone. We’ll be back later. Pack business.”

Marco nodded.“Of course. We can entertain ourselves.Actually, it’s getting late, and we need to be on our way early tomorrow.We’ll just see you in the morning.”

Zack nodded and drew Gabe quickly out of the room, only speaking to him once, sharply, as he pulled him along behind himup the steps. “Put on your shirt, Gabe. We’re going to talk to the council.”

Scott followed quietly along behind them.

Zack burst into the council room, holding Gabe’s hand tightly and spoke to the wolves assembled there.“I understand you have an accusation to makeabout my mate.”

Gabe turned startled eyes on Zack and at the people sitting around the table.“Accusation? What is it?”

Jamie, Zack’s beta, had the good grace to blush, but he held his ground.“Alpha,” he said formally.“Do we have permission to question your mate?”

“You do not!” Zack said firmly. “All you need?”

Tim jumped to his feet.“Zack, don’t be foolish. This man doesn’t care for you. It’s plain for all to see. He argues with you constantly, disrespects you, and flaunts himself in front of the other wolves.He makes a fool of you!”

Gabe gasped in anger and took a step forward, his fist held back at his side.“Shut your mouth, Tim!You don’t know a goddamned thing about me!”

Zack pulled him back beside him.“Be quiet, Gabe. Let me handle this.” He turned back to face Tim.“Do you have any other evidence to present against him other than those crystals?”

“What crystals? Zack, I have a right to knowwhat’s going on.”

Zack ignored him and spoke louder.“Well? Is there any other evidence against him or any other accusations?” He glared around the table and tugged Gabe to the door.“That’s what I thought,” he yelled back over his shoulder.

Gabe stopped and jerked his arm away from Zack’s grip. Backing up into the room he held up a hand.“Wait a minute! Just wait one damned minute!If I’m being accused of something, I want to know what it is. Right this damn minute!”

He turned toward Zack as he came back for him.“Zack, please. I’m not trying to disrespect you.I’m not! I know you’re only trying to protect me, and I appreciate it.” He whirled around to face the other wolves.“But I have nothing to be protected from! I didn’t do anything wrong, and I defy each and every one of you to prove I did!”

Tim stepped nearer to him, stopping a few feet away when Zack’s growls warned him away. He glanced over at him and back at Gabe.“We found a bag of cyanide—the same substance that poisoned our alpha—in your closet. In your damned boot! How the fuck did it get there if you didn’t do it?”

Tim’s feet went off the floor. Zack held him around the throat with one hand, his face within inches of Tim’s. “Don’t you ever cuss at him!He’s mine! If you can’t show him the respect he deserves you can get the hell out of my pack!” He threw Tim back down, choking and coughing, as Jamie came around the table and touched his arm, putting himself between the two.

“Please, Alpha. No one means to show disrespect to your mate. Can we all please just sit down for a minute?”

“No! The discussion is over!” He turned on his heel and would have walked out if Gabe hadn’t been standing in his path.

“Zack, honey, please. Let me answer their accusations. I know you believe me, but they need to believe me too.”

Gabe sat down at the council table.“All right. I’m ready. What do you have to say to me?” Zack went to stand protectively behind him, but Gabe pulled him down in the chair next to him. “I want them to tell me the truth, Zack. They won’t if you intimidate them.”

Zack glared down the table.

Gabe started the discussion by turning to Jamie.“That’s it? A bag found in my boot? Is this all you got?”

Jamie nodded, his face red.“It’s the only real evidence. There’s circumstantial evidence…”

“Like what?”