After they cleared away the breakfast dishes, Nika volunteered to wash up and clean the kitchen while Ash went to take a shower.

"Sure you don't want to join me and wash my back?" he asked.

He looked unbelievably sexy, dressed in nothing but his boxers and a flirtatious smile, his arms thick with muscle and his broad chest lightly furred with dark hair.

Nika swallowed around a suddenly dry throat. Danger, Will Robinson!

"I don't think I'd fit in your shower," she replied, trying to keep her tone light.

She patted her rounded belly with a wry smile. She knew herself well enough that if she accepted his invitation, she wouldn't be able to resist the combination of nude Ash, proximity, and her own hunger for his touch.

It was bad enough that they had kissed. If things went any further, she knew she wouldn't be able to leave him.

And she couldn't stay. Not if she wanted to protect her baby from Mama's wrath.

"It's an extra big shower," he said, waggling his dark brows at her with comic lechery.

Now here was the Ash she remembered from last summer…funny and sexy. It hurt to see the light vanish from his expression when she shook her head.

To her mingled relief and disappointment, he didn't push the issue.

"Okay, then, I'll put out an extra set of towels if you want to go next," he offered, turning away.

"Thank you," she said.

Please, please, please come with me when I leave, Ash! Don't wait around here for Mama and Papa's goons to kill you!

She would have try again to convince him once he emerged from the shower.

Nika sighed as he vanished into the master suite's bathroom, and turned her attention to loading the dishwasher.

When she had finished cleaning away the plates, cups, and silverware, she filled the sink with hot water and dish soap and began hand-washing the pair of heavy nonstick skillets that Ash had used to fry up the bacon and cook the eggs.

Lost in thought, she missed the sound of approaching footsteps outside.

Then the front door opened and a cheery female voice called out, "Hey, Ash? You up? I've come to invade your Fortress of Solitude with my faithful hounds!"

Nika nearly jumped out of her skin. She gasped, her heart pounding wildly, and whirled around to confront the woman.

She instantly saw that Ash's visitor was an Ordinary woman. The newcomer was currently bent over in the mudroom, laughing and playfully scolding two large dogs who were circling her and nudging her off-balance as she tried to remove her snow-encrusted boots.

At first, Nika saw only a brightly colored down jacket and a mass of wildly curling light brown hair only barely contained by a colorful knitted hat that was topped with a rainbow-colored pom-pom.

Then the Ordinary woman straightened, shrugged out of her down jacket, pulled off the knitted hat, and stepped into Ash's living room. She caught sight of Nika in the kitchen and waved.

"Hi! You must be Nika. Justin and Elle told me that you were here, visiting Ash. Is it true that he's awake?"

The woman had a wide smile and large grayish-blue eyes set under dramatic brows, with a cloud of light brown hair floating around her face and shoulders.

"Yes, Ash just finished breakfast, and he's taking a shower," Nika answered, warily, wondering who the newcomer was and how she had found out about Ash's awakening so quickly. "I’m sorry, but who are you? I don't think we've met before."

"Oh, of course!" The other woman laughed. "Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm Ash's sister-in-law, Steffi. I'm Evan's wife," she added as Nika tried to figure out which of Ash's brothers Steffi might be married to.

Ash had only ever mentioned that Steffi was his sister-in-law and his marketing director.

Steffi continued, "—and I just dropped by to see how Ash was doing and to give Thunder a chance to say hi."

As if summoned by Steffi's words, both of the dogs came charging out of the mudroom, where they had been investigating the row of Ash's shoes and boots.

Their nails clicking on the kitchen tiles, they skidded to a halt in front of Nika. One dog was stocky and black and looked like a pit bull-Labrador mix. He sat down and gazed expectantly up at her with whiskey-colored eyes.

The other dog appeared to be some kind of border collie or shepherd mix, with a lean build, a narrow muzzle, and shaggy white fur spotted with black and brown patches. Nika recognized the puppy, all grown up now, from Ash's calendar shoot.

"Hello, Thunder," she said, and the dog thumped his tail.

"I've been dog-sitting while Ash was down for the count. The other beast is mine. Meet Royce, counter-surfer supreme and all-around loyal bodyguard," Steffi said dryly.

"In addition to Evan?" Nika asked, not sure if Steffi was making a joke. "You don’t think that a bea—I mean, Swanson male is protective enough?" Almost too late, she remembered again that not all shifters revealed their secret to Ordinary mates and lovers.

Steffi snorted a laugh. "Good point. The Swansons are a special breed, that's for sure."

The two dogs were still sitting patiently in front of Nika and staring intently up at her.

Nika looked down at them, wondering what she was supposed to do now. She had always liked dogs but had never been allowed to have one as a youngster.

Mama didn't believe in pets. In her world, animals were either raised for food or kept to perform specific jobs like guarding property. Mama had always spoken of pet dogs and cats dismissively, calling them "useless parasites."

"Ash always gives Royce a treat when I come over here to work," Steffi explained. "And then Thunder gets one, too, because Ash believes in being fair."

Both dogs perked up visibly at the word "treat."

"Oh," Nika said, fascinated and charmed by this unexpected tidbit of information about her mate.

Not that Ash's kindness and generosity, even to a pair of dogs, came as any surprise to her. Those two qualities had been key to Nika falling in love with him, and it was nice to know that he hadn't changed at all in that respect.

She remembered how stunned she had been the first time Ash helped one of her elderly neighbors carry a heavy box up the old apartment building's stairs.

All the bear shifter males she'd ever known up to that point had been the arrogant, swaggering types who were her Medved relatives and their friends. They might behave nicely to a woman they wanted to bed, but to a senior citizen who had nothing to offer them? No way.

And it would never have crossed any of their minds in a million years that giving a treat to one dog but not the other might be unfair.

"Ash keeps dog cookies in that white jar next to the salt and pepper shakers," Steffi continued, smiling.

Nika, tailed closely by two eager dogs, walked over and opened the jar. As soon as she pulled out two dog biscuits, both Royce and Thunder sat at her feet, tails thumping furiously against the tiled floor.

Each accepted a biscuit delicately from her hand, then the two dogs went to opposite ends of the kitchen to crunch on their treats.

"So," Steffi said, her expression alight with curiosity, "what brings you to Bearpaw Ridge? I've heard about you, of course, but I thought you and Ash broke up last summer."

The Ordinary woman's gaze dropped to Nika's belly, and Nika realized that she was still wearing her pajamas and that her hair must look like a nest.

Not that it mattered, Nika told herself. Whatever Steffi had heard about her, it probably hadn't been very flattering.

"I came to deliver an important private message," Nika said, as forbiddingly as she could.

"Oh. So you aren't…staying?" Steffi's gaze returned to Nika's midsection, and Nika could almost hear the questions buzzing in the other woman's head.

"I can't," Nika said. Then inspiration struck. "In fact, I was wondering if I could ask you for a big favor. Could you tell me how to get to town from here? I, uh, have to be somewhere this afternoon."

In the master suite, the sound of running water in the shower abruptly stopped.

Steffi looked puzzled. "Ash isn't cleared to drive yet? I thought he was all healed up."

"Dr. Jacobsen hasn't come by yet to examine him," Nika said.

She didn't like misleading Steffi, but it was the truth.

It was just that Dr. Jacobsen's impending visit didn't have anything to do with Nika's need to leave the Grizzly Creek Ranch as soon as possible. Before she ended up in bed with her mate and found it impossible to go.

Steffi was still looking puzzled when she said, "Well, I'm heading over to Justin's new restaurant in a while to help set up for a fundraiser. I could give you a lift."

"Thanks so much," Nika said. "I'd really appreciate it."

Every part of her was protesting her plan to leave Bearpaw Ridge as soon as she could. She knew that leaving her mate was going to be much, much worse than it had been the first time, if Ash refused to come with her.

But based on his initial reaction to her suggestion, she didn't think he'd be willing to go with her.

And that hurt, even though her rational side knew it was crazy to expect him just to drop everything and go on the run with the mate who had left him without telling him the truth.

Best to rip off the Band-Aid fast, because she knew that Ash, even as generous and kind as he was, would never forgive a second abandonment.

Ash emerged from the master suite, hastily wrapping a towel around his hips. He did not look happy.

"Hey, just a minute, you two!" he snapped. "No one's going anywhere until I figure out what the hell is going on."

Nika immediately noticed that his skin was still beaded with droplets of water.

Her mouth went dry as her near-naked mate came striding angrily into the living room. She found herself fighting the urge to lick those shining drops from his lightly tanned skin.

His dog had no such reservations. Thunder barked joyfully and bounded from his place in the kitchen. He wiggled and pressed himself against Ash's bare legs, then began to lick the moisture from every bit of skin he could reach.

Ash bent to rub Thunder's neck and ears, offering Nika a tantalizing view where the top edge of his towel sagged precariously.

Ash straightened up after a few moments, one hand resting on Thunder's head, and fixed both of the women with a stern look.

"Nika's not going anywhere for the moment," he said grimly.

Steffi's jaw dropped. She stared at her brother-in-law and boss as if he had suddenly become a stranger. "You know, Ash, you sound an awful lot like Dane right now. Didn't you tell me that you never wanted—?"

"I think I finally understand how Dane feels," Ash interrupted her.

Nika stared at him and saw that Steffi looked just as astounded by this change in Ash.

He crossed his arms over his broad chest as Thunder flopped down over his bare feet. "My mate is pregnant, in trouble with her family, and can't shift. I'm not letting her out of my sight if I can help it."

"Nika's your mate?" Steffi asked, sounding shocked. "But I thought you guys broke up last year! And now she's back and she's pregnant?"

"That about sums it up," Ash muttered darkly. "It's been an interesting morning so far, let me tell you."

Steffi gave Nika a puzzled look. "Is the baby, um, Ash's?"

"Yes!" Nika said indignantly, just as Ash snapped, "Of course it is!"

Steffi shook her head. "Shifters." She gave an exaggerated sigh of frustration. "I'll never understand you guys."

Which answered Nika's earlier question about how much Steffi knew about the Swansons.

Nika turned her attention back to Ash, who was looking at her expectantly.

"You can't keep me here like a prisoner," she protested, trying to fight her own desire to yield and stay. "I have to go, before they find me. And I want you to come with me!"

"And go where?" Ash's hazel eyes were tinged with gold, and his mouth was a firm, determined line slicing through his beard. "How long can we keep running? Nika, this is my home and my clan's home ground. Do you really think we're going to be safer in a place where we don't know anyone and can't rely on family to help us?"

She stared at him, her mind blank. All of her energy up to this point had been focused on finding him and warning him. She hadn't really worked out the next step in her plan.

"And do you think you're going to be safer on the road, alone and penniless, instead of here on the ranch with me?"

"No." Nika's brain told her that she might be making a big mistake, but her heart—and her bear—were urging her to stay.

I'm tired of running and hiding. And Ash has a point about clan territory being safer than trying to hide somewhere out in the Ordinary world. "But—"

"Hey," Steffi interrupted. "Will someone please fill me in on what's going on? Who's after you, Nika?"

"It's just a little problem with my mate's family of origin. A misunderstanding that no one has to worry about." Ash pinned Nika with an intense gaze. "Especially since you're a Swanson now, Nika."

Nika looked at Steffi for help. But the Ordinary woman was nodding in agreement.

"I don't know what kind of trouble you're in, Nika," she said, "but it can't be worse than having an entire pride of sabertooth shifters out to kill you, can it?"

"Wait, that happened to you?" Nika asked, momentarily distracted from the crisis at hand.

Steffi shook her head. "No, thank God. But it happened to my other sister-in-law, Mark's wife, Caitlyn. You haven't seen anything until you've seen the entire Swanson clan muster to defend their home and mates. From what I've been told, all of those sabertooths are either dead or in jail now." She studied Nika's face, and her expression softened. "I've been working with Ash for a few years now, and he's a good guy. Give him a chance…and the rest of the Swansons, too."

Nika remembered Dane's kindness yesterday afternoon, and Annabeth's, too. Even Justin the sabertooth shifter had seemed sympathetic to her plight. But—

"Your mother resents me," she told Ash flatly. "And rightfully so. She hasn't offered me your clan's protection."

Ash's eyes narrowed at that.

"For the record, I'm offering you my protection. Just in case that part wasn't clear when I mated you," he added, his words slicing at her like a razor. "And don't worry about Mom. She'll come around, especially with a grandbaby on the way."

Nika drew breath to protest, but Ash cut her off. "Three days, Nika. Give me three days, and I'll prove to you that staying here with me is the right thing to do."

She opened her mouth to protest, but no sound emerged. Her bear surged up inside her. Our mate will protect us!

"Uh, okay," she managed weakly.

She was gambling with her baby's life, so why did she feel such a jolt of happiness at Ash's insistence that she stay with him?

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ash said, dryly. He gave her a small, lopsided smile. In a lower voice, he said, "I won't give you any cause to regret it."

Nika let out a long breath. "I know," she said honestly. "My head is just so tangled up right now, I don't know which way to turn."

Ash's wry smile turned warm. "I want you to tell me everything that's happened. And then we'll make a plan to face whatever's coming. Together."

Nika nodded and immediately felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her. It didn't really make sense—she and Ash were still in danger from her family—but on the other hand, he was right. They were probably safer here, on the Swanson family ranch, surrounded by his shifter relatives, than anywhere else.

She only hoped it would be enough to protect them from Mama's fury at Nika's perceived betrayal of the Medved clan.

"Good." Ash stepped forward and reached for Nika's hand. Along with the familiar jolt of attraction, his touch instantly made her feel calmer.

"So, now that you two have gotten everything settled," Steffi began with a smile. "Got any plans for this afternoon?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Ash said cautiously. "Why?"

"While you were sleeping, Justin and Elle set up a fund-raising dinner for the Ornelas family at Justin's new place in town. Ticket sales start at 3:00 p.m., and there's going to be an auction at 4:00 p.m., followed by a Texas-style BBQ dinner."

"I didn't realize that his restaurant was open yet." Ash sounded surprised.

"Well, tonight was supposed to be the grand opening, and Justin had already stocked the kitchen and hired staff, so it was easy to make it a fund-raiser instead," Steffi explained. "Do you feel up to coming?"

"Of course," Ash replied without hesitation. He squeezed Nika's hand. "Will you come with me? I want to introduce you to the rest of my family and friends, and this sounds like the perfect opportunity."

"Yes, I'd love to!" Nika said, then added, "If it's okay with Dr. Jacobsen."

Ash grinned and released Nika's hand in favor of putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Cool! It's a date!" he said, triumphantly, sounding just like the Ash that Nika had known last summer.