^“You die?” I asked him, certain I’d heard him wrong.

“It would be worth it, if it meant saving your life,” he answered.

Aidan’s gaze met mine. The way he protected me turned me on like nothing else. I wanted him with every part of my being. The urge was too strong to resist.

I didn’t care that the entire council could smell my desire for Aidan. Even with my poor human senses, I caught the earthy scent of the sex pheromones pulsing between us. He’d made me wet with just his gaze. And I could tell he wanted me, too.

But then I remembered my duty to my client, Chase Reynolds. I’d sworn an oath to protect him, and to represent him in a fair trial. I couldn’t give that up because of my lustful, wanton desires.

“There’s a shifter who’s about to be executed for a murder he didn’t commit. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” I snarled back at the council members. “Chase Reynolds is going to die, and once they execute one shifter, there’s no reason that they won’t execute every shifter who raises even a hint of suspicion. This is a precedent setting case. If we lose this trial, it means humans are free to blame shifters for all their crimes and get away scot-free.”

“Shut the human up or I will,” Dominic growled at Aidan.

I stepped forward another foot, pushing myself in front of Aidan.

“Just hear me out. I’ll do the trial as a human. And then once Reynolds goes free, you can transform me and I’ll mate or whatever it is you want me to do. A compromise.”

“I don’t want a compromise,” Dominic growled. “I don’t want humans digging into shifter affairs. The less they know about our way of life, the better.”

“Do you hear yourself? That’s just the kind of thinking that…”

“I said, shut the woman up,” Dominic growled. His eyes were blacker than ever, and lost the reflection of the light. His face flushed with rage, and he moved forward to swat me with his powerful paddle-sized hand. I stretched myself to full height and stared Dominic straight in the eyes. I wouldn’t cower before him anymore.

“Do what you have to do, but you will never silence me,” I sneered.

Dominic growled, as rage overtook his body. He leaned forward, close enough to reach me, when Aidan jumped forward in my defense. The muscles of Aidan’s lean body tensed, and his lips curled back, baring his gleaming white teeth.

“Stay off her, Dominic. I said she’s my mate, and I meant it. I took the oath. You must respect that.”

Dominic’s eyes narrowed at Aidan. “You’ve made your bed. Now you can lie in it with this human.” He paused and drew a long breath. “I must respect and submit to the unbreakable bond of the oath, as you know. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“We’re free to go, then?” Aidan said triumphantly.

“Go and don’t come back until you’ve fully transformed her. I don’t like to let humans into my house, unless they’re here for my amusement.”

Aidan glared at him, a look of fire in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything. Another word would have provoked Dominic. If we stayed quiet, he’d let us go. It felt almost too good to be true.

As we turned to leave, Dominic cleared his scratchy throat. “Oh, and one more thing, Aidan.”

Aidan I both turned and looked at Dominic expectantly. A pit of dread gurgled in my stomach. I didn’t want to hear what he had to say.

“If it goes to trial, your mate will lose the case against Chase Reynolds. You’ll see to it that the jury has enough evidence for a swift conviction.”

“A conviction? That’s insane. I’m supposed to defend him,” I steamed.

“You will…”

“Or else what?” I interrupted him; my hands now clenched into tight fists at my side.

“Or else, she dies.” Dominic pointed towards me, but his words were directed at Aidan. It was as if I no longer mattered, now that my mate had dominion over me.

“I understand,” Aidan said solemnly. I looked at him wide-eyed. He couldn’t be serious. I wasn’t going to throw the case and let my client go down for a murder he didn’t commit. Surely Aidan was just telling Dominic what he wanted to hear to placate him.

“You are free to leave then.”

Aidan bowed to Dominic, and then picked me up in his strong arms. He carried me past the gate of the palace, into the wide, vast arctic landscape. It was so cold, my breath crystalized when I exhaled. But even though the air was frigid, the scenery was exquisitely beautiful. The light had already begun to fade. Scant bits of daylight once again transformed into night. Deep purples and reds lit up the horizon, composing the most beautiful sunset I’d ever seen.

Aidan smiled. “You did well in there. I didn’t think either one of us would make it out alive.”

“No?” I pressed my lips together. I didn’t want to bring up the awkwardness of what he’d said about the oath. But it was like the elephant in the living room: we couldn’t ignore it.

“Did you mean what you said about the mate thing? Or was that just for show?”

His head dipped and he caught my gaze. “It wasn’t for show. The oath cannot be broken, except through the death of the oath-taker. Since I claimed you as my mate, it is so unless I die.”

“Or unless I refuse. I do have a choice in this, right?” I rested my hands on my hips and studied his face carefully. “You don’t get to take me without my permission.”

He smiled. “It’s true. You do have a choice. You are free to say no to matehood with me.”

“That doesn’t make sense. You just said…”

“What I said remains the same. If you do not complete the oath, if you decide to refuse my claim as mate, then I still cannot ever claim another as mate.”

“Or?”

“Or I will die a gruesome, painful death if I try to take another.”

“Wow.” I licked my lips. “You did that for me? I…I don’t know what to say.” It was a romantic gesture, but overwhelming at the same time. We barely knew each other, and now I was mated to him for life? I needed the chance to think about it.

Aidan grasped my hand, as if he could read my mind.

“You think about it,” he said. “There’s no pressure. I’ll respect your decision, whatever you decide. But please know, I do have a preference. And my preference is you.”

We rode the snowmobiles in silence back to Aidan’s cabin. There was no hurried, scared feeling anymore. Instead, I was gripped with the uncertainty of what had just happened. Maybe I would understand it in time, but for now, I couldn’t process it. The sacrifice Aidan made for me blew my mind. He’d laid down his life and married his fate to mine. He didn’t’ have to do that.

After a long, leisurely path down the frozen river, we pulled up to Aidan’s cabin. It glowed warmly against the navy-blue sky. The wisps of the Northern Lights danced above us. The star-filled sky looked like diamonds twinkling just for us. Growing up, I’d never really seen the stars because of all the city lights surrounding me. Out here, things were different. Simpler.

We shook the snow off our boots and entered the warmth of Aidan’s home. Yesterday, I’d been so scared of this place. And now, there was no place I’d rather be. I reached up and stroked Aidan’s stubbly jaw line. He raised my chin up to his and sealed a warm, deep kiss over my mouth. He tasted good, like comfort and raw sex all rolled into one. We settled onto the couch and sunk into its plush leather cushions. Aidan kissed my forehead gently, and nuzzled the fine wisps at my hairline.

“What did Dominic mean when he said that you would be sworn to protect me and take responsibility for me?”

“Exactly what you think it means,” he smiled.

“Oh,” I said quietly.

I leaned back into his arms, and inhaled the scent of him. He smelled impossibly sexy. His masculinity mixed with the scent of the crackling fire soothed my senses. I pushed my hips back towards him, and rested between the V of his thighs. His hardness pressed against my back, making it uncomfortable to lean against him. He was rock hard and burning underneath the thick canvas fabric of his pants. His nostrils flared, and he sucked in a quick breath as he closed his eyes. He was trying to restrain himself for some reason, but his body didn’t lie. He wanted me.

I reached up and tucked back a stray tendril of hair that fell loosely over his eyes. His face, lightly chapped from the cold snowmobile ride, warmed to my touch. He smoothed his fingers along the base of my neck, sending a tingle up my spine.

“Your skin is so cold,” he whispered. “I might have to warm the rest of you up…”

“I could say the same about you,” I teased.

He lifted my jaw with a tender sweep of his hand.

“Then let’s warm each other,” he whispered seductively.

I titled my head back into his shoulder, and brushed my lips gently against his. His mouth met mine, and he bit my lip playfully.

The room around us still hadn’t warmed up completely, but the fire was already roaring and hot. I changed positions on the couch, and found a blanket for my shoulders. I didn’t have to say a word; Aidan understood instinctively how to take care of me. He reached around my waist, wrapped me in the thick blanket, and then carried me to the fireplace. He cradled my head as he laid me down gently on the thick sheepskin rug beside the hearth.

“Your clothes are so wet,” he said. In the warmth of the fire, the fine mist of snow on my clothing had melted. He was right; I was soaked.

He gently unzipped my jacket, and peeled off my layers until I was completely nude by the fire. He was still clothed as he traced his fingers along my curves. The heat in his hands, and the way he touched me, warmed me from the inside out.

“You feel so soft.” He caressed my bare skin as he laid another blanket beneath my ass for comfort. He reached for me carefully, and glided his hands over my skin.

“I love how you feel.”

His fingers flexed around my muscles as he drew a deep breath. He put his leg over my torso and straddled me. Then he dipped his head close to mine. His torso grazed the sensitive tips of my breasts, sending an erotic current through my body.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to stay in your wet clothes.” I narrowed my eyes at him teasingly. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

“If you insist.” He stripped off his jacket, and lifted his T-shirt over his muscular chest. His thick canvas pants came off next, followed by his tight boxer briefs. With one fell swoop, he was nude in front of me. His cock was already hard and pulsing, eager for my touch.

I laid down fully on the sheepskin rug as Aidan levered his body over mine. His mouth inched to my exposed nipple; his lips were warm and soft. He flicked the end of my beaded point, then sucked with a greedy hunger. He plumped my other breast with his hand, kneading it in punctuated rhythms, as a low growl escaped his lips.

“Mmm…so good,” he moaned softly. His skin was scorching hot against mine, even though I was now fully warmed from the fire. His weight felt like a snug blanket over me, even as his muscular bicep lifted his body from mine. I wanted him to lean into me completely; I could take all of him.

I hooked my calves around his muscular legs, and tightened my grip with my thighs. I pushed my hands over his ass, and cupped my fingers around his hard, taught muscles. I jerked him close, arching my hips towards his to welcome him inside me.

“I want to feel you,” I whispered. My hands caressed the nape of his neck and pulled his face closer to mine. His cock, erect and pulsing, laid with a heaviness against the tender mound of my sex. The weight of him massaged my clit gently as he stirred his hips slowly.

“That feels amazing.”

His hand cupped around my ass, coaxing me into a sideways roll. My core tightened, aroused by the heightened, erotic sensation I felt just by being in his presence. Every part of me felt alive.

My fingernails searched his back, and ran along his spine as I internally begged him to enter me with his thick, pulsing rod. He arched into me, his eyes wild with primal lust, ready to take me at any moment.

I smiled, captivated by the animalistic lust he spurred within me. He made me want to test the boundaries of everything I’d ever known; every fantasy now seemed possible in his capable hands.

“So, you like it a little rough,” he growled. His face flushed as a feral moan escaped from his parted lips.

As I dipped down, his hips rocked with a forceful thrust and met mine. His hard, pulsing cock found the lips of my sex, well primed and ready for him. He danced at the entrance but did not slip inside.

He leaned back on one arm; his bicep tensed as it bore the weight of his muscular body. With his other hand, he gently massaged my breast, and rolled the exposed point of my nipple.

“Mmmmm…”

I grasped his thighs firmly and scooted myself closer towards him. My hands searched him with vigor, my ability to be gentle no longer within my control. I clenched my legs tightly around him, wanting him with a desperate hunger that only intensified with each passing moment.

“I want you, too,” I rasped.

“Then you shall have me,” he whispered. He licked a path between my breasts down to the curve of stomach.

I dug my heels into the sheepskin rug, bracing myself as he stroked me firmly and tugged me closer to him. He felt unimaginably good. With every touch he gave me, I craved him that much more.

My hands traveled over the grooves of his muscular back as my legs gripped him tightly in a locked embrace. He shivered; his body trembled for a moment as I caught his look of intense focus.

My throat rasped as I longed for him to take me completely. My core trembled in anticipation of his impressive, massive column. His body tensed; his defined muscles and skin were slick with his light layer of sweat.

He looked more handsome and perfect than any man I’d ever seen. He was ruggedly sexy, with symmetrical features that came together in perfect proportion. His cock, wide and pulsing, fulfilled my fantasies and fueled my deepest desires.

“I want to feel you inside me,” I gasped.

He bit my lip with the edge of his teeth, spurring my lust for him to the brink of insanity. He caught me under my arms and lifted me; my legs slid up his torso as I settled on top of his grinding hips. Our sweat-oiled bodies mixed into a potent aphrodisiac that taunted my heightened senses.

His hands raked over me, searching the curves of my aroused skin. I couldn’t get enough of his touch, or his kiss, as I met his mouth with the soft sucking of my lips.

His fingers slid across my slick thighs, the pads of his fingertips searched for the wet opening of my sex. I quivered as he brushed my clit, and then he pulsed it gently with his rhythmic touch. My hips bucked against him wildly, urging him to push deeper against me. I kissed him with thirsty abandon, moaning into his open mouth as his hands fucked me wildly.

I tried to catch my breath; my core shook as he held me steady. His fingers crossed the slick entrance to my sex, and slipped inside with the gentle pressure of his middle finger. I quivered as the palm of his hand rubbed against my tender clit, his fingers massaging me erotically in a circular rhythm. I arched as his other hand tugged my hips closer to him, holding me securely as I writhed against him.

My breath came in shallow bursts, my whole body a mass of trembling, electric nerve endings. I wanted to let go, my body poised on the precipice of a shattering release, but I couldn’t overcome the thoughts crowding my mind.

“Aidan…” I pulled back from him and grasped his cock firmly with both hands. I gripped him tightly, pumping him hard as my fingers massaged his pulsing column from root to tip. He swallowed hard, his throat raspy and dry, as he called out in thirsty pleasure.

“Mmmm…” His body rocked back, his fingers still locked inside me and massaging me with expert precision. I felt him surge in my hands, a bead of pre-cum melting at his tip. One more move with my wrist, and he would explode in my grasp.

“So good,” he mouthed.

I stroked him hard. My hands pumped him to the brink as a ribbon of pre-cum spurted across my fists.

He gasped, a mixture of erotic pain and pleasure, as he held back the release we both felt coming. His fingers left me, grazing my wet thighs as they landed on my hips. He jerked me towards him, rooting himself into me, as his cock drove in powerful thrusts.

“Fuck.” I cried out, overtaken by my draw to him. My sex spasmed as his thickness pushed towards my end.

He grunted, his body tense and focused as he thrusted against me. His jaw tightened and he released completely; his seed spurted so deep and hot inside me, it warmed me to my core.

I was so wet from him, I rode easily up and down the length of his erection as he pulsed inside me, still coming in long, hot bursts. I drew my nails along the grooves of his back muscles, holding onto him as I gasped for air.

“Yes,” I moaned, pushing him to my full depths. I loved the overly full feeling he gave me. I focused on that, and let the sensation wash over me in waves.

My orgasm reared up, a surprise to me as I fought against the ecstasy racing through my core. My mind went numb, overtaken by sheer instinct, as my hips pushed hard against him.

“Let it go,” he breathed. His cock was still as hard as stone, despite his release only moments ago.

His body tensed, taken to the limit as he pulsed inside me. His fingers danced over my engorged clit, so tender it ached.

“Aidan.”

In one euphoric gasp, I released, the tension spiraling from my body in charged bursts. I rocked against him, riding the crest of my orgasm, as I felt another swell up behind it.

“I can’t…”

“You can…” he bit out, curving his fingers around the nape of my neck and sealing our bodies together with one swift thrust of his hips. His thick cock pulsed inside me, his shaft surging as I took his fullness completely. I shook around him, coming again with uncontrollable urgency as my nails scraped his misted skin.

His arms tightened around my chest in a protective hold, so secure and comforting. I melted into him as I floated back down to earth and rested snugly in his strong embrace. He was heaven; he was my everything.