There wasn’t much time. He didn’t want to put any more pressure on Sophia than she was already feeling, but there were only a month until the eclipse. What were the chances that the official mourning period would end so close to the first eclipse? He thought he would have more time than this to convince her to let him take her as his mate.

Deep down, he wanted her to make the decision on her own, not because clan law guilted her into it.

If she knew about the timetable, she’d only dig her heels in more. There was no way she would listen to anything he had to say. He knew that now.

The only way this would work was if Sophia came to him because she wanted to.

The future of the clan depended on it.

Tonight would be another opportunity to show her how he felt. To remind her how much she needed someone in her life. She had been alone too long.

* * *

At five o’clock, Liam pulled up behind the bakery. The kitchen lights were still on. He walked through the private entrance into an empty kitchen.

“Soph?” he called out for her.

He strolled to the café, but the cabinets were empty and no one was in the shop. The sign on the front door had been flipped over to read “closed.”

He was about to call her when he heard a loud banging sound overhead. He ran for the staircase in the kitchen and barged through the apartment door.

The clatter had come from her apartment. He called for her again, opening doors and looking for her.

He pushed open the bathroom door and stopped in his tracks.

“What are you doing?” Sophia stood dripping wet, scrambling to cover herself with her hands.

His bear growled with deep want. She was fucking gorgeous. Her body glistened with water as the droplets slid along her curves.

“Liam!” she screamed.

He pretended to cover his eyes. “Sorry, sorry. I heard a crash and ran up here.” He turned to face the door. His cock had jerked to life as he memorized every inch of her soft flesh. “Are you ok?”

“It was just the shower curtain. It does that all the time. You can leave.”

He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to turn around and press her soft and ripe body against the wall. He wanted to inhale her scent and mark her with his. But that wasn’t what she wanted.

“Right. I’ll just be out there.” He forced himself to exit the bathroom, finding the need for her almost unbearable.

A damn shower curtain. That’s all it was. He had heard something, and the fear of God had run through his body, thinking Sophia was hurt. He shook his head. If only she knew how much he had changed. He wasn’t the man she thought he was. He was capable of settling down. He could love her. Hell, he already did.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom dressed in a sweater and jeans. Her hair dry and her eyes bright.

“You look beautiful.” He stood to greet her.

“I was covered in flour. I had to take a shower. And I had blue icing in my hair. This wasn’t for you,” she explained. “This is not a date.”

He put his hands up. “No. Not a date. Just friends hanging out.”

“Hmph.” She crossed her arms, but he thought he saw a glimmer in her eyes. The same one he saw last night before he kissed her.

“How about I fix that shower rod for you?” he asked.

She looked puzzled. “Really?”

He walked past her. “Yeah. Let me look at it. I don’t want it falling on you again.” The bathroom smelled like her shampoo and lotion. It was as intoxicating as she was.

He lifted the rod from the wall and inspected the ends. It was a standard tension rod, but he could see it was extended too far. It was never going to hold.

“I think we need to take a ride to Tripp’s.”

Sophia stood behind him in the doorway. “Why? You can’t fix it?”

Liam shook his head. “The springs are stripped, and it’s not going to hold. Let’s get a new shower rod for you.” He placed the old one on its end against the wall.

“I have a feeling this isn’t what you planned on for our ‘hanging out.’”

Liam chuckled. “I only want to spend time with you, Soph.” He held the apartment door for her. “And if that means shopping at the hardware store, then I’m a happy man.”

“Bear,” she corrected him.

He sighed. “I’m a man too.”

“But that’s not why you’re here. It’s the bear that brought you. Not the man.” She eyed him.

He pulled his keys from his pocket. He didn’t want to start a fight with her about the semantics of their relationship. And he didn’t want to debate how much the man had to do with his feelings for her. The wall she had built against the clan was tall and wide.

“Come on, let’s get your shower rod.” He pulled her hand into his palm and led her down the stairs through the kitchen.

Tripp’s was the closest thing Bear Lake had to a Home Depot. Howard Tripp was the third generation to run the store. He was also an elder in Liam’s clan. Liam nodded at the man as he and Sophia walked into the store.

She waved nervously.

“Sophia. Liam. Good to see you two in here together.” Howard smiled from behind the counter.

“Glad we made it in before you closed.” Liam thought they had about thirty minutes before Howard left for the night.

“Can I help you find something?”

“Where are the shower rods?” Liam asked.

Howard’s eyes lit up. “A little house project? They’re on that last aisle at the end.”

“Thanks.” Liam tugged on Sophia to follow him.

She looked up at him. “Wait. Does he think… Does he know something about this?”

Liam shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

She stopped in the middle of the aisle. “How many people know?”

He could see the anger radiating through her. He could feel it. “Soph, I told you it’s clan business.”

“So how many?” She wasn’t going to move until he told her.

He closed his eyes. “Everyone.” He braced himself for her reaction.

She staggered close to a rack of brooms. “Everyone? As in the entire clan?”

Suddenly he realized bringing her with him to Tripp’s wasn’t such a good idea. “Let’s get the shower rod and we can talk about this at your place.”

She shook off his hand. “Don’t touch me. Howard’s watching, right? Everyone’s watching? Everyone in this damn town is a bear!”

“Keep your voice down, or else they’ll know our business.” He grabbed her above the elbow and escorted her to the back of the store. “Howard only knows what he sees.”

“And he’s going to spread the gossip to someone else.”

“Hey, you’re forgetting I’m the alpha.” He didn’t like to throw his title around, but it seemed like a good time to remind her of the weight of his status. “They aren’t going to do anything to piss me off. The want me to be happy. With you,” he added.

Liam grabbed a stainless steel rod with brackets and faced her.

“I don’t want to have anything to do with this. I told you that,” she hissed.

“Let’s not talk about this in the middle of the store, okay? Let’s get some dinner. We can talk about it over a bottle of wine. After I put up your new shower rod.” He grinned at her, trying to soothe her growing agitation.

“No and no.” She shrugged off his grip. “I’m going home alone.” She marched down the aisle.

Liam jogged after her, but stopped when he was in Howard’s line of sight. He let Sophia skirt out of the front door.

“Everything all right, Liam?”

He chuckled. “Of course. Just a little dispute over which style. She wants to redecorate the bathroom in porcelain.” He placed the rod next to the register and paid for it.

Howard handed him the receipt. “You know the other elders and I are anxious to get the date for your blood oath ceremony. Have you two set a date?”

Liam scratched the back of his head. “Not yet. But I’ll let you know.”

“The eclipse is soon, son,” the old man warned.

“I know when it is.” Liam opened the door. “Good night.”