“What…” Bonnie muttered, leaping up from the couch as Tory came into view.

“Wasn’t expecting to see me?” Tory asked, her lips in a thin line.

She stepped into the living room, standing tall, her shoulders squared. Pierce moved to her side, with Bonnie now unexpectedly outnumbered. The woman’s gaze flitted from Pierce to Tory as she blinked at them.

“You lied,” Bonnie finally said, focusing her attention on Pierce.

“I did,” he admitted. “I’m sorry for the deception and that I hurt you, but you took things too far for me to stand by and do nothing.”

Fists clenching at her sides, Bonnie stared at him with fury and sadness in her eyes. The lies Pierce had told to coax out her confession had been hard to tell, and not just because he hadn’t meant a word of it. Despite all Bonnie had put him through, it still felt wrong to toy with her feelings the way he had.

But getting Tory back was more important than anything. Given the choice, he would do it all over again.

Tory was silent beside him, probably wanting him to have a chance to clear the air with Bonnie. But she stepped closer, taking hold of his arm as a gesture of support. That was all it took to send joy and relief spreading through Pierce.

“I can’t believe this,” Bonnie hissed. “What does she have that I don’t?”

“I’m not certifiable, for one,” Tory interjected, ice dripping from her words.

That did not go over well with Bonnie. Pierce put himself between the two women, just in case. With what Bonnie was capable of, he had to be ready for the unexpected.

“I’ve known him more than a week, who the hell are you?” Bonnie raised her voice, jabbing a finger in Tory’s direction.

The last thing Pierce wanted was this to devolve into a shouting match. All he really wanted was for Bonnie to leave so he could be alone with Tory. He had no interest in arguing over who knew him better, or who was more in the wrong, or whose lies were the worst. The past was the past, and he was ready to move on.

He just needed Bonnie to understand that.

Glancing over at Tory, her beautiful face tight with anger, but her scent just as sweet as ever, he made the decision to lay the truth out there, and settle this, once and for all. Turning his eyes to Bonnie, he stared the woman down.

“She’s my mate, Bonnie,” he stated plainly.

It was as if all the air had been sucked out of Bonnie’s lungs as she gasped, her eyes widening. Tory’s grip on his arm tightened as she looked up at him.

“What?” Tory whispered.

But Bonnie interrupted before Pierce could say anything.

“You can’t know that,” she shook her head. “You must be confused.”

“I knew it from the moment I met her,” Pierce replied. “It’s not something you can deny or reason away, Bonnie. Tory makes me feel like I’ve never felt before. There’s nothing confusing about it. She is my mate. I know it in my bones. There can never be anyone else for me than her.”

Bonnie fell silent, her eyes shiny. Pierce let her gather herself for a moment, exchanging a loaded look with Tory. Finally, he slowly approached Bonnie, his voice soft.

“It’s time for you to go,” he said. “Don’t make this harder on yourself. I won’t press charges on the breaking and entering, but if you ever meddle in my business again…” he trailed off.

Silently, Bonnie wiped away the tear now rolling down her cheek. She didn’t look at either him or Tory as she walked to the door and left, leaving it open behind her. Pierce and Tory walked behind her, watching the woman disappear into the darkness. He closed the door after her, letting out a huge breath.

“That went as well as could be expected,” he muttered, his restless bear slowly calming inside him.

Tory grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the living room. She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Did you mean what you said? Or was it just to get her to leave you alone?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” Pierce frowned.

“About me being… your mate,” Tory replied.

Biting her lip, she studied him closely, her body pressed against his. Pierce’s bear let out a growl as he turned toward her, taking her face in his hands.

“Of course I did,” he said, a wave of emotion building in his chest. “I wanted to tell you before. It wasn’t like I’d imagined, with Bonnie here… But everything I said was true. You’re the one, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Tory.”

Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears by the time he finished speaking. She covered his hands with hers, letting out a shuddering breath.

“I should have believed you,” she said. “I just didn’t want to be that foolish girl, falling head over heels for someone I just met. I was so scared to get my heart broken, I pushed you away instead of listening. I’m sorry.”

Smiling at her, Pierce pulled her into a quick kiss, reveling in the taste of her.

“No need to apologize,” he said, resting his forehead against hers. “Hell, I wouldn’t have believed me either. But now you know the truth. All of it.”

She nodded as he pulled her closer, resting his hands on her back while she rested her cheek on his chest.

“I think I knew it, too,” she said quietly. “That you were it for me. But I was so scared of getting my heart broken I fought the feeling at every turn. I don’t want to be scared anymore,” she said, pulling away to look him in the eye. “I love you, too.”

Whatever else she meant to say was drowned out by the fierce kiss he pulled her into. The time for talking was done. They both knew how the other felt, and there was nothing standing in their way now.

She was his and he was hers. Always.