The stories Ilan told fascinated me. I’d absorbed every detail, hungry for knowledge about my heritage. My human parents never shared these sagas with me. It wasn’t their fault. They didn’t know them. They knew what I was and what I’d eventually be able to shift into, but beyond that basic knowledge, they were unaware of my culture.

Loathing rises within me. Todd played on my naivety, turning my ignorance against me. He knew I was clueless. I told him that. He promised to guide me into life as a mature shifter female. Instead of nurturing me, he abandoned me, just as clueless but pregnant and tied to a man I barely knew.

I was a fool.

“What about you, Mya? Will you deny the gift the goddesses have given you? Take the easy path?” A challenge flares in Rick’s eyes. A demand I fight for myself, for us. “Will you turn your back on heaven for Todd?”

I focus on Rick’s deep blue eyes. The same utter rightness I felt when I delivered his bottle of bourbon settles over me. It’s not mindless lust as I’d assumed then. It’s the connection Ilan made me yearn for with his tales of a love so strong, it transcends time.

Rick’s my true mate.

I feel the truth. So does my wolf. She wants to get closer to Rick, curling up against his side and basking in his purity and his strength. I do too. Never wanted anything more.

“No.” I whisper the single word, but the force behind it spreads through me. Strength follows in its wake. With Rick’s gaze on me and his scent in my lungs, I feel powerful, unstoppable. “Todd stole my innocence. I won’t let him take my future too.”

Rick exhales on a slow and satisfied grin that does crazy things to my heart. I bite my lip, trying to stop my answering grin from spreading. My smile makes me look like a child, at least according to Todd.

“That’s the right answer.” Rick brushes his lips over mine as he slides his hand from the base of my spine to my ass. The heat of his palm seeps into me, branding me as his. “Now I want you to listen very closely to me. I’m going to make you a promise.”

I close my eyes as Rick’s voice wraps around me, comforting me and arousing me. “I’m listening.”

“You’re mine. Our goddesses have deemed it so.” Rick steps so close to me, my breasts press into his hard chest with every breath I take. “That means everything that belongs to you is mine. Your heart. Your soul. Your body. Your children.”

Rick turns my face toward his. The rawness in his gaze makes him look wild, like a primitive male ruled by his instincts. “And I am yours. No female will come before you. Not in this lifetime. Not in the next. Not in the one after that. I’ll chase your soul through the centuries. Follow you anywhere. Nothing will keep me from you, and I’ll never stop fighting for you. For us. This is my vow, Mya Ammon.”

“You don’t know me.” I sound ungrateful. Rick just offered me everything I’ve ever dreamed about. He’s also my true mate. I don’t doubt our connection or the mystical beauty behind it. I’ve seen with my own eyes how powerful it can be. It’s just that…

“How can you love me?” I search Rick’s face, looking for an answer but finding none. All I see is determination. He’s made up his mind. I’m his, and nothing will stop him from claiming me. I can understand the primitiveness of his response, but primal instincts can’t erase the truth. I belong to another man. “How can you love me knowing I hold a piece of another man’s soul?”

“I don’t.” Rick lowers his voice. “Not yet.”

Pain lashes my chest. I don’t understand the reaction. Rick answered my question truthfully. I should be happy he’s not feeding me some bullshit line about love at first sight, but I’m not. I’m hurt. “But isn’t that what being true mates is all about? Love?”

“Yes.”

He’s talking in riddles, or maybe I’m missing something. “Then—”

Rick captures my lower lip between his teeth and tugs on my tender flesh, tearing a shaky breath from me, then eases back to look into my eyes. “The goddesses promised each shifter peace in the form of a true mate, a partner so perfect, their very presence could calm even the wildest beast. They never promised us love, at least not in the way humans romanticize it in their movies and songs. That’s for us to secure, and that’s what we’re going to do. Starting now.”

His explanation calms me. It’s both honest and realistic. Love is more than lust, and it’s not something that magically happens in a bar over a bottle of bourbon. Meeting people is genuine. It’s up to them to act. It just so happens I met the one person who’s meant to be mine over a bottle of Death’s Fire.

“I don’t know how this is going to work.” I lick my lips. Uncertainty makes me hesitate. Accepting my girls is one thing. Watching my stomach expand with another man’s babies is another. So is knowing it probably won’t be the last time I carry Todd’s children. “I’m Todd’s breeding partner.”

“I know that.”

“Do you?” I study Rick’s face, but there’s no wavering in his expression. “Todd has the right to breed with me once a month, and I can guarantee you he won’t suddenly decide not to exercise his right to my body just because you and I are true mates.”

Rick’s jaw tightens. “Do you want to breed with him?”

I straighten. If the wall wasn’t already at my back, I’d slink away from Rick. “No! I don’t want him to touch me, and I certainly don’t want to be his breeding partner, but I am, and I must. That’s my reality. That’ll be yours too if we get involved.”

“I made a promise to you.” Rick plants his palms against the wall on either side of my face, putting space between our bodies. “Now I want you to make one to me.”

“What kind of promise?”

“Trust me.”

Huffing, I shake my head. “That’s too vague. Trust you how? You need to be more specific.”

“I promised to fight for you and for us. I want you to trust in me to do that.”

Fight. The word sends a wave of terror through me.

I grab fistfuls of Rick’s shirt. “Promise me you won’t kill Todd. Without provocation, that’s murder. You’ll get thrown in prison. It won’t matter if you’re a Shifter Affairs agent or not. They’ll lock you up.” I stand on my tiptoes and twist the fabric I’m holding, pulling Rick closer. “They’ll torture you. I wouldn’t be able to live knowing you’re suffering.”

Rick kisses me. Not tenderly. Not aggressively. He kisses me so deeply, I feel him in my soul. Sooner than I’d like, he pulls back, leaving me breathless and wanting more. “I won’t take the easy way either, my fiery mate. Trust me. There’s hope for us.”

Warmth spreads through me, from my chest outward. It’s not lust. Nor is it love. I can’t put a name to the emotion, but I feel as if my wants matter. It’s a heady sensation.

“Yes.” I drag the tip of my tongue along my lips, savoring Rick’s taste. “I promise to trust you.”

“In all things. I want you to trust me in all things.”

Silence stretches as I hold Rick’s gaze. He doesn’t say anything else. He watches me with a look of complete assurance that I’ll give him what he demands. He wants me to trust that there’s hope for us. He’s right, but I’m the one who holds the key to our future. Actually, the female shifter I met in college who inadvertently introduced me to Todd holds the key.

Jenna Tanner-Reynolds, who’s now mated into Nic Kagan’s pack, tended the wound on my shoulder after Todd rubbed salt into the bite mark and left me writhing in agony. She’s the one who explained what happened and what it meant for my future. Todd didn’t. He screamed at me for being too weak to handle a little pain. Then he left me with several shifters in their wolf forms on guard in the yard to make sure I didn’t escape until he could return to me the next night.

To impregnate me.

Todd’s threats to both of us kept us quiet then. He would’ve killed us. I know it. No longer will I hold my tongue, but the past isn’t something I want to talk about tonight. My future is.

“Yes, I trust you.” I swallow hard as the implications of my vow settle over me. The uncertainty of what it entails quickens my pulse. It’s not fear that has my heart pounding a mile a minute. It’s anticipation. “In all things.”

Rick cups my face between his large hands and stares into my eyes for an endless moment. I can’t look away or speak. This man captivates me on a level I have no desire to resist. Our future won’t be easy. It’s also not guaranteed. Despite the promise of Shifter Affairs to help me get away from Todd, my plan might backfire. I don’t want to think about that either. I see hope in Rick’s eyes. I don’t want to lose it.

“Mya.” Rick rubs his thumbs over my cheeks, a gentle caress that leaves me shaky inside. “You honor me. I won’t fail you.”

Before I can respond, Rick leans close to me. His lips touch mine. With a gentle insistence, he urges me to open to him. His persuasion isn’t necessary. I want Rick’s kiss. Closing my eyes, I give myself to him.

The rolling strokes of his tongue along mine spread warmth through me exactly as they did the last time Rick kissed me, but with each breath, the pressure of his lips firms. Energy builds within me. Instead of relaxing into Rick, letting him lead me, I squirm in his embrace. I feel unsettled, edgy.

Rick’s chest vibrates on a low groan of hunger that sounds as primal and raw as his expression was moments ago. He kisses me harder, deeper. His hands leave my face. He strokes them down my back, pulling me impossibly closer as if he wants to crawl inside me.

Looping my arms around Rick’s neck, I arch into him as he slides his hands lower. The hard press of his erection against my stomach tears a guttural moan from me. Lust hits me so quickly, my legs weaken and my body goes limp, forcing Rick to support me or let me drop. He firms his grip on my ass. I know what my response to Rick means. I’m submitting to him, giving him complete control over my body.

The primitive reaction isn’t one I can stop. Rick affects me more completely than any man ever has, including my breeding partner, who can arouse me against my will with a single touch. Rick doesn’t need to coerce me like Todd. I want Rick’s hands on me. I want his kiss. I want…

“More. Give me more,” I beg Rick between the wild melding of our tongues.

Rick makes another rough sound, something between a growl and a moan. My feet leave the floor as he lifts me with a hand under my bottom. He squeezes my flesh, then tugs up my robe. His palm slides over my ass cheek.

My bare ass cheek.

I’m naked under the flimsy robe I threw on to answer the door. Rick isn’t. A sense of vulnerability settles over me. Excitement follows, leaving my clit thumping and nipples tingling. I can’t help the rush of need. As a shifter female, I’m ruled by primitive instincts few humans would understand. The need to be dominated is just one of them. It’s also an urge I can finally give in to. Rick will control me with respect, taking me to heights I’ve never known.

I use my hold on Rick to climb his body. Hooking my legs around his waist, I lock my ankles behind him, clinging to him as tightly as he’s holding me. The roughness of his jeans brushes my bare pussy, sending sparks through me. I groan as my core clenches on nothingness and my arousal slickens my lower lips. Rick pulls my bottom closer and rocks into me.

A shuddering moan escapes my mouth. I move my hands to Rick’s head, slipping my fingers through the strands of his hair. My nails scrape his scalp as I tighten my grip on his hair. I kiss him harder, taking control from him. Tempting him. I want him to snap, giving me what I crave.

Now. I need him now.

I capture his tongue and suck, hard. His body jerks on a guttural groan.

My back meets the wall. He breaks our kiss on a curse. His nostrils flare, and he watches me with softly glowing eyes. My breath catches at the hunger displayed in his gaze. The instincts I’d meant to unleash stare back at me. This man I’ve given my trust to is a barely leashed animal, ruled by emotions I have no name for. All I know is he’s beautiful like this. And he’s mine.

With his gaze still locked on me, he reaches behind him and urges me to release him. I ease my locking grip, letting my feet drop. His hands on my hips center me. I spread my legs, steadying myself, then wait for Rick to act. It’s his move now. I’ve forfeited my turn.

The corner of Rick’s mouth twitches. He wraps a hand around my throat. His hold doesn’t hurt, but my heart races as if my life is in danger. I keep my arms limp at my sides. Anticipation builds. His thumb strokes my skin, then he tips my head back.

The first brush of his lips at the base of my throat sends a shiver through my body. The second caress along my collarbone tenses my muscles. I sense his intent. The third openmouthed kiss a hairbreadth away from the bite seared into my shoulder leaves me squirming.

Rick slides his free hand down my side and across my stomach, leaving heat in his wake, as he touches the tip of his tongue to my skin. The stubble on his cheek brushes the raised entry points of the bite. The scar Todd left on me thumps. So does my clit.

“Rick, please.” I don’t know what I’m asking for with my plea, for him to stop this or prove to us both he owns my body the same way my breeding partner does.

With Rick’s breath teasing the bite, making me tremble as need overwhelms me, Rick whispers, “I don’t need to force your passion. I already own it, but I promise you, soon you’ll beg me to wrap my lips around your shoulder and bite you, leaving my scent in your body as a permanent claim telling the world who you belong to.”

Relief sweeps through me, easing me when I didn’t realize I was panicking. This thing between us is happening too fast, yet not fast enough. I’m torn between the wants of my body and the uncertainties of my heart.

The physical stuff is easier to accept. I don’t have to think. I just need to listen to my body. Right now, it’s perfectly clear what it craves. The heaviness deep inside me leaves me aching, yearning for relief. My body feels strung tight, ready to break apart. I need to come, and I want Rick to send me over the edge.

I stare into the softly glowing blue eyes I could get lost in. “You sound awfully sure of yourself.”

“I am.” Rick answers me with a small chuckle.

“Yeah?” I smile, enjoying this moment. Rick’s confidence is incredibly sexy. “Prove it.”

Rick uncurls his fingers from around my neck, then kisses my throat before kneeling before me. On a slow heated perusal, he sweeps his gaze over my body. My robe hangs open, giving Rick an unobstructed view of my breasts and groin. My chest rises, lifting my achy, heavy breasts with each breath I take.

With his attention on my erect nipples, he drags the tip of his tongue along his lower lip. I shift from one foot to the other as the tingles skipping along my skin spread to my spine, then lower, settling deep inside me. Rick’s gaze on me is as arousing as when his hands traced my curves.

My robe slips down my shoulders with my restless movements.

Rick glances at where the sleeves of my robe rest precariously at my elbows. He grips the edges and tugs. The material falls to the floor, leaving me naked and exposed while Rick remains clothed and his body still a mystery to me.

“You are the most beautiful female the goddesses ever created.”

The awe in Rick’s voice adds to this unexpected encounter. Right in this moment, I do feel beautiful, but most of all, I feel wanted for more than the strength of my genetics.

“Turn around for me.”

I freeze at Rick’s command. My blood turns cold. The instantaneous reaction is Todd’s fault. The scars he left on my ass might not be raised like his bite on my shoulder, but I hate seeing the scratches, knowing he deliberately disfigured my body for the sole purpose of leaving his scent on me, an act he claimed Wyatt demanded.

“Mya?” Rick raises his gaze to me. “What did he do to you?”

“Nothing you can’t fix.” I feel the truth of my words in my soul.

After a moment, Rick nods, as if he understands my statement completely. I’m not even sure I do. While I trust Rick to fix me, I wouldn’t be able to tell him what was broken if he asked me.

Many aspects of my life have been destroyed since Todd forced me to be his breeding partner, but I still get up every day. I laugh and smile. I sing in the shower and dance when no one is looking. More importantly, I’m still willing to open my heart to love. If I wasn’t ready to take a chance, Rick wouldn’t be here.

“You’re right. I’ll fix you.” Rick skims his knuckles over my lower belly. “Just as you’ll fix me.”

“Are you broken?”

“Shattered.” Rick leans in and traces the edge of my breast with his tongue. His attention doesn’t come close to my achy nipples, but I don’t direct him there or tell him how much I need his mouth on the erect points. My complete focus is on his wandering fingers mapping a path up my leg.

“You’re wet.” Rick swipes his thumb over my inner thigh. “So incredibly wet.”

If I wasn’t so aroused, I might be embarrassed knowing how excited I’ve gotten just with Rick’s hands on me. “I ache too.”

“So do I.” Rick moves his hands to my ass, holding me in place, and dips his head to my pussy. “I hunger too.”

He breathes the words against my wet lower lips before licking me. The slow stroke of his tongue puts pressure on my cleft, but he doesn’t push the tip into my opening. He teases me, heightening my excitement with the anticipation of his intimate kiss.

“If anything hurts, you tell me.” Rick looks up the length of my body. “Immediately. I would die before I hurt you or the precious babies you’re carrying.”

He knows I’m pregnant. I should’ve told him. The regret rises, but it doesn’t take hold. Rick’s vow to me wipes it away. He’ll treasure me unconditionally.

“Females are stronger than men give us credit for. I’ll be fine.” Being pregnant doesn’t automatically make me fragile. I worked until the day I went into labor with Peyton and Rey.

“I’m holding you to that, Mya.”

The solemnness in his voice speaks of a soul-deep pain I want to erase. I open my mouth to ask him why he hurts. His finger dipping into my pussy stops me. He bends his head and licks my clit, teasing the erect nub while his finger strokes me. The dual stimulation catches me off guard. I grasp fistfuls of Rick’s wavy hair and pull him closer. This is what I’ve craved for years, what I’ve refused to ask for.

As if knowing exactly what I need, Rick flicks his tongue over my clit and pumps his finger into me. He adds a second finger, then a third, stretching me and making my core burn with the delicious pressure. The sound of my excitement as he moves his fingers in and out of my body both embarrasses me and makes me hotter.

My core tightens as the pressure inside me keeps building. Every thumping stroke of Rick’s fingers sends another wave through my body, enhancing the sensation. I feel strung tight. I’m going to come.

“I’m close.” I want to come apart around Rick’s cock. I shouldn’t want that. We haven’t known each other long. The rationale means little. This connection Rick and I share goes beyond social expectations. It’s instinctual. Primal. A force so powerful, it defies any law the Shifter Council can write or any bond Todd can force upon me. “Rick, please. I need you inside—”

“Hold on to me.” Rick doesn’t give me a chance to say more. He yanks his fingers from my pussy and tilts my hips forward, forcing me to dig my nails into his shoulders to steady myself, then buries his face against my lower lips.

On a groan of pure pleasure, Rick kisses my pussy as deeply as he took my mouth minutes ago. My orgasm crashes over me. Waves tighten my body. My vision wavers. Still he keeps kissing me, loving me until darkness threatens to sweep me away, but I don’t lose my mind. Rick’s hold grounds me. I focus on him, letting the slower strokes of his tongue bring me down from the high.

My legs crumple under me. Rick gathers me to him, holding me close so we’re both kneeling on the floor. He kisses my mouth, slipping his tongue between my lips and sharing with me the rich taste of my excitement. I groan as I lick my arousal from his lips, his cheeks, his chin. What I’m doing is naughty. My mind supplies the knowledge. I don’t care. I like knowing Rick pleasured me first, giving me an experience I’ll always remember. I want to reward him, worshipping him as completely as he did me.

“Rick, I want—”

The sultry sound of a saxophone surrounds us. Rick curses. He eases back and pulls his cell phone from his pocket. The image of the blonde woman from the bar shows on the screen. Jealousy sparks within me. Who is this woman? And why is she calling Rick? I clamp my jaw, biting back the demand Rick tell her to stay away from him. I don’t doubt Rick’s promise to never put another female before me, but the knowledge doesn’t ease my anger.

Rick glances from the phone to me. He grins. “Ella’s my boss. Nothing more.”

“Oh.” I glance away. I don’t know what to say to make up for my reaction.

Rick kisses my neck. “I like knowing you’d fight for me. It’s a damn good ego boost.”

I close my eyes, letting Rick’s lips on me soothe me. It helps knowing Rick won’t hold my jealousy against me or exploit it. He probably understands my reaction is instinctual.

The music keeps playing. I motion to the phone. “Aren’t you going to answer?”

“No.” Rick taps the screen, sending the call to voice mail. “If it’s important, she’ll leave a message. I’m off duty until Monday morning.”

“And you’re spending the weekend with me?” Do I sound hopeful? Desperate, maybe? I’m not sure, but the need to stay close to Rick is powerful.

“Yes, every second of it.”

Biting my lower lip, I fight the smile threatening to break free. “What will we be doing?”

Rick stands and holds out a hand to me. “A little of everything, but first, there’s someone who wants to meet you.”

I take Rick’s hand, letting him pull my naked body against his. “Who’s that?”

“My wolf.”

I glance at the blinds that are still open. “Let me close the shades first.”

Rick shakes his head. “Not here. We’re going for a run.”

Excitement bubbles up within me. I’d been hoping to get out and embrace my shifter instincts for a while. With Rick by my side, I won’t need to worry about who I might run into. The woods behind my apartment building is neutral ground. It’s where people go when they need to hide.

“A run? As in shifting and running through the woods as wolves?” As soon as the question is out of my mouth, embarrassment tightens my throat. I sound like an idiot. Of course he means running in our wolf forms.

“Unless you’d like to go out barefoot and run hand in hand. I’m good with either.” Rick smirks. “My wolf, not so much. He wants to rub against you and leave his scent on your skin.”

My cheeks hurt from smiling so widely. Rick doesn’t snap at me and tell me I’m acting like I’m twelve. His grin widens until his eyes brighten. I stand on my tiptoes and loop my arms around his neck. “Both, please. I know a perfect spot where we can shift, and we can talk on the way.”

Rick settles his hands on my waist as if holding my naked body while he’s still clothed is the most natural thing in the world to do. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Todd.” I ease out of Rick’s embrace. “I know it’s not a topic you want to discuss, but the sooner you know everything, the better.”

I won’t keep secrets from my true mate. Our love isn’t guaranteed. We need to nourish it until it’s the force that binds our souls for eternity. I want that more than anything. Never again do I want to mistake loneliness for affection. Once my soul experiences respect, I’ll instinctively know not to settle for less.