If I didn’t hate Todd so much, I’d kiss him. By not licking the bite on her shoulder, Todd left the pathway to Mya’s soul open. When I re-bite her, I’ll be able to walk through her soul exactly as Todd did when he turned Mya into his breeding partner.

Excitement rushes through me, leaving my heart pounding hard in my chest at the possibilities open to us. A shifter can only give away a piece of their soul once in a lifetime. I gave a piece of mine to Anna. Todd gave his to Mya. Mya, however, didn’t forfeit her choice. She can still offer up a piece of her soul.

To me.

I can form a bond with Mya. Okay, technically, she can form one with me. I’m not sure how that’ll work, biologically speaking. Would I be able to impregnate her? It’d be a definite bonus, but not necessary. I simply want to wake up to Mya’s green eyes for the remainder of my days.

Legally, I’m not sure if a bond she initiated would be recognized. Shifter females have few rights. Why would the Shifter Council care if she gave me a piece of her soul? Love means little to them. The emotion isn’t necessary for breeding, and ensuring our kind survives and thrives is all that matters to the elders who lead our species.

Mya squats and grabs her robe, carefully avoiding showing me her back, then slips her arms into the sleeves and ties the sash before turning away. It doesn’t take a genius to guess why she’s acting strangely. Todd inflicted some kind of wound on her back or maybe her ass and licked it, leaving his scent on her. I didn’t feel any raised scars when I swept my hands over her, but a shallow wound would account for the minimal scent surrounding Mya. I could’ve easily missed a deep scratch.

Obviously, Mya’s not ready for me to see it. For her, I’ll wait.

“Give me a minute to get dressed,” Mya calls out over her shoulder.

She slips into her bedroom, firmly closing the door behind her. I stare at the closed door a moment, fighting the urge to follow her inside. This is the most important first date of my life. I refuse to ruin it with my lust.

A deep inhale fills my lungs with Mya’s scent, calming me. So simple, so immediate. The stories I’ve been told of true mates don’t come close to the reality. I also know love isn’t always as easy to secure as peace. My time with Anna taught me how to respect a woman, however. I’ll use those lessons on Mya. The love will follow. Of that, I have no doubt.

The pictures displayed on the bookshelf near the window catch my eye. Two miniature versions of Mya stare back at me.

“Mya’s daughters.” Yeah, there might be a little bit of excitement in my voice. I don’t care. There’s nobody here to hear me. These two little girls could be mine, if I manage to get their mama to fall in love with me.

I’ve always had the urge to nurture others. It’s why I ended up in a rock band with Nic Kagan. He needed the escape music offered. I needed to act as the elder, or pseudo alpha which is probably a better description. It’s the curse of a dominant. We want to protect, guide, and cherish. It doesn’t matter if we embrace that drive with a pack, family, group of friends, or something unorthodox. When we don’t, we become unsettled and…

“Depressed.” I snort at my own realization. After dismantling the band, I’ve had no one to look out for. No wonder I’ve been thinking about the past and the what-ifs of my choices.

“I’m ready.”

Mya’s voice draws my gaze to where she’s standing near the frayed, worn couch in the middle of the room. A black turtleneck sweater hides her mate mark and slim jeans hug her long legs. With her wavy hair framing her face and a slight flush to her cheeks, she’s beautiful. No doubt about it, but her appearance isn’t why my dick’s stirring.

I go to her and finger the edge of the blankets she’s carrying. “Will we be spending the night in the woods?”

With a small smile on her face, she looks at the thick, soft blankets. “The place I want to take you is beautiful. I thought we could rest there for a bit and enjoy the scenery.”

And love each other. She doesn’t voice her intent, but it’s clear in her eyes and in the scent of her need surrounding her. The orgasm I gave her wasn’t enough.

I tug my hat from my back pocket and yank the beanie over my head. Humans see the hat, and suddenly the fact that I’m wearing a T-shirt in winter is okay. “Let’s go.”

The moment we reach the first floor of her building, Mya snatches my hand, nearly dropping the blankets, and drags me into the hallway leading to the laundry room. Human voices reach me. Mya presses a finger to my lips. After a moment, the voices are muffled by a slamming door. She peeks down the hall in the direction the humans went, then we rush into the parking lot.

Once we round the building and head into the woods, she says, “I’m sorry. My neighbor’s working for Todd’s uncle now. I can’t trust that she won’t unintentionally mention seeing me with you.”

“I thought Todd didn’t care who you fuck.”

The flush in Mya’s cheeks darkens. Using one hand, she tugs off a sneaker, then the other, tucking them under a bush near the tree line. “Todd doesn’t, but Wyatt does. He hates that I live out here alone too. My place is in Todd’s house, meeting his every need.”

I place my boots next to hers, then face her. “Then it’s a good thing Wyatt doesn’t control you.”

Mya glances at me. A solemn look settles over her features. “He does control Todd, though.”

“What do you mean?”

Barefoot, she moves deeper into the woods, choosing a path blanketed by fallen leaves. “Todd made me his breeding partner because Wyatt told him to find a strong female after Wyatt’s mate committed suicide. He wants to rebuild his family name. Wyatt thinks their bloodline is powerful enough to rival their alpha’s and shouldn’t die off because he chose a weak woman.”

I follow behind her, taking a moment to enjoy the rush of energy seeping into the balls of my feet. The simple connection to the earth invigorates me just as it does for all shifters. Right now, I need the distraction my primal side offers. Without it, loathing would fester within me. Mya’s words combined with the hatred displayed in Todd’s eyes as he’d talked about her paints a scenario I both understand and abhor.

Mya hops from rock to rock, crossing the small stream in her path. From the other side, she faces me. “Todd took advantage of my ignorance. He knew I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I was on the verge of maturing and suffering with an onslaught of hormones and primal needs I couldn’t explain.”

Hands fisted, Mya vibrates with her leashed aggression. She takes a step toward the water. “My human parents didn’t know about shifter reproduction or the male-dominated culture that rules our species. They didn’t know why I was edgy or acting like I was ready to come out of my skin. They were sweet humans who took in the baby my alpha entrusted them with before my pack was wiped out. They knew I’d eventually shift into a red wolf, but they didn’t know when or how it’d happen. So when I met Todd, I was desperate, confused, scared, and…and horny.”

Mya looks down. Her hair falls forward, partially hiding her expression. “A couple of days before I matured, I was having a really rough time. I was incredibly sensitive and running a fever, but I was also a part-time college student. We had a big test coming up, and I couldn’t miss another lecture. My grades were already suffering that semester because I was so distracted. I was afraid I was going to lose my scholarship. I was right too. I did. I had to drop out and give up my dream of being a PA.”

“Physician’s assistant?” I ask to make sure.

“Yes.” Smiling wanly, Mya tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “Anyway, there was a girl in that class who came up to me afterward and asked me if I was okay. We started talking, and once she realized I was a lone wolf, she invited me to visit with her that night to talk about what was happening to me. I was supposed to meet her at a coffee shop in town.”

“Harper’s Moon, right?” Wyatt’s diner is the best place to go in this area for coffee. That hasn’t changed in forty years.

Mya nods, then focuses on the gently flowing stream. Silence stretches between us, but I don’t think she’s done with her story. Likely, the worst is yet to come. I relax my stance and wait.

After a couple of minutes, Mya’s shoulders slump. “Todd was there. He approached me, and we started talking. The next thing I know, I’m agreeing to go for a walk with him. We ended up at a bar, or two.” She smiles, but there’s no amusement in her expression. There’s hurt and betrayal. “I lost track. Somehow, we ended up at his place. He seduced me.” Mya raises her gaze but not her head. “I think, anyway. Honestly, I was so drunk, I could barely stand.”

My wolf’s snarling growl shakes my body. His desire is perfectly clear. I feel the same drive to punish Todd. Hearing Mya’s words comes first.

“And Todd made you his breeding partner.” It’s a guess, but why else tell me the events of the night?

“At the time, I didn’t know what happened. I was left locked in his room with a bite mark on my shoulder and the start of the worst hangover I’ve ever had.” Mya rubs her arms. “The girl I was supposed to meet came to me. She helped me through the pain, then explained things to me.”

“That same night or a different one?” If she’s willing, she can be our proof that Todd violated mating laws.

Mya straightens. Determination flares in her eyes. “Jenna saw my mate mark the same night Todd bit me, the night before I officially matured.”

I breathe past my excitement and resist the urge to close the distance between us. Mya deliberately chose this spot with the creek between us to reveal this information. I won’t breach the safe zone she created until she invites me to share in her hurt.

“It’s illegal for a shifter male to claim a female until the full moon past her twenty-fifth birthday.” With the sympathy and help of a senior Council member, we might be able to use the law to our advantage too. Possibly that’s what Ella was calling me about.

“It’s also illegal to sever the brake line on my parents’ car while I was crying my eyes out on Jenna’s shoulder.” Mya moves to the edge of the stream. With her jaw clenched and arms trembling, she appears barely restrained. “But it’s hard to prove anything when you don’t know a crime has occurred.”

“And you didn’t know.” I prompt her.

“No. I only learned what Todd did to me was illegal a couple of days ago, and I didn’t get the call about my parents. I didn’t have a cell phone then, still don’t, and I didn’t go home for weeks after Todd turned me into his incubator. I was too ashamed. When I did, I learned I’d missed the funeral.” Mya’s voice cracks, but the anger burning in her green eyes doesn’t lessen. “I went to Todd, looking for comfort. He laughed at me, saying them dying in a car accident was a blessing. I wouldn’t have to worry about caring for old, weak, and frail humans who couldn’t even make sure their brakes were in working order. I could focus on raising our children.”

“You didn’t tell him how your parents died, did you?”

Again, Mya shakes her head. “At the time, I didn’t know. After I grieved, I started asking questions.” She closes her eyes on a sigh. “I confronted Todd. He didn’t deny it or admit to it. He warned me if I pursued this, I would suffer if he wasn’t around to protect me. That he was the only one keeping me out of the hands of traffickers.”

“Traffickers who specialize in shifters, right?” Trafficking is one of the biggest dangers our kind faces. No one is safe, not females, children, or males. There’s a market for everything. Since shifters not only live a long time but can take a lot of damage, they’re perfect specimens to exploit.

Eyes still closed, she nods. “I believed him. Still believe him. I know Wyatt is involved with illegal activities.”

“What kind of activities?” The knowledge will help in our investigation of him. If I can somehow tie him to a crime, I can get him out of our lives too.

“Drugs, gambling, illegal fights.” Mya presses her lips into a thin line as disgust twists her features. “I don’t know any details, if that’s what you’re wondering. Sometimes Todd talks about stuff. Never anything incriminating or so obvious I feel confident about going to Shifter Affairs. He just…” Mya shrugs. “Todd just hints at how powerful and sick Wyatt is, then Todd reminds me he’s the one keeping me from Wyatt.”

“To control you.” Mental abuse can be as bad as physical. I’ve seen too many examples of the damaging effects it can have. Knowing my true mate has suffered with it stirs a torrent of dark emotions within me. I should’ve been here to save Mya from them. I regret I wasn’t. There’s nothing I can do to change the past, however. I’m here now, and together, we’ll heal.

Mya dips her head. “I hate him, Rick. I hate him. He claimed me in order to breed me, nothing more.”

The pleading look in Mya’s eyes directs me. I cross the stream and pull Mya into my arms. She holds me tight. “I hate him too.”

“I’ll never be free of him. Even if the Shifter Council sides with me and orders him to never touch me again, Todd is still Peyton and Rey’s father.” Mya buries her face against my chest. “He’s also the father of the babies I’m carrying. He has a right to see them, and they have a right to know their father. As much as I hate Todd, I can’t keep him from them.”

I rest my cheek against the top of Mya’s soft hair. “A father is the man who is there for a kid. He’s the one who’d lay down his life for them. He’s the one who will share in their pains and joys. The one who will teach them right from wrong. The one who will take on the world to keep them safe. Is Todd that man?” I hope not. It’s the role I want to hold.

“No.” Mya’s body shakes with her bitter laugh. “He has no interest in my children. Wyatt does, and if the babies I’m carrying turn out to be boys, I’m supposed to move into his house so he can keep me…safe while I’m pregnant. After that?” Mya squeezes me impossibly tighter. “I have no proof, but I fear he’ll keep them and toss me out. Maybe hand me over to traffickers.”

Never! I fight the rush of rage choking me. This isn’t the time or place for it. If Wyatt or Todd tries to separate Mya from her children, nothing, not even the laws I swore to uphold, will save them from my fury.

I rub my hand down Mya’s spine in a hopefully soothing caress. It’s tough to do when my body is vibrating with barely restrained vehemence.

“It won’t come to that. There are legal avenues to explore.” I lean back enough to look into Mya’s eyes. No tears show, but there’s a soul-deep sadness in her gaze. “And spiritual ones, Mya. There might still be a chance for us to share a bond the Shifter Council will recognize.”

Mya’s brows furrow. She studies me with first skepticism, then hope. “What do you mean?”

As much as I want to share my theory about her being able to mate me, I can’t. I want Mya to choose me out of love, not desperation, viewing me as a way to escape Todd. “You promised to trust me. I need you to do that now. Just trust that there’s hope for us. Everything else will work out.”

After a long moment, Mya nods. She slips from my arms and twines her fingers with mine. “Come on. I want to get to my meadow before midnight so we can greet the new day together there.”

The first of many if I have anything to say about it.