Melanie didn’t say much as he drove her home. He was tongue-tied, too.

A virgin. They were kind of like unicorns. Known of but never seen. At least by him.

He didn’t know what to do with a virgin.

Especially one that wouldn’t look him in the eye and jumped out of his car and ran to her apartment building. He almost chased after, but his phone dinged.

Kendrick messaged him. Your grandfather wishes to speak with you.

Seeing her tail end vanish inside, things unresolved between them, Bryce was tempted to blow him off.

Melanie needed him. And he didn’t mean for sex.

She didn’t know what being a shifter was. How the hell did that happen? Their kind was careful about the babies they made, especially with humans. Someone had to teach her.

I should teach her. Teach her about her heritage. Teach her how to stay safe. Teach her the ways of the flesh.

Because she was untouched.

Pure.

Mine.

Shit. As he stared blankly, he had a revelation. He wanted to make their relationship into a real one. Forget faking it. Forget grandfather even.

She is the one. His mate. His woman. He was sure of it.

And he’d blown her off because she’d never had sex.

Bang. Bang. Bang. His forehead hit the steering wheel repeatedly as his stupidity slapped him.

She’d been ready to offer herself to him. Chosen him! And he’d rejected her.

Ugh.

I have to fix this.

Buzz. His phone stirred angrily. He stared at the building. Perhaps it was best he gave her a little bit of time. While he tried to figure out a way to apologize, he might as well go see what the old man wanted.

The entire way home, he tried to think of ways to apologize.

Jewelry? He could see her throwing it at him.

Chocolate? Was it cats or dogs who were allergic?

I could just be a man about this and kiss her until she forgives me. A scenario that he wholeheartedly approved of. He almost turned around to try it, but he’d already arrived home. Best take care of his grandfather first.

Entering the bedroom, he found his grandfather in bed, sitting upright, blanket tucked around him, his face an unhealthy shade of red.

“About time you showed up, boy.”

“I was busy.”

“Get unbusy. We have a situation,” grandfather bellowed.

“One that’s worth you having a heart attack over?” Bryce asked, not liking his grandfather’s agitation.

“Someone is trying to take over the company,” the old man blurted out.

“What?” Bryce frowned. “Take over how?”

“Buying up all our stock, that’s how.”

“Who is?”

“Those bloody knock-off piss vendors, that’s who.” For the uninformed, that was anyone not selling pure maple syrup made from a tree. Savages.

“But you own most of the shares.” Grandfather had forty-five percent. Bryce had gotten ten percent on his twenty-first birthday.

“Most isn’t a majority.”

“Yeah, but I’ve got enough to keep it from happening.”

“Unless they get to you.” Grandfather glared at him.

The paranoia was strong today. “You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’d sell them.”

“You might not sell them, but you could vote against me. Vote with them.” Spat with disgust.

Bryce sighed. “No. I wouldn’t. Where the hell would you get a stupid idea like that?”

“No one.” Said rather quickly.

Bryce’s gaze narrowed. “No one? Or a certain moocher?”

“He’s not asked me for anything.”

“But he’s been in your ear nattering, apparently. Why the fuck would you listen to him? He’s not even related to us.”

“We don’t know that. I’m still waiting for the lab report.”

“Which is taking a hell of a long time.”

“They had issues.”

“How convenient,” was Bryce’s sarcastic drawl.

“Worry less about Rory and more about yourself. How are things with that girl? Kendrick says you went on a picnic. That’s not how you impress a lady.”

“Melanie loved the picnic.” It was the cold shoulder afterwards she took exception too. If only he could rewind time and not freeze like a moose in headlights.

“Sources say she stormed off when you dropped her off.”

“Spying on me?” He kind of expected it, but to have it baldly stated…

“More like kindly kept informed by passersby.”

Bryce raked a hand through his hair as he paced. “Unbelievable. We had a bit of a tiff. My fault and I intend to fix it.”

“Better hope you can. Tick tock, boy.”

He whirled and glared at his grandfather. “Don’t start again. You can’t just expect me to wed and bed her in two minutes flat.”

“Not my fault you chose a stranger. Here’s to hoping you can seal the deal in time.”

“How about giving a damn about whether or not she’s the right woman for me?”

“Any woman with birthing hips will do.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable.” Bryce stormed out, annoyed at the pressure, annoyed at himself for screwing up, and even more annoyed that someone had caught him looking annoyed.

Moooo-oooo. He could have bellowed.

“Looking a touch agitated, there, cousin.” Out in the hall, Rory smirked, and Bryce clenched his fist by his side lest he wipe it clean from his face.

“And you’re looking smug,” Bryce spat. “Is that because you think you’ve fooled everyone into thinking your story is true?”

“The old man believes it. You heard him. I am the spitting image of his sister.”

“Doesn’t mean shit. I think you planned this, you and Chanice.” It made sense. She couldn’t get Bryce, but still wanted to get her hands on the fortune. This was her version of payback.

“I’m hurt.” Rory clapped a hand over his chest. “It’s one thing to accuse me, but to accuse my darling fiancée? I’m crushed.”

“Did your fiancée happen to mention we used to date?” At the tightening of the muscle in Rory’s jaw, Bryce knew this was news to him. “I also dumped her. She’s been trying ever since to get back in this house and in my bed. Guess she had to settle for a pale imitation instead.”

“Why you fucking—” Rory bristled and invaded his space. Toe to toe, glaring.

“What? Come on. Bring it.” He crooked his fingers and beckoned.

A throat cleared. “Excuse me, sirs, but given the fragile state of Master Theodore, could you take your altercation elsewhere?” Kendrick interrupted with a cool and calm voice, but Bryce knew from experience not to irritate the man.

Rory didn’t. “Get your ass back into the kitchen and stay out of this,” Rory snarled, and made the mistake of watching Bryce.

Kendrick clocked him and then stared at the unconscious heap on the floor. “Appalling manners. What should I do with him?”

Put him out with the trash? Grandfather probably wouldn’t like it. “Put him to bed. We should get the results of the DNA anytime now. Which means he’ll soon be gone.”

And so was Bryce a few minutes later after a phone call from Maizie’s nurse.