Heather stood slowly as the breath was sucked from her lungs. She felt as though a veil had been lifted from her mind, and suddenly there he was.

“Kale?” she said as she turned toward the spot where she could feel his presence. She knew instinctively where he was standing. When she heard footsteps, she knew it was him walking closer to her. And when his large hand cupped her face, she felt as if she’d known his touch all of her life.

“What’s happening?” she asked quietly.

“It’s the true mate bond, lass. The spell was keeping our bond from fully connecting. It has lifted.”

“So can you hear me?” she asked in her mind.

“Aye. I can hear you.”

His voice felt like a caress, and she found herself leaning into his hand that was still touching her face.

“You’re lovely,” he said in the deep rumble she’d come to love.

Heather cleared her throat. “If you’re anywhere near as hot as your accent, then I’m sure you’re quite lovely as well.”

He chuckled and then spoke through their bond. “Can we go somewhere alone?”

“You’ll have to lead the way,” Heather said, making it clear that her blindness wasn’t going to be the elephant in the room.

“We have much to discuss,” Kale said as he took her hand.

“Understatement, Iceberg.”

He laughed out loud, and the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach did an Irish jig. It was a very nice laugh.

Heather started to follow him but pulled on his hand to stop. She turned toward her friends. “You two okay?”

“We’re good,” Stella said.

“If at any point you’re not good, I’ve got my phone. Call me.” It wasn’t a request. She wanted them to know that just because they had mates, it didn’t mean that they didn’t still have each other’s backs.

“We will,” Kara said. “We’ll see you in a little while, yeah?”

“Definitely,” Heather said and then turned back to Kale. “Lead on, mate.”

Kale didn’t have to be told twice. He held her hand firmly in his and led her from the room. When they reached the stairs, he reached for her other hand and placed it on the rail. “Stairs,” he said gently.

“Thanks.” She smiled as she followed him.

Kale considered taking her to the back porch but decided that area wasn’t private enough. He guided her out the front door and into the yard. “Do you mind walking for a bit?” he asked.

“Not at all. Just don’t let me run into a tree. It’s painful and embarrassing.”

Kale smiled. “Bumped into a few trees, have ya?”

She laughed. “More than I’d like to admit.”

They walked in silence, and Kale forced his wolf to behave. He wanted to rub all over her and cover her in their scent. And he wanted to sink his teeth into her flesh and mark her as theirs. But Kale knew they needed to take things slowly. Heather hadn’t been raised with any knowledge of the supernatural. He didn’t want to terrify her.

“I’m not fragile, you know,” she said after a few minutes.

“You picked up on my thoughts?” he asked.

“Some of them. You are afraid of scaring me. I don’t scare that easy.”

He let out a huff of laughter. “No, I suspect you do nah, lass.”

“Forgive my ignorance, but are you Irish, Scottish, some other kind of –ish?”

Kale couldn’t help the huge grin on his face. “Some other kind of –ish?”

“Just don’t want to assume.”

“Ahh, fair enough. I’m Irish.”

“Red hair? And no, I don’t really understand what ‘red’ is. But I do understand that the Irish people boast a lot of redheads, apparently.”

That made him laugh again. He had a feeling she would be the cause of much laughter in his future, and he liked it, a lot. “Actually, I have dark hair, but I grow a red beard.”

“Two-toned.” She grinned. “So, our children could be a toss-up?”

Kale’s heart stuttered in his chest, and his breath caught.

“What? What’s wrong?” Heather asked, obviously picking up on the strong emotions running through him.

“Nothing is wrong. It’s just the thought of you carrying my pups brings me to my knees.” He pulled her closer to him and put her hand in the crook of his arm as they continued walking. He liked the feel of her body against his.

“You want children then?” she asked.

“Aye.” He wanted kids very much, but Kale decided there was no need to tell her how many he wanted. He’d kept that thought to himself for now.

When they reached the small river that ended in a lagoon with a waterfall, Kale nearly groaned. He’d thought coming there would be good, not only because it was private, but because it was beautiful. He felt like an arse. She wouldn’t know that it was beautiful.

“Hey,” she said as she squeezed his arm. “Close your eyes.”

He did without question.

“I feel the wind as it gently caresses my skin, like millions of fingertips dancing across my face and arms. I hear birds as they announce their presence. I hear the grass blowing and the leaves in the trees rustling. I hear the water as is splashes, and it makes me think of summers I spent in the pond swimming. I smell fresh air, lilacs, and freesia. I smell the earth, the soil that nourishes the plants. And I smell you.”

Kale was breathless as he turned toward her and stepped even closer. “And what do I smell like, lass?”

“Like the air just before a thunderstorm,” she said with a smile. “I may not be able to see beauty they way you do, Kale, but I still understand it.”

He was speechless. In less than a half hour, his mate had rendered him speechless. He stared down at her and fought the urge to press his lips to hers. He longed for the day when he would have the right to kiss her whenever he pleased. But today was not that day.

“Shall we sit?” He pulled her over to a spot beneath a large tree, helped her sit down next to him, and leaned back against the huge trunk.

“I imagine this is just as nerve wracking for you as it is for me,” Heather began. “You weren’t expecting to have to explain to your soul mate exactly who and what she was. That’s got to be a shocker.”

“But in no way a disappointment,” he said fiercely. He wanted her to understand that it didn’t bother him the reality of his true mate was different from his expectations, or that she was human, which was not something he’d ever previously considered. All that mattered was that he’d found her.

“Tell me about yer self,” he said gently as he brushed her hair back so he could see her face. His fingers dusted her skin, and she shivered. He loved that she reacted to his touch.

“Well, you know from my grand one-sided conversations over the last two weeks that before I found out I was some cool, supernatural-bad-ass gyspy lady, I was a Seeing Eye dog trainer. Peri seemed to think it hilarious that my fate had led me to a werewolf for a mate, and I already trained dogs for a living.”

Kale’s shoulders shook a bit as he held in the laughter.

“Go on,” she huffed throwing her hands in the air. “Laugh it up, Garden Mix.”

He coughed as his laughter came out. “Garden Mix?”

“Yeah, you know, those bags of salad that have all sorts of lettuce in them?”

He groaned. “Seriously? I’m going to be different kinds of lettuce for the rest of our lives?”

“That’s nothing.” She waved him off. “Peri calls me the name of a deaf, blind chick. And sometimes a male, black, soul singer. And yes, she uses Stevie and Ray interchangeably. Bet you’re thinking being lettuce isn’t so bad now.”

Kale was laughing. “I suppose it could worse. Where are you from?”

“How did I miss telling you this when I had you completely silenced? I told you everything from my favorite color to my least favorite bug. Guess I got caught up in wanting you to know me. Well, I’m from Texas, a town called Shady Grove. Born and raised. My parents were what you would call late in life when they had me. Mamma was forty-five, and daddy was even older because he was ten years her senior. Daddy passed away when I was eighteen. Tore my mamma up. She died six months later. They told me it was congestive heart failure, but she’d never had heart problems before. I think she died of a broken heart.”

“No siblings?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Just me.”

“I’m sorry for yer loss, Heather Banks.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thanks, big guy.”

He hadn’t even realized that he’d picked up her hand and was stroking the back of it with his thumb.

She cleared her throat. “What about you? What’s your story? Are you older than dirt like Lucian?”

He chuckled. “I am the Beta of the Irish pack. I am many centuries old, and yes, nearly as old as Lucian, though not even remotely as old as Ciro. I don’t actually remember the year of my birth.”

“Really?” She sounded surprised.

“Records weren’t kept well that long ago, and birthdays weren’t celebrated. So over time, I just forgot, if I ever really even knew. Other things, like surviving, seemed more important,” he explained. “Humans would judge me to appear around thirty, I guess. My parents were both killed in a fight for dominance over our pack a century ago. I have no siblings either.”

“How many wolves are in your pack?” she asked.

“Twenty-five. Ten unmated, fifteen mated, which is a lot compared to most other packs. Unfortunately, we’ve no wee pups.”

“Do you miss them? Your pack?”

“Aye. Pack is family.” He paused, unsure if he should bring it up, but then decided there was no reason not to. “They will be your family, if you’ll let them.”

Heather fiddled with a blade of grass and seemed to be thinking about his words. “I figured I’d have to move to wherever your pack lived.”

“No. You do nah. If you want to go somewhere else, we can seek permission to join another pack. If Ireland’s too far from your home, your friends.” Kale wanted her to go home with him. He wanted to see her in the den he’d built, hoping one day his true mate would live there with him. But he wouldn’t force her, and he wouldn’t leave her behind.

“Is it something I need to decide right away, or can we first make sure that Volcan doesn’t destroy the world and Jewel and Anna don’t become soul-sucking witches?”

“You can take all the time you need, luv,” he said gently, and he meant it. “I’m not going anywhere. And you’re right. We will probably be needed here to fight Volcan before we can go visit my home.”

“Alright.” She breathed out. “Now, on to what’s really important. I need you to kiss me.”

* * *

Nick pulled out one of the kitchen chairs, flipped it around, and sat down, straddling it as he rested his arms on its back. He stared intently at Kara as she took the seat across from him. Her sandy brown hair, streaked with blonde highlights, cascaded onto her shoulders. His fingers itched to push it back away from her face so he could see her better. Where was the confident young woman he’d met months ago? She seemed almost afraid of him. His leg was bouncing like a junky needing a fix as he forced himself to remain seated instead of walking over and scooping her up to sit her in his lap like he wanted.

“Kara,” he said her name gently, but firmly. “Look at me.”

She raised her head slowly until finally her blue-green eyes met his black ones. His wolf growled at the worry he saw there.

“I realize we don’t know each other well. But we’ve talked, yeah?”

She nodded.

“You talked to me for the past two weeks, and you seemed okay. Has something changed? Are you scared of me?” he asked, his voice sharper than he intended.

“No, I’m not scared of you,” she said, the words rushing out of her in a quick breath. “Not at all. Nothing’s changed except you can talk,” she said awkwardly.

“Did something happen while you were in the pixie realm? Did someone hurt you?” He hated to ask, but he had to understand the look in her eyes and why he was feeling waves of uncertainty, fear, and even some defeat, flowing out of her.

“No, nothing like that happened. Mostly we listened to Heather tell stupid jokes,” she said with a small smile.

He didn’t even want to ask his next question out loud because he feared the answer. “Are you disappointed”—he paused and gritted his teeth—“that I’m your true mate?”

Her eyes widened, and he wasn’t sure if it was because he’d spoke to her mind through the bond or because of what he’d asked.

She stood up slowly and walked around the table until she was directly in front of him. Since he was sitting, they were eye level with one another. Her vanilla scent washed over him, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning and grabbing her to bury his face in her neck.

“Disappointed?” she asked. “I’m a lot of things right now, shocked, excited, worried, flummoxed—is that a word?” She shook her head and waved her hand. “Whatever. I’m curious, overwhelmed, and yeah, even, ah, um, a little, well, aroused. Yeah, I went there. But disappointed? Of you? Have you seen yourself?”

Kara needed to shut up. She knew she did. She was literally chanting in her head, “Kara, shut up.” But did her lips stop? No. “You’re tall and muscular, with these brooding good looks and devouring obsidian eyes. You walk around with this devil-may-care attitude.” She took a deep breath and let it out as she added, “But you’re also kind and gentle. And really, really strong.”

“Is that important?” he asked.

She could tell he was trying hard not to grin. And she seriously appreciated it.

“Maybe, yes. I can’t say that if I was out hunting for a werewolf mate that I would be like, ‘Hey, who’s the weakest of the bunch? Yeah, I want you.’”

He threw his head back and laughed.

Kara stood there staring at him, wanting to laugh, too, because she was being ridiculous, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He was simply striking and breathtaking.

When his laughter died down, he lowered his head and looked at her through hooded eyes. Kara decided then and there that he was dangerous, and she should be afraid because he had the power to crush her.

He stood abruptly and pushed the chair out from between them. Kara’s head tilted back as she looked up at him. Nick took a step closer and took her face in his large, warm hands. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she wondered if he could hear it.

“Yes,” he whispered. “I can hear it.”

She licked her lips, and his eyes followed the movement. “Are you going to kiss me?” she blurted out, using their bond for the first time. Apparently, she had no control over her mouth in their mental communication any better than she did verbally.

His lips twitched as though he considered smiling. “Do you want me to kiss you?”

“That’s sort of loaded question.”

“It’s actually pretty simple, sweetheart. Yes, you want my lips on yours. Or no you don’t.”

“Do you want to kiss me?” she asked.

His brow dipped into a sharp V, and he seemed to be wrestling with something but Kara couldn’t hear his thoughts. “I do. Desperately. But you’re seventeen.”

She frowned. “Does my age turn you off?”

He kept his hands on her face, his thumbs gently rubbing her cheeks. “No, it’s just, you’re a bit of a minor. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

Kara reached up and wrapped her hands around his wrists, needing to touch him. “Nick, I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I realize my age is seventeen, but my maturity and ability to make mature choices is well above the legal age, I assure you. If I let you kiss me, it’s not because I’m young and vulnerable and so enamored with your incredible hotness that I can’t make my own choice. If I let you kiss me, it’s because I know you’re my true mate. I didn’t understand what that really meant until this morning, when I felt you in my mind. But I understand now. And I understand that I want a chance to have what Sally and Costin have, and what Peri and Lucian have. I want that. I want that with you. Does that make you feel like you’re taking advantage of me?”

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. “No. It makes me want to kiss you more.”

She stood there, enjoying his hands on her skin and waited. She’d made it clear that she was all in. Was she scared of getting her heart broken? Yes. Was she afraid that one day he’d wake up and see that he’d been saddled with an orphan with bags of insecurities? Most definitely. But was she willing to take a chance that maybe, just maybe, he would fall in love with her? Hell. Yes.

“If I kiss you, I won’t be able to let you go. My wolf is already attached, as am I. But if you let me get even a small taste of you, my mate, I will follow you to the ends of the earth. And attack any male who comes near you.”

She continued to wait, holding his eyes with her own.

He let out a low growl. “I’m going to hell.” His hand slid through her hair, tugging gently, forcing her head back as his lips crashed down onto hers.

Kara wondered how something could feel so right but still scare the ever-loving gypsy out of her. Because kissing Nick, yeah, it pretty much felt like her lips had been created for his. His hand slid down, wrapping around her waist, and he pulled her flush against him. She gasped at the bold move, and he chuckled as he took advantage of her opened mouth. His tongue swept in and touched hers, demanding and coaxing her to respond. She mirrored his movements, molding her lips to his and letting her tongue dance against his.

When he pulled back from her, his breathing was just as harsh as her own. Kara’s eyes were still closed as she stuffed the memory of their first kiss away so she could always savor it.

“Open your eyes, sweetheart,” Nick said as he ran his fingers up and down her spine.

Kara blinked several times before finally looking up at him. He was looking down at her with unabashed desire and awe. “It’s never felt like that before.”

Nick growled. “I know you didn’t know about our world before, but it is still difficult to imagine that you’ve kissed other males before me. There will be none after me,” he said with a smirk.

“Even if there were, with one kiss, you’ve ruined me for any other first kiss or any kiss for that matter,” Kara said.

Nick moved in quickly as he pressed a firm but quick kiss to her lips. “Good. I’ll be sure that every kiss is better than the last.”

Kara pressed her forehead to his chest as she groaned. “If they get better than that, we’re in trouble.”

Nick laughed as his fingers ran through her hair, and he kissed her head gently. “We’re already in trouble, jailbait.”

* * *

Stella couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was beautiful, in a very masculine way. She could tell in the way he carried himself that he was incredibly confident. This was a man who took charge but didn’t have to raise his voice to do so. His pack members probably fell all over themselves to do his bidding. There was something alluring and inviting about him.

“You’re more beautiful than I ever imagined you would be,” Ciro said as he took the chair across from where she sat on one of the empty beds.

The other girls had gone with their mates, and Stella was left alone with Ciro. His comment should have sounded cheesy, but he said it with complete sincerity, and she had no choice but to believe him.

“This must be very overwhelming for you, Stellina.”

His voice was mesmerizing and the accent of his Italian ancestry more than a little distracting.

“Stella isn’t short for anything.” That was her brilliant response.

He smiled, and her breath caught. That smile should be illegal. She didn’t know a woman on earth that wouldn’t beg him to bestow it on her.

“Stellina means star in my language. Stella is another form of the word, but it also translates to star. It seems fitting you would be a star, drawing me into your light when I have been in darkness for such a long time. You shine, not to overpower, but to help others find their way.”

“If any other guy said something like that I would laugh,” she said truthfully. “But you really mean it.”

“I do.”

Her stomach tightened as she let herself consider a future with the man in front of her. Could she let go of everything that has happened to her? Would she be able to let him touch her, kiss her, and—she shuddered—bite her? Could she let him that close?

“Tesoro mio, we will move at your pace. I’m not asking for anything more than what we are doing right now. Just talk to me. Spend time with me. No touching, no kissing, and no biting.”

“Won’t that be hard for you? Doesn’t your wolf demand that you claim your mate, that you claim me?” she asked.

“Does he want to claim you? Yes, very much, as do I. Am I, or my wolf, so barbaric that we would do something our mate isn’t ready for? Never. I could never force you to do something that would hurt you, terrify you, or drive you away from me. I’ve waited a very, very long time for you. I am patient. I can wait for as long as you need me to.”

“What if it’s months or even years until I’m ready for that kind of intimacy?”

Ciro dug deep for the patience that he just spoke of. Years would be difficult, but for her he would do it. “I will wait as long as you need me to,” he repeated slowly. “You have no idea how long I have waited for you. Is it difficult to hold back, knowing you are now so close to me? Of course, but I’ve waited centuries. A few more years won’t kill me.”

She stared at him, her gaze holding his without embarrassment. She seemed to be weighing his words and looking for any sign that he wasn’t telling her the truth. But she found no deceit.

“Look into my mind, Stellina. Feel what I feel.” He continued to stare at her as he switched forms of communications. “I have no secrets from you. Search my mind, and you will know that what I say is true.”

Ciro could feel her presence in his mind. It was intimate and precious. He let himself be an open book, letting her feel him. He didn’t want to scare her with his emotions, but he wanted her to understand.

Her mouth dropped open slightly as her eyes widened. “You feel all that for me? When you don’t even know me?”

“I feel all of that for you, Cara mio, because you are my true mate. You were created specifically for me, and I was created for you. Caring for you, loving you, protecting you, adoring you, all of it comes as natural as breathing to me. For you and you alone.” He wouldn’t lie to himself, he wanted to touch her. He wanted to run his fingers across her cheek and feel the skin that looked as soft as silk. He would wait and he knew it would be worth the wait.

Stella released a deep breath. “That’s intense.” She paused and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m just going to need some time to process this. Being told about the strength of emotions is one thing, experiencing it is entirely different.”

He inclined his head. “I understand. Please know you can ask and tell me anything, Stellina. If you don’t understand something, or I do something that you don’t like, all you have to do is tell me.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “I think I should tell you that I’d like you not to go sifting through my thoughts. There are things in my past that I may eventually tell you about, but I don’t think now is the time to dump all of that out on the table.”

Ciro pulled himself from her mind, wanting to give her the privacy she needed, but not before he saw a glimpse of what he knew she wanted to hide. He forced himself not to react, though all of his natural instincts were screaming at him to hunt down those who had hurt his mate. But she wasn’t ready to share that part of herself with him, and he would respect that, no matter how much his wolf disagreed.

“When you’re ready to share that part of yourself with me,” he said, his voice deeper than he intended, “please know that you will never again have to bear the burden of your past alone. I will bear it with you. And if there is anything or anyone that needs to be dealt with, I will deal with it for you.”

“Ciro.” She breathed his name out as she stared into his eyes. “Are you saying you would kill for me?”

“Yes,” he said clearly so there was no way for her to misunderstand him. “I would destroy anything or anyone who has or would hurt you. And to be perfectly honest, in some instances, I would do it with a smile on my face.”