I walk through the woods, and the closer I get to town, the warmer my chest feels. It’s strange, because it’s not anxiety, which is what I expected to feel. I pull on the sleeves of my shirt, trying to make it longer than it is, but I give up and walk through the clearing at the back of the bakery.

I stand there and take a few breaths, trying to relax. Dominic was right. I’ve finished my home, and if I want to move forward in life and find my mate, then I need to take the next step. I’m afraid of what’s to come, but I know that locking myself away in the woods won’t bring me any closer to what I want.

Running my hand through my long hair, I try to brush it out of my face to look less intimidating. I probably should’ve shaved my long beard or cut my hair, but I let that thought go. It’s too late to do anything about it now. It’s been a long time since I cared about what I look like, and the feeling is a bit foreign.

Once I round the corner of the bakery store front, I see the crowd of people, and I stop. It’s been so long since I was around this many people, and the noise in my sensitive ears is a bit jarring. I need a second to adjust, so I stand there and take a breath. Giving myself a pep talk, I keep trying to stay focused on how important finding a mate is to me. I know she’s out there, and I’m ready now. I wasn’t for a long time, but the past few months have changed me, and I can do it. I can be the best mate there ever was.

Taking another cleansing breath, the warming in my chest expands. A slight breeze rolls across my face, and as I breathe in, a faint trace of something sweet catches me. My eyes snap open just as my wolf snarls one word in my head.

Mine.

I can sense it in my beating heart. She’s here. I close my eyes tightly and then open them again, looking out into the crowd. I take another deep breath, feeling the breeze, and I lock on to the scent. She’s there, not more than a few yards from me. Her back is to me, but that’s my mate. Her long blonde hair is being blown in the wind, and her scent is traveling straight to me. She’s the one, she’s mine.

I see Stone on the other side of her, and I stop for a second. His father used to be the pack alpha, but my wolf can sense Stone is the alpha now, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Before I can think too much about the situation, he takes a step closer to my mate and he growls. My instincts kick in, and the only thing in my head is to protect my mate.

Surprisingly, I don’t shift. Instead, I run straight for him as fast as I can. I lunge full force at Stone, lowering my shoulder and tackling him into a nearby tent. My seven-foot-tall body is much bigger than his, and I easily take him out. My wolf howls inside me at the pride of defending my mate against the biggest wolf here.

I’m tangled in the tent, but release myself easily, jumping to my feet and getting into a fighting stance. I will fight the alpha to the death if I have to. She’s rightfully mine, and I won’t let anyone so much as look at her. As Stone gets to his feet, Dominic gets between the two of us.

“X! No!” Dominic is holding his hands up and his eyes are pleading for me to stop, but my wolf is going crazy inside me. He wants out, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hold him.

I lock eyes with Stone, and it’s then he remembers who I am. Something like regret passes across his eyes, but I can’t be sure before it’s gone and rage replaces it. He looks away from me, but I don’t take my eyes off him. I can sense my mate is close, and I need to keep my eyes on the threat to her.

“I won’t let him take her.” Stone looks around us, but I don’t care who sees. I will defeat him in front of the pack and whoever else is here. I’m sure there are humans present, but I can’t see beyond my tunnel vision. The mating bond has taken over me, and I’m blinded to all reason.

“Mine!”

I turn around to find my mate and make sure she’s not scared. When our eyes meet, I feel the pounding beat of my heart in my ears. I look into the sweet innocent eyes of my beloved. The eyes that have haunted my dreams all these years. The eyes I wished to look into every single day. The eyes I never believed could be mine. It’s my sleeping beauty, and she’s my mate.

“He’s not stable. I won’t let him take her.” Stone’s words break through my fogged mind. “I’ll put him down first.”

I snap back to look at him to tell him what I’ll do to him if he tries it, but I hear a loud growl and turn back in time to see the source is my mate. Pride swells in my chest, and I can feel the alpha blood in her body. My wolf senses that she’s matched well with us, both of us respect her inner strength. I see her wolf come forward in her eyes, and my wolf comes forward to match hers. He wants to claim her, and he won’t wait much longer.

“Everyone just calm down. Xavier, come over here to me.” I hear Ruby call my name, and while I care for her as a close friend, it’s not her place to step into this fight. Even less so when she’s carrying cubs.

“Mine!” Again, my mate lashes out, and my heart fills with pride. She could lead her own pack with the power that’s inside her. She’s my true match.

“Goddamn it. All of you knock it the fuck off!” Dominic’s voice silences everyone. He looks at me, and I see the compassion in his eyes. “Let him take her. He won’t hurt her.”

Dominic, having a mate of his own, understands what’s happening. I would never harm a single hair on my mate’s head. My life is now dedicated to hers until my last breath.

“No.” Stone says the single word to Dominic, but his eyes are locked on me in challenge. So be it.

“I’ll fight you and win.” I have no problems shredding him to pieces if he’s what’s standing between me and what’s mine. I crouch, preparing to attack him. I can smell my mate’s fear, my body and wolf already attuned to her. I turn to meet my love’s eyes and try to ease her worries. “You have nothing to fear from me. I’ll prove I’m strong and a good mate. You’ll see.”

“Don’t hurt my brother.” Her words are tender, and I can see that she cares for her litter mate. He’s also the alpha, so she’ll feel even more loyalty to him.

“I never wish to harm your family unless they keep you from me. It’s best they learn now that I’m strong. They’re no competition against me. I’ll always win.” I don’t want to hurt anyone she cares for, but I will never allow anyone to stand in my way when it comes to her.

“I’ll have to get in the middle of you and him.”

Her words hurt me and make me angry. I won’t have her come between me and something else. I’ll never have her in danger. I see now that this situation is upsetting her, and I need to take us away from it.

Letting out a loud growl, I leap over to her and throw her over my shoulder, preparing to run with her back to the woods. As soon as I have her in my arms, a shooting pain hits my hip, and I drop to my knees, careful to cradle my mate and not drop her. The pain is excruciating, and I feel a drug spread through my body. It’s slowing me and making my limbs heavy.

“They can’t keep you from me.” My mouth is dry, but I look into her eyes, needing to tell her that I love her. I’ve waited so long to have her, but I feel myself slipping away. “My beauty.”

She touches my face, and my wolf howls as I lose consciousness.

* * *

I’m know I’m dreaming because it’s the same one I always have of her. It’s a memory of when I was younger and I watched her.

It’s nighttime, and I’m outside her bedroom window, watching her sleep. She started keeping her window open a few days ago, and I don’t know if it’s because she knows I watch her, or just because she likes the night air.

Breathing deep, I take in her sweet scent of roses and it makes me feel calm. Something about being near her makes me feel whole.

Softly, I start to hum a lullaby, hoping I can reach her in her sleep. She rolls to her side, facing me, and in the moonlight I can see she’s still fast asleep. The blanket has fallen off her legs, showing me that she’s only in her panties and an oversized t-shirt.

For a second I stop humming and just look at her. I feel a tightness in my chest at seeing so much of her young body like this. I should leave, but I can’t find it in myself to do so. Instead, I look away, not wanting to take any more of her innocence, just by seeing her like this, than I already have. I look at the moon and start to hum the lullaby again, hoping to soothe her in her dreams.

I should go. I should leave. But I can’t. Instead, I watch the moon and sing to her as I steal her sweet scent for my own selfish comfort. I feel the word forming like it has every other time I have the dream. Every time I wake up, it’s with her name on my lips.