I drive Winnie home that night and give her a small kiss on the cheek. I don’t push for more, but my wolf is clawing at me from the inside. This is by far the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do.

The only way thing that brought me through it is the fact that I’ve got her scent on me, and that this brings me one step closer to getting her to accept me as her mate. If I can make her happy and give her pleasure, then that’s what I want to do.

After I watch her close the door to her house, I do a perimeter sweep just to be on the safe side. Something about the other night is digging at me, and I don’t like it. I go around her house a couple of times, but I don’t smell anything strange. I let the feeling go, thinking that I’m just being paranoid about my mate. I’ll pick her up and take her to work in the morning to be safe. And possibly to steal kisses, if I’m being completely honest about it.

Tonight was so wonderful—tasting her and loving her body. I can’t wait for a lifetime together when I’ll get to enjoy her as often as I want. Lying next to her made me ache, because I remembered what it was like to sleep in the bed with her. How I wanted her sweetness even then, and it made it impossible to be near her like that.

I turn to go back towards my truck, the smile pulling at my face, but suddenly the wind changes, sending a new scent my way. I flip around and start running for the woods.

I leap into the air and shift before I land, ripping my clothes to shreds and landing on four paws. I let out a snarl loud enough for anyone to hear, wanting whoever is out there to be afraid.

I know the scents of my packmates and of the surrounding packs. Alphas meet and tour each others’ homes and keep in close contact to protect one another. If there’s an outsider here, it’s not for a good reason, or they would have made themselves known. They would know not to slip through the woods. It’s most likely a rogue shifter, and they’re the most dangerous.

Running through the woods, I try to catch the scent, but it’s fading. The shifter must have known the winds would bring his scent my way and ran. What’s he doing at my mate’s house? At the thought of Winnie, I stop tracking him and run back to the house. I can’t chase after him while trying to protect my mate. She’s the priority.

Once I get back to the house, I howl loudly, letting everyone inside know I’m out here. They’ll know the sound of the alpha.

Winnie jerks open the door almost immediately, running out to me without hesitation. She’s coming to me for protection, and it makes pride swell in my chest. When she gets to me, she wraps her arms around my neck and buries her face in my fur. I nearly purr from the feeling of having her against me, but I keep myself in check.

“What’s wrong, Stone? Your howl made me panic. I needed to get to you.” She leans back, looking into my eyes, and I start to begin to shift. “No!” she shouts, gripping my fur. She looks back over her shoulder at her stepmother and stepsister standing on the porch and then looks back to me. Leaning in close so only I can hear her, she whispers in my ear. “I don’t want you to shift back without clothes on.”

Shifters are used to seeing each other naked—it’s kind of an occupational hazard—but I think I would feel the same were there males around to see my mate naked.

“Do you have clothes in your truck?”

I nod, and Winnie comes up beside me, walking over to the truck and pulling out a bag. I follow her, step for step, looking around for danger, and making sure she’s completely protected. I don’t want to shift back to human form, but I need to tell Winnie and her family I’m worried about a rogue shifter, and I need to get Winnie to safety.

After a moment, she pulls out a shirt and jeans. She walks to the other side of the truck where I’m no longer visible to her family.

I shift back and stand naked before her. Winnie holds my clothes but doesn’t make a move to hand them to me. She just looks me up and down. If this wasn’t a serious situation, I’d make a joke about being a piece of meat. My hard cock juts out, pointing right at her, and when her tongue comes out to lick her lips, it bounces a little at the invitation.

Fuck, I need to get myself under control.

I take one long step and press my naked body to hers and back her up against the truck. “Now’s not the time to be looking at me like that, little cub. I need to get you to safety.” Grabbing my shirt and jeans out of her hand, I lean down to kiss her neck just a little before stepping back and getting dressed.

Winnie shakes her head a little as if she’s pushing away her own lust-filled fog. “What was that howl for? It made chills run up and down my spine, and not in a good way.”

“There’s a rogue shifter in the woods out here. I thought I caught something the last night, but I brushed it off. Tonight, I’m sure of it. I didn’t catch him, but the scent is here around your house.”

“My house? What would a rogue shifter be doing here?” She looks around as if she might spot a clue. “Maybe it’s a mistake. Just calm down, and let’s think this through.”

Grabbing her hand, I pull her around the truck and back to her house. I’m not letting her get more than an inch from me. As I walk up to the porch, I see her stepmom, Tina, and the twins.

“Trish, go pack a bag for Winnie. Now.”

She flinches, but then nods, turning quickly and doing what I say.

I feel Winnie tug on my arm. “Stone, I’m not going anywhere. This could all be some mix up. Just calm down.”

Ignoring her, I look to Tina. “Do you have a safe place you and the girls can stay for a few days? I’m going to have some of the guys start patrols, and I want to make sure you three are secure until we find out what’s going on.”

“We can go to my sister’s house,” Tina says, looking over at Winnie and giving her a look. I can’t tell if it’s jealousy or anger, but I don’t have time to ask on it before Trish comes out with Winnie’s bag.

“Good. Go ahead and go there now, and I’ll be in touch tomorrow to let you know what I find out. Winnie is obviously coming with me.” Turning, I feel Winnie tug harder against my grip this time.

“Obviously? Stone, let me go.” She tries to jerk a little harder on my hold, but it does nothing. I’m not releasing her.

Not wanting to cause a scene in front of her family, I reach over and pick Winnie up, throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her to my truck. I must have shocked her because she doesn’t fight me. I put her in the passenger seat and lock the door as I walk around and get behind the wheel.

Putting the truck in drive, I hit the gas and head back to our home. I see Winnie out of the corner of my eye as she crosses her arms and lets out a huff of frustration.

It’s a quick drive back to our home, and when we get there, Winnie makes no move to get out. Turning towards her in the cab of the truck, I see she won’t even look at me.

“Winnie. Look at me.” I use my alpha voice, and after a second of hesitation, her eyes snap to mine. “We did this your way, but that’s over now. There was a stranger outside your house tonight, and I didn’t recognize the scent. I’ve scented thousands of shifters and didn’t know this one. Do you have any idea what kind of danger that puts you in? You’re my mate whether you accept that or not, and I will die to protect you.” She flinches at my words, but I’m finished letting her make the calls between us. I want her to choose me, but there is no other choice but me, so it’s time she realized what I am to her.

I reach out and grip her chin, firmly holding her so that she can’t look away. “Don’t put your life as well as mine in danger by not listening to me and doing what you think is best. You will stay here in our home now. This indecision is done. You are mine.”