Kate wanted to drown her sorrows, and she knew the perfect place to do it.

As Rosie put the chocolate peanut butter pie with extra-extra whipped cream on the table, the fox shifter asked, “Did you need some plates?”

She looked up at Rosie glumly. “Just a fork will do.”

Rosie shrugged and placed a fork on the table, gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, then walked away.

Kate stabbed the pie with her fork and shoved a big piece in her mouth. The chocolate and peanut butter concoction was amazing, and she felt somewhat satisfied. She was halfway done with the pie when someone slipped into the seat in front of her.

“What’s wrong now?” Sybil asked. “You said you were fine when we dropped you off last night.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Kate said as she swallowed another forkful of pie. She licked the steel clean, dug it into the tin, and offered Sybil a bite. “Want some?”

The dragon shifter grimaced. “No, that’s unsanitary.”

“We drank from the same six bottles of vodka over the weekend, and this is unsanitary?” Kate said. “Well, more for me then.”

Sybil reached over and gripped her wrists, making Kate drop the fork. “Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?”

“Excuse me? What are you doing here, anyway?”

Sybil released her. “Rosie called me,” she said and cocked her head toward the fox shifter. Rosie looked back at them and flashed them a knowing smile. “She said you weren’t looking like yourself, and I needed to come down and rescue you.”

Kate stared down at the half-eaten dish. “From her pies?”

“From yourself!” Sybil said in an exasperated voice. “Now, tell me what happened.”

Kate took a long, deep breath, then told Sybil what had transpired that day. “… And now he won’t even look at me. I’m just … I think I’ve really done it this time, Sybil. I don’t know if he’ll forgive me.”

“Kate,” Sybil began. “What you did was pretty bad, but it’s not unforgivable. You didn’t know what happened to him when he was a kid.”

“Then why is he so mad at me?”

“Have you considered it’s not just that one incident? Sure, Petros hasn’t exactly been a gentleman, and he can be stubborn. But all he wants is you. He doesn’t care about who you are or what happened to you before.”

“It’s the mating bond,” Kate pointed out.

“And so what if it is?” Sybil countered. “It just means fate or whatever or whoever out there in the universe thinks you guys are perfect for each other. Why are you fighting it? Is it because of that jerk, Tommy? It’s been years, Kate; are you still going to let him have control over you after all this time?”

The words made her freeze.

Oh God.

Sybil was right. All this time she thought she was free of Tommy, but she was avoiding relationships because of him. Somehow, even though he was gone from her life, he was still controlling her. Her aversion to Petros calling her “mine” was a reflex on her part, but her wolf knew he wasn’t like Tommy.

“He won't even talk to me. This is it. I’ve made a mess of things, and there’s no way I can fix it.”

Sybil brought her palms down on the table, sending the pie tin clattering across the surface. “Stop thinking like that!”

The smoke curling out of Sybil’s nose made Kate nearly jump out of her seat. “Sybil?”

“You’re Kate motherfucking Caldwell! You’re going to make him listen.” She stood up, pushing the chair behind her a few feet and sending it crashing to the wall. “Oops! Sorry, Rosie!” She gave the proprietress a sheepish smile. “I’ll pay for that.” Sybil turned back to Kate. “C’mon.”

“Wait, where are we going?”

Sybil was already tugging Kate toward the door. “We’re going to Argo’s!”

“You’re coming with me?” Kate asked.

“Of course,” Sybil said. “If that skanky-ass ho comes near you, she’s going to learn what dragon fire tastes like. I’m your ride-or-die-chick, don’t you know?”

Kate laughed until tears sprang in her eyes. “I love you, Sybil.”

“And I love you, you crazy chick! Now, let’s go.”

Argo’s was located in South Blackstone, a newer part of town that Lennox Corp. was developing to attract a younger demographic to live and work in the town. It was all industrial and modern, and several condos, as well as bars, shops, and restaurants had popped up over the last couple of years. Nathan’s loft was actually not far from where they were.

“What the fuck is this place?” Kate exclaimed as they entered the door.

“Are we supposed to be in space or something?” Sybil asked.

Argo’s had that ultra-cool industrial look inside, with sleek glass decor, black metal countertops, and stainless steel furniture. The waitresses were dressed in super tight silver dresses and carried trays of fancy cocktails. Some kind of modern “song” that sounded like an out of tune harpsichord and a timpani had a mutant child was playing over the speaker.

“Ugh. I can’t believe they let this place open in Blackstone,” Sybil said.

“The price of progress, I suppose,” Kate said. “It doesn’t matter, anyway.” Hopefully, they wouldn’t be staying too long.

“Where is he?” Sybil asked.

Kate looked around. “There.”

The Agency team was gathered around several tables, and they were all chatting and laughing, seemingly having a good time. Kate’s gaze immediately landed on Petros, who was standing near the bar all by himself.

“Go,” Sybil urged.

But Kate’s feet were frozen. On the drive here she had been confident, finally realizing what had been holding her back all this time. Seeing him, however, was an entirely different story, and the air squeezed out of her lungs so hard it hurt. Thinking about how he looked at her today—with those cold, dead eyes—made her feel like her chest was caving in. She would rather he was angry at her, like he had been that day at the lake, instead of the cold indifference he was showing.

“He’s leaving!” Sybil said. Petros had put down a few bills on the bar and was heading toward the side exit. “Go after him!”

“I—Shit!” Kate spotted Agatha looking around the bar. Her eyes narrowed as they landed on Petros’ retreating back, and she grabbed her purse.

“Is that her?” Sybil asked.

“Yeah.” Kate was seeing red. “How much cash do you have on you?”

“Why?”

Kate growled. “I’ll need bail money because they’re gonna put me in jail after I check a bitch!”

“No need.” Sybil rolled up her shirt sleeves. “I’ll take care of her.”

“Okay … wait, are you really going to set her on fire?”

Sybil choked. “What? No! I’ll improvise. You go after Petros, and I’ll make sure you guys aren’t disturbed.”

“Thanks, Sybil. You’re the best.” Kate sprinted to where Petros was headed, getting in front of Agatha. She heard a loud crash behind her and an indignant shriek, and she gave another silent thanks to her best friend.

Pushing against the exit door, she left the building and glanced around. The lot was half-empty, so it was easy to spot Petros as he strode to his parked truck.

Now or never.

Kate ran toward him. “Petros!”

He froze, his hand still on the door of his truck. Slowly, he turned around, then crossed his arms over his chest when he saw her. “What do you want?”

She swallowed, hoping it would clear the tight burning in her throat. “Petros, please I—”

“You’ve already said what you needed to say.” His jaw was tight and his eyes like hard glass. He was doing it again. Looking through her like she wasn’t there.

She ignored the stabbing pain in her chest. “I want to apologize. For my behavior for the past weeks. You’re right; I am a brat.” For a moment she thought she saw a crack in his expression, so she continued. “Christina told me.”

“She told you what?”

“Everything. About you. Your parents and your best friend—”

Petros roared and slammed his hand on the hood of the truck. “She had no right!”

“She told me so I could understand why you acted that way at the lake. And I realize I was an asshole, pretending to—to do that.”

Pain crossed his face. “I didn’t want you to know that way. I never wanted you to know at all.”

“Why not?” Her stomach clenched, and it was like she could feel his pain, too. “Why would you keep that from me?”

“So you wouldn’t have to know how broken I am!” He took a step toward her. His wolf was on the edge now, snapping and biting, but she wasn’t scared. “If you did, then you would never accept the mating bond! Why would you?”

“Petros …” She placed a hand on his chest, his heart beating wildly against her palm. “Why would you think any of that would matter to me?”

He stared down at her. “When I washed up on the shores of Lykos, I had nothing,” he began. “The couple who adopted me, they did it out of obligation. Because the Alpha told them to. They weren’t unkind, but they treated me like a chore. A burden. The old man died when I was twenty years old, and I took care of the wife out of duty until she passed. Now that they were both gone, I feel nothing except some passing sadness.”

The gasp escaped from her lips involuntarily, and she had to cover her mouth to stop from sobbing.

“Though my home life was not ideal, I grew up around the other children in Lykos. One of them was Milos.” He paused. “He became my best friend. His mother treated me like her own son, gave me affection when I had none at home.” His lips set into a tight line. “I was the one who told her about her son’s death and held her in my arms as she broke down in her kitchen.”

“Oh. God.” Kate could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Petros, it wasn’t your fault.”

“But it was,” he said. “He was shot and fell overboard. We didn’t notice until it was too late. If he didn’t die of his injuries, then surely the sea took him. I was the team leader. His friend. I should have been standing at the back of the boat to check if we were being followed and—”

“No!” Kate threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face to his chest. “No, no, no! Don’t say that.” The thought of him dying … it was driving her and her wolf crazy.

She felt a hand rubbing down her back in a soothing manner. “Kate, there is nothing for me to forgive. I was the one who acted out of line that day. You didn’t know all of this. The demons of my past took over. When I saw you in the water, I reacted.”

Kate pulled away and looked up at him. “Petros, it’s not just about that day. This whole time … I’ve been letting my past demons control me too, punishing you for something that’s not your fault.”

He tensed. “Your former boyfriend?”

“How—”

“Sybil mentioned him but did not go into detail. But I gathered enough to know he hurt you deeply.”

Kate’s breath hitched. “He did. But it wasn’t just me. Because of what he did, I ignored my friends and family. Pushed everyone away, even my parents. He hurt all of them, too. And finally, after Amelia and Sybil were able to knock some sense into me, I told myself I would never let anyone control me like that again. That I would never let anyone own me.”

His arms loosened around her. “Then you must forgive me.”

“Huh?”

“For presuming that just because we are mates you would immediately fall into my arms. Or making it seem like I owned you.”

“I was so shocked,” she said. “I didn’t think I would ever find a mate. My parents weren’t mates, you know, and they’re perfectly happy together.”

“I left Lykos because I knew my mate wasn’t there,” Petros explained. “I felt incredibly lucky to have found you so quickly. I just wanted someone to cherish forever. Someone I could make a home with, together.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for all this,” Kate confessed. “It’s all going too fast.” Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and the blood was rushing to her brain so quickly she felt like she was going to faint. But, being in Petros’s arms, inhaling his fresh ocean scent, it all felt right. Still, her natural, human instinct was to fight it with all her might.

“Then we can take it slow,” he said. “I will not rush you anymore, Kate-m—” He stopped himself before he continued.

“No—I mean, you can still call me that.” Oh God, was she blushing? Grrr … Kate motherfucking Caldwell did not blush!

“You like it when I call you Kate-mine?”

“I … it’s growing on me,” she said, but pressed her cheek to his chest to hide her face. As she breathed his scent in again, she felt him relax.

“Go out with me. On a date,” he said. “Please.”

“Are you asking me out?” she asked, raising a brow at him.

He grinned at her. “Yes. Yes, I am. Should I get down on one knee?”

“Don’t you dare—hey!” She slapped him playfully. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

“And you said I didn’t have a single funny bone.”

“Why you—Hmm …. " Oh, those lips again. She sank against him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her and being pressed up to his warm, hard body as his mouth moved over hers in a kiss. This was soft and slow and really very sweet, but it still sent tingles over her skin.

“I just had to,” he said when he pulled away. “It’s been too long since I’ve tasted you.”

“It’s only been two days.” God, he was so intense. But she had to admit, she liked it.

“Like I said, too long.” He let go of her and stepped back. “I want to do this the right way. To court you properly.”

“Court me?” Okay, while that seemed corny, she couldn’t help but find it sweet.

“Yes. I will take you to a nice dinner. We will have conversations and get to know each other,” he said.

Oooh, that sounded nice.

“Perhaps we can take a nice stroll somewhere.”

Hmm, romantic, but she wanted to know about the main event. “And then afterward …?”

“Afterward, I will take you home …”

“Yes?” Oh God, please say you want to fuck my brains out!

“And say goodnight.”

“What?” she asked, her voice raising.

“Then we will go out again the following day.”

She pouted. “That’s it?”

He laughed. “Kate-mine, while your delectable body is tempting, I also want you to get to know me before we become intimate.” He lowered his voice. “Because when we make love, there will be no going back.”

Kate shivered. “I already—”

The loud sound of a door slamming open and hitting the wall made them pull apart. “Sybil?”

Sybil walked briskly toward them, her eyes darting around her. There was a red stain down the front of her white blouse, and her hair was all wet. “Kate! Are you done? We gotta go!”

“Go?” Kate asked, confused. “Why?”

“I … er … took care of … that thing … oh, hi Petros!” she greeted.

“What the hell happened?” Kate asked.

“Well, I kind of … set fire to Agatha’s hair.”

“You what?”

“It was an accident! And she was being a bitch!” Sybil said. “I stopped her from … you know … by running into her. Unfortunately, she was holding a glass of wine.” She motioned to the front of her blouse. “It spilled over both of us. So then she started shouting at me in Greek. I offered to help clean up, but when we went to the bathroom, I lent her my sweater while I was washing out her blouse. She was standing over me, berating me the whole time, and I kind of ‘accidentally’ broke the tap and it sprayed all over her.”

Kate had to bite her lip from giggling. “And then what happened?”

“So she gets even more mad at me, and she starts insulting me in English and calling me names,” Sybil continued. “Her coworkers came in, and half of them were holding her back and the other half were threatening me. They were cornering me, and Agatha broke free of their grasp and … it was a reflex, I swear!” she huffed, a puff of smoke escaping her nostrils. “I only singed her bangs.”

“It’s probably an improvement,” Kate drolled.

“Anyway, can we get out of here, please?” Sybil begged. “I barely escaped.”

Kate wanted to remind her she could turn into a twenty-foot fire-breathing dragon but held back. Besides, it’s not like she was getting any action tonight, so she might as well go home and get some sleep. She glanced over at Petros. “I drove over, so I should take Sybil back to her car.”

“Of course,” he said with a nod. “But be ready after work?”

Oh, right. “I will.” Damn, if Sybil weren’t here, she could have maybe gotten to second base. Kate shot Petros an apologetic look, and he nodded at her.

“See you later, Petros!” Sybil said as she started dragging Kate away. “C’mon! I think I hear them coming!”

Kate groaned. “Fine, let’s get out of here.” She and Sybil would probably never come back to Argo’s again but that wasn’t going to be a problem. She’d stick to The Den from now on.