Aster snatched up the phone and called her dad. He answered immediately.

“Aster, what is it? I’m in the middle of something.” He sounded breathless, which was highly unusual. Her dad was more in shape than someone half his age.

“Dad, I think I screwed up and put Reeve in danger.” He paused on the other end and grew eerily quiet.

“What did you do?” he asked.

Aster hesitated and glanced over at Willow, who was standing behind the counter listening. She nodded in encouragement, so Aster took a deep breath before spilling the story out. He didn’t even wait for her to finish, but he got the gist.

“Damn it, Aster. She’s your sister, not your enemy. If you only knew what she sacrificed for you.”

Aster pictured her dad pinching the bridge of his nose, something he always did when he was agitated with her. “You need to stay put at the shop. There’s no need for you getting in the middle. I’ve heard whispers about this guy and he’s not playing with a full deck.”

“Okay, but I want to help, Dad. I didn’t know this guy was such bad news.”

“Just stay there. At least I know you’re safe and won’t have to worry about you, too.” He hung up the phone.

“What did he say?” Willow asked. She had come out from behind the counter and sat down at the table with Aster.

“He wants me to stay here.”

Just then a sheriff’s patrol car screamed by the coffee shop, its blue lights flashing. A second patrol car followed right behind it. They headed in the direction of Patrick’s place.

“Shit,” she said out loud and stood up quickly, almost knocking her chair over.

“Wait!” Willow reached out and grabbed hold of Aster’s hand. “You need to stay here.”

Aster reluctantly sat down again, but she was restless and literally sat on the edge of her seat, her gaze not wavering from the front picture window. Minutes ticked by slowly on the wall clock behind the counter. Her sensitive hearing attuned to the steady tick, tick, tick as time marched forward. Cell phones erupted all around her as notifications and ringtones went off. She caught snippets of whispered conversations about a fight up the street between mountain lions. That’s all she needed to hear. She stood up, this time knocking her chair over.

“Aster!” Willow called after her, but she was out the door and running up the street before Harlow had the chance to cast another spell. She ran past the bookstore, and other businesses flashed by in a blur as she deftly dodged pedestrians who were in her way. An ambulance raced past, its sirens hurting her ears. Up ahead, she saw a collection of flashing lights. A patrol car was parked across Main Street, blocking traffic.

Aster slipped through an opening in a hedge and ran across several lawns to reach the front of Patrick’s development, where all of the action seemed to be concentrated. She came to a sudden stop when she saw her brother, Braden, locked in a fight with the largest mountain lion she’d ever seen. She recognized her brother’s markings; the tops of his ears were tipped with black fur, and he had a unique diamond-shaped patch of white right above his nose. The rest of his fur was dark and matted with blood. Fresh wounds oozed from both sides of his body.

Then Aster took in the rest of the scene unfolding in front of her. Patrick lay on the grass, off to the side like a discarded piece of trash. Reeve kneeled beside him, holding his hand as a medic treated his wounds. She wore a bathrobe that had been loosely cinched at her waist. Patrick had a surgical green sheet draped over the lower half of his body. Aster suspected they had both fought in their cat forms, leaving them naked as the day they were born when they shifted back.

Braden, distracted by Aster’s appearance on the sidelines, turned his head to hiss at her, and Damian attacked. His jaws clamped down on Braden’s neck, and the ensuing snap was deafening. Braden went limp, and his eyes focused on some distant point before she saw the light fade.

“No!” she shrieked, and her inner cat rose to the surface, ready and anxious to join the fight to avenge her brother’s death.

Reeve’s cry joined hers when to their horror, their father stepped onto the bloodied lawn. His cat bore the scars of previous battles: a clipped ear, healed-over claw marks where scar tissue prevented fur from growing. He was battle-worn, but each scar told a story of survival. He was the alpha of their den for a reason.

Sheriff’s deputies circled the fight to prevent anyone else from joining the fray. Sheriff Kasun had his tranquilizer gun trained on Damian, but he didn’t fire. This was an alpha versus alpha confrontation now, and the sheriff, alpha of the Havenwood Falls wolf pack, respected the significance. Aster’s heart pounded in her throat, and tears spilled freely as she moved her way through the gathering crowd to reach her fallen brother. People stepped aside to let her pass, clearing a path. Jordan, an EMT and one of Braden’s friends who had grown up in their family’s den, was trying his best to resuscitate, but Braden had shifted back to his human form, and his skin was already taking on a gray pallor. She sunk down to her knees on the other side of him and took her brother’s hand. This was her fault. She sent that monster to Reeve, she put her sister in danger, and Braden had paid the ultimate price defending their family. Braden’s hand was growing cold in hers, as if she was drawing all of the warmth out.

“I’m sorry, Aster. He’s gone,” Jordan whispered the words she dreaded to hear.

“No! No!” she cried out. Leaning forward, she crouched over her brother and placed her head on his chest. The sounds of the fight were drowned out as grief consumed her, yet a strange thrumming in her blood prevented her from disconnecting completely.

Her cat grew restless as if she paced underneath Aster’s skin, wanting to break free, her attention focused on something approaching. Aster’s sobs stilled as she concentrated on the presence drawing closer. She sniffed the air as the most tantalizing and alluring scent she had ever detected grew stronger. Her blood thrummed deep inside, and her heart beat faster. She heard footsteps coming up behind her, causing her to raise her head from her brother’s chest and look.

A man stood not even five feet away. His eyes were a dark blue, like the color of the river when it reflected the sky on a clear day. He was tall and broad; his shirt barely contained the muscles straining beneath. His sandy blond hair stuck up in some areas, like he had just woken up. Her cat purred in appreciation and urged Aster to her feet. She felt inexplicably drawn to this stranger, and his nostrils flared as she approached, his eyes flashing amber briefly. Then he held his hand out to her. The moment they touched, a shock reverberated through her, like the earth shifted under her feet. Aster gasped and gripped the man’s hand tighter, and she realized she never wanted to let go. He was her anchor. She felt it in her soul, and her cat did, too.

“Mate?” he asked, his eyebrows rising in shock.

“I think so,” she said, breathless. “I’m Aster.”

“Gage Barrows.” His deep voice sent shivers down her spine, and she moved closer. Gage responded by circling her in his strong arms. She nuzzled his chest, absorbing his scent and marking him with hers. He was her mate. At this confirmation, a deep sense of contentment and belonging settled something that she hadn’t realized needed settling. “What happened, Aster? I sense your pain.”

The world came crashing back, her brief suspension from reality ending with his question. Shame washed over her again. Braden was dead and lying feet away, and she had already forgotten about him. Was she always so selfish?

“Hey, talk to me,” Gage pleaded. He tilted her head up so she had to meet his eyes. She blinked fresh tears away and swallowed past the lump in her throat.

“My brother is dead. That bastard killed him.” She pointed in the direction of the fight and sensed Gage tense.

“Shit! That bastard is my alpha,” he growled and narrowed his eyes as he watched the bloody brawl.

“Well, he’s fighting my father now, and he’s my alpha.” They both tensed and gripped each other’s hands tight.

Aster noticed her father slowing down, and she cried out when Damian swiped at him, causing her father to stumble backwards and lose his footing.

“Not my father, too! This is my mess, and I need to fix it,” she told Gage and stepped away from her mate.

Her cat whimpered at the separation. Aster ignored the urge to touch him and called her cat forward. Her muscles snapped and bones popped as she shifted into her cat form. The assault on her senses overwhelmed her at first. The metallic tang of blood that hung in the air was so much stronger, and the multiple heartbeats pulsing around her sounded like a circle of drums. Her mate’s scent dominated her senses, though, and she wanted to slink around his legs and rub against him, but then she heard her father grunt as he suffered another blow.

Barreling past bystanders who cried out in surprise, she rushed the deputy who had his back to her, focused on the fight and not the threat creeping up behind him. She sprung, knocking him down, and ran past him into the fight. Damian had his back end to her, too, his focus on her father, who was uncharacteristically retreating and unable to put pressure on his front left leg. Aster charged and attempted to knock Damian over so his underbelly would be exposed, but her impact jarred her more than him, and she bounced off like a ball against a brick wall. Damian turned to face her and he grinned, revealing a mouth full of vicious teeth stained red with the blood of her family.

Aster shook off the impact and crouched down, her claws digging into the soil for traction. She hissed at the monster in front of her, goading him. Let him spring first, and then she’d slice him open once he was in the air and his belly exposed. Damian’s grin faltered, and he hissed back. Could he read her mind? Then she noticed the crowd had quieted, reminding her of the eerie stillness before a storm erupts.

Just then, another mountain lion entered the fight. She’d never seen this cat before, but she recognized his scent—her mate. Gage moved to stand between Aster and Damian, his backside to Aster so she knew he joined in her defense. His tail flicked with agitation, and his ears were flattened as if pinned to his head. He was equal in size to Damian and absolutely beautiful. His coat glistened in the sunlight, a healthy sheen over muscles that rippled with every movement. He had a reddish hue to his golden fur, darkest along his spine, almost like a ridgeback.

Aster moved back, giving her mate space to fight. He was fresh to battle and stood a better chance against Damian. If he was his alpha, there was a good chance they’d sparred together, or at least Gage had seen him fight before so he’d know Damian’s weaknesses, if he had any. On the other hand, Damian would know Gage’s shortcomings, too.

Suddenly, Gage leaped, and he succeeded where Aster had failed. Damian hissed when he was knocked sideways, but he rolled and quickly regained his footing. They circled each other, teeth on full display and each emitting a low, guttural growl. Gage pounced and forced Damian onto his back, but his jaws snapped open air as Damian managed to push Gage off. Suddenly, with a burst of speed, Damian attacked, and his teeth gained purchase on the back of Gage’s neck.

Aster paced nervously along the perimeter of the open space, her tail swishing and twitching when she saw Gage begin to bleed. He broke free of Damian’s hold and swatted at him with a paw the size of a baseball glove. Claws sliced through Damian’s fur and skin like it was made of tissue paper. Fresh blood bubbled to the surface, and as the scent hit the air, several of the other shifter spectators grew restless. Damian began to slow down, succumbing to his multiple injuries, much to Aster’s relief.

Minutes later, the fight was over. Gage began to dominate, and Damian’s reaction time ebbed. Taking advantage of the hesitation, Gage tackled Damian and clamped his jaws shut. He made it look effortless when he ripped his alpha’s throat out. Blood sprayed in an arc and pooled beneath the prone cat. After a shudder and a series of low pops, Damian’s naked, human body lay on the grass. He was dead.

The relief of tension caused Aster’s cat to retreat, now that the threat had been eliminated, and she shifted back to her human form. Her clothes had been reduced to shredded bits of fabric. She should have cared about being naked or the fact that practically half of the town had gathered to watch the fight, but she didn’t, because Gage stood naked before her. The mating call wrapped around them like an invisible rope. They needed to go somewhere and fast; otherwise she was going to jump him right there.

She ran back to her apartment with Gage right beside her. She caught a glimpse of Willow standing outside Coffee Haven, a big, shit-eating grin on her face. Her tinkling laugh followed them when they turned into the deserted back alley. That’s as far as they made it.

Aster had her foot on the bottom step when Gage’s arms circled her waist, and he pulled her against him. His erection pressed against her.

“I need you now,” he growled in her ear before nipping it with his teeth, sending another wave of arousal over her body. She shivered in anticipation, enjoying the feel of his skin against hers.

He stepped away and she turned around in his arms. Face to face with her mate, she licked her lips, and his blue eyes flared with need before he lowered his head and captured her mouth with his. His tongue slipped against hers, and she opened a little wider to accommodate him, deepening the kiss. His taste exploded on her tongue. The trace of Damian’s blood that lingered excited her, called to her animal nature, and she pressed her body closer, her breasts crushed against his chest. Her mate had killed for her. He defended her and her family. Nothing was hotter than that.

“Thank you,” she whispered before kissing him again. She looped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes, half-tempted to climb up his body. Gage saved her the work when his calloused hands moved down to cup her ass, and in one fluid movement, he lifted her. Aster wrapped her long legs around his hips as he lowered her onto him. He filled her completely, and she moaned in pleasure as their connection deepened. They didn’t move, just stayed still and enjoyed the moment of their union. Her heart beat in sync with her mate’s, and the rhythm pounded deep, like it was in her bones. She licked his lips, little teasing laps with her tongue until they parted, and she was back to tasting him. His scent filled her nose and she tightened around him. The stillness was broken, and Gage started to move.

Aster held on tight and rode him as he rode her. Her nails dug into his shoulder, drawing blood. Dropping her head, she licked up the droplets, cleaning the tiny wounds. Once his blood hit her throat, she was lost and exploded around him. Gage cried out, and his thrusts slowed as he shuddered, releasing deep inside her. She rested her forehead in the crook of his neck, shaking, boneless, weak, and not trusting her legs to support her if he set her down. Gage didn’t, though, and he carried her upstairs to her apartment.