I raced through the woods, following the coast of the little island the local Feral Breed called their own. The supernatural population of the place had been growing for a couple for years at that point, creating an almost private reserve for themselves. The guys had bought as much land as they could, making sure property lines butted up against one another and stretched from the water inland. Each lot differed in size and shape, each house unique, but the overall sense of the place was one of wilderness and privacy. There were acres to run on and huge plots of land where no outsiders ever seemed to come. A shifter and witch sanctuary surrounded by nature. I liked it. I liked it even more that Julian lived there. What I didn’t like was crossing paths with other shifters while out.

I ran the length of the properties, trying to clear my head. Needing to shake off the dread I’d felt after my conversation with Julian the night before. We’d gone to bed together, even cuddled like we normally loved to do, but I hadn’t been able to sleep. So I’d crawled out of bed at the ass crack of dawn and headed into the woods. I wanted to be alone to think, but that wasn’t an option, apparently. Before I’d even reached the first property line of the forest, two wolves appeared from the dappled shadows under the trees. Two I recognized well. Rebel and Bez ran with me, one on each flank. Following me down the path and through the trees. Keeping pace with me but not coming too close. Guarding me. Their positions didn’t help calm me a bit. I didn’t like people trying to sneak up on me, and my wolf didn’t like to be followed. Luckily, we both liked to compete.

As we circled around at the shore and began the trek back through the forest, I picked up the pace, pumping my legs faster, harder. I’d taken this from a leisurely run to a race, and there was no way I’d lose. My wolf wouldn’t allow it.

I growled as I passed over a trail through the middle of the property, one leading from Phoenix’s cabin to Beast’s. I didn’t turn, though. I kept running south, heading for Rebel’s home. For Julian. The man who probably didn’t want to talk to me after last night.

Why did things have to be so complicated? We’d struggled since meeting just to be able to spend time together, and now that we were old enough to demand freedom, we couldn’t find a middle ground on what the future should be. I wanted to exchange mating bites, but he wanted more than that. To be like me. And as much as I would have loved that, would have been completely blissful running in the woods with my wolf mate by my side, the idea of him being turned—of killing his human side and giving him an inner wolf to share his body—terrified me. Some humans made it through just fine—Rebel himself had been born human. Others…they lost memories, like Phoenix had. For years after his turning, he couldn’t remember his own surname. I knew of Anbizens who’d damn near lost their minds, becoming hardened and crazed. Thirsty for blood. I couldn’t let that happen to my sweet Julian. I wouldn’t. But how to stop him from pursuing something so dangerous?

Too lost in my thoughts to pay attention to my footing, I scrambled across the gravel as I came onto Rebel’s property, following the driveway toward the garage. The two wolves ran in right after me, breathing hard, snappish with each other as they battled for second place. Typical males.

As soon as I rushed through the open garage door, I shifted human, smirking to cover my heavy heart, and grabbed one of the cloaks Rebel kept on the workbench at the back. Being around humans meant covering up our nakedness as often as possible, something still slightly foreign to me, having grown up in a pack. Nudity and shifters went together. It was a simple fact of life. One I was still learning to ignore.

“Fight all you want, boys. Second place is really just the first loser.”

“You’d fit with my clan well. They all fight to win.”

I spun, crouching and growling as I faced the stranger in the shadows. But as he stepped forward, the fact that he wasn’t truly a stranger caught me off guard. The bear shifter had come back.

“What do you want?” My heart jumped, but not in fear. No, I wasn’t afraid. I was excited. He came back, which meant he was desperate. No shifter would ignore the order of an alpha wolf on his own turf. Not without damn good reason. Wolves were territorial and dangerous when threatened, especially ones as strong as Rebel. This boded well for me, but I’d need to get the bear away from the others. Somehow.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Rebel asked as soon as he shifted human, his voice pure warning.

One the bear chose to ignore. “I came to try my luck one more time.”

“I told you. We’re not—”

“I know.” Bear-man put his hands up, his eyes darting my way a few too many times to be casual. “It’s not normally what you do, but we’re desperate. My clan needs that statue.”

A chill went up my spine. Desperate…just as I’d expected. This was it. My chance. But how…

Bez slipped closer to me, guarding as always and silent as a snake. “The man said no already and asked you to leave his property.”

The bear’s eyes seemed to glow with something close to anger. Irritation, maybe? Frustration? “Yes, I remember.”

“Then perhaps you’d better take his dir—”

“What does the idol do?” I asked, too caught up in the gold of the bear shifter’s eyes to ignore him. How did humans think that was normal?

Those weird, yellow eyes turned my way. Focusing hard. Devouring me in a single look. “It’s a fertility goddess.”

“Oh.” I crept past Bez, ignoring his low growl as I moved out of his range. “And why do you need it so badly?”

The bear raised his arm to straighten his collar, and I flinched. Ready to run away. It wasn’t often another shifter could make me feel like prey, but this one did. His bear outweighed my wolf for sure, my size almost a joke in comparison to his. But there was something else about him. Something dangerous and deadly. Something that made me more cautious around him.

His head cocked, his eyes completely locked on me still. “Without the idol, we can’t complete our matings. Our pairs end up in a limbo the fates never intended for them.”

Sounded a lot like Julian and me. “That sucks.”

“Yes, it does,” he said, a slight smile tugging on one side of his mouth. “Especially when you consider that we can’t breed without being mated.”

Rebel’s angry face fell, and even Bez seemed concerned as he asked, “How long since you’ve had it?”

“Sixty-five years next week.”

“Holy fuck.” And here I’d been complaining about the few years Julian and I’d had to wait. Sixty-five? That sounded tortuous.

“Yeah, that about sums it up.” Bear leaned against the workbench, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Sixty-five years of a cubless clan. It took us decades to figure out where the damned thing was, and now that we know, we need to get it back. None of my clan is skilled in such delicate matters, though. So you can understand my desperation to find someone to assist me in my retrieval.”

“I can,” Rebel said. “But it’s not what my guys do.”

I caught Bez’s eye, matching his raised eyebrow. That job sounded like something his guys, the Dire Wolves, would do. Why he wasn’t jumping in to help, I had no idea.

“I don’t like your answer, wolf, but I understand it.” The bear sighed again and pushed off the workbench, making the whole thing creak under the strain. “I’m staying at the Grand Hotel if you change your mind.”

Rebel nodded once. “I won’t, but if I hear of anyone who can help you, I’ll send them your way.”

“Much appreciated.” His gold eyes met mine once more, and his lips twisted into a smile that made me want to recoil. “Be safe, little wolf. And take good care of that baby I heard crying the other day.”

Before Rebel could rip the man’s throat out for bringing up his son, I jumped in with, “It’s not mine.”

The bear only shrugged. “It takes a clan to raise a cub. Not that we’d know much about that anymore.”

He left with little fanfare, trudging down the driveway toward a minivan that definitely didn’t scream dangerous predator or paranormal phenomenon. What a way to blend in.

“Why won’t you help him?” I asked Bez as soon as the bear had driven off.

“He’s not one of us.”

“So?”

“So, bears can’t be trusted.”

“Neither can wolves.”

He twisted his lips into a deadly smile, probably knowing I was simply repeating back what he’d told me a million times over the years. “True, but I can kill a wolf easily enough.”

“You’ve killed werewolves and vampires. I’m pretty sure you could kill a bear.”

“I’m sure, too. But I don’t want to have to, so I avoid them.”

The men followed me to the porch. Dawn had barely broken, and the humans were sleeping. I could hear Sariel in the house, probably in the kitchen preparing something for breakfast as she waited for little Elijah to rise. She loved that baby, loved taking care of him and doting on him. She’d been the same way with me when I came to live with her. She was a natural mother, one who couldn’t have children of her own.

Just like those bear shifters.

“So,” Rebel said as he settled on a chair against the railing, pulling me from my heartbreaking thoughts. I curled up in the corner of the porch swing, watching him, as Bez leaned on the railing. “What’s the plan?”

“What plan?” I asked.

“The plan for turning Julian.”

And there went any thoughts of babies or bears. “I won’t.”

Rebel’s eyebrows dropped, furrowing in what appeared to be confusion. “Why the hell not?”

“Uh, because it’s dangerous? Because the transition could drive him mad? Because I could lose him?”

Rebel sat back, dismissing me with nothing more than a frown. “You won’t lose him.”

“How do you know?”

“Because Julian not making it through would kill my mate, and that’s not about to happen. I have to put my trust in the fates to pull him through the turning.”

I pulled my legs underneath me, shaking my head. “What if I can’t do it?”

“Then I will.” Bez met my eyes, his hard and sure. “I’m stronger and more wolf than most because of my Dire lineage. I’ll be his wolf giver if you won’t.”

I shook my head. “No.”

“He wants this,” Rebel said. “And I want the two of you to have a long, happy life together.”

“We can do that as mates, without turning him.”

“No, you can’t,” Bez said. “Not if he wants more than that.”

Rebel nodded. “He’d do anything for you. Why won’t you do the same for him?”

I stared, shocked. I loved Julian…how could they possibly doubt that?

“What if he dies?” I finally asked, my voice weak even to my own ears. My biggest fear laid out before them.

“He won’t,” Bez answered, so solid and sure.

“But how do you know that?”

He tilted his head, his eyes swirling a bit from blue to silver as only the Dire Wolves could do. “You have to trust, Angelita. Trust in the fates, in yourself, and in your Omega wolf. You are more powerful than you think.”

I stood, itching to run again. Wanting to escape from the conversation. From the possibility of losing Julian. “Yeah, well, trust doesn’t come easy.”

Sariel opened the door then, looking me over quickly before smiling my way. “Angelita? Breakfast will be ready soon. Do you want to go grab Julian?”

“Sure.” I thought I caught a ghost of sadness on her face as she turned away, but I didn’t take the time to examine that. I wanted my mate and was beyond ready to be done with the two meddling father figures. What the hell did they know? They’d never lost their family. They’d never been safe and warm one minute, then afraid they wouldn’t survive the next. They had no idea how hard this would be on me if I messed up. If I lost Julian.

I could not lose him.

I rushed up the stairs, my heart aching for my mate as my emotions roiled inside of me. I had to see him, needed to touch him, to know he was safe. Hell, I craved the very sight of him. My wolf wouldn’t settle until I was able to feel that he was whole and healthy still. Irrational, maybe. Excessive, absolutely. Stoppable, not in the least.

The stairs were no match for my speed. The door sat unlocked, the room still dark beyond it. I didn’t even pause in my quest, though. My eyes adjusted to the lack of light before the door had swung closed. Julian. He lay sprawled across the bed, hugging my pillow in a way that made my heart trip. My mate slept peacefully, all blissfully rumpled and relaxed. An irresistible sight.

I stalked across the floor as quietly as I could, not wanting to disturb him. Yet. My wolf whined in my head with every step. She wanted our mate too. Wanted to sniff and touch and rub up against. She wanted contact, physicality, something tactile to prove he was okay. But most of all, she wanted to claim him as ours. A fact that made my body shake with the fight to restrain her.

As I reached the bed, I dropped my cloak. This was my mate, my Julian. The only man I’d ever wanted and would ever want. I didn’t need to cover myself around him. I slipped under the covers and pressed my body to his, sighing as the warmth of his skin seeped into mine.

He was safe.

“Good morning,” he mumbled as his hands began to trail lazily over my bare back. I pressed my ear to his chest, relishing every thump of his heart, every rise as he breathed. Safe, safe, safe. And so very mine,

We lay like that for a while, Julian stroking my back, me draped across his chest. The way the sunlight peeked behind the blinds brought a golden glow to the edges of the room, the quiet of a morning in the woods blanketing us. I could have stayed like that for days. Weeks, even. But not Julian.

“You smell like the forest,” he said, sounding far more awake than I wanted him to be. “You’ve been running?”

“Yeah. Rebel and Bez joined me.”

“That must have been fun.” His sarcasm didn’t escape my notice.

“Not. But I won the race back, so it was worthwhile.”

I bit back anything about the bear shifter. It made no sense, really. I told Julian everything. But not this time. I needed to plan a little more, to have a solid path going forward for us. I needed to keep my cards close to the vest before I dragged Julian into anything.

And that need to protect, to keep something from my mate, was a far better wake-up call than anything could be.

“C’mon,” I said as I untangled myself from Julian’s hold. “Sariel said breakfast would be ready soon.”

He didn’t move, though. Didn’t roll away or make an attempt to get up. “Everything okay?”

No, not right now. “Of course. I’m just hungry.”

“Okay.” He rolled off the bed, heading for me the second his feet hit the floor. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, enveloping me in his scent and warmth once more. I sank back, melting against him. Letting the feel of his skin be my anchor.

“I love you, Juls.”

“I love you too, Leelee.” He nuzzled into my neck, kissing the length of it before he rubbed his lips against my ear and whispered, “I’ll let you hide from me right now because it feels like you need to, but we’ll talk about it later. Now, let’s get dressed so we can join the family for breakfast.”

Squeezing my eyes closed, I nodded. Later. I needed to think up a plan to find the bear shifter later. I needed to…do something. I just wasn’t sure what yet.