Plucking Blue out of his reach, I wrapped her in my arms and rolled us to the ground, trapping her beneath me. I looked up, poised to defend my mate, letting out a low snarl.

Mac hit the foxen in the air, the pair crashing together in a whirlwind of fists and claws, rolling over the grass, each trying to draw blood. I watched the fight, ready to jump in and help, but I had to protect Blue. She was what he wanted, what Khain had sent him here for.

That foxen was already injured giving Mac an advantage, one he was using repeatedly, aiming blows at his enemy’s injured leg. I silenced my snarl, tracking every movement, aware that another could appear at any time.

But, at the moment, our side was winning.

A finger traced the side of my face. “Nial?” Her voice wavered, sounding uncertain.

Keeping the fight in my peripheral vision, I turned my head and stared down at her, drinking her in. “Hi, sweetheart.”

Confusion warred with incredulity, then she shook her head, scrunching her nose up until the freckles almost joined together. “Uh huh. Nope. I’ve finally lost it.”

A loud thump followed by a guttural growl, then boots headed our way. “He fucking disappeared.” Mac scowled, looking ready to murder someone. The side of his face was battered, his shirt shredded and blood seeping through, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed up by shifting into his wolf.

Wide brown eyes stared up at him from behind blue rimmed frames, then back at me.

When had she started wearing glasses? The answer came to me straight away. She travels when she’s asleep. I decided I liked them, they made her eyes look even bigger, and she looked damned sexy in them.

She cleared her throat, trying to wriggle out from underneath me, but I stayed put, unwilling—and unable—to let her go so soon. I’d found her and anger still rolled and burned inside me at the thought of her being attacked. I needed a minute to feel her pressed against me, then I’d let her go. Honest. Maybe five minutes? A day? Silently cursing, I faced the truth. A lifetime wouldn’t be enough.

Oblivious to my internal argument, she tapped me on the shoulder, still wriggling in a way that was fast heating my blood in another, more pleasurable way. “Disappeared?”

Mac crouched down beside us, giving me an evil grin as his eyes bounced back and forth between us. “I see you two finally met.”

My answer was a warning growl.

“Oh, wow!”

We both stared at her as she started to shake beneath me. Cocking my head to the side, I tried to ignore the feeling of her beneath me. “What is it, sweetheart?”

Her breath caressed my face, sweet and alluring as she managed to force out an answer around the laughter, “You growled.” As if that explained everything.

Tugging her to her feet, I reluctantly let her hand slip from mine, not really knowing what to say to that one. It didn’t matter anyway, she was staring around, peering into the darkness.

“Where’d he go?” Her eyes landed on me, then were ripped away as she turned her full attention to Mac. “I prefer your hair this way.”

He stiffened, his hand reaching up and pausing halfway to his head. First time I’d seen Mac shocked into to silence. I took advantage before he had chance to regain the snark he was infamous for. “Blue, I think—”

“This is different,” she mused, looking me up and down.

Okay then… I rubbed my chin, bemused. “What is?”

“I mean, normally I wouldn’t say I have a crazy imagination, but this is a bit out there, you know?”

She’d lost me. Mac shook his head and pulled out his phone, moving away to make a call. At her wide eyed look, I shrugged, searching for an answer she obviously expected. “Uh—”

Pressing a hand to her forehead, she chuckled, her other hand coming to rest on my chest. “What am I even doing?”

Her fingers curled into the fabric of my shirt, doing a damn good job of sidetracking my mind into gutter town. “I don’t know?”

“I preferred the tree scenario, or the quickie in the bathroom at The Packhouse, though this one got my blood pumping pretty darn good. I don’t know what your friend is still doing here, though.” She frowned at Mac, as if he were an unwanted toddler.

I opened my mouth to answer at the exact same moment she snaked her arm around the back of my neck, raised up onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against mine.

Screw it. Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her against me, deepening the kiss into something more than a glancing touch. I was lost, unable to stop myself from touching my mate, her need for me overriding all rational thought, her taste richer in this world, her scent surrounding me, the apple spiced with cinnamon, and completing the picture of the woman who I now realized I’d already fallen in love with. Everything made sense now, the urges I felt around her, to protect her from all harm, to do anything to bring a smile to her lips, to be with her for all time, if she’d have me.

All time…

I wrenched away, breaking the kiss.

No.

“You’re not asleep, Blue.”

She squeezed my arm, the warmth of her palm blazing against my bare skin. “Of course I am, silly.” Then she leaned back, her eyes narrowing. “Wait, that’s weird. Why would you say that? Why would I have you say that?” She looked around, taking in the park. “I don’t normally dream of home.” She chewed the inside of her cheek, then nodded, obviously having come to a decision. “Pinch me.”

“Excuse me?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Your British accent is so cute, you know? I’ve got good taste. Pinch me and if I’m dreaming, I’ll wake up. If I’m not, it’ll hurt.”

I wasn’t following her logic, but I knew one thing for sure. “I’m not pinching you.”

“Why?” Her hand released my neck and pointed at her arm. “It won’t hurt, promise.”

“I won’t hurt you.” I held back the silent ever.

“Oh, grow a set, Oddballs. I’ll do it.” Mac marched up and I spun on him, shoving Blue behind me, ready to defend her.

“Why does he call you that?” Her voice was breathy and filled with more than a little amusement.

“Because he—”

“Can it, Mac,” I cut in. Arms curled around my waist, hugging me from behind. Thumbs hooked into my front pockets in an action that screamed possessive, once again.

My hands hung by my sides, before coming to rest over hers. Mind of their own, the damn traitors.

“Why do I feel so comfortable with you?” she mused, and I felt her rest her head against my back.

Comfortable? Like a couch? I couldn’t decide whether to feel offended or happy.

Mac must have thought the same thing, because he shook his head, throwing me a grin and a knowing look, then stalked off. “See you both back at the truck,” he called over his shoulder.

“It’s like you give off a spark and I want to stand close enough to feel the zing,” she continued, either not aware he’d gone, or didn’t care.

I grunted, not wanting to move a muscle for fear of her moving away. “Doesn’t sound very comfortable.” And why couldn’t Mac have hung around to hear this more … complementary explanation?

She bumped her head against my back, making a clicking noise with her tongue. “Aw, did I destroy your bro cred?”

I couldn’t help myself, I had to see her face. Turning around in her arms, I weighed up my options—since she was still sticking to me like a barnacle—and settled for placing my hands on her hips. Not mauling, or taking advantage, just friendly like. “Bro cred?”

She sighed, rolling her eyes. “Hazard of the job, hanging around with kids I pick up some of the lingo.”

She’d never mentioned work before, it must be because we were here, in her home town. Questions fired in my brain, crowding my tongue, but I swallowed them back. I might want to know everything there was to know about this woman, my Blue, but it wasn’t my right. I wasn’t the right male for her and the sooner I forced myself to acknowledge that fact, and backed the fuck away, the safer she would be.

“I need to take you down to the station,” I heard myself saying, and after a quick explanation that we really were cops, which she informed me was totally hot and she’d made a very good choice dreaming me up, we set off to the truck.

But my mind was firmly somewhere else, going over and over the words I knew by heart, looking for a loophole I knew didn’t exist.

My prophecy couldn’t be changed. If I claimed my fated mate, the world would fall. And, no matter which way I looked at it, that didn’t sound like a good thing.