The meeting with Ethan, alpha of the Jager pack, took longer than I would’ve liked, but the names of suspects we walked away with will make our job easier. Unfortunately, Todd didn’t make the list. I would’ve been happy to put a little extra pressure on Mya’s breeding partner and dig even deeper into his past. His uncle Wyatt did get highlighted for investigation, however. Actually, he topped the list.

Not only was Wyatt close to Michael Tanner, but Ethan described Wyatt as being a lover of pain, in and out of the bedroom. Neither of those things makes Wyatt a killer, however. It’s up to me and Uri to build the case if there is any evidence to be found. Or refuting Wyatt’s involvement in Ben’s death and moving on to someone else.

Wyatt’s taboo lifestyle and financial records will be the first thing we check out on Monday morning when Wyatt returns from his business trip and his accountant’s office opens. Until then, I’m focusing on my life. I have a future to secure. Or I’ll be looking for ways to escape my depression as I mourn the possibilities of what could’ve been. It all depends on Mya.

With my headlights on and the music off, I take the turn leading to Mya’s apartment building. Her van is parked in the same spot as yesterday, and Todd’s truck is nowhere in sight. I breathe a sigh of relief.

After debating for a few moments, I drive past her building and park my rental car along the curb a few blocks away. I don’t want to start any rumors that would make Mya’s life more difficult than it probably already is because of her tie to Todd.

Actually, it’s best nobody sees me at all. Todd might hate Mya, but that doesn’t mean he’s not possessive of her. Any one of her neighbors could be keeping tabs on her, then reporting her activities to Todd.

I walk past Mya’s place and head into the woods behind the building. This town is neutral territory, belonging exclusively to humans. The edge of the Jager pack is a couple of miles from here, and the Alexander pride’s lands butt up against this town on the opposite side of the Black Widow. Means anyone and their brother can be hanging around and nobody will stop them from bothering Mya. That thought doesn’t sit well with me.

The last time I was here, I didn’t get a chance to walk these woods. I was focused on Todd. Tonight, I have time to indulge my protective instincts.

My wolf rises, ready to offer his enhanced senses to assess the risks to our true mate. I inhale deeply. Todd’s scent lingers in the woods. It’s not strong, suggesting he doesn’t come here often. The knowledge soothes me, but even an occasional encounter is too much.

I move deeper into the woods, walking an ever-expanding circle from Mya’s place. Other shifters’ scents reach me, but none heavy enough for me to associate with stalking. My years as a lone wolf have taught me it’s places like this that offer a refuge for shifters needing to embrace their animal forms.

Satisfied with the knowledge Mya’s not being stalked, I head back to her place. The same vehicles that were present yesterday are parked in the lot with Mya’s van. They probably belong to her neighbors. I scan each vehicle, making a mental note of make, model, and license plate number before slipping behind the place again. Walking in the front door would negate my efforts to keep my presence here a secret.

It’s too bad I don’t have access to the shifter drug that nullifies scent, both animal’s and human’s, depending on the dose administered. The drug is harder to get your hands on than some human ones, even the illegal variety. Those shifters who employee its use are either in desperate need of the obscurity the drug offers or have the resources and cash to buy it off the black market.

I’m neither in trouble nor trying to break the law, at least not anymore. The knowledge that Todd made Mya his breeding partner a day before she officially matured puts him in the wrong. I’m not automatically a criminal for coveting another male’s woman. A bastard, maybe. I’m considering separating fertile breeding partners. Our species’ birth rates have been in decline for years. Some groups are even facing extinction.

My pack faced the same problems. It’s why I ended up with my breeding partner. The mutual affection and respect we shared came later. So did the regret. Even now I can’t say her name. Hell, I avoid thinking it.

Still, thoughts of the past are always lingering in the back of my mind. I should’ve done things differently. I should’ve told my alpha I wasn’t going to take a breeding partner just to increase our numbers. I didn’t. I put out a call, looking for the strongest female who was willing to be mine. Michael Tanner answered it, offering up his eldest daughter, Anna.

Her image flashes before my eyes. Blonde, beautiful, powerful—she was everything a male could want. We got along too. Laughed and loved together, making the unplanned bond we shared special. Not enough to soul-bond, though. Not enough to follow her anywhere. Or refuse her demand I live and love again.

That’s what I regret most. I wanted Anna to be my true mate. She wasn’t. Deep down, we both knew it, even before we became breeding partners. When she faced death, she did her best to absolve me of any guilt with the promise she made me give.

Anna cared for me, loved me as much as you can love a breeding partner. I felt the same. If I’d died first, I would’ve wanted her to find happiness.

Holding on to the regret is wrong. It destroys those years we spent together. It destroys the love we shared.

It’s time I let go of the regret and love again.

I focus on Mya’s third-floor apartment. The lights are on. She’s home. Her kids probably are too. Their presence makes this visit more difficult, but I’m not here for sex. I want to talk, even if I only manage to get Mya’s phone number and a promise to call me after the kids go to bed.

There’s no back door to Mya’s apartment building, but there is a fire escape and a Bilco door. Breaking into Mya’s bedroom or her girls’ room via the fire escape isn’t an option. I don’t want them to fear me.

I turn my attention to the metal hatch doors leading into the basement. If it’s latched from inside, getting into the building that way will be nearly impossible without ripping the panels off.

I tug on the handle. It’s locked. Shit. The front door it is, then. I’ll just have to hope nobody sees me. I turn. The dryer vents catch my eye. A partially open window next to them leads into the laundry room. I shake my head, annoyed by the open invitation for thieves to slip undetected into the building. It works in my favor today, however.

Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting with the owner of this place and pointing out their security issues from an officer’s point of view. My badge carries the same authority human police wield.

With this building facing the woods, the likelihood of anyone seeing me is slim. I scan my surroundings, just to be sure. Darkness blankets the woods behind me.

Using a modified nail, I pop off the window screen. A quick scan of the casing confirms my guess. No alarm sensors are present either. I squeeze through the opening and drop into the basement. Landing with a small thump, I scan the room, looking for cameras and finding none. I prop the screen against the window, brush the dust off my clothes, then make my way farther into the building.

The muffled drone of a television carries to me. I jog soundlessly past the first-floor apartments to the stairs. Conversations, the cries of a baby, and a vacuum cleaner being run greet me as I make my way to the third floor. Only two apartments take up this level. I approach Mya’s door. There’s no peephole in it. The basic security device is a must. Just another thing to discuss with Mya’s landlord, and if he won’t install one, I will.

Without giving myself any other chance to think or debate my actions, I knock. After a few moments, the door opens. The incredible sight of a wet Mya in a loosely tied robe greets me. Her eyes widen. I should say something to ease her shock. I can’t. The water droplets clinging to her exposed cleavage leave me speechless.

Unable to help myself, I drag my gaze lower. The sash is barely tied around her slim waist. It wouldn’t take much to loosen. A simple tug would expose Mya’s creamy curves for my complete inspection. I want to see her naked body, but this is good too. My mind can fill in the details of what’s hidden behind the flimsy material of her robe.

She’s thin, with long legs meant to be wrapped around a lover’s waist. Pink nail polish draws my attention to her toes. The polish is chipped and worn down, but I like seeing the flash of color. It hints at the feminine side I doubt she lets free often, especially with working as much as she does and her kids.

Her kids.

The reminder jerks my focus to her face. I can’t be ogling Mya in the presence of her daughters. They shouldn’t grow up thinking guys are only interested in how a woman looks. I have to admit, Mya is beyond beautiful. Breathtaking isn’t even a strong enough word. I’m not even sure there is one to describe Mya. No, that’s a lie. There is one word that fits her perfectly.

Mine.

By the goddesses, I want to whisper the truth in her ear every night. I have a mountain of obstacles to overcome before I can turn my desire into reality. It starts here. Now.

“Are your kids awake?”

Mya blinks hard. She drags her tongue along her lower lip, then stares at me without responding.

I step into Mya’s apartment, urging her back with a hand on her hip, and kick the door closed behind me. In my peripheral vision, I catch sight of her mate bite peeking out from underneath the edge of her robe. The sight of it stirs my anger. Without the strong presence of Todd’s scent claim, there’s only one way Mya would’ve retained the bite.

Todd rubbed salt in the wound.

I want to do the same to him. Rake my claws over his body, head to toe, then listen to his screams as I inflict the same torturous pain he bestowed on Mya. Now’s not the time to allow my primal instincts to the surface. I don’t want to ruin this encounter. Mya’s and my future depends on it.

My true mate’s beauty is enough to distract me from the evidence of Mya’s bond. I’m tempted by the hunger displayed in her green eyes. I focus on them, letting the spell she weaves consume me. My body aches for hers. I want to feel her skin against mine. Hear her voice in my ear. Taste her arousal on my tongue.

Mya sways toward me as if she’s thinking the same thing. Her lips part on a slow inhale, and her lashes lower as if my scent arouses her.

I was right. Our connection is strong. Her body recognizes me as her true mate just as mine does. As young as Mya is, she might not understand what she’s feeling. She’ll follow my lead, however. That much is clear from the kiss we shared behind the Black Widow. If we weren’t interrupted, I probably would’ve been inside her before I realized she belonged to another male.

I stroke my finger along her glistening lower lip, enjoying how her eyelids lower more and a sigh escapes her mouth, then I step back, breaking our connection. I don’t like the small space between us, but I can’t act on my lust. Not yet. “Mya, are your kids sleeping?”

Mya looks over her shoulder, focusing on a closed door. “They’re not here.”

A mix of concern and excitement grips me. I swallow hard. “Where are they?”

“Spending the weekend with Josh and Mira’s little girl, Megan.” Mya faces me and grins. “I’m supposed to be taking some time for myself to relax.”

Mya’s smile is infectious. It’s the wide and sincere kind that reaches her eyes and makes you want to smile too. I don’t fight the urge. I let my pleasure over her announcement show on my face. I couldn’t have asked for a better time to visit Mya. Her kids are in good hands, and Mya’s in mine. Or at least she will be soon. Hopefully.

Mya’s smile dims. She studies me a moment, her brows furrowing. “What are you doing here, Rick?”

Damn, I love hearing her say my name. I’ve always considered it too harsh. It makes me sound old and stuffy, but then again, I am old. When I was born, Richard Garrett Lyall was a proper name for a man.

“I came to see you.”

Mya tugs at the top of her robe, pulling the satiny fabric together at the base of her neck and hiding her mate bite completely. “How did you get in here? The front door is keyed.”

Drawing in a breath, I let my wolf digest the clues in Mya’s scent. I don’t want her afraid of me. No hint of fear taints her scent. Neither does embarrassment. There’s only the growing evidence of her desire. That’s the response I want, but the way Mya is holding on to her robe bothers me.

“Rick?” She bunches the fabric tighter. “Answer me. How did you get in here?”

“I came in through the basement.”

“The basement?” Mya steps back. “You broke in here? Why?”

“I didn’t want anyone seeing me come to you.” I scan the living room. The furniture is old, but the room is clean and smells of brownies and vanilla, as if someone spent the day in the kitchen. A cheap, fake Christmas tree is proudly displayed on the end table. Handmade ornaments and a string of popcorn garland decorate the tree. It’s too bad I wasn’t here to have seen it get lovingly dressed up. Next year I will be.

I face Mya. “There’s nobody else here, right?”

“Who else would be here?”

“Your breeding partner.”

“Oh…” Mya glances at the floor before meeting my gaze. She smiles, but the warmth is gone. Bitterness and sadness taint her expression. “If you’re worried about Todd hunting you down and attacking you for kissing me, don’t. Todd, and I loosely quote, ‘doesn’t give a shit who I fuck’ so I don’t think he’ll have a problem with a little kiss.” Humor sparks in her eyes, replacing the sorrow from moments ago. “Crude, I know. But that’s Todd. He’s not the most eloquent of men. Or the smartest.”

I don’t know if I’d agree with that statement completely. Todd did seek out a very powerful female to breed with, then isolated her from his pack mates, the ones who’d be obligated to punish him. If he wanted to hide his sin, he did a good job of it. Not for much longer. I won’t let him get away with it.

“What we shared wasn’t a little kiss, Mya.” I move closer to her, carefully watching Mya’s body language. Her attention drifts from my chest, lower. My cock twitches with her heated gaze on me. Any moment now, it’ll lengthen and thicken, throbbing with the need to be stroked. I’ve never had such an immediate response to a female, but I’ve never been in the presence of my true mate before I met Mya.

I tip up her chin, looking into the eyes of my other half, the female the goddesses chose for me. Blessed me with when I didn’t deserve redemption. “It changed my life.”

“Sure it did.” A heavy dose of sarcasm accompanies her words, but a pleased look hovers in her eyes.

Using my thumb, I tug slightly on her lower lip before releasing it. “It changed yours too.”

With her hand still clutching the front of her robe, Mya eases away from me, putting several feet between us. Her brows draw together, and she studies me as if I said the most ridiculous thing in the world. “And why is that?”

“Did your birth pack ever tell stories about our origins?”

“Most of my birth pack died in a pack war when I was little. I was raised by humans who knew about shifters.”

“Who knew about shifters?” The tense Mya used isn’t lost on me. “Did they die?”

“Yes.” Her jaw tightens. With anger, not sorrow. The glint of animosity turns her eyes into cold chips of green stone. “Car accident, the night before I matured.”

Todd killed them. I have no proof. As an agent, I shouldn’t assume it either. But what better way to control Mya? Take a lone shifter female from the only family she has, then steal her future.

“What happened?”

Mya drops her hand. Her robe gaps, exposing more skin than had shown when she opened the door. I don’t drink in her beauty. The fury vibrating from her keeps my gaze locked firmly on hers.

“I don’t know where you think this conversation is going, but I’m under no obligation to share my past with you. In fact, I’m not obligated to continue this conversation at all. I’m a claimed female. And this is my home. You have no right to be here.” She points to the door. “I think it’s best you leave.”

“No.” I shake my head, still not breaking her gaze. “I think it’s best we finish this conversation. Then, and only then, will I leave if that’s what you want.”

Her eyes narrow. “Who exactly do you think you are? Only my breeding partner can order me around, and you’re not him.”

She’s wrong about that. As her true mate, I have rights too. None that would stand up in court, but they’re still real. They’re powerful too. A true mate’s bond transcends time. Nothing can top that. I’ll fight for us. This lifetime. The next. I won’t give up until we’re soul-bonded, until we walk through eternity together, wherever our paths take us.

“How old are you?” No more than thirty or thirty-five would be my guess.

“What does my age have to do with this conversation?” She scrunches her nose, a pissed-off guise I find more amusing than alarming. I like Mya’s spirit. She’s as fiery as her red hair suggests.

“It has everything to do with it. I need you to understand what I’m going to tell you.”

“I’m old enough to know you’re trying to confuse me by making me feel naïve and stupid.”

Curses whip through my head. Todd deserves a beating for the mind games he’s played on Mya. There’s no other reason for her reaction to my simple question.

“That’s not my intent.” I close my eyes for several heartbeats before Mya assumes my anger is directed at her. “Many shifters born in the last fifty or so years don’t know the stories of our origins and no longer believe in our goddesses. They were raised to fit into the human world. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but what I’m about to tell you is based on our origins. If you don’t know them, you’ll never believe why our kiss changed both of our lives, along with your children’s future.”

“I’m thirty-one.” The animosity clinging to Mya eases some. “Yes, I was raised as a human, but Ilan, one of the bouncers at the Black Widow, likes to tell stories. I’ve learned many things from him.”

If she was raised as a human, by humans, did she even know the danger sleeping with Todd posed? I want to ask her. Hell, I want to grill her about every detail of her binding so I know how to take Todd down legally. Right now, Mya’s talking. I don’t want her to shut down on me. If asking her age upset her, any question about the bond she didn’t have a say in is going to be met with the same animosity.

“Did Ilan tell you how shifters came to be?”

Mya nods. “The gods created the first shifters by binding the souls of animals to their favored warriors, the berserkers.”

Those warriors then impregnated the goddesses, and Royals, the immortal multi-animal shifters with the blood of the heavens in their veins, were born. That detail doesn’t pertain to this conversation. We’re not Royals. We’re singles, shifters with only one animal. We can trace our lineage back to those original berserkers, not the goddesses. We’ll eventually die, taking our animal’s soul with us into our next life.

“Did Ilan tell you why those first warriors were chosen?”

“Yes. The gods enjoyed watching humans from the heavens. When the berserkers caught their attention, the gods became engrossed in their battles. They started predicting who would win when the different tribes clashed, and fights broke out among the gods when their favored warriors died. Human mortality frustrated the gods, so each god picked a handful of their favorite warriors to fight their battles in the heavens where they couldn’t die.”

Pleased with her knowledge, I smile. “The humans of that time gave those warriors the label ‘berserkers,’ but in reality, they were powerful shamans who were slightly crazed by the hallucinogens they ingested daily to channel their magic. That’s what the gods liked seeing—the berserkers’ unhinged, primal aggression.”

Mya’s infectious grin spreads over her face. “And they were even more unhinged once their souls were bonded to animals. The gods couldn’t control them, but they didn’t want to lose them either. The fights amused them. After a night of orgies between the goddesses and these primal warriors, however, the first shifters were cast from the heavens and forced to raise the children they created with the goddesses.”

I walk closer to Mya, drawn by her smile and the excitement in her tone. She’s obviously loved hearing these stories. Our history has always fascinated me too. Shifters are living proof of the supernatural. The lust and jealousy that spurred our beginnings is as believable as knowing we carry the souls of animals inside us.

“Did you know the first shifters demanded the gods fix them?” Mya smirks at my question, suggesting she knows this part of our history too. Yet, she doesn’t comment. I can’t assume anything. This conversation, no matter how trivial, is important. “These powerful shamans who once walked among the gods no longer wanted to be bonded to animals. They were too violent and too unpredictable. They feared hurting those mortals around them. The gods ignored the shamans’ pleas.”

“But the goddesses had pity on their lovers and the children they’d made together. They promised each shifter, whether Royal or single, peace in the form of a true mate, a partner so perfect their very presence could calm even the wildest beast.”

My heart beats harder. Anticipation spreads, tensing my body. “Do you believe in true mates, Mya Ammon?”

Mya stares at me for a long moment before her breathing quickens. She takes several steps backward until her back meets the wall. “Are you done talking? Because if you are, I’m asking you to leave. You said you would.”

“No.” I close the distance between us and plant my hands on the wall on either side of Mya’s body. “I’m not done talking. I asked you a question. You didn’t answer. That’s becoming a habit of yours.”

“How do you know my birth name?”

I laugh. “See? You’re an expert at evasion.”

Her mouth quivers as if she’s fighting a smile. “And I notice you’re ignoring my questions. You’re just as bad.”

“I’ll answer yours if you answer mine. That’s fair, isn’t it?”

“In your opinion maybe, not mine.”

“Dominants treat each other with mutual respect.” I spread my legs wider and bend closer to Mya so we’re face-to-face. “That’s what you are too. You’re a powerful dominant, a female I view as my equal.”

Mya maps my face with her gaze. A mixture of disbelief and hope shows in her eyes. “Prove it. How do you know my birth name?”

“Your birth name came up in conversation.” I smirk. “Actually, that’s a lie. It was more of a fight over me being distracted by a female.”

“Me.”

Mya’s breathless answer should make me happy, but the sadness clouding her eyes hits me square in the chest.

“Yes.” I trace Mya’s delicate jaw. “I found out everything I could about you.”

“Including the fact that I’m Todd’s breeding partner.”

“And that you’re a mother.”

Mya draws in a shaky breath. “If you know, then why did you come here?”

“Answer my question.”

She shakes her head. “I’m asking you to leave.”

I slide my hand to the back of her neck. Her silky hair teases my fingers. I ignore the energy rushing through me and focus on Mya’s face. “And I’m asking you to prove you’re my equal.”

Mya stares into my eyes while my chest tightens. I want to tell her, saving Mya from the emotional turmoil I see reflected in her expression. I can’t. If I want Mya’s respect, I have to earn it, starting now.

“Yes, I believe in true mates. It’s hard to deny it when I see shifters falling in love left and right around me.”

“You’ve seen how powerful the bond is, then?”

“Yes, but—”

I press my mouth to hers. Not a kiss exactly. It’s more intimate. My air mixes with hers. My soul reaches for hers. I can feel her goodness surrounding me, easing a lifetime of scars I’ve inflicted upon myself. Even without a soul-bond, Mya can heal me. I know this as truly as I know my name. Her love will complete me. I just have to earn it. I will. Nothing will stop me.

“True mates are a gift from the goddesses. Any male who finds his and refuses to claim her is a fool who doesn’t deserve another chance at heaven.” I settle my other hand on Mya’s hip. “And I’m not a fool. I won’t walk away from you.” Unless she kicks me out. It’s best not to give Mya the option. She might take it. My honor would obligate me to abide by her wishes. At least until I could figure out where I went wrong and fix my mistake.

“You met me too late.”

Her words are barely audible. They freakin’ tear me open. She knows, and she’s already mourning what could’ve been.

“You’re my true mate, Mya Ammon.” I slide my hand from her hip to her lower back. “And I won’t let you go.”

“You can’t keep me. My life belongs to Todd. He claimed me before you could.” A sheen of moisture makes her green eyes shiny, and a lump tightens her voice.

Her pain resonates within me. I accept it, knowing I’m to blame for it. If I hadn’t been running from my guilt, I might’ve been in this area years ago, when Mya needed me most. I wasn’t. She had to face her living hell on her own. I can’t change the past. Our future on the other hand?

I skim my parted lips along her jaw to her ear, teasing and heating her skin. “But your heart belongs to me. So does your soul.”

“You can’t. I’m—”

I nip her ear, biting hard enough, she sucks in a sharp breath. “I’m your true mate. The bond your breeding partner forced upon you won’t change our connection.”

“But Todd can turn it into our hell on earth. He has mating law on his side.”

She’s not denying me or our bond. Every inch of my body vibrates with anticipation. I’m so close to claiming everything I never thought I’d have, including an instant family to treasure.

“We have the law of the heavens on ours.” Not to mention the force of Shifter Affairs. If we can prove Todd claimed her early, that is. After so many years, I’m not sure how we’ll accomplish that. Even if we do, Shifter Affairs’ help doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s a start. So does knowing Anton Alexander is Ella’s contact. He’ll fight for us.

“The goddesses no longer touch our lives. It’s been centuries since they’ve been heard from. Their law means nothing to the Shifter Council anymore, and they’re the ones who’d side with Todd.”

“What about you, Mya? Will you deny the gift the goddesses have given you? Take the easy path.” I let Mya see the challenge in my eyes. This might backfire completely, but I can’t let Mya slip away after she admitted to feeling our connection. That’s what a male does for his true mate. He fights for her. “Will you turn your back on heaven for Todd?”