Liam filled my thoughts. During the day, it felt as though I spent each minute holding my breath, waiting for the telltale signs that meant he was close. I would feel it in my pulse. Mine would grow stronger, filling my head until I realized it wasn’t my heartbeat anymore at all. It was ours. Impossible as that may seem.

At night, Liam came to me in my dreams. I awoke aching for his touch, my sex throbbing as I chased a phantom orgasm. Everything Keara told me replayed in my mind. I wanted to deny it. It would be so much easier. But, the truth slammed into my heart with growing thunder.

I was meant for Liam. He was meant for me.

Fated mates. That’s what Keara had called it. Just a few short months ago, I would have thought I was losing my mind. Now, it seemed I was about to lose my heart.

“You doing okay there, chief?” Jason leaned across the counter, putting his smiling face in my line of sight.

“What?” Absent-minded, I shuffled through some of Bess’s notes. I’d gotten woefully behind transcribing yesterday’s treatment plans.

“You’ve been off lately,” he said. “Like you’re in a fog. Something you wanna tell me about? Hell, you’re starting to remind me of Dr. Bess.”

“I’m what now?” I turned, facing Justin head on.

“The way she gets when a new man starts sniffing around her. In her case, we’re always waiting for the next shoe to drop. You? Girl, you’ve been as dry as the desert.”

I balled up a blank piece of paper and threw at him. “Never you mind. Pay attention to your own sex life. There’s nothing to see here.”

Jason snorted. “Yeah. That’s my point. I’ve seen you though. You think you’re being all sneaky. But, I caught you talking to that hunk of muscle out in the alley the other day. He’s come around here more than once. You gotta introduce me to him.”

My heart raced. I thought I’d been more careful. God. If Liam and I couldn’t stay discreet around Jason, how the hell did I think we’d evade the Chief Pack?

“Like I said, pay attention to your own sex life.”

Jason laughed and gave me playful but hard thump on the back. “You are so busted. So there is a sex life to pay attention to. Well, thank God. Michael and I were starting to get worried about you.”

I was about to snap back a sassy retort when Bess came around the corner, her expression stern. She didn’t like informal conversations up at the front desk, even when there were no patients in the lobby.

Jason cleared his throat and straightened. He shot me a conspiratorial wink then made himself scarce in the back room.

Bess didn’t say anything at first. She hung back by the wall staring at me. I knew her well enough to guess what was coming next. She hated being a boss. Whenever she had to correct one of us or give instructions she knew we wouldn’t like, she did this. She’d stare at us like a statue until she drew the courage to say her piece. Today, I just plain wasn’t in the mood for it.

“Sorry,” I said, turning to her and smiling. “Jason and I got a little bored. We’ll make sure to keep the jokes to the breakroom or after hours. You should join us sometime.”

Bess held a clipboard to her chest. She kept her weak smile plastered on then finally came toward me. “What? Oh. No. I mean, geez, Molly, I’m not that much of a stick in the mud. It’s just, forgive me, but I overheard some of what Jason was asking you. Was he right? Is there a new someone special in your life?”

I took a beat. This wasn’t the kind of thing I could answer yes or no to. Yes, Liam was someone special. But no, it wasn’t what any of them thought. So, I gave her a non-answer.

“Listen, whenever I have something interesting to regale you all with about my personal life, I promise you’ll be the first to know. What about you though? You seem...more content. Things all settled with Zeke?”

It was a little bit of a low blow on my part diverting attention back to Bess’s wreck of a personal life, but it seemed fair play under the circumstances.

Bess’s mouth formed a tight little “o” and she tried to figure out her own way to deflect. “Things are settled. Thanks for asking.”

Touché, I thought. Bess Kennedy was the master of her own non-answers it seemed.

“Look,” she said coming to stand beside me. She set her clipboard down and leaned against the counter, facing me. “We all spend a lot of time together in this office. I see you people more than I see my own family. And I know it’s the same for you. I care about you, Molly. I like to consider you a friend. So, as your friend, maybe you’ll take some well-intentioned advice. And I hope you don’t think I’m stepping out of line.”

My gut clenched. This wasn’t like Bess at all. I couldn’t imagine where the hell she was going with this.

“Go on?” I said, raising a curious brow. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jason poke his head out of Exam Room One. I tried to keep my posture neutral so Bess wouldn’t look over her shoulder and see him eavesdropping.

“Zeke’s got his problems. I’m not denying that. We’re taking a break and he’s promised to get some help. That doesn’t mean we’re ever going to be anything more than friends after this. I get it. But, he told me some things about some of the company you’ve been keeping.”

My heart turned to stone. What in the hell was she talking about? What was Zeke talking about? I swallowed hard to try and keep my temper in check. Behind Bess’s shoulder, Jason’s eyes went wide as dinner plates.

“Bess,” I said. “I’m sorry, but whatever you have to say, we’re talking about Zeke here. To put it bluntly, I’d say he’s a shitty judge of character.”

Bess’s face went white. She cleared her throat and picked up her clipboard, holding it in front of her like a shield. “I don’t mean any harm, Molly. Honestly. But, if it’s okay for you to worry about me, then you can’t fault me for having the same concerns about you. I’ve seen you talking to that man from the alley a few times myself. Just be careful. I’m giving you the same advice you gave me.”

“Thanks,” I said, my tone clipped. I picked up my stack of papers and walked away from her. Fuming, I went to the back office to log in Bess’s notes. I shut the door and turned on the television she kept back there. I cranked the volume up hoping it would give Bess the hint to stay the hell away from me for a few minutes if she walked by.

It worked for a little while. My blood pressure started to normalize. Then, something on the screen drew my eye. I hadn’t paid attention to the channel; I just wanted the noise. The noon local news came on.

Still seething, my focus went absently from the images on the screen to the stack of papers in front of me, neither one making sense. How dare Bess try to lecture me on the company I kept? Had she not seen me take a damn baseball bat to her boyfriend to keep him from caving her face in? And it wasn’t like that was the only time. Zeke was just the latest in a string of losers she hooked up with. God. It was infuriating.

Liam was nothing like Zeke. They weren’t even the same literal species. I wasn’t proud, but a part of me relished the memory of Zeke’s face when Liam grabbed him by the arm that night. He could have torn him in half, and Zeke knew it. I saw it in his eyes.

I crashed my head to the desk. This was no good. Liam consumed my every waking thought, it seemed. On that score, Bess was right. I had to try and remind myself where I began and he ended.

Resting my chin on my forearm, I looked back up at the television. A perky, blonde reporter with big eyes and pink lipstick droned on as the camera angle panned out. Icy tendrils of fear crawled up my spine. It took a moment for my brain to process what I was seeing and hearing.

The reporter stood in front of a smoldering building, her expression grave. To her left, just inside the shot, a red Shadow Springs V.F.D. fire truck was parked at a severe angle against the curb. Water spewed from its hoses and firefighters emerged running. One of them shouted and waved to the cameraman and the reporter to step back.

My heart seemed to turn to ash right along with the flaming building. It was three blocks over. I shook my head, trying to deny the truth staring back at me in hi-def.

It was Bernie and Ellie’s grocery store on Duncan Street.

My brain couldn’t seem to hear or accept the words the reporter spoke. Total devastation. Fire crews have been unable to extinguish.

The office door cracked open and Jason stuck his head in. He read something in my eyes because he didn’t say anything. He just edged his way in, crossed his arms in front of him, and watched along with me.

“Mother of Christ!” he said. “That’s Bernie Langley’s store. I do my grocery shopping there. He’s got all the organic stuff Michael likes. Are they okay? Did they say?”

I was already up on my feet. “I can’t. I mean...I have to go. Can you handle things for the rest of the day without me?”

Jason didn’t take his eyes off the TV set. He just flapped a dismissive hand at me and crossed his arms again. “Go on. Get outta here.”

My heartbeat raging, I edged around Jason. He slowly sank into the chair I’d just vacated. I grabbed my purse and ran down the hall. Bess called after me, but I couldn’t stop.

Once the cool air hit my face, I caught a whiff of smoke and the wailing fire engines rose as another pumper truck whizzed past, headed in the same direction I was.

Bernie and Ellie. Oh, God. Brady!

I ran as fast as I could. My car would have been faster, but somehow, I needed to feel the ground beneath my feet. I broke into a cold sweat as I rounded the last corner and saw the inferno before me.

Giant tongues of flame licked the sky and a plume of black smoke rose high. A crowd had gathered on the opposite sidewalk, and I ducked a line of police tape to get closer. I had to see for myself. I had to know.

In the chaos, no one stopped me. Movement to my left drew my eye. Firemen in full gear stood around a large black canvas. As I drew closer, my insides turned hollow. It was a body bag and there was someone in it.

“Oh, God!” I covered my mouth with my hands and edged closer. Strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders and shoved me back.

Two firemen blocked my path. They stared down at me with grim faces.

“Ma’am,” one of them said. “You need to stay back.”

“The Langleys,” I said, choking back tears. “Was anyone inside? Did you get them out?”

My spine pricked. A familiar sensation poured through me. In the chaos and tragedy, I almost didn’t recognize it for what it was. Then, my heartbeat slowed and I locked eyes with the larger of the two firemen. He towered over me. His dark eyes flashed. It took only a fraction of a second, and a few months ago, I might never have caught it. But, I did.

I took a step backward, wanting to put as much distance between myself and these two as possible. They regarded me with renewed interest that made my throat run dry. I had to get the hell out of here fast.

“Are you a member of the family?” The taller of the two asked. I read the canvas strip at his right chest. Tenley. He came to me, stepping into my personal space. His brown eyes glinted gold. I might have convinced myself it was a mere trick of the light or a reflection from the flames. But, I knew better.

He was strong. God. Being near him seemed to ignite my nerve endings. It was so much like what Liam did to me except in reverse. Where my body seemed drawn to Liam’s, this man’s energy repelled me. Sweat trickled down my spine and every instinct in me told me to run. I held my ground though.

“No,” I said. “A friend. I...I shop here. That’s all. The Langleys are nice people.”

“Why don’t you come with us?” Tenley said. He looked at his partner, eyes glinting again. I knew with absolute certainty these two were communicating with each other on some telepathic level. Liam told me it was like that with pack members. I took a deep breath, trying desperately to stave off the rising panic. I stood no more than a foot away from two members of the Chief Pack and one of them had his hand on my arm.

“No,” I said. “I have to go.”

Shouts drew the firemen's attention away for a second. A beam cracked and part of the roof caved in on the Langleys’ store. Before either of them could react, I was on the run again.

My heart thundered inside of me as I headed south. Instinct drove me. God, why hadn’t I brought my car? The flesh burned at the base of my neck. It pulled me, forcing my legs to pump faster. I needed to get as much distance between myself and those men as I could. It would only take a split second for one of them to reach me. My only hope was that neither of them picked up on what I was.

Liam’s. I was Liam’s.

If they found me, if they caught me, they would know. I heard one of them call after me, warning me to stop.

Liam!

My thoughts, my heart called out to him.

A low, rumbling growl came at my back as Tenley broke away from his companion. I felt his footsteps falling heavy, vibrating off the pavement toward me. He knew. God. He knew. I must have been putting off some kind of wolf’s mate pheromones and even in the chaos of the inferno, he knew.

I chanced a look over my shoulder as I came to the end of the street. Ahead of me, past the town square, the edge of Mammoth Forest loomed. Tenley had broken away from the rest of the firemen. His eyes glowed red as he watched me run. Even from here, I could feel his urge to shift rumble through him. He held his hands in tight fists at his sides, but they trembled the way Liam’s did when his own wolf simmered.

Tenley snapped his jaw. Two other firefighters came to his sides, both of them shifters. They didn’t give chase. Not yet. I realized with cold clarity that they were waiting for orders from their Alpha. It meant I had one chance to get the hell away from them before their decision became clear.

I turned and ran as fast as I could toward the woods. It was too late to head back to the clinic and my car. In any event, I didn’t want to draw them there. Our work wasn’t done. If the Chief Pack caught wind of the clinic’s connection to Liam and the others, they might not survive the blow. The Langleys’ store was already in ruins.

God. Bernie. Ellie. Brady. The image of that body bag burned through me. I kept on running.

My heart pounded so hard it felt as if it might burst from my chest. The pavement gave way to soft earth as I left the edge of town and headed for the dark expanse of the woods.

Liam. I had to get to Liam. I had to warn them about what happened. If I closed my eyes, I could sense Tenley and the others, watching, calculating their next move.

Bare branches clawed at my arms. I stumbled over loose rocks. I had no sense of which direction I ran. I just knew I had to keep on going. Maybe the woods would mask my scent. It was my only hope if the pack decided to give chase.

Gnarled birch trees and tall poplars loomed all around me. I tripped over an uneven patch of ground and landed hard on my palms. Blood welled there where I hit the jagged edge of a rock. I cried out but scrambled back to my feet. I had to keep going. I had to hide. Every instinct in me warned me what could happen if the Chief Pack figured out who I was. I was a wolf’s mate. That’s all they would care about. They would take me to the Alpha against my will like they’d tried to do with Keara.

I took three staggering steps forward. Rotted tree roots clawed at my legs, threatening to drive me back to the ground. I cried out, desperate to keep moving.

A howl rent the air to the east of me. My thunderous heartbeat took my breath away. But, it wasn’t my heartbeat at all. It was his. I skidded to a stop and fell to my knees in the soft earth. When I lifted my head, I came face to face with Liam’s wolf.

He blocked out the sun behind his shoulders, casting me in shadow. Liam’s lips curled back, revealing long fangs. His ears pricked and his silvery fur shimmered.

We stayed frozen for a moment. Me on all fours in front of him. His hot breath blew through my hair. Liam stood tall, majestic. A soft growl rippled through him.

“Liam.” My voice came out as a choked sob. I reached for him, sinking my fingers into the deep fur of his flank. His outer coat was rough, but beneath that, as my fingers touched his powerful thigh muscles, his fur became sable.

Liam lifted his head and let out a baleful howl that vibrated through me. Then, he dropped his head. His fur shimmered and his muscles rolled. The shift was effortless. One moment he was the wolf. The next, this beautiful man crouched before me. Every muscle chiseled to perfection. Liam’s hair glistened with sweat. My hand was still on his thigh. His massive cock hung before me. He was rock hard.

Gasping, I drew my hand away. Liam got his hands under my arms and helped me to my feet.

“What happened?” he said, his voice ragged. “You’re hurt? I felt you. I came as fast as I could.”

Shaking, I ran my fingers through my hair. I couldn’t think straight. Liam’s power drew me to him. My knees knocked together. Raw desire flooded my senses.

“No. It’s not me. Oh, Liam. Oh, God.”

He came to me. Liam slid his arms around my waist and pulled me close. He laced his fingers through my hair and caressed my cheek with his thumb. His skin left a heated trail over mine. My lips parted and wild heat pooled between my legs.

“Bernie,” I gasped. “The Langleys’ store. They’ve burned it to the ground.”

I hadn’t wanted to let my mind go there, but now I’d given voice to my fears. The moment I did, I knew the truth. “The Chief Pack. They were all over it. They’re in the fire department. Someone died, Liam. They brought out a body bag. God. Maybe they all died. I don’t know. But the store’s gone. It’s all gone.”

Liam’s eyes darted over my face. He wasn’t even trying to hide the brilliant glow of his wolf within them.

I wanted him. Every cell in my body seemed to call out to his. Impossible. Maddening. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe.

“Molly,” Liam said, his voice choked. He stood before me naked. Beautiful. My own raw need reflected back to me in his golden eyes.

“You’re all right?” he asked. His hands roamed along my jaw, down my shoulders, to the small of my back. “I thought...I felt...you were...terrified.”

Nodding, I brought my hand up and put it over his where he touched my cheek. “They saw me. The Chief Pack saw me. I don’t think they…”

“I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. You’re here. You’re with me.” I think he meant it to comfort me, but as he uttered those words, I could see fresh pain etching lines in his face. Standing this close to me seemed to tear him apart in the same way it did me.

I couldn’t take it another second. I went up on my tiptoes and found his lips. With my thumbs at his ears, I drew his head down. He sank into the kiss, groaning into my mouth. My nerve endings caught fire.

I was meant for this. So was he. There with the expanse of woods around us, it was as natural as breathing.

Liam tore himself away. His lips curled and his eyes blazed. I could see the beast within him, torturing Liam to get out. It wasn’t fair of me. I knew it. Touching him like that, tempting him. It was selfish.

“I can’t. Molly, I can’t hold back.”

I meant to tell him I understood. I meant to step away and remove the temptation of my body and my touch. But, the moment I tried, everything fell away.

“So don’t,” I said, breathless. Logic told me this was dangerous, but instinct drove me. Another wolf had gotten close enough to touch me. My body cried out for this wolf. It was as if I needed him to erase the threat of Tenley’s touch.

One beat passed. Two. Liam’s chest heaved as he made his choice. Then, he grabbed me, gently but forcefully. He threaded his fingers through my hair and crushed his lips to mine. The sheer force of it brought me down. We sank to the forest floor together until I was on my knees before him. Liam bent at the waist to keep his lips locked with mine.

He was so close. I reached for him without thinking. My fingers closed around his hardness. He jerked in my palm. Liam threw his head back and let out a plaintive howl that shuddered through me.

Before I knew what was happening, I tore at my scrub top. Casting it aside along with my tank top, Liam was already helping me out of my pants. He laid me down in the cool, velvety moss. He hovered over me for a moment, his tender eyes searching my face.

“Please,” I begged.

It was so quick. With one powerful thrust, Liam parted my thighs and entered me, rooting himself deep. Still daylight, the stars came out anyway. I curved myself around him. I’d been starving for so long. As Liam began to move his hips, the world cracked open and my heart became his.