“Where are you going? You said we could talk, and here you are, running again,” Wyatt asked, exasperated by his new mate. He had spent a long night camped outside of her apartment building, waiting for a chance to talk to her.

He’d had zero intent of seeking out where Callie lived. He’d hoped to be freely given an invitation. One that included maybe dinner and a bit of romance. Until he’d bolted out of bed, startled by the intensity of his mate’s latest dream. Wyatt tried to fight the urge to run through town on four legs and covered in fur, but he had failed. Each dream that she had throughout the night had proven to be more powerful than the last. And that had been his downfall.

He’d huddled on a small deck outside of her apartment in wolf form, where he remained the rest of the night. The thought of knocking on her door and offering to relieve her need had passed through his mind more than once, but after the speed in which she bolted from the diner, he knew it was an epically bad idea.

“Talk while we walk then. I need to get to work.”

“Work? You mean back to that diner to wait on tables?” Wyatt wished he could suck the words back into his mouth. They’d been on the tip of his tongue. He had no intention of speaking them, yet they seemed to sneak out anyway.

Callie paused mid-step. “Is there something wrong with waiting tables?”

Wyatt stuttered, “It—it’s just not something I had pictured my mate doing.”

“Fuck!” he shouted to his wolf. “A little help here?”

He felt like he was treading water when it came to his mate. Barely keeping his head above the water before she pushed him right back under.

“What is it with shifters? You all act so damn high and mighty. What’s wrong with me being a waitress? And I’m not your mate.”

“Nothing. I—uhh…”

Callie cut him off, not quite done with her rant. “I have a baby to take care of and it’s not like decent paying jobs fall into my lap every damn day.”

“A baby?” This time, Wyatt was the one to pause. His heart felt like it had not just skipped a beat, but paused all together.

“Yes. A baby, as in tiny human. You know what they are, right?”

“Of course I know what a baby is. Is that why you’ve been refusing me? Because you’re already with someone?”

The thought of his mate not only having someone else’s child, but possibly being in a committed relationship didn’t sit well with him.

 

***

 

Callie looked away. Gods, the man was going to drive her nuts. Just being around him set her traitorous body on fire. “No. We’re no longer together. We haven’t been in quite a while.” That was as good of an answer as she was going to give. The less Wyatt knew about her and Max the better.

“Why did you run, yesterday?” His voice was soft. He didn’t demand an answer. He seemed genuinely curious. His fingers wrapped around hers. She tried to pull back, to pull away from the energy that leapt from his fingers to hers, but he held tight.

“Because I—” Callie wasn’t sure how she wanted to word her answer without giving away the farm. Cam had told her it was likely that they were both having the same dreams, yet he’d not even brought up the dreams. Thank god!

He had, however, alluded to her leaving him hanging for months. Something she would have to examine later.

“You can tell me anything, as I will always be honest with you.”

Callie wanted to stay angry. Lord knows she did, but when she looked at those full lips of his, it was like her brain short circuited. All she could think of was kissing him. Would his kiss scorch her soul, like it did in her dreams? Or would it be even better?

When had they gotten so close to each other? When had she stopped walking?

Wyatt’s nostrils flared, his lips hovered above hers. “I can smell your arousal.”

That single statement was all she needed to pull back from the precarious position she’d found herself in. Like a bucket of ice water being thrown on her. It was nothing more than the smallest reminder that he wasn’t like her.

He was a shifter. Something she’d never be.

“I’m going to be late for work.” She turned away from him, pulling their intertwined fingers apart. Picking up a brisk pace, Callie didn’t bother glancing behind her to see if Wyatt followed. She knew that if she had, her steps would have faltered. It was a risk she just couldn’t afford to take.