Well, I sure messed that up, Justin thought as he reluctantly began to pack his suitcase.

It had been such a perfect night and morning, and the outing to the lake had been magical.

Actually, just being with Elle had been magical.

Justin adored everything about her and would have been happy just to move into her pretty yellow Victorian house and make himself at home in her bed and at her board.

It was the best kind of dream, where his future was filled with love and laughter and companionship.

Too bad he'd had to spoil things with a hard dose of reality.

But damn it, I don't want her to see me fighting a challenge duel. Especially not if I'm on the losing end of it.

Elle hadn't said much as they gathered up the remains of their picnic and packed it all neatly away in the cooler, but he could sense how deeply he had wounded her by his announcement.

The drive back to the ranch had been silent for the most part. Elle offered stiffly to drive him to the Bearpaw Ridge Airport, and he accepted.

Now he was upstairs in the guest bedroom, preparing to leave and wishing to God it wasn't necessary.

Downstairs, the phone rang. His keen shifter ears picked up Elle's greeting, but he couldn't hear the other end of the conversation.

He heard her say, "I'm fine," in a tone that clearly expressed that she wasn't fine at all. "No, don't be silly. You don't have to—"

Then she huffed and he heard her slam the handset down into its charging stand.

Justin squeezed his eyes shut with guilt.

A few minutes later, one of the ranch's big white pickup trucks came roaring over the hill.

Curious, Justin went over to the window, just in time to see the pickup stop and park in front of the house. He saw Margaret Swanson emerge, wearing a grim expression.

He could just guess what had upset her and winced inwardly.

He tried not to listen to the muted conversation that followed, but he couldn't help hearing Margaret order Elle out of the house.

"Go for a walk. It'll do you good," she said briskly.

Then Justin heard the heavy tread of an angry bear shifter on the stairs and braced himself.

Justin was pretending to fold his clean socks when she stomped up the hallway, floorboards groaning under her steps.

The door to the guest bedroom stood open, so Margaret Swanson didn't bother knocking.

"Just one day," she said with loathing. "And you've already managed to break her heart. What the hell did you do to her, Mr. Long?" She eyed him and the suitcase lying open on the bed. "Was this some kind of game?"

Justin sighed and met Margaret's fierce brown eyes. She loomed in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, still in human shape but bristling with palpable menace.

Yep, bear shifters were protective of their own, all right.

"No," he said simply. "And if it makes any difference, I don't want to leave right now, but I don't have a choice. There's an emergency brewing back home, and I have to deal with it."

Something about his expression seemed to convince her.

"An emergency, huh?" She uncrossed her arms and entered the room, taking a seat on the chair that stood in front of an antique oak desk.

He nodded. "Literally a matter of life and death, or I wouldn't be leaving like this. I was really hoping to stay longer. Elle…your sister is a very special woman," he managed.

"Hm." Margaret studied him. "You know she's absolutely heartbroken right now, don't you?"

Shit. Elle's already had so much pain in her life. Justin really hated himself right now.

"I sensed she was upset, yeah," he admitted. "But she acted like she understood. And I intend to return…if I can."

Margaret scoffed. "My sister is the master of burying her feelings and carrying on," she informed Justin. "You can bet she's doing her best right now to shut you out so that you can't hurt her again."

Justin felt a pang of alarm, and his cat stirred uneasily inside him. He didn't want it to end like this! He wanted to know that he could come back here and pick up where he'd left off…if he managed to survive what lay ahead of him.

He hesitated, knowing he had to convince Margaret of his sincerity, but unsure how much to confess.

"I know we just met, but I'm dead serious about courting her," he said finally. "I want her for my mate."

Margaret's finely drawn brows went up in surprise. "You want to mate my sister? Seriously? She told me this was just supposed to be something casual. Fun."

"It was supposed to be," he agreed. "Didn't quite work out that way."

Margaret shook her head in disbelief. He received another long, penetrating look, as if she were assessing his truthfulness. Even though as a shifter, she ought to be able to sense whether he was lying to her.

Or maybe she was just unhappy about the idea of a sabertooth shifter courting Elle.

If there was one thing he'd learned over past few days, it was that his kind had a very bad reputation in Bearpaw Ridge.

"Well, if you really are serious, then I've got some advice for you," she said finally.

Her expression was sober now.

"I'm listening." Justin readied himself to hear Margaret tell him that Elle would be better off without him and that once he left, he shouldn't come back to Bearpaw Ridge.

But she surprised him. "Stand your ground. Don't let Elle push you away because she wants to protect herself. If you intend to make her your mate, fight for her." Margaret sighed and shook her head. "My sister can be her own worst enemy. She thinks that if you want to be strong, you have to shut everyone out."

"Thank you," Justin breathed.

Margaret scowled at him, and he caught a glimpse of the fierce bear living inside the woman who usually looked like a gentle hippie aunt who just wanted to bake you some organic flaxseed and oatmeal cookies.

"Just a warning, Mr. Long. If you're somehow lying to me about your intentions in regards to my sister, I will find you and make you very sorry."

* * *

"I promise I'll come back as soon as I can. If I can," Justin said.

Elle felt his warm, callused hand cover her right hand where it rested on the steering wheel. They had just left the ranch and turned onto the highway that would lead them through town and then out to the small airport.

She still felt hollow and dazed in the wake of his abrupt announcement of his departure, but his words caught her attention.

"If you can?" she echoed. "Justin, what in the world is going on? Are you in some kind of danger?"

She glanced sideways and saw his grim profile under his cowboy hat. His lips tightened, and at first, she didn't think he was going to answer her.

"You could say that," he said finally. "I've thrown my hat in the ring for Pride First. You remember that phone call I got before breakfast? I found out that I'm going to have to fight a challenge duel tomorrow morning against one of the thugs who tried to kidnap Cassie."

Elle felt shock race through her system, rousing her from the depression she'd sunk into. "I thought you said they were all dead!"

"One survived. And he just managed to post bail." Justin sighed, his gaze focused straight again on the highway. "Elle, I can't just let this guy take over the pride…my pride." He turned to her, and the look in his eyes pierced through her.

Tears stung her eyes. She blinked hard. I am not going to cry while I'm driving!

"I'm coming with you," Elle heard herself say. "I won't let you fight alone."

Her bear didn't try to control her very often anymore, but those words hadn't come from Elle's human half.

Elle found herself agreeing though.

Justin shook his head. "You can't. This is a pride matter…and all challenge duels are one-on-one. Even if the rest of the pride hates the challenger, they're going to follow tradition and ensure he gets his fair chance at Pride First."

"I hate sabertooth shifters!" Elle spat in frustration. She glanced over at Justin. "I mean, I hate the way your lineage does things!"

He smiled wryly. "I don't like it much either. And it's something I'm aimin' to change if I become Pride First."

"Can I come visit you afterwards?" she asked.

But inside, her heart was sinking again. If Justin lost the duel, he was probably going to be either badly injured or dead.

But if he won, he would be Pride First. And that likely wouldn't leave him much time for a long-distance relationship with someone living four states away.

"I'd really like that," he said warmly. "I can't wait to introduce you to some genuine Texas BBQ." He smiled. "I'm a pretty good cook, you know."

"Well, I certainly hope so," she riposted. "Given that you own a restaurant."

He laughed. Then his expression turned serious. "Elle, I need to tell you something."

Her heart began to pound. Was this it? Was this the moment when he reminded her that they were only having a casual relationship?

He took a deep breath.

"I want to be with you, Elle Swanson. And not just for a weekend or two. I swear to you that once this duel is settled, we're going to have a long talk about…us."

Her heart soared at his admission. He apparently felt the same connection as she did!

The pounding of Elle's heart intensified as she decided to make a confession to him in turn. "And I'll be counting down the days until I see you again. I—I want this to be more than a fling."

She was rewarded with a radiant smile.

"Then I'll have you know, Mrs. Swanson, that I intend to claim you as my mate the next time I see you," he said, and she nearly swerved into a fence lining the highway.

She saw a turn-off up ahead for one of the numerous picnic areas and boat ramps along the river and pulled into it before she got into an accident.

Her hands were shaking, and her heart hadn't stopped pounding. She felt dizzy with shock and incandescent with sudden happiness.

Elle parked her truck under the trees and turned to Justin, still feeling shaky.

"Yes," she said, smiling.

She saw his look of smug triumph and added mischievously, "Yes…I'll let you court me. Then we'll talk about claiming."

"Court you?" His tawny brows rose, and his eyes gleamed in a way that she'd become very familiar with. "That could be fun," he purred.

And then his hands were cupping her face, and he was kissing her with such hunger and passion that it made her head spin.

By the time the kiss ended, she'd crawled onto his lap in an attempt to get closer to him.

Justin's arms went around her, and he just held her for a long time. Elle returned the embrace fiercely, cherishing the touch of his skin against hers, the lingering taste of him on her tingling lips, and his breath against the sensitive skin of her neck.

"We should go," she murmured. "Or you're going to miss your flight."

As she started the truck again, she wondered, Have I been granted the miracle of falling in love again, only to lose him?