Essex shrugged on his shirt and shorts after completing his evening run. There was nothing more exhilarating than sprinting through the trees as a wolf and watching the sun set for the day. It was an evening ritual that he never missed. Rain or shine, he spent the last few hours of his day traversing the mountainside of Emerick.

“Essex!”

He turned toward the sound of Lucas’ voice, his Alpha and best friend.

He waved and jogged up the path to his friend’s front stoop. “Evening.”

“You got a minute? I need to talk to you.” Lucas asked.

“Sure. Everything okay?” he asked.

Lucas’ gaze shifted to Essex’s house before back to him. “You have a visitor. She’s already there and making herself comfortable.”

“She? Who is it?” he asked with a groan. Was this some sort of attempt to set him up? He wasn’t looking for a mate. Lucas had been fortunate enough to mate with a young female who had come to the pack a year ago, seeking refuge. Most of the pack was happily mated; he was one of the only ones that wasn’t.

He’d had the misfortune of finding his mate early in life, but they’d been separated. He could have a passing relationship every once in a while, but his wolf only desired one woman, and he had no idea where she was.

“Haven Carson.”

Essex’s head snapped up at the woman’s name. His mate was here? How? Why?

“Her adoptive father has brought her here for her protection. The Hags found her.”

“Shit,” Essex said. He trailed a hand over his stubble before moving it to the back of his head. “Is she all right?” He was going to meet his mate for the first time as an adult. The wolf inside him cheered with excitement, and Essex had to fight the urge to fly off the porch and run to his home. First, he needed to make sure she was okay.

“Yeah. Shaken up, but fine.” Lucas blew out a breath and patted Essex on the arm. “I spoke with her protector, Stephen. She has no idea who or what she is. You’ll have to tell her when the time is right.” Lucas gave him a grim smile. “Good luck with that.”

Essex grumbled. This was just his luck. His mate was finally here, but she had no idea who he was or what she was. Fantastic. It was going to be okay, though. She was his mate. They had a bond. It should be relatively easy to tell her things and get along with her, he hoped. Then again, he had no idea how to woo a woman. What did he do or say?

“I don’t suppose you have any ideas on how to break the news to her, do you?” Essex asked, lifting his brow.

Lucas was like a brother to him; raised together in the same household, they’d been best friends since their preteens. When Lucas took over for his father, he’d named Essex as his Beta, or second-in-command.

“You’ll know when the time is right. I did with Maggie. Sure, she freaked out at first,” he paused, motioning to the house where Maggie probably was getting ready for bed, “but she came around. Having the bond with her helped. The sooner you mate, the better.”

“Thanks, Lucas.” He could see where mating would make things easier, but he didn’t want to rush anything, either. Haven was his mate and he wanted her to be completely comfortable before they mated. He clapped Lucas on the shoulder and turned to go.

“If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to let me know,” Lucas said. He took a few steps toward Essex. “I’ve already called the council. Witches will be here first thing in the morning to put up new wards around Emerick. These witches, demons, and vampires are powerful enough to get through them, but with fresh wards up, we should at least have some warning they are coming.”

“I understand.” Essex knew that The Hags that had killed his family years ago would come for him at some time; he just didn’t realize that he’d have to protect his mate from them at the same time, too. He and Haven were both the last of their bloodlines, and were both being pursued by the same evil.

“Stay in Emerick. That’s an order. Understood?” Lucas asked.

Essex knew better than to go against a direct order from his Alpha. It wasn’t like he left Emerick that often, either. He knew he had a target on his back, and he didn’t want to bring trouble to Emerick. The town was still hidden from the outside world, at least for the moment. “I won’t leave the property until the threat is neutralized.”

Lucas nodded at him seemingly satisfied. “Good. Now go meet your mate.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Essex hurried off the front porch and across the way to his house. Before he could get up the steps, the front door opened. His heart skipped a beat and he swallowed hard. It wasn’t Haven who exited, though. It had to be her protector—either that, or his mate had aged horribly and looked like a middle-aged man. His money was on the former.

“Essex Baker, I presume,” the man said, eyeing him up and down.

“You’re Haven’s protector.” It wasn’t a question—he already knew the answer.

The man inclined his head. “Yes, I’m Stephen Carson, retired MYTHS agent, and protector of Haven Carson. She is settling in for the evening. It’s been quite a long day of traveling for her.”

“Is she well?” Essex asked. His eyes slid to the closed door, curious to see his mate. He’d had dreams about an ebony-haired beauty with sapphire eyes, but he’d never met her before. The woman in his dreams had to be Haven.

“She’ll be just fine. Though I should warn you, she is quite... irritated. She has many questions about her past. I have been sworn to secrecy and could never answer any of them. Hopefully, when the time is right, you can answer them for her.”

“I’ll do my best, though I must admit I don’t know very much about either of our pasts.” That was the truth. He knew she was his mate, and a little about his family and hers. The rest was a mystery.

Stephen bowed his head and smiled. “Everything will come to light at the right time. I must take my leave. I trust Haven will be in capable hands.”

“I won’t let anything happen to her—you have my word.” He’d die before letting a single hair on her head be harmed. The innate need to protect his mate nearly overwhelmed him. If it was this strong now, he could only imagine how much more it would be once he laid eyes on her.

“Good. Haven is a special girl. She may have been my charge all these years, but I have come to care for her as if she were my own.” Stephen smiled, but it was sad. “I must see about trying to lead the Hags hunting you away from here. Take care, Essex.”

“You too.” He watched as the man walked away. For a retired agent, he was still heavily invested in MYTHS, if he was protecting Haven after all these years. MYTHS (Magically Yielded Team of Heroics Society) was a group of supernaturals that protected humans and supernaturals alike from the evil in the world. Their job was to protect innocents and make sure that the supernatural stayed a myth in the minds of humans.

Essex’s pack was a special part of MYTHS. Emerick didn’t exist on any human map. It was hidden by wards and magic deep within the countryside of the mountains, and could only be accessed by someone who knew where to find it and had permission to enter the safe haven—that was, assuming The Hags didn’t figure out how to sneak in.

Emerick housed the pack, humans, and supernaturals that needed special protection and a place to hide. When his family had been murdered years ago, he’d come here as an orphan. Thankfully he’d found a family and a place to call home, too. Lucas’ father had been like a dad to him. He truly was a member of the Emerick pack.

The sound of the front door creaking open drew him from his thoughts. His attention darted to the door where a petite, curvy woman stood. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her ebony hair cascaded around her circular face, and her sapphire eyes widened slightly when she saw him. Arousal permeated the air, and he groaned at her sweet smell. The connection between them was already strong, if simply looking at each other set them both on edge.

His wolf howled inside him, urging him to take the next few feet forward and sweep her into his arms to claim her. There was no doubt in his mind that this breathtaking beauty was his true mate.

She blinked at him, seemingly as entranced by him as he was with her. Then her expression changed. A frown marred her pretty face. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the welcome mat by the door.

“Stephen said that you could answer all my questions. So let’s start with the first one. Who are you and why did he insist on bringing me here?” Her brows rose, and she stared at him as if demanding his answer.

“I’m Essex Baker. I met you a long time ago, and I know something about the... men that are after you. They are after me, too,” he said. If she wanted answers, he’d give them to her, although he could only tell her what he knew, and it wasn’t a lot. They’d have to unravel the rest of it together.

Her frown deepened. “You don’t sound like you’re from Tennessee, not with that accent.”

Essex chuckled and walked toward the door. She moved, letting him by, but not before his arm brushed against her shoulder. The tiniest touch set his skin on fire and had his cock rising to attention already. He suppressed the urge to growl and made a note to try not to touch her until she was ready.

“I’m not from Tennessee, no. I was born in Bath, England. I was brought to the US when I was eleven. My family died, much like yours did.” He inclined his head to her. She moved away from the door but didn’t stop staring at him. He shut the door and twisted the locks into place, not that it would do much to keep vampires and warlocks out, but she didn’t know that – yet. Any other night, he’d leave the doors unlocked. There was no crime in Emerick. The only thing you had to worry about was neighbors barging in to ask for a cup of sugar or for help doing some odd chore.

“You know about my family?” Haven asked. Her face hardened, becoming unreadable.

Clearly, he’d said the wrong thing. He needed to fix it. “Stephen told us about your situation. He let us know that you were coming last night.” It was somewhat of a lie, but he couldn’t exactly tell her everything right this second. She’d either believe him or she wouldn’t. Given the situation, he’d bet on the latter. He needed to gain her trust a little bit before he told her everything he knew. “Our town specializes in protecting people that are being pursued by... unnatural things.”

“Unnatural?” She nodded, seeming to ease up a little bit. “The things that attacked me were... well, I don’t know what they were.”

Haven let out a breath and ran a hand over her hair. She yawned, then sagged against the kitchen counter.

Essex fought the urge to go to her and wrap her in his arms. She looked exhausted and scared. He wanted to whisk her off to bed and ease her worries away. The wolf in him bubbled beneath the surface, encouraging him to do just that, but he knew now wasn’t the right time.

“You look beat. I’m guessing you’ve been traveling all day?” he asked.

She nodded and yawned again. He knew how exhausting it was when you crashed from an adrenaline high.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. His kitchen was always fully stocked, being a werewolf meant he was always hungry.

Haven shook her head.

“Why don’t I show you to the guest room, you can shower and get some sleep, and in the morning, I’ll answer any questions you have, okay?” He kept his voice low and calm, while he hit her with a low dose of persuasion. Persuasion magic only worked on those that didn’t know how to fight it. He didn’t like using his magic on her, but he figured the conversation would go better if she were rested. Even if he told her bits and pieces at a time, it was still a lot to take in, and he didn’t want to overwhelm her.

Haven licked her lips. Her eyes flared, becoming an even brighter sapphire before simmering down. She sighed. “Fine. I don’t think I have it in me to hear about all this tonight, anyway.”

Her eyes snapped to his, the fire back in them and she took a step forward, pointing. “But if you think you’re going to keep pushing me aside like Stephen, you’ll find you’re sorely mistaken.”

He chuckled, finding her mesmerizing when she was angry. “Noted.”