Monica was lying on her back on a blanket with her arms folded behind her head, watching the clouds come and go and change from a misty white to a dark gray color. Deacon was in a similar position, but his eyes were closed and he looked so peaceful. They were on the ground by the lake and had just finished their lunch while enjoying the views.

Monica could tell Deacon loved being out in nature. He'd already told her that he could sense when the first drops of rain where about to hit, so she wasn't worried about being stuck out here during the downpour. In fact, she wasn't worried at all. As long as Deacon was here, she knew she'd be safe. He'd already proven himself to her.

"Tell me about the dreams you've been having," Deacon said.

"When I'm deep in the dream I keep seeing this wolf. His fur is the same color as your hair. Sandy brown. His eyes and your eyes are the same. Moonlight blue. Then the wolf fades away and I see hummingbirds. There are feeders hanging in these big trees and I just see dozens and dozens of hummingbirds coming to feed. And it feels like I'm there. I'm talking to someone, but when I think they'll respond back, my dream ends."

"The trees are on a farm. The farm is near a river. There are three barns behind a two story ranch house," he said.

"Exactly." She turned on her side. "And under each tree there are flower beds. Some with roses, some with tulips, and then my favorite flower, the ca—"

"The Calla Lily," he finished her sentence.

"Are we having the same dream?"

Deacon smiled. "I've been dreaming of something else lately. Of you, actually. But your dreams were once my reality. I used to live on a farm. Remember I mentioned that my grandmama was a florist?"

Monica nodded.

"She planted dozens of beds of flowers," he said.

"And the hummingbirds? Did your farm have hummingbirds?"

"I hung the hummingbird feeders in the trees because my wolf used to watch them when he wasn't napping in the shade. I used to hang lots of them so they'd come. Hummingbirds are very territorial, kind of like us wolves. They each like to have a feeder to themselves. As long as they were left alone, had food, and I didn't bother their nests, they'd come back year after year. Most of them don't weigh more than a dime, but they are actually very intelligent creatures. Whenever one of them ran out of nectar, I'd get a nasty buzzing and chirping in my ear. They were persistent. It didn't matter if I had just drifted off to sleep. They wouldn't stop until I had shifted back to human form and I was on the way to the shed to refill the feeder. They knew exactly where I stored the food."

She smiled, just thinking about a group little birds nagging a grown man for food. "That's funny, but I bet they're so beautiful when they come together. I'd like to see that one day."

"I'll show you. I know they're around here somewhere. Maybe they'll come out after this storm passes," he said.

"Do you think they still come out to the farm looking for you?"

He sighed. "I'm sure they did in the weeks after we lost it, but they're smart birds. They've probably moved on. I rode by the farm the other day. My grandma's flowers are still blooming, of course. The place looks really nice. They've changed it, but it's still in good condition."

"Would you buy it back if you had the money?"

"If there was an opportunity I would, but a family lives there now. Two young boys…no more than six years old. And there was a little girl swinging in the back yard. Seeing that family made me realize that I want one of my own and a farm just like that, even if I have to start over."

"It's okay to start over," Monica said. "I'm learning that myself."

He rolled over on his side and propped up his chin in his palm.

"I feel so alive right now with you. When I left Tunica, I thought I'd run into nothing but hostility and bad memories when I got here. Instead I found you, and then I accomplished everything I said I would here."

"And that was?"

"To pay my family debt. I never meant to stay. I just wanted to settle old ties so my conscious would be at peace. My plan was to take the leftovers and buy a farm in Tunica. Now I'm not so sure about that. My heart is elsewhere."

"Is that why you were carrying around all that money?"

He chuckled. "Yes."

"I think you should buy your farm. That's what'll make you happy, right?"

"I don't know that it'll make me happier or more satisfied than I am right now. That's the thing. I'm just as confused as you are about this whole dream thing but I've never been any more certain that this isn't just a coincidence."

"Mate," she said, softly. "Earlier you said you won't let any mate of yours go hungry. What does that mean?"

"It felt right to say that," he replied. "You know that wolves mate, right?"

"Yes. I see announcements of your matings in the newsletter all the time. Right along with all the weddings."

"Well, when we mate, it's for life. And how we tell that someone is our true mate is if we both have something very special in common."

"Of course. People fall in love and are attracted to each other all the time. And when they have something in common, that makes it so much sweeter."

"By in common, I don't mean like a favorite food or book or similar goals…or even financial status. Something deeper…"

She swallowed. "Are you talking about the dreams?"

He nodded. "Your dreams were the first indication that we had something in common. No one, except close family members, knows that I befriend hummingbirds whenever I see them. I'm connected to them because I find them to be fascinating creatures, but I'm also connected because my birthmark resembles one."

"Yes." She looked down at his forearm resting between them on the blanket. The mark was there on his skin as clear as day. "I saw the mark for the first time at the nightclub."

"I was born with this. It's not always visible, but it's never been this noticeable before to the point where others can see it. What's so special about it is that my birthmark is also my mate mark."

"Mate mark?"

"When a wolf has found his intended mate and they're together for the first time, the mate mark leaves a lasting imprint on the woman."

"Like a brand?"

"Yes, Monica. It's basically the equivalent of claiming her. Once the imprinting begins, it can't be reversed."

"How does it happen?"

"Primarily sex. Sometimes, it just happens when true mates are in the presence of each other."

"Hmmm…maybe that explains why these dreams started the first night we met."

"Possibly. We never crossed paths before that day. At least I don't think."

"I've been in Aspen Valley for five years and if we had crossed paths before I would've remembered you. You're eye candy. I'm thinking I need to keep close tabs on you. Most of the women in Aspen Valley are eager for hot roguish hunks like you, but I saw you first." She smiled suggestively.

Deacon touched her chin, pressing his thumb delicately against her skin. "You have nothing to worry about. A wolf never strays from his mate."

Thunder rumbled in the distance and they both listened intently.

"We've got maybe fifteen minutes until it pours," he noted.

"Have you ever considered a career as a meteorologist?" she asked.

"Not really. I'm more skilled in the art of using my hands."

"Hmmm…"

"What are you thinking?"

She shrugged. "That I want to test that theory."

"I'll allow you to quiz me all you want when I get you to the bunkhouse." He lifted himself upward into a sitting position. "Still having car issues?"

"I wasn't talking about using your hands to fix my car."

Sexual tension fused with the air around them. He gave her his full attention, casting a seductive look at her.

"Don't get me wrong, Monica. I want you, but I want the best for you."

"If we are what you think we are to each other, wouldn't you want to know? Wouldn't you want to find out before you leave town?"

"Who said I was leaving town?"

"I fear you might leave me here with only these dreams to remember you by," she replied.

"I won't leave you. A wolf protects, provides, and loves his woman. I'll do all of those things for you and I can do all of those things for you without jeopardizing your family's reputation in Aspen Valley and your relationship with your dad."

"I think you worry too much," she told him. "Doesn't it go both ways? I won't ask you to do all those things for me without providing the same in return. If we worried about what others thought about this, we'd never by happy…so why bother?"

With the storms threatening their perfect day by the lake, Deacon took her mouth in a breath stealing kiss. This time his lips were hungry and demanding against hers. Without a doubt, he was the master of tantalizing kisses that seemed to caress every fiber of her being. He broke the kiss and with no further warning, he scooped her and the blanket up off the ground, and walked toward the car.

"You'll always be a beautiful distraction, but I don't want you to get wet out here. Let's go to my bunkhouse."

Monica made no protests as he took her all the way to her Corvette. She felt secure, protected, and …so right in his arms. The same vibrant feeling that had radiated through her on the day they first met was the same heat that radiated through her now, connecting them in ways she could never imagine.