Chelsey had watched the sunset many times before, but never while sitting by the lake and never with anyone else. As she rested back against Brock’s chest and threaded her fingers with his, she felt at peace, and nothing—not even the new chapter of her life that she’d be entering shortly—could take this moment of happiness away from her. It was too bad that she had to leave to soon to head back to campus. Even with the current dilemma surrounding Brock’s pack and her dad’s involvement, all she could do was think about what the next days, weeks, months—even years would hold for them.

They were seated on a blanket beneath a tree that had previously shaded them. The descending sun faded into the horizon, displaying a mix of muted orange and red colors. Mingling with the smell of freshly cut grass and a calming breeze was the spicy, irresistible essence of the man embracing her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

“I could sit out here forever,” she said. “I’d forgotten how relaxing being with nature could be.”

“It’s the small things like this in life that are worth living and fighting for,” he said. With his finger still locked together, he lifted their hand and kissed the back of hers.

“Thanks for bringing me here. When I first met you, I would have never guessed that you were the type of man to enjoy anything other than your Harley or going to the bar.”

“Looks are deceiving,” he replied. “When I first saw you, I didn’t think you were the type to hook up with guys at the bar.”

She chuckled, a heated blush fanning across her face. “It was my first time doing that. I figured that I didn’t have anything to lose. But actually, I gained something.”

“We both did,” he said.

“About us…” she started.

“Yes…?”

“How certain are that I’m your…how did you put it the other night…intended?”

“There isn’t a thread of uncertainty left in me. My birthmark would never have transferred to you if you weren’t. We’ve been identifying our mates this way since the beginning.”

“What if I had chickened out? Because I almost did. What if you and I never met that night?”

“Fate would’ve brought us together again and again until the mating was confirmed. But understand that meeting an intended mate isn’t a privilege, it’s a gift. Some of us never meet our mates. And some of us are more attentive than we realize. The attraction was there the moment I saw you, so I guess it holds true that we’re drawn to our mates in ways we can’t deny.”

She sighed. “I don’t know if I can be the woman you want. I—”

“You are the woman I want. You don’t even have to question that,” he said.

“I barely know where I’ll be living in three months,” she replied.

“With me, if you want. Or I'll come to you.”

“Isn’t it too soon to be moving in together?”

“If you say so, but I'm sensing that our connection is deeper than I first thought,” he replied.

"The mating and all that, right?"

"That too, Chelsey."

"Wait…there's more to this that you're not telling me?"

He traced the back of her neck with the tip of his nose. "I hope so. We can go at your pace, but know this, Chelsey: you are mine. Completely and utterly mine. I’m already committed to you because I know the value of a true mate versus someone I was with just to pass the time. I’m ready and I’ll be waiting when you are.”

She smiled. “Well, that’s romantic.”

“It’s the truth. You’ll do what you planned to do before we confirmed this. You’ll graduate, weigh your career options…whatever you need. We’ll handle everything together. Just know that I want to be in your life.”

“Hmmm…whatever I need?”

He pressed his lips to the back of her neck and kissed along her nape. “Whatever. You. Need.”

She lifted to her knees and spun around to face him. Only seconds passed before their lips met with an urgency that seemed to grow every moment she stayed with Brock.

They were so consumed in their public displays of affection that they barely heard Brock’s phone ringing beside them. Whoever it was called back a second time.

Brock parted from the kiss and picked up the smartphone from the ground. “It’s Raoulf,” he said.

“Your brother, right?”

He nodded and answered the call.

She was already straddling him and didn’t want to stop their intimate session, so she continued teasing him with kisses to pass the time. He didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m kind of busy right now…” Brock told his brother. “Well, when is he coming back? Look, I can’t afford to get arrested again. Las time I walked away with a slap on the wrist.…This sounds more long term to me and I don’t have the patience right now for it….I can get it to you tonight. Can you meet me at LIVE?…Right…Okay….”

By the time Brock got off the phone with his brother, she’d gotten them both hot and bothered.

“If you keep this up, Princess, I’ll be taking you out here on the ground,” he groaned, pressing his mouth against the column of her throat.

“You wouldn’t…?”

He chuckled.

“You would,” she said, pressing her sex against his arousal. “Well in that case, why don’t you take me back to your place so we can get you taken care of?”

“That’s my intention. I’ll need the bed for what I’m going to do to you tonight. There’s no way I’m going to let you go back to campus unsatisfied. But first things first…I have to go drop something off to my brother at LIVE.”

She frowned and groaned.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be long. Wanna come?”

“Yeah, I do,” she said. “I could use a drink anyway.”

He grabbed her hands and helped her up. “Let’s get a head start then. The rest of the night will be ours.”