“Blaine,” Lee said into his phone. “I found something.”

“Thank the moon! Time is short! What is it?”

“I don’t want to say here. Too many ears.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll come to your place tonight.”

“Come to Gunner’s. I’ll text you the address.”

“Okay.”

“You sound weird. Where are you?”

“Broom closet.”

“Piper’s around?”

He ripped the wrapper from another candy bar.

“Yeah. God,” he said, his mouth full of chocolate and caramel, which was obscuring his words. “I can hear her. She’s laughing at something.”

“How about earbuds?”

Reaching into his backpack, Lee withdrew two more of the treats, tore the plastic off, and stuffed both into his mouth.

After swallowing, he said, “Tried it. Doesn’t help. Got ‘em in, though. For cover.”

“For the people around you, or her?”

“Both.”

“How many of those have you eaten today?”

“Twenty? Fifty? I dunno. Lost count. I need to buy more.”

“Okay. Well, stay as sharp and focused as you can.”

“Yep. Bye.”

Lee pressed his ear against the door, listening for footsteps—in particular, the click-clacks of Piper’s heels. Her scent was everywhere, something he’d wondered about until, under the guise of getting to know people in the office, he asked someone which department she was in. He found out that she worked in the mailroom. As such, she could pop up anywhere, delivering packages and picking up outgoing items.

Doing his best to stay hidden, he’d narrowly avoided being exposed to her several times that week and the one prior.

“Lee!” she’d called out.

Pushing away his desires to go to her as forcefully as he could, he’d flipped around and headed in the opposite direction, speed-walking to the other side of the building, acting like he hadn’t heard her, as she followed behind him for a while.

Wanting to see her once more, he risked a glance back at her, as he rounded a corner. Piper was lit up with a smile, waving at him, but his response was a pained grimace. Seeing his expression, her face fell, and agony that sliced like daggers went through him, as his wolf roared inside his head at his hurting his mate.

He’d stopped running and pressed himself to the wall, waiting, until he heard the sound of her shoes, as she started walking in the opposite direction. As he sneaked a look around the corner, she trudged away, her shoulders hunched forward, head down.

Lee wanted to run to her, gather her into his arms, and tell her that they belonged with each other, but he couldn’t risk the mission. There was too much at stake.

As the days passed by, Lee’s torment hadn’t lessened; it was as excruciating as it had been since the first pang. It was only his sheer determination and power as an alpha that kept him standing. That and nightly trips to the butcher shop to load up on pounds of beef, pork, chicken, whatever he could get his hands on.

Opening the door, he stepped out... and ran directly into Piper.

“Oh!” she squealed, as envelopes in all sizes flew into the air and fell around them. Lee froze where he was, as she looked him over with a quizzical expression. “Why do you have chocolate all around your mouth?” She reached out, running her finger up his skinny tie. She then slid it over his bottom lip, before opening hers and licking the tip. “Are you hidin’ in there, eatin’ candy? Are you bein’ a bad boy, not invitin’ me in for the fun?”

After running his hand over his face, he glanced down at the traces of chocolate on his fingers, as he imagined what he looked like.

“That’s it.”

“What?” Piper asked, as Lee scanned the hallway.

“I can’t take it anymore. I’ll figure out how to fix it later.”

“Lee, I’m not followin’.”

Grasping her by the wrist, he pulled her inside the closet and shut them inside. He backed her up to the rear of the space, peering down into her beautiful eyes, as he closed the distance between them.

“You’re mine, Piper.”

“I am?” she gasped. “But you’ve been avoidin’ me! I’ve felt this draw to you, like I should be with you, but then you ran, and then I thought I was bein’ stupid, because they said you didn’t like girls, but I didn’t believe ’em because of how I felt.” A low growl began in his chest and flowed from his throat. Piper shivered, and he circled an arm around her waist, loving how well she fit his body. “I thought I was wishin’ for somethin’ I’d never have.”

“Ssshhh,” he whispered, as he tilted her head up with his finger. “They’re wrong. I’m sorry for how I acted, sweetheart. I’m yours if you’ll have me.”

She took hold of his thin necktie, urging him down to her, as she smiled up at him. Their lips joined, and Lee’s wolf howled in triumph, while his hands roamed her body the way he’d dreamt about doing. Grabbing her ass, he jerked her against his crotch, and she squealed once more.

Letting go of her with one hand, Lee reached behind him, searching for the doorknob, and locked it.

“You feel it, too, don’t you, Piper?”

“Uh-huh!”

“It’s unstoppable.” He undid his trousers, and they dropped to the floor. Hiking her skirt up, he ripped her panties away and drew her leg around the top of his thigh. Finally touching the part of her he hungered desperately for, his fingers plunged inside her wet heat. “Tell me. Yes... or no.” She nodded, and he said, “You have to say it. I won’t take this any farther unless you do.”

“Yes, Lee!”

He covered her mouth with his, swallowing her cries of pleasure, as he guided his cock into her. His fangs dropped, readying to mark her, but again, he couldn’t do that without her consent. Forcing them back up, he satisfied himself by filling his palms with her breasts, intent on bringing her home with him that day.

Items clanged on the shelves, as he made love to her in a dank and dusty closet, but he didn’t care about the noise. He was engulfed and held inside his mate, and he planned to take her on every surface in his home, filling it with her lovely scent.

Moments later, she came, muffling the sound with her hand over her mouth, as she collapsed against him. He followed her, breathing heavily.

“You’re still hard,” she gasped.

He swooped down, taking her lips once again in a scorching kiss, as he withdrew from her channel.

“Come home with me, Piper. I need you to. There’s a lot we need to talk about.”

“Sounds like there is.”

“You’re not safe here. Trust me, sweetheart.”

She straightened his tie, and he tucked his shirt back into his pants.

“I certainly didn’t see that comin’.” She giggled. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“It’s okay, Piper. I didn’t, either.” He kissed her on her forehead and took her hand in his. “Let’s go.”