Trina peered out through the visor of the motorcycle helmet at the long row of retail shops as Dane brought his motorcycle to a halt in front of a local post office. They'd ridden almost thirty miles before crossing into the side of town known for its abundant shifter population.

In a matter of days, her life had completely changed and she was still trying to process everything. She kept having to remind herself of the deal she made with Dane Magnus, and more importantly, of the reason she was in this place now. In less than six weeks, she wouldn't have to worry about where the money would come from to pay for her dad's surgery. And more importantly, she had a reason to be happy with Dane.

Trina had concluded days ago that the pull she felt toward Dane would've still been there had it not been for the money. There were many questions to be answered. Not only was she intrigued by the man itself, but by his declaration that she was his intended true mate. She loved the ring of it more than she loved the notion of their six-week marriage of convenience.

Dane helped her off the bike and put their helmets away. All the while she was assessing the row of shops situated just on the outskirts of Aspen Valley. Besides the post office, there were several retail and restaurants along the main street. There was even a fresh produce stand adjacent to the lot where Dane had parked. From recollection, the town of Aspen Valley was larger in acreage than population. However, it was one of the biggest shifter towns in the U.S.

"Welcome to my birthplace," Dane said, taking her hand.

"Looks cozy," she said.

People started coming out of their shops with their immediate attention fixed on them. Suddenly, it was Trina who felt like the alien here. She was a human in the shifter's part of town. She even wondered if they were partial to her being here.

Dane led her by the hand down the paved walkway, nodding and lifting his palm up to acknowledge the spectators. Then it dawned on her that she wasn't the one they were entranced with. It was Dane. They regarded him like any citizen would regard the President or any influential person if he ever came into town. Several of them bowed as he passed by their doors. There was no mystery now—these people knew Dane very well.

He stopped in front of some double doors and held it open for her. "I've got to pick up some paperwork and then we'll head over to my old cabin."

"How many homes do you have?"

He bit his lower lip and seemed to contemplate her question. "There's the mansion where I mostly do business from. I'm usually there five days a week from sunup to sundown. And then there's my old cabin which is where I used to crash before I got the mansion. My mom's house, which just got burnt to the ground, was mine. And I have about a half a dozen other properties on Justice Enterprises’ portfolio too."

"Well, of course," she said. "I keep forgetting that you're wealthy. But you're so down to earth."

"That's because even though I like making money, I never let the money make me. There's no changing who I am deep down inside no matter what title I have."

"Good." She smiled. "My father. I need to make sure he's okay." She dug her cell phone out of her purse.

"I sent Brock out already to speak with your father. He and Marcia will be moved to a safer home. One of my rentals out west in the city."

"You think of everything, don't you?"

"You are my priority now. I take care of you and that includes your father."

They entered another door and approached a counter. A woman stood behind it, flipping through papers and applying a stamp. She stopped what she was doing as Trina and Dane reached the counter.

"Good morning, Alpha. What can I do for you?"

Trina gasped and executed a sharp ninety-degree turn. She glanced up at Dane, whose expression was unreadable. "Wait a minute! Alpha?" If she had registered correctly, the woman had just called him Alpha, which in shifter terms was reserved for the leader of a pack.

"Yes, Trina. I'm Dane Magnus. Alpha of the Aspen Valley Wolf Pack."

Her blood rushed hot through her as an emotion akin to deception filled her heart.

"You never told me," she said.

"I didn't think it would matter before we signed the paperwork, but with everything happening, I haven't had the chance to officially tell you."

"Officially? What happened to just telling me? This isn't what I signed up for. You led me to believe that you were just some wolf down and out on his luck with your parents' land being snatched from under you." She folded her arms across her chest. "You could have told me you led a wolf pack."

The woman waiting behind the counter brought her hand up to her lip in shook and her eyes were wide with curiosity.

"I need you to understand something." Dane ushered Trina aside, out of earshot but not out of eyesight. "None of that information would have mattered to our agreement had I not found out you were my intended."

She shrugged out of his grasp. "What do you mean?"

He took her forearm and pulled her against his chest again. "We agreed to split after six weeks? What does my being the Alpha of this pack have anything to do with the end of our agreement?"

"You could have been truthful. You dug into my past like I was filling out a freaking job application. You know almost everything about my personal life."

"Let's take this outside and somewhere in private. We have a lot to discuss. I told you that."

"As far as I'm concerned…" She snatched her arm away from him, putting several feet of space between them "…there is nothing more to discuss. You had plenty of time to tell me about your position before and after you fucked me. What did you think?" She didn't pause long enough for him to answer. "That I would want more of your money when I found out?"

Dane studied her. "I recall telling you the main reason why I couldn't make this arrangement with a woman in my own pack. Because of that reason…but once I met you, once I knew who you were…I knew you weren’t like that.

She swallowed. "It's because you don't want commitment…"

"That was the reason," he said. "Was."

"Let's keep it that way." Trina frowned and backed away.

"Where are you going?"

"This marriage of convenience doesn't require me to live anywhere near you. The papers have been signed. At the end of six weeks, contact me again and I'll release the deed for your land."

She tore off into the hallway.

"Trina, wait!" Dane called out to her just as she exited the building.

Trina didn't look back as she headed down the sidewalk toward the bus station she noted on the way in.

What was wrong with Dane Magnus anyway? What gave him the right to demand that she stay with him all of six weeks, enjoy sex with her, mark her throat, and toss her aside after the deal was done?

Something didn't feel right about this at all, but Trina picked up her pace anyway. As if on instinct, her hand went up to rub the area where Dane had insisted there was a mark. She rubbed hard at her skin, but that only made her flesh burn. When she lifted her fingers, the mark was still burning hot.

Someone stumbled into her, reminding her that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. They growled. Literally growled. "You might want to watch where you're going before you hurt yourself."

"Sorry." She scooped up the case then ran like the wind to the bus station stop that she saw when Dane first brought her in this neighborhood.

Her stubbornness urged her legs forward, but her cognizance wanted her to remain behind with Dane Magnus.