They were back at his house. She was waiting on the couch while Rhett put on clothes. She was still shaken by what had happened earlier. It had happened so fast. Magnus had come to speak with her, and then he was being attacked. For a minute, she'd thought it was someone sent by the dragons. But then she'd seen the fangs and familiar tawny fur. It was Rhett. Her fear didn't dissipate. She was still worried he was working for the dragons.

She had to give him the benefit of the doubt. Magnus had, so why couldn't she?

"Sorry," he said as he sat down on the couch next to her. "I was being ridiculous earlier. I acted without thinking. It looked like you were in danger, and I couldn't stop my animal. He was working on instinct. When he thought his mate was in danger, I couldn't stop him."

She must have misheard him. "You mean friend. When he saw his buddy in danger, you couldn't control him."

Rhett shook his head. "Mate. That's what I needed to tell you. What I should have told you sooner. You're my mate. I don't think you're my mate; I know. My saber-toothed tiger has known since the moment he first laid eyes on you. It took me a while to catch up, but I'm sure now. You're my mate, and I love you."

Her eyes burned. "I wish you had told me sooner. This whole time, I've been wondering if you liked me or not. I was so scared to make a move or push things physically. I didn't want to come on too strong or move too fast."

"I've wanted you so bad this whole time," he laughed. "I can't believe you wanted me too. Unbelievable."

"Is it really?" She wiped her eyes. "Look at you. You're very handsome."

"Thank you." He took her hand. "I want to be with you, but I don't know if we should live together. That's why I waited so long to tell you that you were my mate. I don't want you putting your life in danger just to be with me. Even now, with the dragons saying they're backing off, I'm not sure it will get better for you here."

"Even if things are bad, I know you'll protect me. You've done a good job at it so far."

He took her face in his hands. "No, seriously, I'm not sure I can keep you safe. I can't be with you twenty-four hours a day. I don't think you'd like that. I don't know what's going on with the shifters, but if Magnus is worried, it probably isn't over yet."

"You're scaring me."

"Good. You should be scared. I want you to come into this with your eyes wide open. It might be smarter for you to get a new apartment and live there. No one will know where you live, and you'll be safer."

"What about you? You can move with me, too."

"No. I belong here with my kind. You saw what I am. I'll never be comfortable in the human world. I need to be here doing my job. That doesn't mean we can't be together. I want to be very clear about that. I still very much want to be with you."

Joseline searched his eyes. "I want to come and live with you. If your place is here among your people, my place is here, too. I don't want to live away from you. If something is coming, I want to be by your side and face it with you. I know I'm kind of useless, but I'll find a way to contribute."

Rhett laughed and kissed her. "You aren't useless. When you're next to me, I feel like I can take on a whole army. I would love to have you move in permanently."

She kissed him. "Good. Because you won't be able to stop me."

***

"I brought food and coffee," Sheridan called from the front door. She navigated around boxes to get to Rhett. "I heard you guys were working hard and thought I'd do my part to help."

Beau took a cup of coffee from the tray. "Thanks. I could use this."

"There's only one more car to unload," Tuck said, flopping down on the couch. "Can we take a break first and eat?"

"Ask the little woman," Rhett said, throwing his hands up. "You know she's in charge of all this stuff."

Joseline was orchestrating the final move. She was driving over the last of her things with Zach. He was sure she'd let them eat first, but he wanted to let her have the final say.

"This is going to take forever to unpack," Sheridan said. "Where are you going to fit all this stuff?"

"She's an organizer," Rhett said. "She'll make sure everything has its place."

He didn't care where all the stuff went. She could throw away every possession he had, for all he cared. The only things he cared about were his mate and their dog. As long as there was a space for them, he was good.

"They're pulling up now." Beau sat down on the couch. "No way are we going to move stuff without eating first. We've been at this for hours."

"How did she fit all of this in her apartment?" Tuck wondered.

"I had a lot of closet space," Joseline said as she walked in. "Hey, Sheridan. When did you get here?"

"A minute ago. I brought food."

"Thank God." Zach came into the room and went straight for the coffee. "I'm starving. These two tricked us. They never told us she had enough stuff for a family of six."

Joseline laughed. "You guys are wimps. But if you must eat, fine." Then she came over and kissed Rhett. "I'll have all this stuff cleaned up by the end of the week, I swear."

"I don't care," he told her. "I like seeing all your stuff in my house."

"I like seeing that, too."

Rhett couldn't wait to see all her stuff mixed in with his. As soon as she was settled, he was going to get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. But everything in its own good time. He would give her a chance to enjoy this part before he rushed her to the next, hard as it was. He wanted to do it all with her. He wanted the rest of his life to happen all at once. He was just so damned excited to experience it all with her. No matter what came for them in the future, he knew they could take it on. With her at his side, he could take on the world.