2

John

Amber and Danielle shifted together before racing down the mountainside. If I hadn’t been so proud of my nieces for coming out of their shells and speaking up for themselves, I would’ve dragged them straight back to Michigan. I could picture Bryant laughing at me–calling me a pushover for letting them go. The elders were sure to have something to say, not that I cared. But I didn’t welcome the coming headache. The whole thing was a disaster.

I’m sure the producers expected to send us Alphas into an early rut by kidnapping the females and causing all this stress. Ranger thought we’d made it here with enough time to spare. Watching him protectively herd Aspen toward her nest made me realize how dumb that hope seemed now.

He was a goner.

And I wasn’t foolish enough to think these urges forcing my wolf to follow a certain dark-haired female weren’t fueled by our biological needs.

What had I gotten into?

I know what we’d like to get into.

My beast sniffed the earth, easily picking up the trail of the mate we were chasing… again.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I’d humored Amber and Danielle by coming to this dumbass show, but I hadn’t thought I’d actually find a Luna to bring home. Then again, Fallon’s wolf was the one who’d found me.

Yeah, she did.

I smiled to myself as I remembered the aggressive she-wolf’s bite, though I was still pissed at my own wolf for antagonizing her as he did. It’d been an effort that night to get him to release our skin. He would’ve mounted her then and there, staking his own claim and sealing the bond outside of mating season. That rarely happened for our species.

When you know, you know.

He felt no guilt. And while I usually appreciated that about my beast, there were times it was inappropriate.

We needed to speak before deciding our future.

Fate and Fallon already decided it for us.

He sniffed deeply, picking up the faint hint of jasmine laced with a soft scent that was cold and ancient, almost like the dewy mist in early twilight or the fresh breeze drifting through an open cave in winter.

She smells of the moon.

Odd, but so was this whole situation.

Her wolf decided. The human still isn’t on board.

She’ll change her mind soon.

I laughed at my wolf’s confidence. It was unshakeable. Not in an overt way, but he’d earned his self-esteem through years of doing what others wouldn’t. That distance from the pack–from society–first as the largest male pup growing up in a pack of huge shifters, then as a grunt Marine, and finally as Alpha of the O’Neil Clan, had given him the ability to see through the bullshit and the confident knowledge there wasn’t much we couldn’t handle.

It was a quiet sort of strength that carried us through the difficult times, but as I came to a stop outside Fallon’s nest, I wasn’t sure if it would save us now.

Your turn. My wolf released his skin.

Hesitantly, I knocked on the door to the crate. “Can we talk?”

“You’ve had no problem talking this whole time.” Her voice filled my head, making me smile.

It was different than when the pack communicated telepathically. Her tone was feminine and sharp, a soothing distraction from the noise that normally cluttered my mind.

I could get used to hearing it.

“But you weren’t responding.” I leaned against the edge of the crate, waiting for her to open up. “How are you going to mark me and leave me alone like that?”

I could feel her embarrassment through the wall separating us. The floral hint to her scent grew more fragrant as her skin heated.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled from behind the metal door.

“Don’t be.” I turned my back against the crate, looking up at the moon. There was a lot I’d seen in my life and even if I wasn’t a wolf shifter, I would’ve still believed in fate. It didn’t explain everything, but some things couldn’t be explained otherwise.

Which was why I was standing here.

She’d decided.

I wasn’t going to say no, especially not when a predestined future with a woman as pretty as Fallon fell straight into my lap. There was a good chance she was crazy too.

But I’d never been one to care about red flags.

“You’re not mad?” The metal door creaked open. Big, dark brown eyes looked up at me as the stronger smell of Fallon’s nest drifted out into the night, surrounding me and coaxing out my beast’s primitive desires.

I swallowed down the urges, keeping my body relaxed as I remained leaning against the crate. “Why would I be? I like a girl who knows what she wants.”

“And if I don’t know what I want?” she whispered, lowering her gaze to my lips.

I couldn’t help but smirk. “I think you know exactly what you want.”

The fire in her eyes made my heart skip a beat as she leveled a glare at me. “You don’t know me.”

“Whose fault is that? I believe I’ve asked you many questions over the last few days.”

Her pale cheeks flushed a sexy shade of crimson. “You don’t have to humor me. I know my wolf messed up. We can still walk away if we don’t mate by the end of this season. I checked.”

Something about that stung and my wolf growled his disapproval. I ran my hand over my beard, trying to soothe the beast. “Do you often make rash decisions you don’t follow through with?”

“No.” She tightened the knit blanket around her shoulders. “I don’t know what came over me.”

Don’t say it…

Say it.

I smiled, keeping the dirty joke contained despite knowing exactly what I’d like to see come over her. But I respected her enough to save the teasing for later. She needed to know I was serious now. “And what if I don’t want to walk away?”

The quickening of her pulse and smell of her budding arousal made my cock jump to attention.

“Why wouldn’t you walk away?” Her wide eyes filled with concern as the scent of her desire swirled around me.

I forced myself to focus, to not crowd her space, even as the door to her nest opened wider. “Seems like fate dropped a gift in my lap. Your wolf made an obvious decision. I’m not dumb enough to walk away from something like that.”

We’re staying. My wolf nodded his approval.

The soft whine of her wolf came from deep in her chest as she blinked at me. “You’re serious. We’re just going to jump straight in and make this work without even knowing each other first.”

“I’ve known marriages that started with less,” I said, thinking of my time in the military.

“This isn’t some human marriage.” She straightened her chin as if bracing for a hit. “We don’t get a second chance.”

“I don’t need one.” I shrugged.

“How can you be so sure?”

“I trust my beast.” I looked her over, trying to see more than surface-deep. It was hard to tell the internal struggle sometimes. “Don’t you?”

“I do.” She sighed, sagging against the doorframe. “I just didn’t know she’d go and do something like this.”

“I, for one, am glad she did.” I leaned back against the wall. “It makes the idea of mating a whole lot easier.”

“So you just get off the hook that easy? Without even a chase?” Fallon laughed softly.

The sound of it did something to me. I wanted to hear it again, more than anything I’d ever heard in my life.

“I’ve been chasing you all week,” I teased. “You want me to keep trying? I’ve got nothing but time and I don’t tire easy.”

“Why are you doing this?” There was still laughter in her voice, but tears filled her eyes.

Nope. Don’t like that.

Me either. I reached out, hesitating with my hand near the side of her cheek before she leaned toward it.

I brushed a stray tear away with my thumb. “Saw a pretty girl. Decided I wanted to take the chance. Life doesn’t have to be that complicated.”

“But it is complicated.” Fallon shook her head, moving away from my hand. “Let me guess. You’re one of those good guys who feels sorry for the hot mess girl and now you can’t walk away.”

“Or you’re reading the story wrong. I’m the cold-blooded Alpha and the pretty wolf who wasn’t afraid to get close is the only chance I’ll get at happiness,” I said, wishing I was better with words.

Goddess, that smile. It was so pretty it’d light up a room. She bit down, trying to hide it, but I was going to make her smile again.

I had the feeling she didn’t give it often, but earning it? Oh boy. I’d won the lottery.

We sure did. My wolf howled in triumph.

And I really wished I didn’t hear the growls coming from down the mountain followed by Amber’s panicked voice in my head.

“Alpha, is everything okay with the males?”

Damn it. I’d hoped we’d have more time. “Get to your nests. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Fallon was staring down the hill beside me, listening to the commotion of angry males going into rut. “The season needs to start soon.”

“Yeah.” I dragged my hand through my hair. “I know you might need more time to think things over, but I may need you to make a quick decision. Do you want to run this season here or somewhere else?”

“Ranger needs…” Her voice trailed off as she looked over my shoulder.

“I’ve got to make sure my nieces are safe too.” I followed her line of sight, staring through the darkened woods where the rustling leaves made my wolf bare his fangs.

It was only the wind, but it carried with it a sense of urgency. Time was not on our side.

“Check on your nieces,” she said.

“I will and then I’ll figure out what to do. If Ranger doesn’t lead this season, I might have to.”

“Hurry, please.” Her slender fingers reached for mine. The touch of her hand against my skin was a spark of hope.

We were meant to be.

I felt the rightness of my beast’s declaration, mesmerized as the sounds of the woods stilled around us and drawn in by the intensity of the swirling emotions in her eyes. Her lips parted, soft and inviting as she wet them.

“Don’t kiss me.”

I smiled. “But it’s my turn to make the next move.”

I captured her lips with my lips, sealing my fate when Fallon inhaled my breath and stole my soul. She fell into my arms as she returned my kiss with a feverish intensity. Our tongues clashed, warring for dominance, and I grinned to myself as she tried to contain her moan of desire. If she smelled of the moon, she tasted of starlight.

Warm and delicate and alive.

And mine.

I tore my beast away as he growled, knowing if I stayed another second, I wouldn’t be able to leave.

“We’ll have to finish this later.”

“Who says there is going to be a later?” she asked breathlessly. I’d think she was only teasing, but there was a shine of worry in her expressive eyes. I could feel it. Feel her concerns as if they were my own even without the completed bond.

Deep. That was where this was heading. And I could already tell I was done for. My wolf howled his excitement as I took a step back, dragging him away to go tend to our duty. Preferably as fast as possible so I could get back to my mate.

This was what I’d been missing.

Now that I knew, I wasn’t letting it go.

“We’re going to need much more time, darling.” I winked as my wolf began to take over the shift. “Our story is just getting started.”