Chapter 3

Grace

I can’t stop thinking about Aiden Donahue. Ever since our chat at the market, I’ve felt his intense green gaze following me everywhere I go as I make my way around our small town. When I’m kneading dough in the bakery kitchen, I imagine his strong hands working the muscles of my shoulders. When I’m icing cupcakes, I catch myself daydreaming about tracing the sharp lines of his jaw with my fingertips… and then my lips.

Gah!

It’s unnerving, the effect he has on me. I’ve never been the type to moon over a man, let alone one as brusque and mysterious as my new neighbor. But there’s something about him, a magnetic pull I can’t seem to resist—one I’m not sure I want to resist, if I’m honest.

As I lock up the bakery one evening, the sun painting the sky in streaks of orange and pink, I’m startled to find Aiden waiting for me. He leans against the side of the building, his arms crossed over his broad chest, looking like a model in a rugged outdoor gear ad. No man should be allowed to look that sexy. Period.

“Hey,” he rumbles, and his deep voice sends a shiver down my spine. “Can we talk?”

Can we do other things instead? I keep the thought to myself, but it’s hard.

I nod mutely, my throat suddenly dry. He jerks his head toward the park across the street and I follow, my heart thudding.

We walk in silence for a few minutes, the scent of summer flowers heavy in the air. I steal glances at him from the corner of my eye, admiring the way the fading light highlights his chiseled features.

Finally, we reach a secluded bench beneath a towering oak. Aiden gestures for me to sit, so I tuck my sundress under my legs and get comfortable. Then he’s pacing in front of me, back and forth while he rubs at his furrowed brow. He seems to be struggling with some major internal battle.

“Aiden?” I prompt softly, confused and a little turned on. What? The man is a god walking. “What’s going on?”

He suddenly comes to a halt and turns to face me. His eyes blaze with an intensity that steals my breath.

“There’s something you need to know about me,” he finally speaks, his voice rough. “I’m not just your average shifter, Grace. I’m an alpha.” He sighs as if a heavy weight has been lifted, but I sense that’s not all he has to tell me.

Shifters in our small town are common enough, alphas not so much, but there’s more. I know it.

“And you… you’re my fated mate.”

That’s the other shoe dropping. Da fuq?

I blink at him, certain I must have misheard. “I’m your what now?”

Aiden sighs, running a hand through his dark hair. “Fated mate. It means that you and I… we’re meant to be together. On a soul-deep level. My wolf recognized you the moment we met.”

I stare at him, my mind reeling. I want to laugh, to brush it off as some kind of joke. But deep down, in a place I’ve never acknowledged, something resonates with his words. It’s like a puzzle piece clicking into place, a key turning in an aged lock.

“That’s why I’ve been so drawn to you,” I whisper, more to myself than to him. “Why I can’t stop thinking about you, even though I barely know you.”

Aiden nods, his green eyes never leaving my blues. “I tried to fight it. I didn’t want to drag you into my world, into the dangers that come with being mated to an alpha. But I can’t stay away from you, Grace. Not anymore.”

Suddenly, I’m seized by a desperate need to see him, all of him. No, not in the naked way—though that might happen regardless—but I want something more.

“Show me your wolf,” I blurt, surprising us both.

Aiden hesitates for a moment before taking my hand and helping me rise from the bench before tugging me along. His palm is warm and callused against my own. He leads me to the edge of the tree line, where the shadows are deepening so we won’t be disturbed or seen by the average passerby.

“Wait here,” he murmurs and squeezes my fingers gently before releasing me.

I’ve never met a shifter’s animal before, never had the nerve or inclination to ask, but I know this is a big thing in the shifter world—to introduce your animal to a human.

Aiden steps behind a large tree and I hold my breath, my heart racing. I listen to the snap and crack of bone and remind myself that the shift doesn’t hurt based on all I’ve read and heard through gossip.

Moments later, a massive wolf emerges from the foliage. Its fur is a rich, dark brown, shot through with threads of gold. But its eyes make me gasp—a vivid, familiar green that pierces me to my core.

“Aiden,” I breathe, awe and wonder tangling with the ever-present pull in my chest.

The wolf—Aiden—pads closer, its movements fluid and powerful. Some distant part of me knows I should be afraid, but all I feel is a bone-deep sense of rightness. Of belonging.

I reach out a trembling hand and the wolf presses its great head against my palm. I let out a shaky laugh, sinking my fingers into the thick ruff of fur around its neck. It’s softer than I imagined, and I have the sudden urge to bury my face in the strands.

As if sensing my thoughts, Aiden makes a low, rumbling sound deep in his throat. I don’t know the reason for the growl, but I don’t feel afraid. I don’t feel threatened by the massive predator that could rip me limb from limb without effort.

His eyes flash with unmistakable hunger and before I can blink, he’s shifting back to human form.

Then he’s standing before me, human once more. Gloriously, breathtakingly naked . I try valiantly to keep my gaze above his shoulders, but I can’t stop my eyes from drifting down, tracing the sculpted planes of his chest, the ripple of his abs, the tantalizing trail of dark hair that leads to…

“Grace.” Aiden’s voice is a rasp, a plea and a warning all in one. “If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

My eyes snap back to his, my cheeks flushing hot. “Sorry,” I mumble. “I’ve just never seen… I mean, you’re very… that is to say…”

Is it hot? I’m feeling hot. And bothered. Both if I’m honest.

Aiden lets out a soft huff of laughter, though the heat in his gaze doesn’t diminish. “It’s okay, sunshine. I know this is a lot to take in. We can go as slow as you need.”

But even as he says the words, I can see the strain in his jaw, the tension coiled in his muscles. I think about how long he’s denied himself, how hard he’s fought against our connection—all for me, to keep a human safe in a shifter-filled world.

At that moment, something crystalizes within me, a certainty, bright and unshakable. This man, this wolf… he’s mine. And I’m his. There’s no going back.

Almost without conscious thought, I close the distance between us. Aiden goes still, his eyes wide and wary as I place my palms against his chest. The heat of his skin sears my hands, igniting a corresponding blaze deep in my core.

“Grace,” he warns, his voice strangled. “You don’t have to—”

“I know,” I interrupt, surprised by the steadiness of my own voice. “But I want to. I want this. I want… you .”

And then I’m stretching up on my toes, my hands sliding into the hair at the base of his neck as I press my lips to his. For a suspended heartbeat, he remains frozen, unyielding and not returning the kiss. But then, with a groan that rumbles through his chest and into mine, he wraps his arms around me and hauls me flush against him.

Oh lordy.

The kiss is searing, almost bruising in its intensity. Aiden claims my mouth like a man starved, his lips and tongue and teeth laying waste to any lingering doubts or hesitations. I can only cling to him, swept away in the maelstrom of sensation, my blood singing with the rightness of our connection.

I’ve been kissed in the past, but it’s never felt like this. Like I’m being devoured, possessed, and cherished all at once. Like I’m finally home after a lifetime of wandering.

Large hands skim down my back to cup my rear, squeezing and kneading in a way that sends jolts of pleasure zinging through me. Aiden growls into my mouth as he lifts me effortlessly, urging my legs around his waist.

I can feel him, hard and insistent, pressed against my core, separated only by the thin fabric of my sundress and panties. It’s too much and not enough all at once. I rock against him, desperate for more, even as some distant part of me marvels at my own boldness. Me! Grinding on my man in public!

Aiden tears his mouth from mine, trailing biting kisses along the column of my throat. When he reaches the juncture of my neck and shoulder, he pauses, his breath hot against my flesh.

“I want to mark you,” he rasps, his voice raw with need. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

A thrill courses through me at his words, primal and intoxicating. “Do it,” I manage to gasp out. “Make me yours, Aiden.”

He shudders against me, a full-body tremor of barely leashed control. For a moment, I think he’s going to throw me down right there in the grass and take me, potential audience be damned.

Instead, with obvious effort, he gentles his grip, easing me back until my feet touch the ground once more. We’re both breathing hard, our chests heaving in sync.

“Not here,” he says, though I can tell it takes every ounce of his willpower.

Dammit. Yes, here!

But I nod, understanding even through the haze of desire clouding my thoughts. As much as I want him, as much as every cell in my body screams to complete our bond right here and now, I know he’s right. Our first time together should be somewhere special, somewhere safe. Not in the middle of a public park where anyone could stumble upon us and gossip about us to everyone in town.

“Come on.” Aiden takes my hand and laces our fingers together. “Let’s get you home.”

He kisses the back of my hand and releases me, darting back behind the tree to gather his clothing and quickly redress. Then he’s back, and he grabs my fingers once more, warming me with his firm grip.

We walk back through the park in charged silence, the air between us crackling with unspent energy. When we reach the edge of the square, Aiden pauses, turning to face me.

“I know this is happening fast,” he says, his voice low and earnest. “And I don’t expect anything from you, Grace. If you need time to process, to adjust, I understand. I’ll wait for you, as long as it takes.”

I rise up on my toes, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his lips. “Thank you,” I murmur against his mouth. “But, Aiden, I don’t need time. I know what I want. I want this… you.”

He makes a low, desperate sound in the back of his throat, his hand tightening reflexively on mine. “Grace,” he breathes, my name a prayer and a plea. “You’re killing me here, sunshine.”

I can’t help but grin at that, giddy with the knowledge of my power over him. “Sorry, wolf boy. I promise I’ll make it up to you… soon.”

His eyes flash at my teasing tone, a hint of the wolf peeking through. “Careful, little mate,” he growls playfully. “Keep pushing me and I might just throw you over my shoulder and carry you back to my den.”

A shiver of anticipation runs through me at the thought, but I force myself to step back, putting some much-needed distance between us. “Down, boy,” I admonish, though I can’t quite keep the breathless quality from my voice.

Aiden chuckles, shaking his head ruefully. He walks me to my door behind the bakery, ever the gentleman despite the simmering heat in his gaze. On the steps, we pause, neither of us quite ready to let this magical night end.

“Thank you,” I say softly, squeezing his hand. “For tonight, for telling me the truth, for… everything.”

“Thank you for listening, for accepting me—all of me,” he murmurs, his breath mingling with mine.

We stay like that for a long moment, just breathing each other in and savoring the rightness of it. Eventually, reluctantly, I pull back.

“I should go upstairs,” I whisper, though it takes an almost physical effort to step away from him. “Early morning at the bakery tomorrow.”

Aiden nods, his jaw tight with the same reluctance I feel. “Sleep well, sunshine,” he says, his voice a warm caress. “Dream of me.”

“Always,” I promise, meaning it with every fiber of my being.

With one last lingering look, I turn and head inside, the jingle of the bakery bell sounding unnaturally loud in the charged silence. I lean against the closed door, my heart racing and my skin tingling with the phantom heat of Aiden’s touch.

I fall asleep that night with a smile on my face, Aiden’s woodsy scent still clinging to my skin and his promise echoing in my dreams.

Soon.