Chapter Two

September 2038

Jaryn stood in line at the bank, waiting to scan the deposits for the week, when an unfamiliar scent caught his attention—a scent that made his head spin and the blood pump rapidly through his veins. It reminded him of honey and jasmine. His heart beat in his chest with a heavy thump, and the air in his lungs felt as if he spent too long in his steam room. His vision flashed from a brilliant Technicolor display to the muted shades of his wolf vision then back again. Heat bloomed beneath his cool skin and beads of sweat snaked down his spine. He inhaled to get a deeper appreciation of the scent—one that he'd longed to detect since he came to realize the enormity of how it would change his life.

The scent of his mate.

His gums itched as fangs tried to descend. It was only through sheer will-power he prevented any outward signs of his reaction. The instant lack of control over his wolf was completely foreign to Jaryn, and only further solidified his certainty that his mate was near. He concentrated on subduing the wolf while maintaining his connection to the unfamiliar scent consuming him.

Once the rampant exhilaration and lust faded, Jaryn noticed that there was something off. The beguiling scent carried an undercurrent of fear and anxiety. This wasn't the stench of guilt, but terror with an essence of panic. He lifted his head, and he shifted his body to see behind him. A woman—a stranger—stood in the line beside him.

She was a petite woman with curves designed perfectly for Jaryn's hands to cup and caress. He estimated that the top of her head would only reach his chest, and she had dark red hair with long loose waves flowing down her back. The color was clearly natural, as Jaryn couldn't detect any hint of chemicals lurking under the woman's natural scent. Unfortunately, the black sunglasses prevented him from determining her eye color. Her pale skin had a light, nearly translucent dusting of freckles across her nose and cheekbones. Little teeth nibbled on a shiny, plush lower lip. His cock thickened and his hands tingled with desire to touch the softness of skin bared by the v-neck and short sleeves of her top. He stepped out of line and walked to the self-service counter next to her. He found a scrap of paper tucked into one cubby and scrawled a note, using the pen provided. Jaryn stepped up beside her and noticed her entire body tensed as if she were ready to bolt out of the building. He slid the paper into her hands.

Nicole glanced down at the note the large man had just handed her. Her shaking made it difficult to focus on the hurried script.

Do you need help?

Not even looking up at the stranger, she tore up the paper, then shoved it into her purse. She didn't know this guy from Adam… and that phrase was a little too accurate in this case. The subtle smell of his aftershave, as well as another deeper scent, enveloped her body, and a little shiver rippled beneath her skin. His size alone should terrify her. He was larger than Adam and oozed Alpha from his pores. The heat radiating off his body helped diffuse some of the chill lingering on her skin, but she couldn't fall prey to another dominant being. How did he know she was in trouble? Did she not appear as calm and collected as she hoped, or was it something more? Nobody else in the lobby seemed to sense her anxiety, and a nervous person fidgeting in the lobby of a bank usually caught someone's eye.

She'd only stopped in the bank to withdraw some much needed funds. The fact that all accounts were linked via a fingerprint and retinal scan was a good thing. As she passed through town she'd seen this branch—identical to the one she'd used before her abduction over a year ago—and thought fate had finally given her a break. Now she wasn't so sure.

"Miss?" Jaryn asked.

"I'm fine." Nicole Holland looked up and saw that the bank portal in front of her was available. "Please excuse me." She tapped the screen to access her accounts. After logging into the system, Nicole selected the menu that would allow her to withdraw the money. She used the touch screen to enter the amount desired. According to the account information screen, it was not quite her entire savings. However, almost immediately the screen flashed with an alert message ordering her to visit the teller, that the automated system couldn't complete the transaction requested. Nicole's heart raced, and she felt sweat pop out on her forehead. Had Adam somehow gained access to her accounts? Why wouldn't the system give her the money? She logged out with furtive glances around her to determine if there were any curious eyes focused on her. Nicole stepped over to the counter where a teller stood, waiting.

She lifted her sunglasses to the top of her head. "I was attempting to withdraw money from my savings and the system ordered me to come see you?"

"Yes ma'am, for withdrawals of this amount, the system always flags the transaction in case of identity theft—that, on top of the fact that there's been no activity on this account for over a year. We need to confirm some of your information, then we can proceed." She tapped a couple of keys on the laser keyboard shining on the countertop. "Please enter the address listed on the account, your social security number and date of birth into the fields on the screen in front of you."

Nicole did as instructed, then stood idle, waiting to find out if she could escape this town with her money in hand. Her hands trembled slightly, and she stuffed them in the pockets of her jeans to hide her nervousness from any eagle-eyed employees or patrons. She wouldn't put it past Adam to have blocked her funds somehow. The man was rich, powerful, and had enough of a god complex that he felt justified in any of his actions.

Nicole peeked over her shoulder as circumspectly as possible to see if the man from earlier was still standing behind her, but no longer saw him in the lobby. She was both relieved and disappointed.

This was the first time she'd stopped since fleeing Wisconsin in a beat-up old car she'd bought with the cash she'd stolen from Adam's safe. Her life as she'd known it had come to a screeching halt eighteen months ago. The bright, eager high school teacher had died, and in her place now was a desperate woman simply trying to survive. Her nerves increased when the teller glanced at her with a flat expression on her face, then disappeared.

Oh shit! Something's wrong. Was it because she'd asked for the money in cash, not credit?

All the air in Nicole's lungs expelled in a rush of relief when the teller came back with a sealed envelope. Money in hand, she skedaddled for the glass doors leading to freedom. As soon as the barrier parted, she gratefully took a breath of fresh air. She gripped the envelope of cash as if it was a lifeline and she a drowning woman. Nicole slid her sunglasses back down and turned towards her car parked across the lot. Once she found a place to settle, she'd have to contact her brother and parents so they'd know she was alive. For all she knew, they thought she was dead, and despite wanting to make a fresh, anonymous start, she couldn't willfully let her family continue to live in pain if she had the power to stop it. She'd made it past the first line of cars when a mountain of flesh brought her to a halt. A startled squeak escaped, and she jumped back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." She instantly recognized him as the man from inside and tilted her head back to catch the first real glimpse of his features. The thick, dark brown hair was full across the top and down the sides of his head. He had high cheekbones and a powerful jaw, but what captivated her were his bright gray eyes. They were almost silver, a shade she'd never seen before. He stood nearly a foot taller than her and there was no disguising the strength of the muscles that corded his body. He was huge, which made a shiver race down her spine. She'd had enough of large, domineering men. While they might be sexy as hell, their strength and attitudes led to nothing but problems. Something deep inside tried to tell her this man would be different—that this man could protect her, that this man was special—but her mind refused to listen. He captured her arm in his large hand as she tried to step around him. Not hard—he didn't squeeze—but his intentions were clear.

"Miss? I know something is wrong. Please let me help."

The resonance of his deep voice shimmered on the air currents surrounding her, almost hypnotic in its quality. Her body wanted to crawl against his wide chest and beg him for protection, but her mind demanded she escape.

"There's nothing you can do. Please let go. I need to leave… right now."

"Is there someone after you? I can scent your fear."

She stiffened. There was only one explanation why a man would say that. Well, the only one that she had intimate knowledge of. Shifter . She wrenched her arm out of his grasp and ran for her car. She had parked her car on the other side of the lot, maybe a hundred feet from where she stood, but it suddenly seemed miles away. A gust of wind blew her hair across her face and tangled it in the sunglasses she'd worn despite the overcast day. Only feet away from her goal, her body pitched forwards without warning. Instinctively, she reached out with her hands to stop the fall but never felt the rough pavement touch her skin. Instead, her savior wrapped a large, muscled arm around her waist, pulling her back into their embrace.

She twisted and fought for release, blind panic seizing her mind. She had to get away! He would tell Adam where she was. All of those shifters stood together. It was them versus humanity, and she knew who would win this battle. She had neither the strength nor resources to put up a fight. Adam would come after her, and she'd kill herself before she allowed that creature to have control over her once again.

The man rested his large hand on the back of her head and held her close to the wide chest. The strength of those arms was obvious but they didn't crush her. Why wasn't he dragging her away? It almost felt like he was comforting her. Her body relaxed marginally and she fought through the instinctual panic to open her senses. She heard soothing murmurs float above her head and felt a calming caress up and down her back. She turned her head into the warm fabric of his shirt and inhaled. Inside, something happened—within seconds the fight left her and she collapsed into the man's embrace. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and she rubbed her face against his chest.

"I've got you. Nothing more will hurt you. I swear it."

She looked up into those captivating silver eyes. "Who are you? What just happened?"

He lifted her dark glasses and looked into her eyes. "My name is Jaryn Chaunterel and you're my mate."