He turned to face her, handsome face silhouetted in the fading light, and she caught her breath, lightning moving through her at the small touch between them.

  She released his arm and sighed. “I promise we have a spare room, and it’s fine.”

  “It wouldn’t be proper,” he said stubbornly. Though it did seem he wanted to stay.

  “Like any of this is proper,” she said. “You climbed a fence today and challenged my fiancé to an alpha challenge, turning my whole world upside down. The least you can do is stay here so I don’t worry about you.”

  He gave her a rakish grin, and she saw some of that delicious, raw masculinity that he kept so closely buttoned up winking through. “I’d be fine. No need to worry.” His expression went serious. “Besides, here I can keep an eye on the gate and make sure creeper doesn’t try anything.”

  “You could do that even better inside,” she said. When he raised an eyebrow, she continued. “But he’s not going to show up. He’s confident in winning the alpha challenge. He shouldn’t give us trouble. Other members of his pack, though…”

  “What?” Citrine asked, cocking his head.

  “Well, they might harass us a bit, trying to make the point that he’s the only one who can stop it.”

  Citrine let out a little growl of frustration. “I don’t understand wolves at all.”

  “But you’ll stay here?” she asked. “I mean, regardless of what happens the next few days, it’ll be nice to have a friend around.”

  He whirled on her, backing her up as he walked forward, glaring down at her. “Robbie. We aren’t merely friends.”

  “But you said—”

  “We started that way. But I didn’t come all the way out here in the woods, sleep in my car, and throw any kind of planning or rational thinking out the window for a friend. I mean, yes, I’d do anything for my friends, but I’m here because I know I’m your mate.”

  She backed up a step, intimidated by his heat, his sheer male beauty. Tall, scented by spicy pheromones he might not even know existed. Whatever he was, he was alpha as hell.

  Maybe there was hope for this after all. But then, what would happen to their town?

  He stepped forward quickly, catching a curl in his hand, keeping her from retreating back, and stared deeply into her eyes. She was a tall woman, even by wolf standards, and wasn’t used to feeling so cowed by a man. For a moment, his eyes darted to her lips, and she thought he might kiss her.

  Then he let out a breath and stepped back, and her heart sank in her chest even as her mind knew she should be relieved. Maybe he was accepting reality.

  “I’ll stay here,” he said. “And thank you. I should have thought it through more clearly.”

  “Not like you to be impulsive,” she teased.

  He gave her a rueful grin, dark hair falling rakishly over one side of his face. “Having a mate brings a lot of new things out of me I guess.”

  She was about to turn back and show him to his room in the house, but his words stopped her. He said “mate” so easily, as though it meant something different than what she’d heard ever since she was very little.

  She gave him a curious look. “What does mate mean to you, Citrine? Because to me, ‘mate’ is a duty, something I don’t have a say in. A decision to be made with my mind, not my heart. You seem to agree that it wasn’t your choice, that it was something decided for you, but the rest isn’t the same.”

  “It’s more that the animal inside me knows when he sees you that you’re his. Mine. That we are meant to be together. That there’s no one else for me in the entire world.”

  She felt caught off guard, as if the world were slightly off axis and it was hard to get her footing.

  Her whole life, she’d known the bleak facts of what was going to happen, and she’d tried to enjoy her time in the sun, even knowing what was coming. She’d tried to make the best of it, and since she’d never allowed herself to bond with any particular male, she’d hoped she’d be able to adjust.

  But now Citrine was standing here, telling her things she’d never heard, that Bryson would never say. And her heart was simultaneously melting and breaking at the same time.

  She kept her arms folded and walked back toward the house, motioning for him to follow. “Come on. I’ll help you get set up in the spare room.”

  When they were inside, she grabbed bedding and brought it to the room in the back of the house that hadn’t been used in a long time. No one talked about why.

  She was about to make the bed when Citrine stopped her, taking the covers.

  “I can do this,” he said. “Why don’t you get some rest?”

  She nodded. “And I can show you around more of the town tomorrow?”

  He smiled. “I’d like that.”

  She went to the door and stopped there, hesitating. “Citrine, I—I can’t say this is going to end well. I still have to do my duty.”

  “I understand that,” he said. “But you also have to understand that I’m going to fight for you. To protect you and those you care about. If I didn’t think I could do all of that, I wouldn’t be your mate.”

  She swallowed, pondering his words as she left his room. Could she really allow her heart to open to the possibility of being with another man and everything working out?

  It was scary to even imagine.

  Midway through their tour of town, Robbie had taken Citrine to get sandwiches at the only small cafe, and they were currently seated on a bench by the park, eating them and enjoying the sunshine.

  Today, they hadn’t talked about anything too serious, and it just felt like another lunch break back at Date-A-Dragon, just two friends hanging out and enjoying a nice day.

  But looking over at her, her beautiful dark curls glinting in the sun, her casual clothing looking so at home in this woodsy environment, he knew his feelings were far more than friendly.

  He was realizing this was the real Robbie, too, even if she was far different than the one he’d met in Seattle. She adjusted to fit her surroundings, and she was far more focused on responsibility, but she was still the sharp, logical woman he’d gotten to know.

  “I always thought you were from somewhere like Seattle,” Citrine said. “You fit in so well in the big city.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “I went to school and worked there. I spent part of my life here and part there, so I feel at home in both places. I know it’s a little weird.”

  “No,” Citrine said, shaking his head. “I know what it’s like to relocate, to get used to a new place and feel at home in both places.” And boy, did he as a dragon who had awakened after hundreds of years.

  “I see,” she said. “Where are you from again?”

  He paused, realizing he’d put himself in an awkward position. “Oh, well… I used to live in New York with some friends. Not the same, I know.”

  She cocked her head. “No. But that’s okay. Speaking of friends, how are the others? Ella, Dante, Adrien, Sever, and Kelsey?” She closed her eyes for a second, and when she opened them, Citrine thought he saw pain there. “I really miss them. Wait, are some of them shifters, too?”

  Citrine hesitated, setting the remains of his sandwich on a paper in his lap. “I can’t say very much about that. Again, I have to keep things close to the chest.”

  Each time she asked, he was more tempted to tell her, but he knew the stakes. There would certain things that could be used against dragons, if one had the right knowledge and knew just the right people. He couldn’t risk it, as much as he was eager for his mate to know everything about him.

  “I get it,” she said. “No one wants to give up an advantage in an alpha challenge.” She sighed in disappointment. “Okay, just tell me how they are, then.”

  “Ella and Dante are doing great,” Citrine said. “Adrien and his mate as well. Sever, I’m not sure. He went out on a job when I went out to find you. I’m sure I’ll hear from him at some point. Those guys are so helpless without me.”

  “You were a good boss,” she said, taking a bite of her sandwich. “I was always impressed by how much you seemed to care about them.”

  “After a while, we became sort of like family,” he said. “I guess sometimes caring for someone creeps up on you without you knowing it.”

  She grinned at him. “That’s a nice way of putting it.”

  There was an awkward silence between them.

  “So what’s your real name?” she asked. “I mean, it can’t be Citrine.”

  He stared at her. “Why can’t it?”

  “I mean, who names their kid after a gemstone?” she asked.

  He bit his lip, trying not to be offended, long enough to think of a good answer.

  Her eyes widened as she realized she’d made a huge error. “Uh, I mean… not that it’s not a nice name…”

  He laughed. “It’s my real name. My full name is Citrine Vanderguard, if you must know. I know it’s an odd one.”

  “Why did they name you that?”

  “My eyes,” he said with a little hesitation. “And my mother said I was warm like the sun.”

  She leaned in and bumped her shoulder against him. She probably only meant it to be a friendly movement to put him at ease, but unexpected warmth went through him at the feel of her soft body against him.

  He saw her flush and pull back and could sense the arousal between them. She might not know what to do about the situation, but she wanted him. It was clear in the way she couldn’t meet his eyes, the way her hands fidgeted, the way her eyes devoured him when she thought he wasn’t looking.

  He looked into her eyes, feeling at home there, as he always did. He reached up, unsure where to touch her, wanting to say something or make a first move, but paused when he heard the sound of voices.

  The voices were accompanied by a large engine, and Citrine looked up to see a large red truck pulling off the road onto the dirt a dozen or so yards away from them. Inside were several men, two in the front and one in the back, heads poking out, gawking at him and Robbie sitting at his side.

  “Hey, that’s the guy that challenged Bryson!” the driver said in recognition.

  “Ha-ha, looks like a wuss,” another remarked loudly.

  “He’s going to get his face kicked in,” the one in the back added.

  Citrine felt anger running up his spine, and he stood reflexively, coming in front of Robbie and putting himself between her and the oncoming douchebags.

  “Yeah, and then Bryson’s finally going to mate that frigid she-wolf,” the driver barked.

  He and the passenger next to him exchanged a high-five, and Citrine felt claws beginning to grow from his fingertips. Quickly, he retracted them, trying to restrain himself before he cut the bastards in two, along with their truck.

  Robbie stood and came up next to him, and Citrine could feel her frustration.

  It only made him hate these wolves more.

  “At least we’ll get to see the dumbass get pounded to a pulp first,” they joked amongst themselves, leering as they did.

  Citrine couldn’t take it anymore. Focusing his powers, he made a slight motion with his hand, and the earth beneath the truck began to move, accompanied by the sound of creaking and popping.

  The men in the truck exchanged worried glances and began to panic as roots appeared out of the ground, shifting the ground even more, enough that the truck began to shift heavily back and forth, then finally came off the ground and onto two wheels. For a moment, the truck listed to one side, then tipped over completely as Citrine heard shouts of confusion coming from inside the vehicle.

  Robbie gasped in shock as the sound of windows breaking and metal bending accompanied the heavy vehicle’s overturn. A moment later, the men, panicked, crawled out from underneath it.

  “Holy shit! My new truck!” the driver exclaimed.

  “Let’s get the hell out of here!” another said, sounding on the verge of wetting himself. “Something’s not right with these roads!”

  Together, the three of them were able to bring the truck back into its upright position, utilizing their shifter strength but barely managing the task. Then Citrine and Robbie watched the truck peel away, and he noted with satisfaction the no-longer-pristine body of the machine as it left. Robbie stood, slightly agape at the scene.

  Citrine cracked his knuckles in the hand he’d used a moment ago and tried to suppress a grin.

  Even with a collar, a few scumbags were no problem.

  Chapter 5

  “How did you do that?” Robbie asked, trailing after Citrine with an aghast look on her face as they headed back to the bench to gather up their trash from lunch. “That was you, right?”

  “Maybe,” Citrine said, but the serene look in his eyes told her everything.

  She let out a breath. Citrine hadn’t even been worried when the other men pulled up. Hadn’t looked intimidated for even a second. And how had he flipped that truck? Had he done something to the ground?

  What powers did other shifters have? She thought most shifters were straightforward. Only alpha wolves had unique, mysterious powers, or so she thought.

  Moreover, she was surprised by how hot she’d found it. Confident, calm Citrine putting the bullies in their place with a wave of his hand, as if it were nothing.

  No one in town would have been able to do that.

  “There are probably going to be more problems like that,” she said. “That’s why I have to mate.”

  “Why?” he asked. “Because people are douchebags?”

  “No, because my scent makes males of my species crazy. I mask it as well as I can, but if I wasn’t promised to Bryson, I’m sure I’d have men all over me.”

  “Not if I can help it,” Citrine said, brows lowering. “And I can help it.” He looked at her sternly. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Robbie. Trust me instead of Bryson.”

  She swallowed. “I don’t even know what you are.”

  “But you know who I am. You know I’m your friend,” he said. “And that I care for you. More than that. I feel you are mine. I don’t let anyone harm what is mine.”

  She felt a little shiver go through her. He seemed so confident. So sure. And he had dealt well with those guys before. If only she knew more about what he was…

  As if he were reading her thoughts, he looked over at her. “I’m sorry I can’t tell you more. I’ll just have to win you over like this and hope you’ll accept me once this is all over.”

  “When what’s all over?”

  “The alpha challenge.” He stretched. “Was there something else you wanted to do in town before we headed back?”

  “Not unless you want to look at Kestler’s farm,” she said.

  “Farm?” he asked, perking up with immediate interest. “Where?”

  “It’s small. On the other edge of town. It’s a bit of a walk.”

  He put an arm through hers, pulling her along. “I’m up for it if you are. Any time spent with you is a pleasure.”

  She gave him a wary glare. Every time he touched her, the wolf in her was more likely to howl. She was an unmated alpha female, full of unmet sexual needs, although she’d never looked forward to her mating. Mainly because it would be an animal act. Full of lust and nothing else.

  With Citrine, it would be different.

  “So tell me more about this farm,” he said. “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m kind of into horticulture.”

  “I did know about the garden on the roof,” she said. “I went up to get you one time and saw you talking to your plants. I was always surprised by how well they were growing considering we were in cloudy Seattle.”

  “Plants just need care,” he said. “Like most people and creatures of the world.”

  He was such an interesting person. At once gentle and considerate and then a force of nature as he went after what he wanted and literally pushed people out of his way.

  Just the kind of male for her, if she’d ever been allowed to pick.

  She swallowed, pushing away that thought, and increased her pace so they could get to the farm faster.

  As soon as they reached the place, John Kestler came out to shake Citrine’s hand, only looking taken aback by Citrine’s appearance for a moment before agreeing to show him the small crops he was growing.

  She grinned fondly as she watched Citrine listening intently while the farmer talked about the rainfall, sunlight, weeding, fertilizing, and other things he was doing.

  She let the two of them talk and walked around the front of the house to look at some of the flowers planted near the front fence. It was nice to have some time alone with her thoughts.

  A little while later, Citrine caught up to her. John Kestler was behind him, ruddy faced as he ran to catch up.

  “I don’t know where you found this friend of yours,” John said. “But he’s a genius with plants. You’re welcome to bring him by anytime.” He slapped a hand on Citrine’s shoulder. “Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated.”

  Citrine merely nodded warmly and then focused back on Robbie.

  “Thank you, John,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll see you later.”

  John left with a wave, leaving them alone.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I get a little bit passionate about plants.”

  She smiled as they walked back onto the main road. “That’s fine. I like that about you. It’s not typical, and it just makes you that much more interesting.”

  “Oh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “So you find me interesting?”

  Blood rushed into her cheeks as she glanced up at him. “Of course. I always have. Didn’t we flirt?”

  He nodded, stepping in front of her and stopping her by gently putting his hands on her shoulders. Then he moved his palms down over her arms to her hands, which he took in both of his. He raised one to his lips, kissing it softly, and something wild and terrifyingly good ran through her.

  She bit her lip, trying not to moan. It was just a kiss. On the hand, for Pete’s sake. She looked at his perfect lips, carved yet full, with a perfect, sharp dimple in the top of them, and wondered what it would be like to kiss him.