Would he be dominant, as he’d been with the truck, sweeping her into his arms and taking what he wanted? Or would he be soft, like he was with the plants, carefully warming her with his body until she was pliant and lax?

  She flushed at the direction of her thoughts and forced herself to walk forward. This was only his second day in town, and even though everything they did made her more in danger of falling in love with him, she wasn’t ready to go that direction yet.

  He seemed to accept that and fell in step alongside her, humming slightly.

  “Come on,” she said. “We can go help my parents with dinner.”

  Maybe if they were around other people, she could stop being horny as hell.

  Citrine had never been one for physical exercise, but Robert had mentioned needing to chop wood for the fireplace. Citrine had thought it was the perfect place to go to work out some tension.

  So the next morning, he’d volunteered. But even as he worked, he found his thoughts still troubled him.

  Robbie was attracted to him; that much was certain. But what Citrine was supposed to do about it, he didn’t know. Every time he touched her, she practically shuddered with pleasure. And he felt the same in his heart. But then she would pull away, and he could see the shadow of shame she was carrying, her hesitance to just trust him and let herself fall.

  He didn’t know if he should give her a little push or just wait until she was ready.

  After all, she was just trying to do what she’d been raised to think was right. He got the impression that her parents were almost hoping for a miracle, that his intervention could somehow solve the problem they were in, but he wished they’d express those thoughts to Robbie, who was still clearly holding herself back.

  So far, she’d only wanted to take him around town and do dinner and movies or games with her parents.

  So different from the sassy woman strutting around in stilettos in Seattle. Still, he loved both aspects of his mate equally. The quiet country girl and the loud and proud city girl.

  He steadied a log, finally getting the hang of how to swing the axe to split it perfectly. With his dragon strength, it was sort of like splitting soft butter, and he wondered how it was for wolves. How raw dragon strength compared to raw wolf strength when both were in human form.

  He tried not to think of Bryson often, but he couldn’t help glaring every time the image of the other male came to his mind. It reminded him what he was fighting for. To prevent Robbie from falling into the hands of a man who couldn’t possibly care for her like Citrine did.

  Citrine only sort of understood how rare and important alpha females were to the wolf world. But to him, Robbie wasn’t just a prize. She was a person, someone he’d gotten to know, thinking she was a human. And though she’d warned him about alpha female pheromones, he didn’t scent them. Dragons didn’t have the best sense of smell.

  It didn’t matter. If Robbie’s pheromones brought a bunch of wolves around, Citrine would simply kick their asses and drive them away.

  He steadied another log, trying to also steady the anger inside him. Logic. Reason. Yes, that was—

  He raised his head, his thoughts interrupted by the sound of voices. He rested the axe over his shoulder and jogged around to the front of the house where he could hear shouting.

  When the front walk came into view, he saw Bryson out there, wearing a blue flannel shirt and jeans, gesturing wildly as he shouted. Robbie stood patiently, arms folded, watching.

  Citrine picked up his pace to join them. He reached Robbie just as she seemed to lose patience with the blustering fool on her walkway.

  “You aren’t my mate yet, Bryson. You don’t get to decide who stays at my house.”

  “It isn’t proper!” Bryson said, looking close to exploding. When he noticed Citrine, he lunged forward, attempting to shove his shoulders.

  Citrine stepped swiftly to the side and knocked Bryson with his palm to put him off balance.

  Bryson stumbled and then whipped around, rage in his blue eyes, but Robbie got between them, putting up both hands.

  Robbie’s parents were coming out of the house now.

  “What’s going on?” Livvy asked.

  “No fighting,” Robert said. “Not until the challenge at full moon.”

  Bryson snarled, clearly disappointed, and Citrine felt the male in him answering as well.

  He wanted to show Bryson right now just how he felt about him being on his mate’s turf without her permission. He realized his spare hand was still holding the ax, and he lowered it to the ground.

  Bryson noticed the movement and glared. “Chopping wood, city boy?”

  Citrine just stared at him flatly.

  “Trying, probably.” Bryson scoffed. “What are you anyway? What kind of a name is Citrine?”

  “The name of a man who’s going to win an alpha challenge at the full moon,” Citrine said smugly, enjoying the look on Bryson’s face as he processed it.

  “Anyway, you should get your pampered ass out of here, city boy. You’re probably some kind of cat, since I can’t scent you. A cute little house kitty. Weak.”

  “Wanna bet?” Citrine asked, stepping closer.

  “No fights!” Robert reiterated.

  “I know,” Citrine said, putting up a hand. “So how about it? Want to wager?”

  “On what?”

  Citrine swung the ax up again. “Wood. We’ll see who gets through their pile first.”

  “Easy,” Bryson said with a sneer. “I’m going to show Robbie and her parents the pussy you are.”

  Citrine felt anger well in him at the coarse words used in insult. Now he wanted to chop Bryson, not the wood.

  But he would hurt the other man’s pride well enough this way.

  “What does the winner get?” Bryson asked.

  “I don’t know,” Citrine said. “Humiliating you is prize enough for me.”

  “A kiss,” Bryson said, leering at Robbie. “It’s about time my mate accepted me.”

  Citrine let out a snarl as Robbie stepped forward. “Now wait just a minute,” she said.

  “Why not?” Robert asked, nodding. “In my day, that’s how we did things. Right, dear?” He looked at Livvy, who was blushing and turning away.

  “I suppose,” she called over her shoulder.

  “This is ridiculous,” Robbie said, exasperated.

  “It doesn’t matter what the prize is,” Citrine said sharply. “He’s not going to get it. But fine. A kiss. And if I win, Robbie can choose whether or not she wants to.”

  With that, he put the ax over his shoulder and strode toward the wood pile, waiting for Bryson to follow him.

  He wasn’t worried at all about the other male, overconfident wolf that he was.

  Citrine didn’t usually care for physical activity, but when it came to protecting his mate, no one would work harder.

  He’d become a wood-chopping machine if that’s what was necessary.

  Chapter 6

  Robbie couldn’t believe she was going to watch two fully grown men compete over something like a kiss.

  She’d been wondering when the tension was going to snap between her and Citrine, so she didn’t really mind him winning, despite the misogynist undertones of all of it.

  Still, she knew Citrine was just adhering to wolf culture, and deep inside, she had to admit the wolf in her was howling in anticipation of seeing two rivals compete to show their strength.

  She rubbed her arms as she took a seat on one of the folding camp chairs her father had brought out to sit on and watch.

  “This is ridiculous,” she muttered to her mother as she saw Robert walk over to inspect the two piles and verify them as equal.

  “Robbie,” Livvy said, looking uncharacteristically stoic. “I know we’ve let you down in a lot of ways. You’ve had to fill some unfair roles. Some unfair… spaces. But I want you to know your father and I only want the best for you. We all live within the rules for our species, but deep down, I always wanted more for you, and… I’m hoping Citrine is that.”

  Robbie blinked in shock and stared at her mother, but Livvy didn’t look as though she was going to say anything else on that particular subject. She leaned back in her chair and looked at Robbie with a wolfish grin.

  “Now let’s just sit back and watch two muscular males compete.”

  “Hey,” Robert said, sitting next to her and nuzzling her neck. “I’m your only alpha.”

  “Of course,” Livvy said, stroking his cheek and giving him a swift kiss. She winked at Robbie. “I’m just trying to get our daughter into the spirit of it.”

  Robert ran his hands over his face as he leaned forward. “Sometimes I don’t know what I’ve gotten us into, agreeing to accept Bryson’s suit.” He glared at the two men as they set their first log, waiting for his signal. “I hope Cit kicks his ass.”

  “Cit, I like that,” Livvy said.

  “Dad,” Robbie said. “Tell them to go.” She got one last look at Citrine, watching her with an intense expression, as he was telling her to watch.

  Then, in a quick, unexpected movement, she saw Citrine reach down and pull his tee shirt over his head, leaving him only in his designer jeans, sitting low, with a belt.

  Her jaw dropped at all the glory that was his abdomen. Tan skin, taut abs rippling as he moved, huge arms roped with muscle, trim hips with sharp lines on either side leading into his pants.

  She felt she didn’t know how to use air.

  Her mom thumped her on her back. “Breathe, girl,” she said, mistaking Robbie’s arousal for nervousness. “It’s going to be fine. Cit won’t let Bryson win.”

  “He’s Citrine, not Cit,” she muttered but managed to control herself. Come on, girl. Keep your pheromones in line.

  Bryson scented the air and looked over at her, but just as he did, her dad gave the signal, telling them to go.

  Citrine started immediately, and Bryson jerked his attention back to the task at hand with a frustrated growl.

  It was something watching them, because the differences between the two men were so apparent even with something as small as chopping wood.

  Bryson preferred, as usual, to use brute strength, stacking more than one log and clumsily taking more than one swing as he chopped through them, making battered, uneven pieces of wood.

  Citrine, on the other hand, was poetry in motion, having figured out quickly the least amount of movement needed to place the wood, swing precisely in the right spot to split the log in two, and then quickly place a new log.

  The way he moved, sinuous, smooth, sexy muscles rippling in the early morning sun, made her whole body react. She felt herself get wet and suddenly just wanted to run into the woods in sheer embarrassment.

  This was Citrine. Her co-worker. And she was getting all worked up just looking at him doing a typical household chore.

  But how could anyone make something like chopping wood look so effortless and… sexy?

  Bryson looked over at Citrine’s pile and desperation influenced his movements. He started trying to stack more logs, kept missing swings, and Robbie frowned, as they could all hear him swearing and muttering about, “Cheapness.”

  Citrine, on the other hand, stayed focused, sending Robbie an occasional smile as he reached for another log.

  When his pile was almost gone, she saw Bryson let out a roar and try to pile all his remaining logs on his stump, swinging at them randomly.

  But before he could do much, Citrine was finished, holding his hand in the air to signal, his body sheened with sweat, his face handsome and proud.

  She didn’t think she’d ever seen anything more beautiful in her life. Oh heavens, she was such a horny wolf.

  Bryson tossed his ax aside. “This isn’t over,” he hissed. Then he stalked off, causing a tense moment when he paused in front of Robbie, glaring.

  But then she glared back, and he stalked off, muttering under his breath.

  When he was a few yards away, he stopped and faced them. “I’m looking forward to kicking your ass, pussy!”

  Then he ran off, jogging toward the gate that led off the property, leaving the rest of them to stare, bemused, at his exit.

  Citrine pulled his shirt back on, much to Robbie’s disappointment, and walked over to them.

  Robbie’s father cupped his hands around his mouth. “Kiss!”

  “Dad,” she hissed. “You aren’t supposed to be supporting this.”

  “I can support whatever I want,” he said, standing and helping Livvy up. “I’ve given in to wolf culture for too long. I’m not giving them you as well.” He eyed Citrine. “I look forward to seeing him kick Bryson’s ass.”

  “But, Dad—”

  “Come on, Livvy. I think we needed to go into town for something, right?”

  Livvy nodded. “Right. In town. We better get going. You have your wallet?”

  “Yes,” Robert said.

  “Great, I don’t need my purse,” Livvy said. “Okay, you two, have a good time.” She waved at Robbie and Citrine, who was still approaching, as Robert practically dragged her down the drive.

  Citrine stopped in front of her, amused. He pushed a hand through his hair, which stayed back, damp with sweat. His tanned, olive skin was glowing with exertion, and she thought he looked the most attractive she’d ever seen him.

  She could still see his muscles peeking through his sweaty, nearly see-through white tee shirt.

  “They got out of here fast,” he said, amusement sparkling in his warm amber eyes.

  She stayed in her chair, not trusting her legs. “That was… interesting.”

  “I won,” he said, folding his arms. “Why is that interesting?”

  “Um.” She bit her lip. “I mean, chopping wood like a pro, challenging other dudes? Not the Citrine I know, so yeah, interesting.”

  He reached forward and jerked her easily up against him, encircling her with his arms. She didn’t even mind his heat, despite the warm sun overhead. It didn’t even come close to matching the burning inside her. Her sheer female need.

  He dipped his head slightly and brushed her hair off her face. “So about that kiss?”

  “I thought you said you didn’t care about a prize,” she said.

  “You misunderstood. I cared intensely about the prize. But I wouldn’t ever force it.”

  She swallowed, looking at his lips and almost being overwhelmed by temptation. “I mean, you did win… so…”

  His long lashes lowered slightly and he came a little closer. “So…”

  She lifted on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, unable to hold back any longer. His breath caught for a second as they made contact, and then he hungrily sank into the kiss, his arms winding tighter around her as he lifted her off her feet and immersed them both in the kiss.

  She felt utterly caught up in the moment, in the feel of his hard muscles pressed against her soft body, in his demanding lips pushing hers open, his hot tongue delving inside.

  She thrust her tongue against his in a battle of wills that had been going between them since they’d met but only now was reaching a physical level.

  He gave as good as he got and then slipped his tongue in deeper, tantalizing the most sensitive parts of her mouth until she let out a little moan. Then he pulled back, catching her bottom lip between his teeth on the way out, pulling slightly and licking along it with his lips as he let her go.

  Then he set her on her toes in front of him, and she staggered back, putting her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

  He studied her for a moment, and then, making a decision, strode forward and scooped her up in his arms.

  “Wait!” She gasped. “What are you doing?”

  “You know we both want this,” he said curtly, looking like he was working to keep himself under control as he walked quickly toward the house on those long legs of his.

  “But we—”

  He looked at her sternly. “If you really don’t want this, tell me now. But as far as I’m concerned, we’ve both wanted this on some level ever since we first met, even if we weren’t aware of it, and that kiss just proved it. So I’m up for more, wolf princess. But only if you are.”

  She gazed into his eyes and knew her decision. He had fought for her, not because she was an alpha male, but just because she was Robbie and he cared.

  And she had wanted him, more than she’d ever allowed herself to admit it.

  She curled her arms around his neck and nodded awkwardly against his chest, embarrassed. “Fine. But don’t ever call me wolf princess again.”

  “Why?” he asked. “It’s what you are—”

  “Citrine!”

  He laughed, a deep rumble against her aching, sensitive body. “Fine. Whatever you want.”

  She went still at the thought of it. For the first time ever, whatever she wanted. She let out a little impatient growl, wanting him to go faster.

  She wanted so much that he’d better get started if they ever wanted to be done before her parents came back.

  Chapter 7

  Citrine’s skin was practically buzzing with the rush of heated excitement. It felt like his dragon would set everything ablaze if he didn’t give his mate what she wanted this very instant.

  And even if this was something very different in his mind than in Robbie’s, this was the one way he knew he couldn’t hold back any longer.

  He took the stairs two at a time as he made his way through Robbie’s home and, at her direction, found her room and opened the door. Her room was an interesting mix of childhood trinkets and modern furnishings, with a desk and a laptop for working and pictures on walls and in frames.

  The kind of memorabilia Citrine didn’t have from his prior life and didn’t care to collect in this one. But maybe he would with Robbie. Maybe he’d finally have memories he wanted to capture now that he’d found his mate.

  He laid Robbie down on the bed and came over her, closing his lips over hers once again, wanting to drink as deeply of his mate as he possibly could. She moaned lightly, the safe silence of the empty house enveloping them in privacy.