I step back to shake off his grip. I’m not sure what I saw in the guy, because right now Eric kind of repulses me. As if I sent out a telepathic call for help, Andre appears by my side. He’s holding two beers, and I turn to take my drink. The cup is slippery with moisture in my hand. “Thanks.” I turn my back to Eric, and the beer is surprisingly cold when I take a sip. I drink more to quench my thirst.

  Someone comes up behind me to grind, and I turn around quickly to the intrusion. It’s Eric. Apparently my subtle hint to back off didn’t work. I hold up my hand and step back, which makes me bump up against Andre. He slides his arm around my waist, and it takes away my apprehension. He’s protecting me. I imagine Andre’s glaring when I see Eric scowl.

  Eric spits out, “You’re with the townie?”

  I’m horrified he would insult Andre to his face and say, “Yes,” as I place my hand on Andre’s and lean against my Nordic god’s massive chest.

  Eric asks, “What? Is this some kind of bad-boy fling or something for you while you wait for me?”

  Andre tenses but remains silent. But heat rises in me as I glare at Eric when I say, “You need to stop right there.”

  I begin to walk away and pull Andre with me when Eric yells, “He doesn’t belong here! I could get him kicked out!”

  Now I’m beyond furious, and I tug Andre through the crowd and out to the porch. When we get there, he stares at me as he waits for me to say something.

  Icy wind blows on my overheated skin, and I welcome it as I take deep breaths to calm down. I can’t believe Eric would not only judge someone he doesn’t even know, but say such awful things to his face. I say, “I’m so sorry. That guy is my lab teacher.” I shake my head. “I’m not sure what got into him. He was so inappropriate.”

  “Is he your boyfriend?” Andre’s stance with his feet slightly spread and arms across his chest reminds me of the first night he walked me home and waited for me to get inside. Is he getting all alpha on me?

  Only a few days ago, I thought of Eric as my future. But now the idea of kissing Eric makes my skin crawl. “What? No. Most definitely not.”

  “Good. Because you’re mine.”

  My jaw drops, and I sputter. “Did you... you just say I’m yours?”

  Andre’s gaze is intense, and I swear his eyes have gone shifter on me. I’m sure of it when he lets out a low growl. “You are.”

  “Oh, no.” What is it with these guys? Did I step back to the caveman days? “I don’t belong to anyone.” I huff, and the porch shakes under my feet as I stomp back into the frat house. I push my way through people as if I’m in a roller derby. His?

  I think steam might be coming out of my ears when Eric steps in front of me and glares as he asks, “Have a fight with your boy toy?”

  I push at his chest, and his shirt is moist with sweat. “Get the hell out of my way.” Denim is rough on my hand when I try to scrape Eric’s dampness off my palm.

  Andre must have followed me, because Eric’s head tilts up as he stumbles back, and fear is in his eyes. I continue shoving my way through to get my coat. I’m so out of here.

  I find my coat in a pile and notice Andre’s jacket is under it. I grab it and toss it to him. I may be pissed off, but I’m not stupid enough to walk back to my dorm alone. Besides, if he thinks he owns me, then he’ll be happy to keep me safe.

  The door slams behind us when I lead us out the back way to avoid pushing through people again. The sudden drop in volume caresses my ears. My anger fades with each step, and my heavy footsteps make way to a normal stride. Andre matches me as we walk in silence. He begins to sing softly and does my part of our song along with his.

  “I didn’t know I was lost,

  You showed me the way.

  You told me to leave,

  You asked me to stay.”

  I’m not mad any longer, but I’m not amiable either, so I ignore him when he starts over and waits for me to sing my part. His? Who says stuff like that? I almost laugh when the answer comes to me—werebear that are true mates. Andre finishes the song and falls silent. When we reach my dorm, both of us stop. I turn to face him as vapor streams out of his mouth. I ask, “Am I your true mate?”

  “Yes.”

  I look up to the sky, as if some divine intervention can strike down and save me from my destiny. My previous anger has a small resurge. “I’m not sure what to do with that, but I can tell you one thing—I do not belong to you.”

  Andre says, “I don’t think you understand. You are mine the way I am yours. It goes both ways.” I frown as I shake my head, and he says, “Our destiny is to be together, but we have the power to change it. I’ve known it since the first time I saw you, and it’s what I want. But only if that’s what you want too.”

  “I have a choice?”

  “You do.” Andre gazes down at me with such tenderness that my heart hurts, as if a hand is squeezing it. I don’t know what to say, or what to think, and tears of frustration fill my eyes.

  Andre strokes my cheek with the back of his hand. I want to pull away, but I lean into his touch instead. He says, “Merry Christmas, Vanessa.”

  I step away, and my hands shake as I slide my keycard through the strip reader for the door. When it clicks open, I glance over my shoulder to say, “Merry Christmas, Andre.”

  Chapter 11

  Christmas with my parents felt surreal. I watched the world I’d always wanted with fresh eyes as I imagined it without Andre. My parents are not happy because of their lifestyle, they’re happy because they’re in love. I realized that a gorgeous home, luxury cars, and country club events would mean nothing if I didn’t have a man I love by my side.

  The interstate in northern Maine is only two lanes, and traffic is nearly nonexistent as I drive Ginny and me to Tori’s. If I choose Andre, I’m choosing the life of a werebear. I glance over at Ginny, my sister who is more than happy to become one for a life of forever love. As much as I wanted to talk to my mother about our werebear heritage, Ginny and I decided some things are better left unsaid for now. Judging from Mom’s reaction to Tori changing, we didn’t want to ruin Christmas by telling my mother that Ginny plans to do the same thing.

  The tires rumble over the asphalt while I flip through the radio stations, searching for a song I like. I get fed up and tap the switch to off. Ginny’s asleep, so I hum Andre’s song softly to myself. The sense of loss I feel without him nearby is a constant reminder that I’ve fallen for him despite myself.

  A large SUV speeds by, and the whoosh when it passes startles me. While I adore the concept of never having to question Andre’s feelings or my own, I’m nervous about what life with him would mean. I know that in order to have children, I’d eventually need to become a werebear. Andre is too in touch with his bear to ever be happy in a completely human world, and I’d never ask him to be. But do I really want to become a creature that must live a life of secrecy?

  Ginny stretches beside me and lets out a sigh. “How much farther?”

  “We’re about two hours away,” I say. “Feel like driving?”

  “Sure. I need a bathroom stop.”

  I recall a rest area sign I saw and say, “Just a few more miles.”

  “I can’t wait to get there and see Adrian again.” She sighs as she hugs herself. “I miss him so much.”

  I know what she means. Not only is Andre in my dreams every night, but being away from him has left me with a sense of loss that is like I’ve misplaced something important that I’m afraid I won’t ever find. And strangely, the closer we get to Maine, the more the pain eases up. Although as we get closer, flashes of black along the side of the road catch our attention, and we think we’re being watched by Tori’s clan.

  After our pit stop, Ginny drives the rest of the way. We’re staying at Tori and Keith’s for New Year’s Eve and the week that follows before we go back to school. We proceed down the long driveway to their house. I stare in amazement at the house ahead of us. Although fortress might be a better word for it. The windows have the wood shutters one would use to protect the glass from a severe storm. Even the pine trees that line the edge of the lawn appear to be taller than any I’ve ever seen. And when we park, I notice that the front door is high enough that Andre could walk through without ducking his head.

  Ginny whistles under her breath. “Tori’s living large.”

  I grin as I ask, “Do you think it’s a werebear thing?”

  She shrugs and unbuckles her seat belt with a click. “Probably.”

  Before we manage to get out, Tori bursts from the house and jogs down the stairs toward us. We do the group-hug thing, and the faint scent of pine makes me think Tori has been playing in the woods. She says, “I’m so glad you came! Tonight is going to be so fun.” She steps back and restrains the urge to bounce, without much success.

  I ask, “Okay, what’s the surprise, because you still can’t keep a secret after all these years.”

  “There just so happens to be two very sexy blond men inside waiting for you.”

  Ginny squeals and races inside while I bite my lip. Tori touches my arm, and her werebear heat seeps through my sweater as she asks, “You’re still not sure?”

  I sigh. “I don’t know. I’m close, but yeah, I’m still not sure.”

  She hugs me again. “You take all the time you need. He’ll wait.”

  I pull away and gaze into her face. “Will he?”

  Tori nods. “C’mon. I can’t wait to show you Keith’s house. You’ve got to see his living room window.” She moves toward the back of the car. “I’ll get Ginny’s bag.”

  When I step inside, I’m suitably impressed. The main floor is a large, open space with plenty of natural light illuminating an exposed-beam ceiling and dark-stained hardwood floors. Ginny and Adrian are snuggling on the couch while Tori introduces me to her mate. “Keith, this is my sister Nessa.” Large like all the werebear, Keith is less intimidating with his warm smile and the way he looks at Tori as if she hung the moon.

  He takes my hand in his. “It’s a pleasure. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

  Tori says, “We’re having all the lobster and clams you can eat tonight.” She turns to Keith to ask, “Did we get oysters too?”

  His eyes twinkle as he gazes at Tori, and it’s clear he’s just as taken with her as she is with him. “I was just about to go get them.”

  Andre is standing behind Keith, and I smile at him.

  Tori says, “Come see the window I was talking about.” I gaze past Andre at an amazing sight. I walk over to the far wall with Tori, which is actually a floor-to-ceiling window. It looks out over a fantasyland of snow and trees. “Oh my gosh, it’s amazing,” I say.

  Ginny has joined us and asks Tori, “Is that where you’re going to get married?”

  Tori says, “Yes. Won’t it be spectacular in the snow?”

  “It really will,” I say. “Can I go outside?”

  Keith says, “Sure.”

  I walk over to the door and let myself out. Frigid air chills my nose as I breathe, and snow crunches under my feet as I walk. I don’t have a coat on, so I wrap my arms around myself as I gaze at the magical landscape.

  Someone followed me out, and I turn to the voice I’ve missed as Andre begins to sing,

  “I didn’t know I was lost,

  You showed me the way.

  You told me to leave,

  You asked me to stay.”

  I sing the next line.

  “The love that I’ve found.”

  Andre’s rich baritone fills me with warmth as he sings. “It won’t go away.”

  I step closer to him. Andre continues with new lines.

  “We’re no longer lost,

  We both know the way.

  I’ll never leave,”

  I add to it one that’s been rolling around in my head all day. “I’m here to stay.”

  I step toward him and take his hands that he offers as I sing, “The love that we’ve found.”

  Andre answers with his voice. “It won’t fade away.”

  A lump has formed in my throat, and I blink back the tears as I whisper, “That’s beautiful.”

  Andre strokes the side of my face with a finger, and it sends shivers of awareness through my body. “So are you.”

  He leans down, and I lift up on my toes to meet Andre in a kiss. When he releases my hands to hold my hips, I reach up around his neck, and his skin is hot under my fingers as I hang on tight. We take our gentle connection to something deeper as our tongues dance. When we finally stop, I struggle to say, “I missed you.” Something breaks in me, and I finally get it out in a whisper. “I missed you.”

  Andre doesn’t speak, but I think he’s saying he missed me too by the way he’s still holding me and leans down for another kiss. This time he leaves me trembling, and I have no doubt coming here was a good idea.

  Chapter 12

  When Andre and I get back inside, the others are preparing to go to the fish market. Tori winks at me and says, “We’ll be back in about an hour.” They must have seen us kissing, and my cheeks heat with a flush of embarrassment.

  When the door shuts with a thud, I turn to Andre. I’m not sure if I’m ready to commit to a lifetime, but I’m ready to commit to the foreseeable future. I place my hand on his chest and gaze up at him to ask, “Want to show me your room?”

  He takes my hand to lead me up the stairs and to the end of the hall. When we get in his room, I don’t even take in how it’s decorated, because the moment the door snicks shut, it’s as if a dam has broken in me, and my need rushes forward. I kiss Andre as if I can’t get enough of him. He floods my senses with an intensity of sensations I’ve never experienced, and I become dizzy. He breaks away to lift me up by my hips and places me on the bed. I lie back as he crawls over me. His lips are red from our kissing, and I reach up with my hand to trace his mouth. I whisper the words I know are true, “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Vanessa.”

  I reach for the hem of his T-shirt, and he helps me remove it. I gaze at his bare chest. Numerous scars I imagine came from claws cover it, and it shocks me. “Oh, Andre.” I envision what kinds of horrors he must have experienced over the last decade and reach out to trace an old scar with my finger. The skin is smooth, and he trembles under my touch.

  Andre stops my hand. “Do not worry about these. They’re in the past.” He places my hand over his heart. “You are my future.” When he draws a line along my neck and down my chest, I move my hand to his shoulder. Thick cords of muscle flex under my fingers as he gets to my cleavage. His eyebrows rise slightly in question. I nod my head, and his deft fingers unbutton my blouse so he can lower his mouth to kiss his way down my chest and belly.

  Now I’m the one trembling, and I reach for my waistband to unfasten my pants so I can squirm out of them. Andre takes over, and his strong hands tug both my panties and jeans off my body. He returns to his oral attentions, and his hair is silky against my inner thighs when he moves between my legs. A soft sound comes from my lips when he licks along my sensitive folds, and I bask in the things he does with his mouth. Eventually, the world around me spins, and I scream with reckless abandon when pleasure explodes inside of me.

  Andre’s voice sets my nerve endings on fire when he crawls up and over me to speak in a low register. “I need you, Vanessa. God, do I need you.”

  “Yes.” I pull his head down to drink him in with my kiss, and he guides his cock home. I moan as he enters me, and I cry out, “Oh, god” when he fills me to the brim. My body welcomes him, as if this is what I’ve needed all along. Sweet friction takes me higher as he pumps into me, and my hands grip the solid flesh of his butt as I rock with Andre toward our climax. I’m so close when he groans and tenses over me, and his growl sounds when he explodes inside me.

  The heat of Andre’s release is the catalyst for my orgasm, and he pulls me close as I quake under the weight of him. Our bodies rise and fall in rhythm as we pant toward recovery.

  I say, “I had no idea that would be so good.”

  Andre removes himself from me slowly, and the odor of our lovemaking wafts toward me. I’m drawn to it like a forbidden scent I shouldn’t like. “Vanessa, we were made for each other; it will only get better.”

  “Really? Oh god.” I sigh. “I might not survive this.”

  He chuckles. “I have a feeling you’ll manage just fine.” Andre nuzzles my neck, and I thread my fingers through his long, silky locks. When he settles next to me, I snuggle into the body of the man I love. He wraps his arms around me and holds me close as I drift off to sleep.

  * * *

  Andre’s voice wakes me from my nap. “They’re coming up the driveway. We should rinse off and get back downstairs.”

  I lean up and kiss his chest. His scent is tantalizing, and I ask, “Is it bad that I want to stay up here with you all night?”

  Large hands cup my bottom as Andre lifts me to lie on top of him. His cock thickens against my belly, and he lets out a low growl just as my stomach grumbles. I say, “Maybe they’ll bring us a tray?” I gaze down at the full smile Andre gives me. “I like it when you grin.” I put my finger in the dimple on his cheek.

  Andre says, “You make me smile, Vanessa. Now let’s go get you some food.” He rolls me over onto my back and nips at my neck. “Because you’re going to need your energy for later tonight. Now that I’ve tasted you, I’m going to be insatiable.”

  I squirm when I recall just how well his taste test went as I watch his naked butt ripple while he walks toward the bathroom. The sheets are smooth under my legs as I slide out of bed and pad across the impossibly thick carpet to join Andre. Water splashes in the sink as we clean ourselves.

  I catch my mate’s gaze in the mirror to discover he’s watching me. I take a moment to scan his incredible body, and when my stare returns to his eyes, he appears amused. I offer him a sly smile. “I guessed you were this hot the first day I saw you.”