† Maddock †

I didn’t think I’d see her again tonight and although it angered my wolf, I’d done my best to make him listen to reason. There was a chance that if we smothered her, she’d react like Apollo’s mate. Since that scar was still etched onto our heart, he’d begrudgingly agreed to one night away as long as we did something to fulfill our role.

There wasn’t enough meat in the house. He wanted to provide for his mate.

One kill I’d agreed to and we’d leave it on the porch. Then I promised we would sleep outside, close enough to the cabin to protect her while she was sleeping in our bed.

But she’d stumbled into the clearing and the smell of cinnamon overwhelmed him. My wolf moved forward with the gift in his teeth. He was anxious to be close to her again.

She froze like a deer and her big brown eyes lit up with a fear that raised the hackles along his spine. Our mate was too soft to be out here without our protection.

He was angry–mostly at me–for her being left alone. I’d fought to control the beast as she’d whispered my name, but he decided the human concept of space was too dangerous. The primal need to protect his mate and make her realize she was his overcame all rational thought.

We couldn’t continue to live like this. Not after years of perfect harmony.

I was about to force the shift when she threw the damn rock at his head. He reacted in shock that his witch had dared to fight him while I burst out laughing. My wolf had fallen back to his haunches, too stunned to give chase.

She didn’t like the rabbit? He’d asked in confusion.

No, dumbass. She didn’t like an angry wolf cornering her in an unfamiliar place.

I’ll get her quail. He huffed.

death.

This new divide between the two of us was going to cause my early

Kera’s voice came to me, but I barely heard her over the wolf’s

howling response.

He was on a rampage now.

I’ll kill everything in the woods to find what she likes to eat.

Calm down. She’s going to make us dinner because she wants to feed us too.

The asshole stopped pacing long enough to let me ease into the shift. Apparently, this made him happy.

Tell her I’ll bring more rabbits if she wants them.

Down boy. I shook my head as I rose to my full height and straightened out my spine.

“She said to wear pants.” Kera laughed, tossing some of my clothes into the yard. The latent pup followed after. She averted her gaze as her

cheeks burned red.

“Where are you two going?” I pulled the jeans onto my legs. “Back to the field,” Kera called out. “I’m trying to turn my friend

into a wolf before dinner. Enjoy the alone time with your girl.”

My girl…

I slipped the shirt over my head and gingerly touched the split above my eyebrow that was already starting to heal. Sage’s aim was true and steady. I wondered what else my woman was capable of.

My wolf perked his ears up.

We both couldn’t wait to find out.

I hesitated at the door, refusing to knock at our den that I’d built, but not wanting to frighten Sage after her fear in the woods. I settled for pushing the door open and calling out softly, “Can I come in?”

“Of course!” Sage yanked the door from my grasp. “This is your home, not ours.”

She flitted back to the kitchen, refusing to look me in the eye. I frowned as my wolf growled. We didn’t like this side of her.

Embarrassment and tension made her tantalizing scent clouded.

We both agreed that we wanted her to stop whatever she was doing and look at us.

At lease we were agreeing on something again.

Baby steps.

“About the cabin…” Sage pulled out a knife and began chopping onions. The speed of the blade was a blur. I’d never seen someone slice that fast.

And I had claws.

My wolf was intrigued. I moved closer, but not enough to crowd her space. “Is something wrong with your home? If there is, I’ll fix it for you.”

“No. It’s not that.” She turned with the knife in her hand. Both of us looked at it in the same breath and she slowly put it down on the cutting board.

“The cabin is beautiful. It’s like something out of a movie or fairy

tale that I used to dream about as a little girl.” She bit her plump bottom lip between her teeth and I had to try extra hard to focus on her next words.

“But this isn’t right, Maddock. We’re strangers here and you shouldn’t be put out because of us. I can’t accept this gift you are offering. My sister and I have no problem staying at the inn. I can deal with people like Lennox. I’m sure that being the enforcer for the town makes you feel responsible for everyone in it, but trust me when I say that I can protect myself and my sister.”

I touched the almost healed split on my forehead, smiling. “You’re feisty. I’ll give you that.”

“Oh, bless science.” She wrinkled her nose at what sounded like a curse. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. Let me take a look at it.”

Sage pushed me backwards until my legs hit the chair and I sat down. Being this close to her clouded all my other senses and I struggled to think through the scent of cinnamon and roasted acorns in the air. She traced her cold finger over my eyebrow and then jerked her hand away as if she’d been burned. Her pulse beat frantically, thumping above her collarbone.

“It’s already almost healed.” Sage shook her head. “Faster than normal, just like Coral. I always assumed our father had done some kind of advanced medical procedure on her during her traumatic birth that aligned with Ethica’s practice of perfect health, but now I’m wondering if everything was a lie.”

She slipped away, leaving the cold ache of distance between us.

I exhaled slowly and licked my dry lips. Sage was intoxicating. I wanted to know more. “What was it like living in the purist city?”

“Hard.” She frowned as she turned back to the kitchen. “For me it was at least. I was always waiting for the game to be up. Without my father alive to alter my reports, I’d opted out of college. But there was really no way I’d be able to complete my studies and still take care of Coral after he died. She became everything to me and I focused hard on not giving myself away. I had to be there for her until she was old enough to take care of

herself.”

While I didn’t understand the circumstances, my soul ached for the life my mate had endured.

“And what do you want now that you know it’s all a lie?” I asked gently, with no judgement, and silently vowed to never let her suffer again.

Maybe purists needed counseling or had some kind of support groups after leaving the city. There wasn’t anything like that here, but whatever she needed, I’d make happen.

Even if I had to cross pack borders to do it.

“I need a strong glass of whiskey.” Sage laughed as she picked up the knife. She turned to look over her shoulder. Her big brown eyes were lined with tears. “And if you want me to cook you that rabbit as a thank you dinner before we head back to the inn, then can you turn it into something a little less wild animal and a little more edible meat?”

*

She’s not leaving.

I bit back a growl as I quickly skinned the rabbit and cut off chunks of meat to toss into the bowl. The young pups were still in the field and I wasn’t above using them to make Sage stay.

The sister had said not to explain the mate situation so soon and Kera said something about an ex-boyfriend…

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

There wasn’t much that made me sick, but thinking about Sage with another man wasn’t something that settled well in my stomach.

We can kill him.

I shook my head. The sad excuse for a man that dared to hurt our mate wasn’t a problem anymore. She was here now. That’s all that mattered. She would be sleeping in our bed for the rest of her life.

I washed my hands in the brook and then carried the bowl of meat inside, leaving the skin stretched on a tree to tan later.

The warm smell of sauteing onions and garlic mixed with Sage’s scent of cinnamon filled the cabin with a slice of life I didn’t realize was missing.

“Just in time.” She smiled as she took the bowl and began sorting through the meat. Each piece sizzled as it hit the hot oil in the pan.

Her hair was pulled back up again in a pile on top of her head and she moved about the kitchen like she belonged there. Potato skins curled like wood shavings under her delicate and sure hands.

Beads of sweat dotted her brow and the back of her neck as she worked over the cast iron stove. I wondered if it’d taste salty or sweet if I leaned in closer to press my lips to the base of her throat.

“There. We can let that simmer for a while.” She spun on her heel to face me and almost collided with my chest.

I reached out to catch the small of her back with my palm, worried she’d go flying against the stove. The minute I touched the soft skin under the hem of her shirt, the force of the bond sent sparks of magic into my core. She let out a little surprised gasp and stared up at me with doe-eyes.

“We should get back to our conversation.” The words came out breathless, but she made no move to step away.

It was me against the Gods of fate that found the strength to break the contact.

“Let me get you that drink first,” I said, surprised by the huskiness of my own voice.

“That drink?” Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked and moved toward the table.

“You said you wanted a strong glass of whiskey.” I winked as I cleared out the box of potatoes from the bottom of the pantry and pulled on the rope to the cellar storage. “I’ve got exactly what you need.”

*

“You made this?” Her brown eyes widened further as she rolled the glass in her hands and then raised it to her lips again.

“Do you like it?” I was still reeling from the fact that she sipped it neat without a grimace. Not even Apollo, who often spent his days in a haze, could handle the whiskey I made.

I’d hoped to see her nose crinkle, but instead, she smiled. “It’s really good. I prefer my whiskey smoky and peaty. It’s meant to be bold, not sweet. How did you learn to make it?”

My witch was full of surprises.

I couldn’t help but wonder what else she found bold. My wolf was definitely behind that thought.

I shifted in my seat, crossing one leg over the other as I leaned back and took a sip of my own glass. “My father and I used to make it together before he passed. The Alpha liked his whiskey smoother, but I prefer it strong too.”

I loved the way she looked at me, a hint of blush on her cheeks and a curiosity about my life shining in her eyes.

But I didn’t like it when she set her glass on the table. “We shouldn’t get too comfortable here. I’ll clean up after dinner, and then we’ll head out. I don’t want you to feel obligated, so please don’t take it the wrong way, but we can’t impose on your home like this. I’ll still look after your mother tomorrow, and we can figure out a different arrangement for payment.”

“What else would you like me to pay you with?” I chuckled.

She’s not leaving. My wolf howled.

The blush darkened on her cheeks and she took a deep breath. “Whatever you think is fair. I don’t know how your trade and barter system fully works.”

“What if I said the only thing worthy of your time was me giving you this home?” I tested, waiting to see what she’d do with the challenge.

She met my eyes with a steely gaze. “Then I’d say I can’t accept.”

The wolf in me wanted to bend her over the table and tease her until she accepted all of it.

This den. Our life. The bond.

But my lips curled into a lazy smile as I sipped my whiskey. “Then your only option is for me to build you a new house right across the yard.”

“What? No.” Her jaw went slack as if she thought I was crazy. “I don’t want you to build me another house. There has to be a vacancy in town somewhere or we could stay at the inn.”

“There’s not and you can’t.” I shrugged, setting down my glass. “I’ll grab my tools and get to work now. You’ll stay here for a few weeks until I can get things ready…”

“Maddock, stop.” She jumped to her feet and grabbed my arm.

Warmth spread to my heart with the simple touch. “You’re joking, right?

Like you can’t be serious. Why do you care so much about where we live?”

The answer was on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell her and see how she’d react.

Tell her she’s ours to protect, my wolf agreed as he paced the confines of my mind.

“How is this possible?” Sage gasped as she ripped her hand away from my skin.

I hesitated, looking at her worried frown and confused about what she was asking. “How is what possible?”

“I feel him,” she whispered. Sage looked to the whiskey glass like

she wanted to throw the rest of it out the door. Tears rimmed her eyes as she turned back to me. “You don’t want to hurt us.”

“I thought I made that apparent…” I trailed off, wishing I’d paid more attention to human-shifter pairings so I could understand what was happening. “Who do you feel?”

“Your wolf.”

She wasn’t the only one who didn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth.

“Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but last night at the inn your wolf was throwing so many emotions my way that I couldn’t sort through them in time before I got overwhelmed. Then earlier in the woods, I wasn’t scared until I felt that the wolf was angry. Instead of sticking around to find out why, I ran. Just now, touching you, I felt his intense desire to keep me safe. Why?”

I wanted to have a better answer for her, but I’d never heard of this.

If it was true, if she heard my wolf’s desires, then I needed to get away from here.

Fast.

“I don’t know. Can you hear what he says?”

Can she?

“It’s not like that.” Sage took a few slow breaths which I was quickly learning she did to calm herself. “It’s like a rush of emotions or feelings I can’t control that catch me off guard before I can push them away.”

“Can you feel my emotions too?” I stepped closer, wanting to show her comfort, but keeping my hands to myself so she didn’t run. If she could sense it, she’d be feeling the bond.

I’d have no other option than to explain.

“Not really.” She shrugged and looked up at me. I was lost in the deep abyss of swirling brown eyes. “I’ve never been good with emotions so feeling your wolf is a little overwhelming, but I’ve never been around a wild animal like that so maybe I’m misunderstanding. Can you

communicate with him? Or ask why he is feeling so protective?”

Because you’re mine.

I took a step back, feeling rejected in a way I’d not imagined. My witch didn’t respond to the bond with me as a man, but she could feel the wolf.

The same bastard who was currently preening.

She clearly prefers me. I told you she’d like the rabbit.

I didn’t realize I was growling until Sage put her hand on my chest. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I’m being so weird. The whiskey must have

gone to my head. But if you’re serious about building another cabin, can I make a request?”

“Anything,” I said the word that I knew I’d be saying for the rest of my life and in that moment realized it might be a good thing she could feel my wolf. It’d make him less testy and maybe he’d relax long enough for me to earn the woman as my mate.

Sage grinned. I was already addicted to that smile. “Can I help you build it? I won’t know what I’m doing, but I’d love to learn. And I’ll cook for you whenever you like.”

Of all the things I was expecting to hear, that one took me by surprise. She went to stir the pot as I excused myself to step outside.

I wasted no time in plotting the foundation of the would-be structure by digging an outline in the dirt with a branch.

This was perfect. Now I had an excuse to be here every day and get to know her. She could feel more comfortable with me too. We’d discover together what fate had planned.

My wolf wasn’t satisfied though.

She isn’t living here.

I know, I barked back as I used the sticks in the earth to lay out the dimensions.

I’d already decided that a guest house would be nice. Once Apollo finally accepted the future and stepped down from his role as Alpha to let Kera lead, the old bastard would need a place to stay. In the meantime, Coral and Kera would want their own space instead of hearing what I did to Sage every night.

Yes. Let’s go practice now.

Quiet. You’ll scare her away.

He retreated without complaint, but I could still feel him gloating.

She loves me.

This was strange.

My mate had no wolf so I never expected her to understand mine and had assumed the mating bond would be less somehow.

But the intoxicating little witch kept surprising me, so maybe our bond would be more.