“What’s wrong, Sophia? You’re scaring me. What’s wrong?” I just shake my head, I’m beyond words. A soft keening can be heard, and I realize it’s me, me making that awful noise. “Okay, okay, can you move over? We’ll leave, just crawl over here sweet girl.”

But I can’t move, I’m frozen. I think I’ll shatter if I move. He must know because he pulls me to his side of the Jeep. I end up on his lap, and he can’t get out from under me. He’s too big and my Jeep’s too small.

My Mate’s scent is all around me. I’m lost, so lost I don’t hear the angry growl until the door is ripped open. Two strong arms wrap around my body. I cling to Sniffer, but it’s no use. I scream as I’m yanked from him. His handsome face is twisted with rage, eyes no longer blue but black as he leaps from his seat. My back meets a chest that’s heaving for breath.

“If you try and take her from me, I will kill you.” His voice shatters the ice, and I’m burning up, on fire so hot there’ll be nothing left of me, just ash and smoke.

Sniffer stops dead, horror replaces rage. “You! Why?” he spits.

The arms that hold me, turn me. My breasts smash to his hard chest. My feet hang uselessly, and my arms are locked to my sides. I have just enough time to see her, the same woman from that night so many years ago. She’s still standing there, her robe loose now, showing a red garter belt, a barely-there panty and nothing else.

My face is shoved into his neck. Where I can’t help but inhale his scent. Why? When he throws me away again, how will I make it? My wolf is purring while my head is spinning.

“Mate.” His voice is just as I remember low, raspy, and it soothes me like no sound I’ve ever heard. My mind is shutting down, and I wouldn’t stop it if I could. I need away, away from my heart trying to stitch itself together only to be shredded again. Silence consumes me, and I’m glad.

CHAPTER 7

Masen

The knock at my door has me looking to the clock on my desk. It’s a quarter to two, Cass must be early. I’m not surprised he wants to spend his day with...? I don’t even know her name.

I make my way from my office to open the front door. Roxanne stands on my porch in a short robe, barely tied at her waist. I never should have told her my plans today.

She’s here because she knows Cass is bringing a new female to join the pack. Trying to stake a claim, she knows there is nothing she can do when I take someone else to my bed. We aren’t together, haven’t been other than sexually in years, but she likes to make the other females think we are. She rubs her thighs together like just the sight of me has her ready. I’m sure it does, we’ve been together countless times over the years, her body knows what mine can do to hers.