LISA


    Kellan''s stare leaves me unsettled. It''s been intense ever since our reunion.


    I''m grateful for the space he''s given me—this whole fated mate business is like being slammed into by a rogue freight train—but there''s a whole lot of little things that keep throwing his feelings into the foreground, making it impossible to ignore.


    Like how he touches me a little too often.


    How he watches my every move.


    He hasn''t kissed me again, but it doesn''t make the current situation any less awkward.


    "Can''t sleep?" he asks, as if us sharing a bed and him lying on his side to stare at me for the past hour is somehow conducive to falling asleep.


    "Nope." The word pops out with a little more sass than I intend, but damn it, does he have to stare at me like that?


    "Oh."


    And awkward silence again.


    "So, why couldn''t I just bunk with Dr. Blackwell?" My question breaks the uneasy tension between us.


    "They don''t have an extra bed," he explains easily.


    "And no empty beds anywhere else? At all? Just—none?"


    "None."


    "No sleeping bags?"


    "No."


    "Extra blanket?"


    "Not even one of those."


    He''s lying through his damn perfect teeth.


    "You have a couch," I point out. I saw it. I know it''s there.


    "People come in and out at all times of day. It isn''t the safest place to sleep. Better to be in bed."


    "Right." Fiddling with the comforter—soft and warm and smelling like Downy—I dare to glance in his direction again, only to be caught by his unblinking gray eyes.


    "You could sleep on the couch," I point out in a vague mumble.


    "I don''t want to."


    Of course he doesn''t. These wolves just do what they want and damn the consequences.


    As much as I want to be angry about it—to throw a fit and demand he sleep on the couch—I just make an inane sort of sound and watch the ceiling in the darkness. I hate to admit it, but I kind of like that he''s there.


    "I hope Ava and Lucas are getting along."


    "I''m sure they are."


    "Of course."


    Since he''s being so kind as to explain things, I may as well ask all the questions we humans want to know. "What exactly does being mates mean? Like, practically speaking. Is it just... attraction? Or is there more to it?"


    "The mate bond is more than just physical attraction, though that''s certainly part of it. It''s a deep, instinctual connection. Like finding a missing piece of yourself you didn''t even know was gone."


    His words send a flutter through my stomach. It sounds romantic, sure, but also terrifying. "But what does that mean for us? For our lives?"


    "It means we''re uniquely suited to complement each other," Kellan explains. "In theory, we should balance each other out—strengths and weaknesses, personality traits. The bond encourages us to be better versions of ourselves."


    I can''t help but snort at that. "So, what? The universe decided we''d be perfect together and now we''re just supposed to accept that?"


    The way his voice changes, I can tell he''s smiling, even if I can''t see it. "I know it sounds crazy. Trust me, I''ve been grappling with this too. But the mate bond isn''t a guarantee of happily ever after. It''s more like... a strong foundation.


    We still have to put in the work to build something on it."


    "Are you going to have problems because you''re mated to a human?"


    Kellan''s body jerks a little, and my breath stops. Damn. I didn''t realize the question was such a bomb.


    "The pack will accept my fated mate," he says in a nonanswer.


    "So, it''ll be a problem for you. Undermine your position, maybe?"


    "No."


    "Don''t lie to me, Kellan."


    He sighs. "A mate bond with a human is rare. I didn''t even realize it at first."


    "That''s right!" I sit up in excitement. "You didn''t know at first. Ava said you find out when you smelled my blood, but I''ve had so many scratches, and you never knew."


    His grunt is my only answer for a while. Then, "It isn''t just the blood," he says tightly. "I could smell your pheromones."


    "Pheromones?" I frown. "Humans have pheromones?"


    Kellan''s body tenses beside me. "I could smell that you had sex."


    Shock courses through my body, and I jerk back instinctively. The sudden movement throws me off balance, having moved too far off the side of the bed, and I flail as I fall.


    Just as I''m sure I''m about to hit the floor, a strong hand grabs my arm and yanks me to safety. My body thumps against Kellan''s chest with an undignified squeak escaping me.


    For a moment, we''re frozen like that—me pressed against him, his arms holding me tight. I can feel the heat of his skin through the thin fabric of my pajamas, can hear the rapid beating of his heart. Or is that mine?


    "I... you... what?" I stammer, my brain still trying to catch up with everything that just happened.


    Kellan''s arms loosen slightly, but he doesn''t let go completely. "Are you okay?" he asks, concern evident in his voice.


    "Physically? Yes. Mentally? I''m not so sure," I reply, my voice shaky. I push myself up, putting a little distance between us, but not quite breaking free of his hold. "Did you really just say you could smell...


    that?"


    I''m not a prude by any measure. I''m not ashamed of sex. But somehow, my cheeks are burning.


    He nods, a grimace twisting his features. "It''s part of being a wolf. Our senses are... enhanced."


    "Enhanced enough to smell... Oh my God." Mortification washes over me as the full implications of what he''s saying sink in. The heat rising to my cheeks is so intense I''m surprised the room doesn''t burst into flames.