Wanted by the Wolf

A Fated Mates Shifter Romance (SWAT Shifters Book 1)

Bella Drake

He’ll do anything to defend her. She can’t stay away from him. With sexual tension high and danger even higher, will desire lead to disaster?

Shapeshifter Cole Masters ferociously protects his community. Sent in to defuse an escalating hostage situation, he and his fellow SWAT members pull out all the stops to save the innocent victim from his brutal captors. But he’s shocked to scent his fated mate at the crime scene… standing on the side of the kidnappers.

Maya Danvers is desperate to talk some sense into her brother. After her attempt to right his wrongs lands her in an interrogation, she struggles to bury her attraction for the handsome operative demanding answers. Shouldn’t she have bigger concerns than the sexy agent?

Trying to keep his supernatural identity a secret, Cole fears that when they both come under fire, their explosive chemistry will shatter. But when Maya attracts the wrong kind of attention, there’s more at stake than hiding his nature.

There’s nothing he won’t do to protect his true mate.

Wanted by the Wolf is the seductive first novella in the SWAT Shifters paranormal romance series. If you like steamy scenes, heart-pounding action, and hot heroes, then you’ll love Bella Drake’s passionate tale.

Chapter 1

Cole

The assignment should have been simple. Cole Masters and his team had been tasked with retrieving a high-profile individual who was being held against his will. The low-life thugs who had kidnapped him were looking for a big payout from the man's rich family. It was the type of rescue operation that Cole and the other members of his SWAT team had carried out dozens of times in the past. So it should have been simple.

But this time was different. Cole felt it as soon as he entered the old warehouse where the hostage was being held-something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on what exactly was wrong.

He lifted his nose and scented the air, trying to determine what had caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.

"You smelling something?" Nash whispered, so quietly it wouldn't have been audible to anyone who wasn't a shifter.

Cole frowned, then scented the air again. "I'm not sure. Don't you smell that? It's almost...floral. I think there's a woman in here."

There should only have been three perps on guard duty, all men. The hostage was supposed to have been the only other person present. The team had spent an hour watching the building and saw only two hostiles through one of the windows at the back of the warehouse.

No one had entered or left since the team had arrived.

"I don't smell anything," Nash said.

Cole wasn't surprised. Nash was a bear shifter and though he had a great sense of smell when shifted into his bear form, his senses weren't nearly as well developed as those of a wolf shifter, like Cole.

A wolf's sense of smell was second to none.

He played the faint floral scent across his senses and turned it over in his mind. It was unlike anything he'd ever encountered. His muscles bunched.

The scent was so incredible it made him want to charge into the building, consequences be damned He fought a battle of personal restraint. He couldn't scent any blood, but what if the perps had hurt this woman?

Cole shook his head-which did nothing to clear it of that incredible scent or his newfound insanity

—then stood up to his full height. He'd been picked for the FBI SWAT team because he was good at his job. One of the best, in fact-level-headed, focused, quick thinking and incredibly fast on his feet. Then, of course, there was the weapons training he pos-sessed, the tactical skills, and the fact that at thirty years of age, he was in the best physical shape of his life. He and his teammates were like a well-oiled machine. They got in, got the job done, then got out with as few casualties as possible.

So why did an innocent floral scent make him want to disregard all his many hours of training and time in the field? Inside, Cole's wolf was agitated, doing what Cole could only have described as internal pacing. It practically begged to be set free.

Easy boy, Cole cautioned. This will be over before you know it.

To his left, Cole's team leader, Flint, was also scenting the air. He turned to Cole then shook his head.

"I'm getting nothing. Let's move closer."

Cole nodded his agreement, relieved to get moving again, although he was surprised that Flint couldn't smell anything. Flint's sense of smell almost rivaled Cole's. Weird. But Cole supposed that was why each individual had been picked to be on the team-because they each brought their own unique 'gifts' on top of all the training they had received from the FBI.

They spread out across the room, and Hawk made a hand signal that informed the rest of the team that he was going to follow the back wall. Kit went left and made the same signal. The warehouse was in the old meatpacking district of the city and had once been used as a canning factory. It was empty now, save for a few rats, but they kept out of the way, sensing that there were bigger predators on their turf.

The closer the team got to the back of the building, the stronger the floral scent became. Inside him, Cole's wolf erupted into chaos, yipping and clawing to be set free. Cole tried to slow down his breathing, but his wolf kept fighting him.

"Yeah, there's a woman in here, alright," Ice whispered. "She smells good."

Cole glared at him. "Head in the game, asshole." When Ice frowned back at him, Cole sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry," he mumbled. It was hard to think straight with his wolf going crazy like that, and the floral scent taking over all his senses.

He wasn't sure why he'd snapped at his teammate, but he hadn't liked Ice talking about the woman in such a way. Weird. Why was he getting defensive about a woman he'd never met? When they got closer still to the back of the building, the woman's fragrance became all that Cole could smell, and that bothered him immensely. He was usually more than able to differentiate between the many different scents in a room, but it was as if he had lost that ability now. The heady floral fragrance was so potent, it made him feel lightheaded, and he had to stop moving forward for fear that he might fall on his ass.

Nash looked back at him and frowned. "Dude, what's up?"

Cole shook his head and motioned for his friend to keep moving. He couldn't have explained what was wrong with him if he'd tried. Besides, he didn't want his team to worry about him when they were in the middle of a rescue operation.

Each member of the team was only as strong as every other member, and if one of the guys didn't have their head on straight, they all suffered. His team was depending on him. There were armed criminals in this building, and his teammates' lives, and especially his partner's life, would be in his hands. The only way that worked was if they believed incontrovertibly that their partner was in tiptop condition, both physically and mentally. Cole was far from it.

He forced himself to get moving again, and when he finally reached the back wall, he leaned up against it and breathed a sigh of relief. There were three doors along the wall that they knew from studying the floor plans of the building, were two offices and a storage room. Every door was closed.

Hawk put his ear to the furthest door on the right then shook his head. Empty. To their left, Kit moved in front of the door nearest to her and scented the air before she also put her ear to the door. Another negative. That meant the room behind the door nearest to Cole was the one that had to be occupied.

They knew from the building plans that there were two rooms behind this door, a larger room which had been used as a storeroom, and the smaller room in front, which had once been an employee break room.

Cole took a deep breath to calm himself before moving, but he regretted it instantly when he sucked down a great big lungful of that amazing scent. Inside, his wolf howled in delight. Inexplicably and without warning, Cole's dick hardened, almost to the point of pain. His eyes widened and he turned to the wall before any of his teammates could see it.

"I sure as hell hope that's not for me," Nash whispered, his expression a mixture of amusement and alarm. "Because you know you're not my type, right?"

Goddamn it.

"Shut the fuck up," Cole shot back.

Nash chuckled silently, his shoulders moving up and down with the action.

"What's going on down there?" Hawk whispered.

"Gray's sporting wood," Nash informed him.

"What the fuck?" Hawk, Flint, and Kit said in unison.

Ice looked too disturbed to say anything.

Cole glared at his friend. "Thanks, bro." Nash grinned. "Just keeping it real."

"Damn it, Cole, focus," Flint said. "Or do you need a couple of minutes to yourself?"

When a lot more silent laughing ensued, Cole sighed.

"Assholes," he muttered. "The lot of you."

Under any other circumstances, he'd have been laughing along with the team, but now, he felt all kinds of wrong. He slid along the wall before putting his head to the door. He could hear voices, but they were muted, which suggested they were coming from the furthest room and that the dividing door was closed. He made out four distinct voices, and one of them belonged to the woman.

Cole frowned. He wasn't sure why, but he had figured the woman was being held there against her will, the same as their VIP. However, the way she was talking calmly with the men suggested she was one of the kidnappers. This new information rankled more than it should have. Cole tried to tell himself it was because he didn't like surprises, but that didn't feel like the truth.

"Three men and one woman," he reported back to his team. "The back room. I assume they're all our perps. There's no sound from the hostage."

Each member of the team slid along the wall until they were lined up side by side. Flint stood by the door's hinges and reached for the handle.

"We go in on three," he instructed. "Cole first, then me, then the rest of you. Stay sharp, stay safe.

Let's get this done."

There was no one who wanted the assignment over and done with more than Cole. His head was swimming with that intoxicating scent and he still hadn't managed to lose his erection, despite the ridicule. He didn't know what the hell was wrong with him, but he was ready for this day to be a distant memory.

"One, two, three," Flint whispered, then he twisted the handle on the door and pushed it open, keeping his back pressed against the wall.

Assault rifle trained ahead of him, Cole entered the empty room, and one by one the team filed in after him. In here, the scent was so strong, Cole felt as if he'd been hit in the gut with a battering ram.

He had to put a hand to the wall to steady himself.

The hairs on his arms grew out, thickening into a light dusting of fur. What the hell was wrong with his wolf? He was acting as if he hadn't shifted in months, but he'd gone for a run in his wolf form just a few days previously.

Nash moved in front of him and inspected his face. "Uh, dude, you're looking a bit green around the gills. Perhaps you should sit this one out."

It sure was tempting, but Cole shook his head.

"I'm okay. Let's go."

They gathered around the connecting door.

"Ted's got the lead," Flint informed them.

"The fuck?" Cole scowled at his team leader. "I said I'm good."

His eyes widened at the sound of his voice which was more animal than human.

"Uh, I don't think you're good," Nash said.

"This isn't up for debate." Flint moved into position by the door. "You can play back-up or get the hell out. Choice is yours."

Cole bit back a retort, then got into the position Nash usually took. Whatever. The sooner he stopped yakking, the sooner they could get this done. Flint opened the door and Nash burst in first with the rest of the team on his six.

"FBI! Get down on the ground!" Nash shouted, his rifle pointing ahead.

Cole surveyed the scene, looking for threats.

There weren't any. The VIP was tied to a chair in the corner of the room, his hands secured behind his back, his mouth gagged. His kidnappers were sitting around arguing. None of them were holding their weapons and it took them a moment to register what was happening. Their eyes widened as they took in the SWAT team and all but threw themselves onto the floor.

Then Cole saw the woman.

And as their eyes met, the air whooshed out of him as if one of the guys had sucker punched him.

She was beautiful beyond compare, with big brown eyes and long dark hair that shone like glass. He'd never truly understood the term breathtaking before that very moment, but he was so in awe of the woman, he could hardly breathe. Despite the slenderness of her body, there was strength in her eyes - eyes she hadn't taken off Cole for a single second.

She was utterly captivating.

His wolf started singing in delight, howling and yipping with glee. Cole was just starting to understand what the things he'd been feeling could mean when Ice shouted at the woman.

"You, too! Get down on the ground!"

Her eyes widened in alarm, then she hurried to comply and get down on the floor on her stomach. The indignity of it made Cole nauseous and the scent of her fear nearly brought him to his knees. He saw red. He charged forward and drew his fist back, then slammed it into his teammate's jaw, and as it connected with Ice's face, one word echoed in Cole's mind.

Mine.

Chapter 2

Maya

Maya Danvers had never been so afraid in all her twenty-seven years. Doing the right thing never looked so terrifying in the movies. She silently cussed her idiotic brother—and his friends for dragging him into this in the first place. And then she cussed him again, because if he'd just listened to her for once in his life, he would have released the poor man he'd kidnapped, or perish the thought, not have kidnapped him in the first place, then none of them would be in this whole sorry mess.

And now, trying to do the right thing was about to get her arrested by the FBI, and facing accessory charges at best, or kidnapping charges, or...

How had her life come to this? It was one thing to look out for Noah-that's what she'd vowed to do since the night they'd lost their parents-but this was beyond ridiculous. She'd meant cook and clean and make sure he got to school. She hadn't meant talk him out of drug dealing, and kidnapping, and extorting money. Threatening to kill people? He'd reached an all-time low. And now he was going to drag her down with him.

As if this day wasn't turning out awful enough.

Maya lifted her head to look at him again. The FBI SWAT agent who'd punched his teammate in the jaw after the man had shouted at Maya to get down on the ground. He'd looked horrified immediately afterward and had pulled his teammate to the back of the room to talk to him while the rest of the team released the hostage, and put her brother and his friends into handcuffs.

At the beginning of their conversation, the handsome man who had hit his friend hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her, but then his friend had started looking at her too. When she tried to gauge the reactions from the rest of the man's teammates, she could have sworn they were all looking at him with pity in their expressions, and she definitely didn't miss the covert glances they were all shooting her way. What in the heck was going on? A chill ran through her spine, making her shiver. What was wrong, and why were they all staring at her like that? She was no-one, and she didn't belong in this world.

At the same time as ice froze her spine, heat fluttered in her stomach. She had a million other things she should be worried about right now-prison time, for example-but she couldn't take her eyes off him. She knew shouldn't have been so concerned with such trivial matters at a time like this, but watching them, no, watching him was utterly fascinating. There was something about the way he moved, the way he gestured with his hands and shot glances in her direction, and the intensity of his gaze, that made her think about things she definitely shouldn't be concerning herself with right now. Like what he looked like under that uniform.

Ugh, get a grip, Maya!

The small group broke apart, and the female agent came up to Maya with a set of handcuffs poised, then glanced back at the handsome agent, as if asking for his permission to cuff her. He gave an almost imperceptible nod before the woman leaned down and slapped the cuffs on her wrists. That was weird. Perhaps he was the team leader, but why would the female agent have required permission to do her job?

"What's his name?" Maya asked, the question falling from her lips before she could prevent it.

The agent followed her gaze then raised her eyebrows before replying. "Gray, but we're thinking about renaming him 'Slugger."

Gray looked across from his conversation and frowned at the female agent and the man he was talking to chuckled. But they couldn't have heard what the agent had said, they were all the way across the room and the woman had been talking quietly.

"Gray," Maya whispered.

The man's gaze snapped to hers and she shivered at the intensity of the look he gave her.

She supposed the name was a nickname, or some sort of code name he used for work. It wasn't like he was going to give his real name to every criminal he arrested. Criminal. That's what he thought she was, and the thought bothered her more than the idea of going to prison, and that thought was frankly more than a little alarming.

Still, she liked the name. It suited him somehow.

She had a mind to ask if he was single, but that would have made her look like a crazy person as well as a criminal. She frowned. For a reason she couldn't understand, she didn't like the idea of this man thinking of her as either of those things.

"Come on, let's go," the woman said, and Maya allowed herself to be led from the warehouse towards the waiting vehicles. Putting up a fight wasn't going to do her any good—a memo some of Noah's friends didn't seem to have gotten. Noah was the exception, keeping his head down as one of the agents led him out by his arm, proving he had at least some sense.

Maya snorted and shook her head. Better late than never.

He jerked his head up and made eye contact with her, and as the agent turned to open the back door of one of the cars, Noah ducked his head close to hers.

"Just tell them the truth, okay?" he whispered.

She nodded in response.

"Promise me, Maya," Noah said, searching her face desperately. Something melted inside her. He was an idiot, but he wasn't all bad. He was her baby brother.

The agent helped him into the back of the car and slammed the door shut.

"This one," the female agent said, steering her to another car. She'd hoped that Gray would escort her to the vehicle and that she'd get to ride with him, but neither of those things happened. Perhaps it had been for the best. Maya was in a lot of trouble and she needed to focus all her attention on getting out of it. She loved her brother, but not enough to go to prison for something he'd done.

At the FBI facility, Maya was taken to a small room; there was no sign of her brother or his friends.

She supposed they wanted to interrogate them before they had a chance to speak to each other. Not that there was any chance of a cover-up when they'd been caught in the act.

The female agent took the cuffs off one of her wrists then handcuffed her to the table.

"What happens now?" she asked the woman as she turned to leave the room.

"Someone will be in shortly to question you. You never been arrested before?"

Maya shook her head.

"I shouldn't have been arrested this time, either," she mumbled.

The woman snorted. "Why, you think you're above the law?"

"What? No," she replied quickly. "It's because I didn't do anything."

"Right," the woman muttered.

She rolled her eyes, then left the room without saying anything further. Maya supposed she shouldn't have been surprised that the agent didn't believe her. She probably dealt with criminals every day who said they were innocent of whatever crime they had been arrested for. Why should she have been any different? Except that she was different, and she was innocent.

The problem, however, was that Maya wasn't innocent in the eyes of the law. Because when you witnessed a crime taking place, but didn't report it, you were almost as guilty as the people who had committed the offence. Sure, Maya had been trying to talk her brother and his friends into setting the man free, but she hadn't been successful in convincing them, and she hadn't gone to the police, either.

In the state of Florida, that meant she was guilty of a misdemeanor which carried a prison sentence-if she was convicted. A shiver ran through her. She really hoped she wouldn't be convicted. She should have known better than to get anywhere near Noah's crazy scheme, even if she was trying to save his ass.

She wasn't sure how long she had waited in the room before someone came in to question her, but it had to have been over an hour. She'd been hoping to catch a glimpse of Gray, and she couldn't explain the disappointment that lanced through her when the door opened and one of the other SWAT team members who had been at the warehouse entered the room.

The man was huge, easily the tallest and bulkiest on his team of six by far. He was handsome, too, but not as handsome as Gray. Maya doubted there was anyone who could have bested Gray in the looks department. There had been something truly special about him. She had wanted to run her fingers through his thick dark hair, and his bright blue eyes had reminded her of the ocean on a clear day.

His cheekbones were high and his jaw square. Then, there was his body...

"I'm Special Agent Carson," the man introduced himself, drawing Maya back to the present. "And I'm going to be asking you a few questions."

He took a seat opposite her, then placed a folder and a dictation machine on the table before opening the folder and glancing briefly at the contents.

"Just to let you know, I'm recording this interview. You've already been read your rights, but I want to remind you that anything you say here can be used against you in a court of law." She nodded. "I understand."

"Can you state your name for the record, please?"

"Yes, it's Maya Danvers."

"Miss Danvers, can you tell me why you and your friends kidnapped Nicholas Arnell?"

"I didn't!" she said defensively.

Special Agent Carson sighed. "You know this will go a lot quicker if you just tell the truth."

"I am telling you the truth."

And she hated herself for it, and for everything else she was going to have to tell them - whether Noah wanted her to, or not. Telling the truth meant implicating him and his friends. Even if it was evident that they were guilty, saying it out loud to this agent felt all kinds of wrong.

"You didn't kidnap Mr. Arnell?"

Maya shook her head. "No."

"Then what were you doing at the warehouse?"

A bead of sweat made its way down Maya's forehead. She'd been freezing before the agent came into the room, but now she felt as if she was burning up. Fear had never made her this hot before, though granted she'd never been quite this afraid before, either, except for the moment the SWAT team had burst into the warehouse and pointed guns at her brother and her. But it was more than that, as if she could feel the heat that poured out of the agent in waves. Like he was his own personal sun.

She shook her head. So much for keeping the crazy under control. It was hot in here because she was terrified, and right now, she had bigger things to worry about.

"Miss Danvers?" the agent prompted when she didn't say anything.

Maya opened her mouth to reply when there was a knock on the door. A moment later, it opened, and Gray stuck his head into the room. Maya gasped and when both men turned to look at her, she felt a blush spread across her cheeks.

"Flint, can I have a word?" Gray asked.

"Of course."

The huge agent got to his feet. He switched off the dictation machine then went to talk to his colleague, but before they closed the door behind them, Gray stuck his head inside the room again.

"My name's Cole, by the way."

He winked at her before slipping back out of the room and closing the door behind him. Maya's jaw fell open and when she lifted her hand to fan her face, she realized that she was feeling hot for an entirely different reason than before.

Chapter 3

Cole

Flint jumped away from Cole then dropped into a defensive stance, holding his arms up in front of his face.

"What are you doing?" Cole asked, his brow creased.

"Oh, I thought you were going to punch me for talking to your mate."

"You're a real comedian, you know that?"

Flint chuckled. "I'm here all week. What do you need?"

"Just to let you know that I've talked to Maya's brother and his friends. They confirmed she had nothing to do with the kidnapping." He tried to stay professional and keep the relief from his voice when he said that, but he suspected he was failing. Oh well, that ship had sailed when he punched Ice, anyway. He continued

"It seems she followed Noah to the warehouse when she overheard him talking about the kidnap and tried to talk him out of it. The vic has corroborated their stories. He said she tried to free him, but the brother's friends got angry, and they all got into an argument."

"Well hell, I bet you were relieved to hear that."

"Like you wouldn't believe." A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. Relieved was an understatement.

"You talked to Stein yet?"

Cole nodded. "Yeah. He said after we've got Maya's statement, she's free to go."

"Sounds good."

Daniel Stein, the supervisory special agent in charge of Cole's team, had been just as surprised as everyone else to discover that Maya Danvers was Cole's mate. His wolf seemed to thrum with joy as he thought the word. Mate. Our mate.

Fortunately, Stein was an honorable man and when he'd learned that Maya had tried to talk her brother and his friends into releasing Nicholas Ar-nell, he'd been quick to offer her unconditional release. She was lucky. A less reasonable man might have brought her up on accessory or obstruction charges.

"So," Flint said, nodding to the room. "Your mate, huh?"

Cole huffed out a laugh, then scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin. "It's crazy, right?"

"Batshit. You okay with it?"

"I guess so. I mean, it'll probably take me a while until I can wrap my head around it, but yeah. I'm good with it." Another understatement. His heart was doing something weird at the very thought of her sitting in that room, so close to him. But he didn't need his teammate thinking he'd gone soft.

"Are you gonna tell her right away?"

"Christ, I haven't even thought that far in advance. I don't know. I suppose I should, but she's been through a lot today already and I don't know if it's something you can just spring on someone."

"I don't think there's an easy way to do it. She might be human, but she'll be feeling the pull of the bond, too."

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"Best to just do it. Quickly, you know? Like ripping off a bandaid."

"You think?"

"Well, it's not like I have any experience with mates. Although my dad told my mom as soon as he met her."

"Yeah? How did your mom react?"

"She refused to talk to him for a month-thought he was crazy."

"Really? What did your father do?"

"Dad basically stalked her for a couple of weeks until he could get her alone then he shifted in front of her. But hey, it worked out in the end."

Cole blinked. "Right. Remind me to never come to you when I need advice, ever, because as guidance goes, that was terrible."

Flint winced. "Yeah, you might have a point.

Probably best not to tell her right away. Anyway, let me go and get her statement, then she's all yours."

"Thanks, and Flint? Sorry about my behavior earlier."

Flint snorted. "You know, I wondered what in the hell had gotten into you. You were acting so out of character."

Cole grinned. "I wondered what in the hell had gotten into me, too."

Flint chuckled. "I'll bet. Anyway, lemme get back to it, slugger."

Cole rolled his eyes as Flint disappeared back into the interview room.

"Asshole," Cole said quietly.

"I heard that!" Flint called out to him.

Cole chuckled as he headed down the corridor in search of Ice. He found him a few moments later in the dining hall, his plate piled high with steak and potatoes. One of the good things about working in a facility that knew about shifters was the food. There was an endless supply of it here, and no-one gave them odd looks when they ordered a family's worth of food for a meal. Which was good, because using shifter skills burned through a ton of calories.

But Cole had other things on his mind besides eating. He skipped the canteen line and took a seat opposite his teammate.

"Hey, what's up?" Ice asked.

"I just came by to apologize to you. Again." Ice frowned. "Dude, you already apologized."

"I know, but that punch was, well, it just wasn't me and I wanted to check that we're cool."

"Of course we're cool," Ice said. "I shouted at your mate. Any shifter would have done the same thing. I get it. Seriously. No harm, no foul."

"How's the jaw?"

Ice grinned. "Hurts like a bitch."

"Damn. Sorry." Cole got to his feet and clapped his teammate on the shoulder. "Thanks for being so understanding about it."

Ice tilted his chin. "You in a hurry?"

"Kind of. They're letting Maya go and I want to give her a ride home."

Ice's eyes widened. "They're letting her go?"

"Yeah. Turns out she wasn't one of the kidnappers after all. She only followed her brother there to try to talk him out of it."

"Damn, that's a stroke of luck."

"Tell me about it. Anyway, I'll catch you later."

"Yeah, see you around."

Excitement furling in his stomach, Cole made his way back out to the corridor to wait for Flint to finish taking Maya's statement. He couldn't help peeking through the glass in the door to catch a glimpse of her. She was perfect. Cole had never considered himself to have a type before, but if he did, she would have been it.

As if she could sense him looking, Maya lifted her head to meet his gaze and Cole's breath got stuck in his throat. Color flooded her cheeks, causing his cock to stir. He heard Flint asking her a question, then having to repeat it when she didn't answer.

He chuckled at the flustered expression on her face when she evidently realized she hadn't heard a word that Flint had said.

Cole moved away from the window to allow her to concentrate on the interview and to give himself a few moments to calm down before she came out. He couldn't wait to talk to her-to get to know her.

Some shifters waited their entire lives to meet their mates, and some weren't lucky enough to ever find the person who was destined to be theirs. To meet his mate at thirty was a rare treat, and something Cole wouldn't take for granted.

He didn't have to wait long for the interview to finish then the door opened, and that wonderful scent hit him, making his wolf yip in excitement.

I know, I know, I'm excited too, he told the animal.

Flint and Maya stepped out into the hall. Her eyes widened as she took him in.

"Hey," he said to her. "All done?"

She turned to Flint. "Um, I think so."

Flint nodded his agreement. "She's all yours."

Damn right she was.

She pulled in a quick intake of breath before her brow creased. "Oh, is there something else you need from me?"

Cole shook his head. "Nope. You're finished here.

I'm taking you home."

Her mouth formed a perfect 'O'. Over her shoulder, Cole caught a glimpse of the knowing grin on Flint's face.

"You ready?" Cole asked.

She nodded mutely.

"Great. Let's get going."

"See you later, Gray," Flint said.

Cole gave him a chin lift. "Flint."

Cole motioned for Maya to walk along the corridor in front of him. If anyone had asked him, he would have sworn he was being chivalrous, but from behind, he had a better vantage point of her ass swaying as she walked. Cole had heard his kid sister excitedly talking about the fact that skinny jeans were out and baggy jeans were in. Cole couldn't honestly say he'd thought much on the subject before this exact moment, but now he knew where he stood on the debate because legs as shapely as Maya's should never be covered up.

Flint disappeared back into the office and Maya and Cole had almost made it to the bank of elevators before she turned to him and asked, "Why do they call you Gray?"

Aw, hell. It was the one question Cole had hoped she wouldn't ask. The nicknames they'd been given when they joined the SWAT team all related to their shifter species. Cole had been given his name because he was a gray wolf shifter.

"I thought the nickname 'stud' might be too intimidating for my teammates," he said with a grin, hoping to play off the question with a joke.

It did the trick. Maya threw her head back and laughed.

"Stud, huh?" She looked him over from head to toe, and Cole shivered under the scrutiny. "Yeah, I can see that."

He preened under the compliment, and it seemed his wolf enjoyed having his mate's eyes on him as much as Cole liked it. Inside the elevator, Cole leaned across Maya to press the button for the basement where the parking lot was located, and her scent hit him like a ton of bricks. He fought the urge to press her up against the wall and kiss every inch of her exposed skin-and then undress her and kiss the rest of it, too.

If Maya had been a wolf, she would have been as amenable to the mating as Cole was, but she was human and he needed to tread carefully. He didn't want to scare her off by coming on too strong. He reminded his wolf—and himself—of that over and over.

"So, you're a baker?" he asked in an effort to draw the conversation around to a safer topic, and with no small amount of relief when his voice came out somewhere close to normal, and not the possessive growl that was raking through his whole body.

Her eyes widened. "How did you know?"

He chuckled, then leaned in closer to her. "It might have escaped your attention, but I work for the FBI."

"Oh, right, of course," she said, letting out a nervous sounding laugh. "Duh. Yeah, yeah I am."

"How did you get into that line of work?"

"My mom baked," she said wistfully. "She used to cook with her mom and she taught me everything she knew. She would have liked to have gone into business with it, but dad went out to work and they couldn't afford childcare, so she chose to stay at home with Noah and me."

"What about when you were older?"

Maya frowned. "I don't think the dream ever left her, but she put it on the backburner thinking she had all the time in the world, only...she didn't. She died before she ever got the chance to realize her dreams."

Cole gave her a sympathetic look. "I know about the accident. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drudge up painful memories."

He'd read a brief report about Maya and her brother that stated her parents had been killed in a car wreck, but reading something in black and white, and hearing about it firsthand, seeing its effects, were two different things entirely.

"It's okay. It's actually kind of a relief to talk about them. Noah doesn't like it when I bring them up, so

She shrugged.

"You must miss them terribly."

"I do. As a family, we were close. We did everything together. When my parents died there was just Noah and me, and I promised to protect him." She scuffed one foot on the elevator floor. "I guess I didn't do a very good job of it, did I?"

"Don't say that. I'm sure you did everything in your power to look after Noah, but he's a grown man, and he chose to go down that route, in the same way that you chose to do something else with your life. Something better."

"I just wish I could have done more. I wish it hadn't come to this. He's... he's all I've got left."

The words 'no, he's not, you've got me, were on the tip of Cole's tongue, and he fought to keep them contained. Cole had a huge family and as Maya was his mate, his family was hers now, too. He wished he could tell her all that, but despite his wolf's urging, even he could tell the time wasn't right. Soon.

When they got out of the elevator car, Cole led the way to his escalade. He bleeped open the locks then opened the passenger door and helped his mate up onto the seat.

died before she ever got the chance to realize her dreams."

Cole gave her a sympathetic look. "I know about the accident. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drudge up painful memories."

"It's okay. It's actually kind of a relief to talk about them. Noah doesn't like it when I bring them up, so

She shrugged.

"You must miss them terribly."

"I just wish I could have done more. I wish it hadn't come to this. He's... he's all I've got left."

When they got out of the elevator car, Cole led the way to his escalade. He bleeped open the locks then opened the passenger door and helped his mate up onto the seat.

When he was seated behind the wheel, Maya turned to him. "You know, the ride home is very much appreciated, but it's a little unusual, isn't it?"

"Is it?" He tried to plaster an innocent expression on his face, and Maya's eyes narrowed in response.

"Yes, it is. So, what's with the chauffeur routine?" Cole chuckled. "Am I that transparent?" She nodded. "Spill it."

He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck as he pulled out onto the street.

"Okay, well, I suppose I felt somewhat of an instant connection with you, and I wanted to explore it-to get to know you better."

Maya frowned. "Surely there are rules against that? With your job I mean."

She wasn't wrong. What she didn't know was that when it came to the mate of a shifter, those rules were slightly more...fluid in nature.

"Have you committed any crimes?" Cole asked.

"No!" Maya said quickly.

"There you go then. You're not involved in any criminal activity, and you were merely helping us with our investigation. You helped. And now, we're free to get to know one another."

Her eyebrows knitted together, and Cole ached to reach across and smooth out the lines with his thumb.

"I don't think it works like that," she whispered.

A smile tugged at Cole's lips. Oh, it definitely didn't, but Maya was his, and his superiors would tell him to stay away from her over his dead body.

He deftly weaved his way through the afternoon traffic, having committed Maya's address to memory. He knew the area well as his youngest brother had just bought a starter home there. It wasn't as nice as the area where Cole currently lived, but it was up and coming.

"So, how did you get into law enforcement?"

Maya asked

"My dad is a beat cop," Cole explained. "And my older brother Liam followed in his footsteps. I nearly went down that route, too but, I don't know, the FBI just called to me." He chuckled. "I was powerless to resist."

"And you enjoy it?"

"Best job in the world."

"Oh, I don't know about that."

"Yeah?"

"You just wait until you've tasted one of my cinnamon buns."

When, not if.

Cole chuckled. "That good, huh?"

"I'll let you be the judge of that."

"I can't wait."

Cole loved the pretty pink color that flooded Maya's cheeks. He'd never tire of looking at it and was already planning things he could say to her just so that he could see it again.

He zipped into a tight parking space then cut the engine. "We're here."

She blinked across at him. "I'm sorry?"

"Your building. You're home."

"Oh, right. So we are."

Cole loved the disappointed expression on her face. He took off his seat belt, then opened his door and climbed out. Then he went around to Maya's door and opened it for her.

"After you," he said with a sweep of his hand.

"What, where are you going?" she asked after he'd bleeped the locks shut.

He flashed his most charming smile. "I'm walking you to your door."

"I'm not, you're not, I mean, you're not expecting..."

His eyes widened. "No, of course not. I promise you, I just want to get to know you and make sure you get in okay. Door to door service and nothing less."

She let out a melodic giggle that made his wolf keen and the fit of his pants a little more snug.

"Well, okay then, when you put it like that..."

Chapter 4

Maya

"Well, this is me," she said with a smile, swinging the door open. "Thank you, again, for...well, everything."

A slow blush spread over her cheeks, and he brushed his thumb over the back of her hand.

"You're welcome. Uh, goodnight."

He didn't move. She didn't move.

"Do you want to come in for coffee?" The words were out of her mouth before she could think better of them. He blinked at her, and her blush deepened

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me. I don't usually invite strange men into my home."

"Oh, I'm strange now, am I?"

"Oh, my God, no, I didn't mean that." She clamped her hand over her mouth.

Way to go, Maya. Now you've completely embarrassed yourself and offended him.

And then she caught the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Hey!" she protested.

"Sorry." The grin spread until it seemed to make his whole face come alive. "Couldn't resist. I'd love coffee, thanks."

She led him inside and left him on her sofa while she headed for the kitchen, excitement tingling in her stomach. There was something about Cole that made her want to throw caution to the wind. It was like she'd known him for her entire life instead of only meeting him a few hours previously. Why was that?

"Here you go," she said, handing him his coffee.

Maya's condo was a little on the small side and Cole looked massive seated on her tiny sofa. But it wasn't just his stature that was huge—it was his personality and his presence too which seemed to take up all the space in the room. She took a seat on the opposite end of the sofa, but the piece of furniture was so small, they were practically sitting right on top of one another.

"Holy crap, this is incredible," Cole said after taking a sip of coffee. "What is this?"

"Oh." Maya felt her cheeks heat at the compliment. "I used the Cuban roasted beans today and added some hazelnut syrup. It has quite an intense flavor, doesn't it?"

"I'll say. You use different beans each time?"

She nodded. "Depending on my mood and the time of day-some are stronger than others and I use decaf in the evening."

"Damn. I use the stuff out of a jar, but I might have to rethink that."

She chuckled nervously. "I'm ashamed to admit that I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to coffee."

"Hey, if it all tastes like this... So, did you have to close the bakery today, or do you have someone working there with you?"

"I have a couple of people who work for me, actually. Harper and Aria. Harper has been with me the longest, but she's only part time. I called her earlier and asked if she could do a full shift today. Aria is full time, but she's only been with me for a couple of months so I haven't given her a set of keys yet."

"Makes sense. When do I get to taste one of those cinnamon buns? You know I'm going to be dreaming about them tonight, right?"

Maya hoped that wouldn't be all he'd be dreaming of. "You can come by the bakery whenever you want."

"I'll hold you to that, but I've got to warn you—I have an incredibly sweet tooth."

"Yeah? Then you'll probably want to opt for my peach and pecan twist. It's to die for."

When his eyes glazed over, she huffed out a laugh. "I can see I'm going to have my work cut out keeping you in sweet treats."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Maya mentally cursed herself. She'd just met this man and she was already talking about a future that they were both a part of. If there was a sure - fire way to make a man go running for the hills, that was it.

What the heck was wrong with her?

To his credit, Cole didn't even flinch. He didn't appear fazed by her statement at all. Quite the opposite. He leaned in closer and held her gaze.

"I like the sound of that."

Maya was momentarily dazzled by the heated expression in his eyes and the weird charge that seemed to crackle in the air between them. In fact, she was so caught up in the moment that she almost didn't notice they had moved even closer together.

But when his huge thigh pressed up against hers, the heat that radiated from his body burned into her leg like a brand, and suddenly their proximity was all she could notice.

She waited for as long as she could for Cole to drink his coffee, then all but jumped to her feet. "Let me get rid of these cups."

Before he could protest, she scooped the coffee cup out of his hand and strode into the kitchen.

After she'd put the cups in the sink, she turned on the faucet and splashed cold water onto her face. If Cole didn't leave soon, Maya was terrified she'd do something she'd regret, like lay a kiss on his lips before climbing his body like a tree. She waited in the kitchen for a little longer to allow herself more time to calm down. She hoped that when she went back into the living room, Cole would have decided to leave and maybe already have gotten to his feet because her self-control wasn't cut out for having a hot FBI agent in her cramped home.

No such luck. He was still seated in exactly the same spot, only now his arms were stretched out over the back of the couch as if he had no intention of leaving anytime soon. She couldn't help the little tingle of anticipation.

Maya crossed to the window then peered down at the street and to Cole's truck. It was dark out now and she didn't live in the best of neighborhoods.

When darkness fell, the undesirables came out to play. Usually, her brother and his friends could be counted in those numbers, but tonight and for the foreseeable future, the streets were a little bit safer.

Thoughts of her brother made Maya frown, and guilt twisted in her stomach. How could she be battling her libido on the day that her brother had been arrested-on the day that she'd been arrested? She turned to Cole with a frown.

"When your colleague took my statement earlier, there was something I didn't mention."

Cole sat up straighter in his seat, and the easy, carefree expression he'd worn just moments earlier was replaced by a look of cool efficiency.

"Is it important to the investigation?"

"Umm, I don't know. Possibly?"

He nodded, all business now. "You can tell me anything."

Yes, Maya didn't doubt that for a second

"My brother has been involved in criminal activity of one kind or another for quite some time now.

It started out with him smoking marijuana when he was a teenager. Then, he progressed onto other things." "What sorts of things?"

"All sorts of things. I gave him a hard time about smoking pot, but I didn't think it was such a big deal because everyone did it, you know? I mean, they're legalizing it everywhere so I thought, how bad can it be?"

He nodded, giving her the courage to continue.

"But after the pot, I found out that Noah had moved onto taking other drugs, like cocaine and ecstasy. I tried talking to him about it, but he'd long since stopped listening to anything I had to say to him."

She took a deep breath, and it shuddered the whole way through her.

"Then, I found out he wasn't just taking drugs, he was dealing them. Then it was stolen goods and burglary. Each new thing I learned about him was worse than the one before."

Cole nodded. "That's usually the way it is with these kids. It's a slippery slope. The more they get away with, the more they look for the next big thing that can earn them a fast buck. But what's all this got to do with the kidnapping?"

"Well, some of the men that Noah got involved with when he was dealing and selling the stolen goods, they're not good men." She huffed out a laugh devoid of humor. "I mean, of course they're not good men, but it's more than that. They're dangerous men."

"Okay," Cole said, hanging on her every word.

"The thing is, my brother and his friends, they're not the sharpest knives in the drawer."

Cole's eyes widened. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Maya nodded. "I don't think they came up with the kidnap plan on their own. I think they're working for someone else-someone dangerous."

Cole scrubbed a hand over his face. "Shit. This changes things. You don't know that for certain though, right?"

"Well, no, but I know my brother, and I don't think he and his friends are smart enough to come up with something like this on their own."

"Thanks for trusting me with this."

Cole pulled out his cellphone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Flint."

When Maya's brow creased, Cole elaborated. "The agent who questioned you earlier. We got statements from your brother and his friends and of course, one of the questions we asked them was if there was anyone else involved. They said no, but with this new information, we can lean on them a bit more, and hopefully get them to admit to who they are working for."

Before Cole placed the cellphone to his ear, he froze. After a moment, he cocked his head to the side as if he was listening for something.

"What's wrong?" Maya asked.

Cole placed his finger over his mouth in a shushing motion, then got to his feet and moved far more stealthily than Maya would have thought possible for a man of his size. He headed for her bedroom and placed his ear up against the door. Maya couldn't imagine what he was listening for because she hadn't heard a thing. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing when he burst in through her bedroom door. Three loud bangs that sounded a lot like gunshots erupted, and a startled yelp burst from her lips. Before she could react, a series of crashes, shouts, and grunts followed, none of which sounded like Cole.

Maya didn't even have time to move away from the window before a man came crashing out of her bedroom door and slammed into the wall opposite.

Cole appeared a moment later, and in a move so fast Maya barely had time to track it, he had taken a gun out of the man's hands, then pinned his hands behind his back with his cheek squashed up against the wall.

Maya gasped. "Oh my! What...who..."

"Maya, babe," Cole said calmly. "Can you grab me my cellphone?"

It took a few moments for Maya to compute what Cole had asked for and once she did, she hurriedly grabbed his cell off the couch and took it to him. The word 'babe' rolled round in her head, sending a little thrill through her. Seriously, what was wrong with her right now? A man had broken into her home with a gun, and all she could think about was— She shook her head, clearing the thought.

Cole used his shoulder to keep the man pinned against the wall and secured both his hands with just one of his own, despite the man's struggles. He took the cellphone then deftly punched in a number before lifting the phone to his ear.

"Do you know this gentleman?" he asked.

Maya briefly glanced at the man's face before shaking her head. "No, I've never seen him before." Cole nodded. "Babe, can you do me another

favor?"

Maya nodded.

"Can you grab a towel or something then use it to pick up that gun for me?"

She hesitated before hurrying into the kitchen to grab a dish towel. Her hands shook as she went back out into the hallway. Cole spoke quickly but calmly into his cell, too quietly for her to make out the words, before hanging up the call and sliding the phone into the back pocket of his jeans.

Maya clutched the towel in trembling hands as she crept towards the weapon on the floor, shooting furtive glances at the man Cole had restrained against the wall. She'd been scared at the warehouse earlier, but this was on another level—a completely different type of fear. This man was in her house, her sanctuary-with a gun. He could have killed her with that weapon. Would have, if Cole hadn't been here.

She bent in front of the weapon and tried to stop her hands shaking as she picked it up with the towel, being careful not to touch it with her bare hands.

She held it out gingerly as she got to her feet. She'd never held a gun before, much less fired one, and she was terrified it might go off by accident in her shaking hands.

"Good girl," Cole said. "Now, can you place it over on the coffee table for me?"

Maya was quick to comply, glad to set it down again, and hurriedly took a step away. The further away from that horrible weapon she was, the happier she'd be.

"Who sent you?" Cole asked the man.

Maya froze. Who sent him? She had assumed the man broke into her apartment to steal from her, right up until he'd been disturbed. But the look on Cole's face told her he believed it was much more sinister than that, and her head started to swim.

"Fuck you," the man spat. "I ain't telling you shit."

Cole must have thought that this man was somehow connected to her brother, and the botched kidnap attempt. But surely they couldn't be connected.

Noah wouldn't bring someone this dangerous into her life, would he? She swallowed. What were the odds that the two events were merely a coincidence?

She didn't know what to think anymore. She had known that her brother was involved with some bad people, but this? It was inconceivable. Had this man been there to kill her, or was she supposed to be some sort of insurance policy to ensure her brother didn't talk?

Cole tossed the man onto the ground on his stomach and pinned him in place with a knee to his back.

The man writhed and wriggled to try to break free of the hold that Cole had on him, but he was going nowhere.

Cole looked up and met her gaze. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm pissed!" she all but snarled, surprised by the vehemence in her voice. "How dare he come into my home with a gun! Ugh! I'm so mad right now!"

Cole's eyes widened momentarily, but then a grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "You're sexy as hell when you're angry," he remarked.

Maya blinked. "Um, thanks?"

She had to admit, there was something erotic about seeing Cole take down this man with such confidence and ease. He had a lethal air about him, but not in a sinister or frightening way. Strangely, Maya found it oddly comforting. He was so quick to react, so protective of her, that she couldn't help but feel safe around him.

She paced the living room for about ten minutes, trying to unravel her thoughts, and her seriously warped priorities, until there was a knock on the apartment door.

"Check that it's Flint before opening it," Cole said.

Maya did as instructed. When she had confirmed that it was the agent who had interviewed her earlier, she opened the door and Flint, along with another agent who had been at the warehouse, strode into her apartment.

If she'd thought that Cole had seemed larger than life in her apartment, having all three of the huge men in her small room was almost claustrophobic.

The third man quickly cuffed the intruder before hauling him to his feet, and then left with him.

Cole and Flint spoke quietly for a few moments then

Flint, too, left.

Cole crossed the room and pulled Maya into his arms. The gesture was unexpected, but Maya went willingly, sinking into his warm embrace.

"What happens now?" she asked into his chest.

"Now, we get you somewhere safe."

Maya frowned, pulling back enough to look up at him. "Somewhere safe? What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't stay here," Cole said. "Not until we know who that man was and who he worked for.

His employer might send someone else to finish the job."

Fear rose in a solid lump in her throat as the implications of what Cole had said sunk in. She stepped back, and he let her go. Her voice came out small.

"But I don't have anywhere else to go."

"You do," Cole said. "Pack a bag. You're coming home with me."

Chapter 5

Cole

"Thanks for not arguing with me about staying in your condo," Cole said after he'd put Maya's bag in his guest bedroom.

She shrugged. "Why would I? As much as I want to believe that the man who broke in had nothing to do with my brother, I have to at least consider it. If the men he's involved with were responsible for sending someone after me with a gun, they are going to keep coming until..."

She trailed off, and Cole felt the overwhelming urge to wrap her in his embrace and tell her he wasn't going to let anyone get near her. Ever. His wolf rumbled in agreement, but Cole stifled the urge.

He couldn't make that promise, and he wouldn't lie to her. But he would destroy anyone who tried to harm a single one of her precious hairs. He couldn't tell her that, either, not without risking her running for the hills. That wasn't exactly a human reaction.

Having a mate was not supposed to be this complicated.

"How did you hear him, anyway?" she asked, before Cole could find an acceptable human response for someone who he'd met just hours ago. "I swear he didn't make a sound."

"I've got a trained ear," Cole hedged. "I heard the fire escape steps rattle."

"Thank God you did. I dread to think what might have happened if you hadn't."

She glanced around Cole's living room with marked interest. "You've got a gorgeous home, Cole."

"Thanks," he said with a light shrug. "I like it."

Inwardly, his wolf preened. Mate likes our den.

Bring her meat. Woo her. Impress her.

Maya lifted a hand up in front of her face to cover a yawn before he had time to act on any of those impulses, either.

"Sorry," she said through her fingers. "It's been a long day."

"Don't let me keep you up," Cole said. "Get some rest. You must be exhausted."

"Aren't you going to bed yet?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting for Flint to call. He said he'd let me know how the interview went, but there's no need for both of us to stay awake. Go on, go to bed.

I'll wake you in the morning before I leave for work.

I have to be up early."

"Okay—if you don't mind."

"Of course not. I showed you where everything is, but if there's anything I forgot or something else you need, just give me a shout."

"I will. Thanks, Cole. For everything. I don't know what I would have done today if it wasn't for you.

You saved my life."

"Just doing my job," Cole said with a grin.

But of course it was more than that and they both knew it, even if Maya didn't know exactly how far Cole would go to protect her. A wolf would die for their mate. Cole might have only just met Maya, but that didn't make their connection any less important. And the more time they spent together, the stronger their bond would become. He could see how quickly and easily she would become his everything. Just as it should be.

"Okay, well, goodnight," Maya said before heading for the stairs.

"Goodnight, beautiful. Sleep tight."

After Maya had disappeared upstairs, Cole checked the battery on his cellphone then plugged it in to charge while he waited for Flint's call. Usually, he would have sprawled out in front of the television, but he was too amped up to relax. Fortunately, Flint didn't keep him waiting too much longer.

"He talking?" Cole asked by way of a greeting.

"No dice. He gave us his name, and that was as far as the asshole went."

"He got any priors?" Cole asked.

"A ton. We're looking to see if he has any known associates. I'm going to call it a day soon."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks for working late. I'll come in early and talk to Maya's brother again.

He might change his mind about talking when he learns that someone tried to kill his sister."

"How is your mate?"

"She's okay. Actually, she's been really strong, considering. She seems more angry than upset."

"She's the mate of a wolf, she's got to be strong."

"Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, I'll let you get off. See you tomorrow. And thanks."

"Anytime."

After Cole ended the call, he went from room to room double checking everything was locked and that all the lights were switched off before heading up to bed. He wasn't used to having company in the house and didn't have the first idea how he was supposed to get to sleep knowing that his mate was in the room just next to his. He took a hot shower, wondering whether a cold one might have been better, then toweled off and crawled into bed. Despite expecting to lie awake for hours, he fell asleep not long after his head touched the pillow.

He was sleeping soundly when the scream woke him. It usually took him a fair amount of time to come around, but the sound of his mate in distress was like getting doused in a bucket of ice-cold water.

He shot out of bed and ran to the room next door, all but crashing through the door to get to her. He switched on the bedroom light then ran into the room looking for the threat. A frown flickered across his face: there was no sign of any intruders.

"Maya?"

His mate sat up in bed and peered at him groggily. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you? I had a bad dream. I thought someone was breaking in and-"

Her words cut off as her eyes traveled down Cole's body. He followed her gaze and his eyes widened when he realized he was standing in front of her as naked as the day he was born.

"Oh, damn. Sorry." He grabbed the comforter off the foot of her bed then wrapped it around his waist.

"I was fast asleep when you screamed. It didn't occur to me to grab clothes."

"It's okay. Thanks for running in to save me. You seem to be doing that an awful lot. I'm not usually this high maintenance, I swear."

He grinned. "Yeah, but at least when there's a damsel in distress I get to play the hero." She laughed, as he'd intended. He walked over and sat gingerly on the edge of her bed. "So you had a bad dream?"

Maya nodded. "Yeah. I guess what happened earlier is finally catching up with me. I dreamed someone was trying to break in. I woke up just as he reached for me."

"You're safe here. You know that, right?"

"Yes, but it's not because of this house, it's because of you. You make me feel safe."

The wolf inside Cole preened at the compliment.

For the first time, Cole took in her disheveled hair, sticking up in every direction. It made him smile. It looked so soft and he ached to touch it, to feel it slide through his fingers. On instinct, he reached out then smoothed down the hair on the top of her head. He'd been right about her hair—it was as soft as the finest silk.

"I'm glad you feel safe with me," he said, his voice about an octave lower than usual. "'ll always protect you."

It was only after the words were out of his mouth that Cole realized the fervent tone and the sentiment behind the words were overly possessive. But he wouldn't have taken them back even if he could.

Maya was his-his first priority in life from this day until the day he drew his last breath.

"Why do I believe that?" she asked, her forehead creased. "How can I believe it with every fiber of my being? It's like, I know it's true."

"It's because it is true. No harm will ever come to you when you're with me. I promise you that."

When Maya leaned forward and pressed their lips together, Cole sucked in a sharp breath, surprise making him momentarily freeze. But then his brain caught up with what their mouths were doing and he groaned, molding his lips to hers.

Just as he'd wanted to do earlier, he reached up and threaded his hands through her hair, holding her in place as he kissed her with more fervor.

She tasted of coffee and toothpaste, a mouth-watering combination that immediately became Cole's favorite flavor.

When he slid his tongue into Maya's mouth and deepened the kiss, it didn't even occur to him to slow down or stop. Maya kissed him with equal passion, making the hottest needy moans he'd ever had the pleasure of hearing. As his cock hardened, his wolf was howling within, ecstatic at the turn of events.

It wanted nothing more than to be set free so that it could sink its fangs into the tender flesh on Maya's neck, forever marking her and claiming her.

But there was no way that could happen. A shifter couldn't claim a human without their consent, regardless of who the human was to the shifter. If Cole was to let his wolf out now, even a little, his mate would be terrified. The claiming would come later when Maya knew Cole was a shifter and had accepted him as her mate. For now, Cole was just grateful that he was getting to be with his mate in this way.

Maya slid her arms around Cole's back and groaned into his mouth. She fell backward without breaking the kiss so Cole came down on top of her.

He slid his hands down from her hair and felt her pulse pounding at the base of her neck, right where he would bite her to claim her. He forced his eyes away.

Not yet, wolf.

"Cole," she breathed against his lips.

When he lifted himself up so he could meet her gaze, she tried to pull him back down.

"This is about to get serious fast," he said. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

She held his gaze for a long moment and Cole wondered what she was thinking.

"Yes," she said at last. "It's what I want."

Well, that answered that question.

Beneath him, Maya opened her legs and the scent of her arousal hit him like a shot to the solar plexus.

Hot. So very hot. Cole's blood soared through his veins with the speed of a racing jaguar. And all of it seemed to be going to his cock. It was straining beneath the comforter he had wrapped around his waist, begging to be set free. It throbbed as surely as the pulse in his wrist. God help him, but if he didn't calm the hell down in the next few seconds, he was going to go off like the fourth of July.

It might help if he focused on her for a while.

Yeah, right. Like anything would help. However, his wolf liked the idea of them focusing on their mate, and at least if the creature was appeased somewhat, Cole wouldn't have to focus on a handful of things at

once.

He placed a gentle kiss on her mouth, then trailed his tongue along her jawline and down the slope of her slender neck. Her pulse throbbed dangerously beneath his mouth, but he ignored it, pulling down the neckline of the little t-shirt she had on to place kisses over her chest.

"Take it off," he murmured against her warm flesh. "It's in the way."

Before he'd even finished his sentence, he grabbed the hem and lifted it up her body, exposing her firm, round breasts. He groaned at the sight of them. Jesus, this was supposed to be calming him down, not getting him even more worked up. He leaned down and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, gently rolling it between his teeth, and the little bud hardened beautifully. Satisfied, he moved on to the next one, giving it the same treatment.

Beneath him, Maya writhed, arching her back and gasping in pleasure as he flicked her nipples with his tongue. When they were both equally erect, Cole got to his knees then looked down at his prize.

Damn, he was a lucky sonofabitch, that was for sure.

How did this perfect specimen of a woman get lumbered with him?

He ghosted his fingers over her now pert little nipples then ran his hands down her sides until he reached her panties. He hooked his fingers in the elastic and dragged them down her thighs to her ankles. Cole's control nearly snapped when he took in her neatly shaven mound. He pushed at the insides of her thighs to get her to spread her legs wider, then eyed her sex with a mixture of satisfaction and insatiable need. Down here, the scent of her arousal was amplified times a hundred. He descended on her with the ferocity of a starving man at a banquet, dragging his tongue between her folds and lapping at the juices from her core. Pure perfection.

It had been a while since Cole had last been with a woman. He wasn't a monk, but he worked long hours, often into the night, and that didn't leave room for much else. That meant he should have taken this slowly, savoring every moment, but he was desperate to bury himself inside Maya's warm heat. He'd go slowly the next time they were together. Maybe. He sure hoped she liked hard and fast.

When he clamped his mouth around her clit, Maya let out a long, guttural groan. The sound made Cole's wolf vibrate with excitement. The beast had calmed considerably, but it reacted as if each sound Maya made was pure ecstasy. Cole sucked on the little nub of Maya's clit and her back came off the bed.

She barely had time to sink back down again before she arched her back once more. Her legs were getting restless, trying to clamp down against the side of Cole's head, and the noises that were leaving her mouth were pure sex. She was close-she had to be. Cole landed a couple more flicks against her clit and she cried out, her body bucking and swaying through her orgasm.

When her body's tremors had subsided, Cole reared up then covered her body with his. He ripped the comforter away and pressed his cock to the sopping wet entrance to her body.

"I'm going to fuck you now," he said against her ear.

"Yes," she said breathlessly.

He pushed inside her, forcing a ragged groan from her throat, then stilled his hips when he was as deep as his body would allow.

"Cole." She whispered his name, her voice a heady mix of need and awe.

Heaven. Cole finally understood what heaven was. His body shook from the need to take her hard.

He fought the urge and instead leaned down and captured her mouth, forcing his tongue between her lips. When he was sure he could last more than a couple of seconds, he lifted his hips then thrust into her again.

Maya wrapped her legs around Cole's hips and as he took her, their bodies moved together in perfect synchronicity. Just as Cole felt his orgasm build at the base of his spine, Maya's legs started to tremble.

"Oh, God. Cole, I think I'm-"

She slammed her head back against the pillow and came hard and as her core clamped down on Cole's cock, he had nowhere to go but to follow her into the abyss.

He stilled his hips and roared out her name as he came, his release shooting out of his cock with the force of a tsunami. As he buried his head in her neck, his incisors shot down from his gums and it took every bit of willpower he possessed not to sink them into her creamy skin.

As he came down from his mind-numbing orgasm, Cole knew he would never touch another woman sexually again. Before he'd met Maya, that thought had terrified him, but now, he couldn't have cared less. As long as he got to sleep with her lying next to him every night, he would die a very happy man.

Chapter 6

Maya

Maya couldn't fathom how on a day that was arguably one of the worst of her life, she'd had the best sex of her life by far. She was still waiting to wake up and discover it had all been a dream. After all, men as great as Cole didn't exist in real life, did they? She felt as if she was floating on a cloud of euphoria and she didn't want to ever come down.

After the first time they'd made love, Cole had taken her twice more. Maya didn't know where he got his stamina from, but she wasn't about to question it—not when the sex was that great. Afterward, he'd pulled her into the warm embrace of his arms and held her until she fell asleep, which had been in about two minutes flat.

The following morning, Cole shook her awake gently then told her he was going to work.

"Sleep in for as long as you want," he said. "And when you get up, make yourself at home. Help yourself to whatever you find in the fridge."

"Mmm, okay, thanks," she murmured, still half asleep.

He chuckled as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Okay, get some more rest, sleepyhead. I'll see you when I get home."

Then he was gone and Maya had fallen instantly back to sleep. When she next woke up, she truly believed she'd dreamed it all. But then she opened her eyes and realized she wasn't in her own bedroom. A smile slid into place on her lips. Real. He was real.

It was all real. Including the incredible sex. And the man who'd tried to kill her. A frown pressed down on her forehead, and she quickly forced the thought aside as she got up.

When they'd arrived back at Cole's house last night, he had asked her to take a couple of days off work until they'd had a chance to question the man who had broken into her house to determine if he was just a burglar, or if someone had sent him there.

Maya had agreed that would be the best course of action, so she'd called Harper and asked her to open up. She hadn't given her employee any details about what had gone down, but she said if anyone came in the store and asked after her to tell them she was visiting family out west for a couple of days.

After she showered, she went down to the kitchen in search of coffee. She found everything she needed, right up until she peered into the coffee jar, her upper lip curling in disgust. She would have brought her coffee machine with her if it had been easy to transport. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The behemoth of a machine had cost an arm and a leg and took up half of the space in her tiny kitchen, but it was worth it. She'd have to talk Cole into getting one.

The thought stopped Maya in her tracks. It implied that in her mind, she believed this 'thing' between her and Cole was something more than a one-night stand or a casual relationship that would only last for the next few days until she went back to her apartment. She hoped that wasn't the case because now that she'd experienced what it was like to be with Cole, it was hard to imagine any other man even coming close. She shook her head at her own ridiculous thoughts and spooned some of the granules into a mug.

Cole certainly didn't come across as a player. He was kind and sincere and genuinely seemed to like Maya. She was usually a good judge of character.

She really hoped that this time above all others, her senses didn't prove to be on the fritz. She didn't want to be wrong about him.

After she'd made herself a cup of coffee, she sat at the kitchen table to drink it, intending to scroll through Facebook for a little while. But before she could pull up the app, her cell started ringing. She peered at the display. Harper. Maya swiped her finger across the screen, then held the cellphone to her ear.

"Harper, is everything okay at the store?" she said by way of a greeting.

"Um, actually, I haven't gone in yet," Harper replied.

"Oh." Maya checked her watch. It had gone eight thirty and for the bakery to open at nine, someone had to be in by six to make the bread and breakfast pastries.

"I'm sorry," Harper said. "I, um, I slept late." Maya frowned. That wasn't like her friend at all

she was always on time.

"Is everything okay? Are you feeling under the weather?"

Harper was quiet for a moment before replying.

"I'm fine," she said at last. "I just didn't sleep much last night."

"Oh, all right. Well, thanks for letting me know."

"Um, actually," Harper said, "I'm calling because I've misplaced my keys. They're around here somewhere, but I've already spent too much time looking for them. Can I come and get your set?"

"Of course. I'm not at home at the moment though, I stayed at...at a friend's house last night and I haven't got my car to bring them to you, so can you come here to pick them up?"

"Yes, that would be great. I'll, um, I'll send my um, my boyfriend to come and collect them."

"Okay, sure."

Maya gave Harper Cole's address then ended the call. She frowned. Harper hadn't told her that she'd got back with her ex or mentioned that she was seeing someone new. She hoped that wasn't the reason Harper hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. She didn't usually get involved in her employees' love lives, but if their romantic entanglements affected their abilities to do their jobs properly, that was a different story. When she got back into work, she'd pull Harper to one side and have a word with her, try to get to the bottom of what, exactly, was going on with her. It wasn't just about work, Harper had become a friend and her ex was bad news.

Maya finished her coffee then went upstairs to change out of her dressing gown and slip on a pair of jeans. She supposed she'd soon get to see who this mystery man was, old or new.

Chapter 7

Cole

He'd only been in work for a couple of hours and already he was missing Maya. There was nothing he wanted more than to go home and climb into bed with her again, and several times he caught himself about to get up from his desk and do exactly that. He sighed and slumped back in his seat. He knew he had a job to do, but the day was going to drag until he got to see her again. Perhaps he could call back home after he'd spoken to her brother, just to keep her updated on what was going on. He grinned to himself and clambered to his feet. The excuse seemed plausible.

His team hadn't stopped riding his ass since the moment he got in. Kit had mentioned that he had a soppy look on his face and Ice had deduced it had to be because he'd gotten laid the night before. When Cole hadn't denied it quickly enough, that had given them all the ammunition they needed to tease him mercilessly for the rest of the morning. He could hardly wait until they met their mates. He was going to remind them of all the crap they'd given him.

Cole pushed open the door to the interview room where Maya's brother, Noah, sat waiting for him.

Noah glanced at him lazily as Cole entered, then curled his upper lip in distaste. Cole switched on his dictation machine and placed it on the table.

"I'm sure you know the drill by now, Mr. Danvers.

I'm recording this interview and anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have waived your right to have an attorney present during questioning. Is that all correct?"

Noah shrugged

"Speak up, please."

"Yeah," Noah said. "That's right."

"Good. So-"

"I've already told that other guy everything I know," he said with a scowl. "What's the point of this?"

"The point of this, Mr. Danvers, is to compile all the information we need in order to do our jobs properly. Currently, we don't have everything we need, which means you are making our lives complicated, and I'm a man who likes a simple life, understand?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Noah said. "I told him everything yesterday, so you're wasting your time."

"Nasty business this kidnapping," Cole said.

"Who came up with the plan?"

Noah hesitated before he spoke. "I did."

"Really? Funny, you don't strike me as all that intelligent, so how did you come up with it? I mean, to kidnap someone, you've got to know who to target.

You have to do your background research on how much money that person has."

He counted off on his fingers.

"Not only that, you need to know if the person you choose has family who love them, family who will do just about anything to get them back, including pay a king's ransom. Do you expect me to believe that you did all that work?"

Noah frowned as if he hadn't thought about all of that. "Yeah, I did all that," he said after a moment.

"I see. Tell me, how does your sister fit into the plan? Because she seems slightly more intelligent than you, no offence. She seems like someone who's got her head screwed on right, someone who could have come up with a plan like that."

Noah sat up straighter in his seat and the glare he shot Cole would have made a lesser man cower. It was so intense, Cole's wolf took it as a challenge and he had to fight hard against the growl that was threatening to slip free from his lips.

Easy boy, he warned him. Nothing to get worked up about.

"My sister has got nothing to do with this!" Noah spat. "So leave her out of it."

Cole feigned incredulity. "Nothing to do with it?

I find that hard to swallow. If she had nothing to do with it, what was she doing there?"

"Jesus, don't you guys talk to each other?" Noah said.

He was getting rattled now. Just the way Cole wanted him. It almost made speaking ill of Maya worth it. Almost. He kept his thoughts hidden.

"Let's say that we don't."

Noah rolled his eyes. "Look, Maya followed me there when she heard me and Kenny talking about it. End of story."

Cole curled his upper lip in his best impression of a sneer. "I'm not buying it. If she had nothing to do with it, then why did a heavy with a gun pay a visit to her condo yesterday?"

"What?"

"Climbed right on up the fire escape steps then broke in through her bedroom window."

Cole felt guilty about the sheer look of panic that bled into Noah's expression, but he needed him to be afraid because if he was scared, he was more likely to tell them who he was working for. Before they made a second attempt on Maya's life.

"Is she..." He swallowed then tried again. "Is she okay?" The tremble in his voice made Cole a little less hostile to the man. It was hard to hate anyone who cared that much about his mate, no matter what they were guilty of. Too bad he hadn't cared enough to keep Maya well away from things before they got dangerous.

"She'll live," Cole hedged.

Noah's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank God.

Where is she?"

"She's staying with a friend."

Noah's eyes widened. "You've got to keep an eye on her, put her in a safe house or something. I know my sister. She's proud and stubborn. She'll go back home and then she'll be in danger."

"Oh?" Cole said, his brow scrunched. "Why would she be in danger? I thought you said that you thought up the kidnap plan, and that there was no one else involved but your friends. So, who would she be in danger from?"

Noah pulled his bottom lip into his mouth. "I..."

"Look, cut the crap, Noah. We both know you didn't have the mental capacity to dream up and execute a plan like that, so tell us who you're working for before your sister gets another visit—a visit that she might not recover from."

Noah's breath hitched, then he nodded his agreement. "Okay, I'll tell you everything, just promise that you'll look after my sister and make sure she's safe."

Cole nodded. "That I can promise you."

Ten minutes later, he strode into the office he shared with his team. "I've got it," he said, grinning triumphantly.

Flint got to his feet. "You know who those idiots work for?"

Cole nodded. "Sure do. Tony Sloan and his band of merry men."

"I knew it!" Ice said. He turned to Kit. "Didn't I say it would be him?"

Kit rolled her eyes. "Only because Flint said he was one of the potential suspects."

Flint had interviewed the man who had broken into Maya's condo and they'd gathered a list of known associates. Tony Sloan had been on that list.

He owned a club in one of the rougher parts of the city that was a known gambling den, but neither the police nor the FBI had been able to find any concrete evidence of their illegal activities. He ruled by fear, so no one who worked for him or his organization had ever come forward. Until now.

"We got enough to arrest him?" Flint asked.

Cole nodded. "Yeah. He'll need one hell of a lawyer to get him out of this shit storm."

Hawk frowned. "And Danvers just gave it all up without you having to pull it out of him."

"Yeah, he was tight-lipped at first until I told him his sister got a visit from a thug last night, then the dude sang like a canary."

Nash spluttered a laugh. "You do realize people don't actually say that in real life, right?"

"Gray does, apparently," Ice chimed in.

Cole rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So, what's the plan?"

"We hit his club tonight," Flint said. "Strike while the iron is hot. Full team. We'll go in right in the middle of their busiest time and close the place down."

"Are you sure he'll be there?" Kit asked

Flint nodded. "Tony wouldn't miss the chance to play the big man on a Saturday night. He likes to be front and center where everyone can see him."

"What time do you want to do this?" Cole asked.

"We'll leave here at ten. Everyone be ready. Full gear. I'll see if 1 can get another team to assist, if not, I might have to ask the PD to come and play back up."

"They'll love that," Kit said.

Flint shrugged. "We help them out enough. In fact, this case should have been theirs, but they didn't have the manpower to devote to it."

Ted snorted. "Didn't have the skills you mean." Hawk huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, hostage situations are a bit out of their pay grade."

Cole checked his watch. "Okay, so ten tonight."

"You got somewhere you need to be?" Flint asked.

Nash eyed him suspiciously. "Or someone you've got to do?"

Tension rippled across Cole's shoulder. If Nash wasn't his best friend, he'd have knocked him out for making a remark like that about his mate.

He glared at him. "Don't be a dick."

When Ice mumbled an apology, Cole let it slide.

He'd never been one to hold a grudge. Besides, it had just been Nash's poor attempt at humor, Cole knew he hadn't meant anything by it, which didn't make it rankle any less.

"Is that where you're going?" Flint asked. "To see Maya?"

Cole shrugged. "I mean, I just thought I check in on her, especially as we'll probably be working through the night."

"Get out of here," Flint said. "Just make sure Stein doesn't find out."

Cole said his goodbyes and was out the door in ten seconds flat, just in case a job came in or someone asked him to do something. A wide grin spread across his face as he rode the elevator down to the parking lot. He was going to see his mate again. His wolf yipped with excitement.

Chapter 8

Maya

After Maya got dressed, she sprawled out on Cole's huge squishy sofa, switched on the television, and channel surfed. She wasn't usually home during that time of day and couldn't believe how much junk they put on. Bored, she lost interest and started scrolling through videos on TikTok. Bored of that, too, she hesitated, then switched apps. What could it hurt to indulge in a little online snooping? She got as far as typing Cole's name when she realized she didn't even know his surname. So much for that.

Not for the first time, she found herself wishing that Cole could have stayed home with her. She wasn't sure how she was going to take another few days of this boredom. She wasn't used to having nothing to do— she was always so busy at the bakery

—and she hated being so idle now. It made her feel lost. Lazy, even.

And what if her problems didn't get resolved soon? She couldn't expect Cole to let her stay in his house indefinitely, and sitting around doing nothing was making her antsy. But if she went home, she'd be at risk from whatever thugs her brother worked for. There didn't seem to be a reasonable compromise. One torment or another.

...But at least here meant she might get a repeat performance of last night.

That should not be the deciding factor when it comes to your safety, Maya, she scolded herself. It bothered her that it didn't bother her more.

When the doorbell sounded a short while later, she jumped to her feet, glad to have something to do-and to distract her from the growing temptation to have a snoop around Cole's house, which was most definitely not what he'd meant when he told her to make herself at home. Besides, at least now she might finally get to the bottom of who Harper was dating.

Maya pulled open the door and grinned at the man standing on the doorstep. The smile died on her lips when she saw the ugly black gun in his hand. A ragged gasp burned along her throat and she tried to shove the door shut, but the man slammed a hand against it, pushing back. They tussled for a moment, but it was a battle Maya was never going to win, and they both knew it. She gave one last hard push that sent the intruder stumbling back a few steps, then turned and sprinted for the stairs.

"You can't run from me!" the man shouted.

"You've got nowhere to go."

The words 'watch me' ran through her mind, but they didn't make it out of her mouth-she was too scared to speak. She bolted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When she reached the upstairs landing, she had a moment of blind panic, not knowing which way to turn. She wasn't familiar with the house. Would any of the windows be big enough to climb out of? She wished she'd taken the time to look around properly this morning.

As the man's heavy footsteps started on the stairs, she cursed and ran for the guest bedroom and eased the door closed, then started hunting for something she could use as a weapon. She snatched up her hairdryer from the dressing table just as the man burst through the door. Without pause for thought, she swung her arm towards him with a scream of frustration and fury, and the hairdryer caught him on the side of the head.

He crumpled like a dead weight onto the bedroom carpet, and immediately Maya heard more heavy footfalls on the stairs. Oh, God. The man hadn't come alone. She panicked anew. Hands shaking, she lifted the hairdryer high above her head, and when the second attacker rushed in through the bedroom door, she swung her arm a second time, only this time, she recognized the figure a moment too late. Cole!

He let out a growl that sounded more animal than human and caused Maya to let out a squeal of surprise. Cole dived out of the way of her improvised weapon so quickly that Maya was barely able to track the movement. Her gaze locked onto him, and she felt lightheaded with relief. Cole was here. Then she noticed a few other things about him, things that weren't quite right. Like his eyes. They didn't seem human. They looked like the eyes of an animal.

And when he opened his mouth, long, sharp fangs glinted in the light that beamed in through the bedroom window.

Maya screamed.

"Maya! Maya, it's okay, it's me," Cole said. He blinked and then his eyes seemed to return to nor-mal. She frowned, wondering if she'd imagined it.

"It's okay, it's me. You're safe."

When he spoke, she made a point of looking at his teeth and they looked normal now, too. Was she losing her mind? It must have been the shock. She dropped the hairdryer with a sob and threw herself into Cole's arms, tears springing forth from her eyes.

"Hey, there now. It's okay, you're okay," he soothed, stroking her hair on the top of her head. He glanced down at the unconscious man. "I just need to check on him, okay, babe?"

Maya nodded against Cole's chest, but didn't remove her arms from around Cole's back.

"Hey," he said, cupping his hands around her cheeks. "You're safe now."

Maya sniffled against his chest.

"Can you let me go now?" he asked softly.

Maya's breath hitched. "S...sorry."

Cole squeezed her upper arms gently before letting her go, and then bent to check on the man. He put his fingers to the man's neck, then stilled.

"Is he?"

"It's okay. He's not dead. He's got a pulse."

"Oh, thank God," Maya said around a sigh.

She wasn't opposed to using violence if the situation called for it, as long as it was to defend herself, but she didn't want to kill anyone. She never would have forgiven herself for doing something like that.

Cole made quick work of securing the man's hands behind his back then dragged him from the room.

A few moments later he was back and tried to pull Maya into his arms again, but this time, she didn't let him.

"I didn't imagine that just then, did I? Your eyes and teeth, they were different. You had fangs."

"Incisors"" Cole corrected quietly.

Maya frowned. "Excuse me?"

"The teeth. They're called incisors."

"I knew it!" Maya said. "I thought I was losing my mind, or that I was seeing things because I was in shock."

Cole shook his head. "It's not the shock."

She folded her arms across her chest and when Cole took a step in her direction, she took two steps back. "What are you?"

He sighed then scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin. "I'm a wolf shifter."

Her eyebrows bunched together. "A what now?"

"A wolf shifter. A Gray Wolf to be precise, hence the nickname."

Maya stared at him, her jaw tight. "Are you honestly trying to tell me you're a werewolf?"

Cole winced. "Not a werewolf, although I suppose technically, that's what you might-"

"That's it. I'm leaving. One of us is crazy. Probably both of us."

She reached for her hairdryer and dumped it unceremoniously into the small suitcase she had brought with her.

"You can't leave," Cole said, watching as she haphazardly threw items of clothing on top of the hairdryer.

She glared at him. "Oh, can't I now?"

"No," he said, his eyes pleading with her to understand. "Your life is in danger."

"My life is in danger here."

"Okay, that's true," he conceded. "They know where you're staying now, but if we just-"

"Not from them," she snapped. "From you."

Cole's jaw went slack. "I would never harm a hair on your head, I swear it."

"Oh yeah, why not?"

"Because you're my mate!"

Maya stared at him, eyebrows drawn. Slowly, she shook her head. "I've got no idea what you're talking about right now."

"Okay," Cole said, his hands raised in front of him in a placating gesture. "Can we talk about this rationally, please?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "I'm listening."

"Not here, not like this. I've called Flint to come and pick up your would-be attacker. After they've gone and when we've both had a chance to calm down, we'll sit down and I'll explain everything. I promise. But now is not the time, or the place." Cole nodded to the door. "No doubt our friend will be waking up soon with one hell of a headache. I need to go and deal with him, but we'll talk after, okay?" His eyes searched her face, and she eventually

she dipped her chin in the tiniest nod.

"That sounds reasonable," she said, uncertain.

Cole took a step closer then reached out slowly as if he was trying to approach a spooked horse. He gently cupped the side of her face.

"It will all make sense soon, I promise, but until then I want you to know that you are not in any danger from me and never will be, okay?"

Maya heaved a sigh. "Go deal with my would-be killer. We'll talk after."

Cole nodded then strode from the room. Maya sat down heavily on the edge of the bed and frowned down at her hastily packed case. In the past twenty-four hours she had been arrested for kidnapping, she'd had two attempts made on her life, she'd jumped into bed with a complete stranger who then proceeded to tell her he was a damn werewolf. How had her life become so complicated?

When Maya heard the doorbell ring, she went downstairs to watch the handoff, and to check that the man she'd hit over the head with her hairdryer really was okay. Flint strode into the room and Maya was again taken aback by the size of him. This time there was a different man with him, but he had also been present at the warehouse the day before. Had that really only happened yesterday? Maya shook her head incredulously.

"Maya," Flint greeted her, all business.

"Hey, Maya," the other man greeted her. "I'm Nash or you can call me Ted." He shrugged. "I'm good either way."

"Pleased to meet you," Maya said, her tone still a little numb. He pointed his thumb toward Cole. "I'm that bozo's best friend."

"Oh," she said, looking at him with fresh eyes.

Was he a werewolf, too? Was Flint?

Nash went over to Cole and took the arm of the now conscious man who had tried to kill her. Nash looked across at her and grinned.

"You're the gift that keeps on giving, aren't you?" A girly sounding giggle slipped from her lips. She just couldn't help herself. There was something so charming and funny about Nash. Cole was all gruff and manly, whereas Nash exuded an almost boyish exuberance. It was hard to imagine him and Cole being best friends because at first glance, they didn't appear to have anything in common. But she supposed looks could be deceiving. They worked to-gether, so they had that in common at least. There had to be other things. Like whether they both turned into wild animals.

"See you again soon, Maya," Nash called cheerfully as he escorted the man out the door.

"Bye," she shouted after him.

Flint gave her a curt nod. "Maya."

She nodded in return and offered him up a smile.

If Nash was all charm and enthusiasm, Flint was his polar opposite. He was dark and brooding, with eyes that saw everything.

"Ten on the dot," Flint said to Cole before heading for the door.

"I'll be there," Cole replied. "Thanks for today."

Flint's lips twitched but didn't lift into a full smile. "I'll add it to your tab."

Cole chuckled, then clapped his friend on the shoulder, and then Cole and Maya were finally alone again. "What's happening at ten on the dot?" Maya asked

"That was one of the two things I came home for.

I wanted to tell you that I questioned your brother earlier and he gave me the name of the man he works for."

Maya's stomach clenched, but she said nothing.

"He's a criminal that the FBI has had in our sights for some time. He owns a gambling den that masquerades as a nightclub. We're going to hit the club tonight and arrest him, and, hopefully, shut down his operation for good."

"What's his name?"

"Tony Sloan."

Maya shook her head. "I've never heard of him."

Cole huffed out a laugh. "Well, Tony has obviously heard of you. He's probably worried that your brother blabbed the details of the kidnap attempt to you and is trying to tie up loose ends. He won't want anyone who can tie him to something like that. It's funny, he went after you to silence you, not realizing that you were clueless about his operation. But by targeting you, he gave your brother a compelling reason to rat on him. A self-fulfilling prophecy."

"Yes, hilarious," she said dryly, and then, "You're going after him tonight?" Cole nodded. "Yeah."

Maya pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. "Stay safe."

"Always."

"What was the second thing?"

Cole furrowed his brow. "The second thing?"

"You said there were two things you came home for. What was the other thing?"

Cole grinned sheepishly. "I missed you."

Maya's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yeah, embarrassing, right?"

"Actually, I think it's kind of cute."

Cole nodded to the sofa. "So, I guess we'd better have that talk."

Maya hesitated for a moment before taking a seat. He was right, they needed to talk. She just wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Look, I don't want you to feel pressured about anything I'm about to say, okay?"

"Pressured?" Maya asked.

Cole sighed. "I suppose I should start at the beginning. What I am, a wolf shifter, is not something you can catch. I wasn't bitten, or turned. I was born this way. I come from a long line of wolf shifters, and I've got a big family, a big pack."

Cole rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm.

Right in front of her eyes, hair sprouted out of his skin, until his arm was covered with a thick layer of...no, it wasn't hair, it was fur. Maya leaned forward in her seat, staring at it with an almost morbid curiosity. When she glanced up to Cole's face, his eyes had also transformed to the color they'd been earlier in the bedroom, a soft amber. Cole opened his mouth and smiled, and his teeth had changed into fangs. Maya gasped.

Cole immediately closed his eyes and lowered his head for a short while and when he next looked up, his eyes and teeth had returned to normal. Maya checked his arm and it, too, had changed back.

"Anything you want to ask me?"

Maya nodded. "Do you change on the full moon?"

"Yeah, most wolves are too busy to shift into their wolf form very often, so we get together as a pack on full moons and run together."

"I can't imagine that."

"It's a sight to behold, for sure. Maybe you can come along for the next full moon."

"You...You want me there?"

"Of course."

Maya picked at a piece of lint on the seam of her jeans while she digested everything she'd been told.

"This is, um, a lot to take in."

Cole nodded. "I can understand that it would be difficult for someone to hear all this for the first time. For what it's worth, this is difficult for me, too.

I've never had to tell my secret to anyone before, so I'm winging it."

"What about Nash? Doesn't he know what you are?"

"Ah," Cole said, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "Nash and I have been friends for a long time. We went through training together in Quantico. He knew what I was from the moment he met me, and I knew that he was a shifter, too."

Maya's eyes widened. "Wow, so Nash is a wolf shifter, too?"

"Not exactly, no."

Maya frowned. "Not exactly? Surely, he either is, or he isn't."

Cole winced. "It's sort of complicated. You see, Nash, is, well, he's something else."

"Something else?" Maya sucked in a quick breath.

"Is he a vampire?"

Cole let out a bark of laughter and Maya felt embarrassed to even have suggested such a thing.

Although now that she came to think about it, it wasn't too far of a stretch from a man who got all furry and ran with others of his kind on the full moon.

"No," Cole said. "He's not a vampire. He's a bear shifter."

Maya blinked. "A bear?"

"Yep, a big old grizzly. The skills we have because of our shifter species is actually why we were all recruited for the SWAT team in the first place."

"Really? So, you're all shifters?"

"Um, maybe I should have kept that information for later, until you'd gotten used to the idea that fully grown men could change into wolves."

"Wait, you can change into an actual wolf, not just a wolf-man thingy?"

Cole chuckled. "Yes, an actual wolf, the wolf-man thingy," he grinned at her choice of words, "is actually pretty rare. I have three forms because I'm an alpha, but not all wolves do."

"An alpha," Maya repeated. "Wow, this is..."

"I know. Well, I don't know, but I can imagine."

"All right, so you're a wolf shifter, Nash is a bear.

What is Flint?"

Cole sighed. "Perhaps we can leave this for another time."

"No, tell me, please. I want to know." He grimaced. "That's not for me to say."

"Is it that bad?"

Cole shook his head. "No, it's not bad exactly. It's just that, in the world of shifters, Flint's species is incredibly rare. There are only about a hundred left in the entire world."

"You have to tell me now," Maya probed, eyes wide.

"Sorry," he said, the smile playing across his lips, and she suspected he was enjoying teasing her just a little too much. "No can do."

"Fine," she pouted, and then her levity fell away.

It was all so much to take in, this whole secret world.

Cole seemed to read her mind.

"Look, if this is all too much for you..."

"It isn't," Maya said, a little too quickly. "Can you, I mean, are you allowed to tell me what the rest of the team are?"

"Sure." He dragged his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him. "So, you know about Nash. Kit is a panther shifter, Hawk, well, the name is pretty much self-explanatory there. That leaves Ice. He's a polar bear shifter."

Maya shook her head as if to clear it. "This is so surreal. I feel like I fell asleep and woke up in some weird, alternate reality."

Cole chuckled. "I promise that you're awake." His grin widened. "And still on earth as we know it."

She laughed along with him. "Good to know. So, what did you mean earlier when you said that I'm your, um, what did you call it...your mate?"

"Ah, okay, so this is the part that's going to be the hardest for me to explain."

"What, worse than telling me there are wolf and polar bear shifters?"

Cole lifted one of his huge shoulders in a shrug.

"Just, more personal, I guess."

"Okay."

"So, you know how humans meet someone and they fall in love then they get married?"

Maya frowned. "Yeah."

"Well, it's slightly different for shifters."

"In what way?"

"All shifters have what we call a mate—a person who destined by fate to be theirs. This person, the mate, is basically the other half of their soul. When they meet this person, it's like a meeting of hearts, and minds, and souls."

He darted a look at her, and then away again.

"A shifter knows their mate instantly, as soon as they meet them, or scent them as the case may be. It's instinctual, you see. It's something a shifter knows with absolute certainty, down to the very core of their being."

"And you think that's what I am to you-your mate."

"I don't think," Cole said softly. "I know. I knew it the second I set eyes on you in the warehouse. I caught your scent as soon as I entered the building and it drove my wolf wild. At the time, I didn't understand what it meant—why your scent called to me the way that it did. I thought there was something wrong with me, that I was ill. The closer I got to you, the stronger your scent became. Then, when I entered the room you were in, and I saw you, everything just clicked into place."

Maya gasped. "Is that why you punched your friend when he shouted at me?"

Cole nodded. "My wolf was incensed. You see, our inner animals are not always the most rational beings. They're fiercely loyal, and they can be over-protective. They'll do whatever it takes to keep their mate safe."

He gave a dry chuckle. "Of course, our human halves are supposed to be the voices of reason, but I was so overwhelmed by the scent of you that my wolf was closer to the surface and my animal instinct took over."

"Does that happen to you a lot?" Cole shook his head. "Never. I mean, okay, maybe when I was a cub, but it's something we learn how to control from a very early age."

"Is a shifter's mate always human?"

"Not always, no. Sometimes a mate can be another wolf, or even a different species, although cross species mating is far less common. But it can happen. Some shifters never find their mate at all."

"And, what does it mean to you, that I'm your mate?"

"It means that for as long as I live, I will care for you and protect you and love you. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and well provided for."

"Provided for?" Maya balked.

Cole shrugged. "It's my job as your mate. It would also be an honor and a privilege."

"I don't know what to say."

If someone had told Maya a few days ago that there was a sexy alpha male out there somewhere who would love, cherish, and protect her, she would have asked, where do I sign up to get me one of those?

But now that the sexy alpha male was in front of her and essentially offering her everything she had always dreamed of having, it was all a little over-whelming.

"You don't have to say anything," Cole said. He reached out and took hold of her hand, and Maya took comfort in the gesture. "We can just take this one step at a time, and one day at a time."

Maya huffed out a laugh. "Oh, I think we missed steps one through to ten. I mean I met you, moved in with you then slept with you all on the same day."

Cole grinned. "Fair point."

"Is that because of this bond we share?"

"The mate bond?"

Maya nodded. "Yes. Does it affect humans the same way it affects shifters?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I think humans feel the bond, and feel some sort of instinctual pull towards the shifter, but no-one really understands how strongly they feel it. I guess it's tough to compare." He shrugged, and then looked at her with an intensity that made her heart squeeze. "How did you feel

—when you first met me?"

"I was scared out of my mind, of course. I'm not completely crazy, you know." She grinned, and then it faded again, and she fought the urge to look away as she added, "But when you were near me, I felt calmer-as if I knew somehow that everything was going to be all right. And I couldn't keep my eyes off you." She blushed, admitting it out loud. "I felt drawn to you, like a magnet. Even with everything that was going on, you were in the forefront of my mind. A man I didn't know-had never met before he basically arrested me."

Cole chuckled. "I was so upset when I thought my mate was a criminal. In my head, I was already thinking about how I could go about visiting you in jail. I'm happy I don't have to."

Maya shook her head. "You and me both. So, tonight, it should all be over, I'll be free to go back to work?"

"Fingers crossed."

"Oh, my God, that reminds me." Her hand flew to her mouth, and she sat bolt upright, and Cole stiffened at once. How could she have been so selfish, thinking about this, about them, when Harper...

"The man who came here today? He found me because of Harper, my employee. She told me that she slept late and couldn't find her keys. She said she'd send her boyfriend to pick them up." She blanched as she realized what that might mean. "I mean, she must have been at work already and that man asked her about me, right? It couldn't be that..."

Cole pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. "Say no more. I'll get a couple of the guys to go to the bakery to make sure she's okay."

"Thank you."

He brought up a number, then spoke in a hushed voice, too quickly for her to follow, before ending the call. "All done. Don't worry, babe, I'm sure she's okay.

Tony's men didn't have any beef with her, they were just using her to get to you."

Maya dragged her bottom lip into her mouth and nibbled on it, a nervous habit she'd never managed to quell. She was sure that Cole was right, the man that Tony sent didn't have any reason to hurt Harper, but what if he had? What if something bad had happened to Harper because of her? She bit back a curse. That idiot brother of hers had a lot to answer for.

Chapter 9

Cole

Cole had taken Maya into the office with him and got her settled in one of the rooms they kept for out-of-state agents. Until Tony and his employees had been rounded up, it wasn't safe for Maya to stay at Cole's house anymore. It had been compromised, the same as her apartment. He didn't even like her being out of his sight, but right now he didn't have a choice.

Cole was confident that they would arrest Tony soon and then Maya would be safe. He would make sure of it.

It would be such a relief when his mate was no longer under threat, but he was just starting to get used to having her at his house. With no target on her back, she'd be free to go home to her condo. Cole didn't like that idea, and his wolf liked it even less.

The beast wanted her at Cole's house where he could keep an eye on her. Permanently.

"You all set?" Flint asked when Cole met up with him and the rest of the team a few minutes before ten.

Cole nodded. He'd been to the cage and gotten himself suited up. He'd checked and double checked his assault weapon. He was eager to get going so they could arrest the piece of crap who had tried to kill his mate. Part of him hoped one of his team got to Tony before he did. He thought he'd be able to act professionally but, just as with all things that concerned his mate, he didn't want to test it. His wolf rumbled its discontent in his chest. It didn't like the idea of one of his teammates being the one to protect their mate.

"All set," Cole confirmed.

"Got your head on straight this time?" Flint en-quired.

Cole narrowed his eyes, but before he could open his mouth to rip his team leader a new one, Flint grinned.

"Asshole," Cole muttered.

Flint laughed richly and Cole shook his head. But this time, he was able to join in with his teammate's amusement.

"All right, everyone. Let's head out," Flint said once his laughter subsided.

They split up, dividing themselves between three vehicles. Flint had managed to get another FBI SWAT team to play back up and they were already in their vehicles and waiting to go. It was only a twenty-minute ride to get to the club and their vehicles had barely screeched to a stop before they all piled out of them, running for the club.

They split up into pairs, half of them running for the front entrance and the other half taking the back in case Tony or any of his employees tried to make a run for it.

Cole and Nash, who always partnered Cole on these such operations, ran for the front door and the doormen dived out of their way as soon as they saw them approach.

"Lights on and music off," Cole told one of the doormen, who nodded then scrambled off to comply with the order.

Inside, the club was filled with people enjoying their Saturday night out. Cole almost felt sorry for them, but their fun was most definitely over. No one would be allowed to leave until Cole and his team had differentiated the club's patrons from its employees. And anyone even thinking about threatening his mate was brought to justice.

The music cut and light flooded the club, to the immediate protests of the revelers. Flint explained loudly and clearly what was going on and his explanation was met with a chorus of loud groans. They knew from their intel that Tony had a large round table in the VIP section of the club. Cole and Nash made a beeline for it, but their mark wasn't there.

Cole had studied the building's schematics, so he and Nash headed for the offices on the far wall.

Most people jumped out of their way as they passed, many with wide-eyed wonder. The team were intimidating, even to people who didn't know they were shifters.

Shifters were generally bigger than other people—taller and more muscled. And Cole and the others were bigger even than regular shifters because they were alphas. A couple of people glared at them, probably for spoiling their night out, but most people seemed too afraid to even meet their gazes.

"I didn't get the chance to talk to you earlier," Nash said, as they moved through the hole that opened up in the crowd. "I've been meaning to ask you, how is Maya doing after the second attempt on her life?"

"She's okay," Cole replied. "Better than I expected her to be doing, actually. After you and Flint left, I told her everything."

"Holy crap! Really?"

"I had to. She saw my eyes and teeth shifted." Cole frowned. "Jesus, I've never been as scared in my entire life as I was when I got home and saw that man standing on my doorstep with a gun pointed at her.

For a moment..." He shook his head. "When Maya ran from him and he followed her into the house, I thought I wasn't going to get to her in time."

Cole shuddered. It was an experience he wouldn't forget for as long as he lived

"But you did," Nash said.

Cole shook his head again. "No, I didn't. By the time I charged into the room, the guy was already unconscious on the bedroom floor. Maya is lucky to be alive. If she hadn't grabbed that hairdryer and knocked him out..."

Nash let out a low whistle, then shook his head.

"You can't let yourself think it that, man, you'll drive yourself crazy with the what ifs"

"Yeah, I guess."

"So, how did Maya take it-when you told her everything?"

"Again, surprisingly well. I mean, it was a shock, naturally, but she seemed to take it all in her stride.

Just as an FYI, she knows about you too. The whole team, actually. Well, except Flint, because I'm not tired of living just yet. Be prepared, she'll probably quiz you when you next see her. She asked me a ton of questions after I told her. Made my head spin." Nash chuckled. "Thanks for the heads up. I've got

one important thing to tell her."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"That bear shifters are much cooler than wolves."

A deep boom of a laugh tore from Cole's throat, startling a couple of young women walking past.

Cole winced and mumbled an apology, and their eyes lingered on him in a way that might have interested him before he met Maya. As it was, Nash's eyes followed their progress along the hallway, eyes locked on the rhythmic sway of their hips.

"Must be nice," Nash said wistfully. "To meet your mate. I can't wait to meet mine."

"No kidding, really?" Nash and settling down?

That was hard to imagine. It was hard to imagine him wanting it, too.

Nash nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I can take care of myself, but it would be nice to have someone to cook and clean for me."

Cole groaned. "You're a dick," he said with a grin.

Nash chuckled. "In all seriousness though, it really would be nice to have someone in my life, someone I don't have to hide a part of myself from. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Cole said. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Good. But if you ever tell anyone I said that, I'm going to be forced to tell them your mate took down a perp before you could —with a hairdryer."

"Ouch."

"Yup." Nash nodded with mock regret, then abruptly got serious. "We're here."

Cole nodded and the easy going banter and light conversation was forgotten as he got back into work mode. Without having to say a word to each other, they fell into the same pattern they'd used dozens of times in the past. One on either side of the door.

Cole would go in first with Nash following quickly behind. Cole raised his rifle as Nash opened the door then he burst through it.

"Get down on the ground!" Cole shouted, but before he'd even had a chance to take in the scene and determine how many threats there were, a gunshot rang out.

Pain flared through him, and as he fell, screams echoed throughout the club.

Chapter 10

Maya

Maya had known that Cole would be busy for the biggest part of the night, and she'd intended to go to sleep and see him the following morning when he got back. It seemed like the fastest way to pass the time. What she hadn't counted on was the fact that she would be out of her mind with worry. How did the wives and girlfriends of other SWAT team members cope? Or the wives and girlfriends of any law enforcement officers, come to that. They must live in a perpetual state of fear.

Cole had only left the facility a little over two hours ago, but Maya already knew that she wasn't getting any sleep any time soon. She got to her feet, intent on going in search of coffee-or any other distraction for that matter-when there was a knock on the door to her room. She ran for the door and yanked it open. A serious-faced woman stood out in the hallway.

"Miss Danvers?" the woman asked.

Maya nodded, anxiety knifing through her stom-ach. "What's happened? Is it Cole?"

The woman nodded. "Agent Masters was injured in the line of duty tonight."

"Injured?" Maya's voice trembled as she spoke.

"How?"

"Shot."

Maya gasped and tears sprang instantly to her eyes.

"He's all right," the woman said quickly. "He'll make a full recovery. He was being treated by the doctor, but he's finished with him now so you can see him. If you'd like to follow me."

The woman turned then took off down the hallway at a fast clip and Maya strode after her, her mind conjuring up all sorts of terrible scenarios. Shot. A sob caught in her throat. The woman had said that Cole would make a full recovery, but what if she was wrong? What if there were complications? What if he got an infection or had internal bleeding or something else as horrible?

They got into the elevator and rode it down to the basement. Maya frowned. She knew from experience that the parking lot was located on this floor.

"Are we leaving the facility?" she asked the agent, unease prickling at her skin.

"Oh, no, sorry. I should have said. We have a number of rooms down here that we use for situations like this."

Situations like this? What on earth was she talking about? Maya couldn't find the words to ask-about that, or anything else. When they got out of the elevator, the woman turned right and sure enough, up ahead there was a fire exit door. The woman used her ID swipe card to get in and they headed down another hallway until they reached a door with a sign above it marked restricted access.

This door required a five digit access code that the woman punched in. She pushed open the door, then stood aside for Maya to enter.

"We have a medical bay in here for our kind," she explained.

"It's separate from the rest of the facility

as not everyone who works here knows about us."

Oh. So, this woman was a shifter, like Cole. It was hard to get her head around how many of them there were, and how she'd still never known about it until last night. Then she frowned, a thought penetrating her deep-seated terror. Cole should be in a hospital if he'd been shot, not dragged off to some underground medical bay. He needed blood, and doctors, and the best medical care available, and she was having a hard time believing that was here. She opened her mouth to demand answers, but the woman abruptly stopped in front of a door and swiped her keycard through the reader. She hesitated before pushing open the door.

"I understand you haven't seen Agent Masters like this before, so I just want to reassure you that you are in no danger from him. It helps with the healing," she said cryptically. "I'll be in my office, which is behind the last door on the right. Just knock when you're ready and I'll take you back to your room."

She nodded, then the woman strode off down the corridor without another word. What had she meant by that? She didn't know why anyone would expect her to think she was in danger from Cole.

He'd saved her life. Maya nudged the door open wider and slipped through. and then stopped dead, her breath catching in her throat.

Lying on top of the hospital bed, up against the far wall, was a beautiful gray wolf. The animal was much bigger than Maya had expected him to be. She wanted to move closer, but she was frozen to the spot, unable to do anything but stare. The magnificent animal was sleeping peacefully, its chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. She stood there for a few moments and then, feeling marginally braver, she took a few steps closer to the bed.

The wolf had either heard her, or sensed her coming nearer, because its eyes snapped open and it stared at her, a low rumbling snarl sliding from between its lips. Maya panicked, becoming as still as a statue and as she stood there, the wolf lifted its muzzle and scented the air.

A moment later, the wolf let out an excited yip, then struggled to get into a seated position. It must have jarred whatever part of it was injured because the next sound it made was a pitiful whine.

"Oh, easy," Maya said. "Don't move so fast."

She felt like an idiot for talking to an animal as if it could understand her, but maybe he could. She didn't see why not. She'd have to ask him when he was next human again.

Now that the wolf was sitting up, it looked even bigger and Maya was a little bit intimidated by its size, but the creature looked friendlier than ever.

Its tongue lolled out of its mouth, and when Maya didn't move any closer, it let out a little whine.

She drew in a calming breath, pulled her shoulders back, and took a couple of steps closer. The wolf's tail started wagging and his fur shook as if from excitement, but when Maya stopped moving toward it, it whined again. She took that as a cue that she was fine to close the distance between them.

After all, this was Cole, her Cole, and he had sworn to her that he would never hurt her. He'd even invited her to watch him shift on the next full moon

—he wouldn't have done that if he thought that his wolf would harm her. And deep down, she knew it was true. Cole would never hurt her. Could never hurt her. Mind made up, Maya walked the rest of the way over to the bed.

"Hey," she whispered as she approached.

The wolf opened his mouth in an expression that resembled a grin then leaned over and nudged her arm.

"You want me to pet you?" Maya asked.

The wolf let out a little yip so Maya raised her hand then stroked it over the fur of the wolf's head.

It was softer than it looked. The creature closed his eyes as if he was in seventh heaven and each time that Maya tried to take her hand back, he would nudge her gently again to get her to resume the strokes.

Maya chuckled. "Haven't you had enough yet?"

As if she'd said the magic words, the air around the wolf shimmered and right before her eyes, Cole shifted back into his human form. His very naked human form.

"Wow," Maya said, with a little shake of her head.

"That was unbelievable."

Cole chuckled. "My wolf is smitten. He didn't want me to shift back—he thinks you might prefer that form. I had to fight with him for a moment there."

Maya grinned, but then the reason for her visit came back to her and she checked Cole for injuries.

"Are you okay? When she said you were shot, I was terrified. I thought..." A lump rose in her throat, and she struggled to swallow it down. "I thought the worst."

"I'm fine," Cole assured her. He leaned over and showed her his hip. "See? It's already healing." Maya sucked in a breath. "Who shot you?"

"One of Tony's bodyguards. We surprised him when we burst through the door to Tony's office and he fired his weapon."

"Oh, my," Maya breathed.

There was a large, angry looking dent on Cole's hip that hadn't been there before, but it looked like recent scar tissue rather than an open wound.

"How has it healed so quickly?"

"We have very fast metabolisms," Cole explained.

"Which means we have ravenous appetites, but also that we heal much more quickly than humans. In a few days' time, this will be barely noticeable."

"Have you been shot before?"

"No, thankfully. I gotta say though, it hurts like a... Well, I won't say like what, let's just say that it's painful. The doctor said if the shot had been an inch to the right, it would have shattered my hip bone." Maya choked back a sob. She was right. He could have been killed. Because of her brother. Because of her.

"Hey, it's okay," Cole said soothingly, reaching for her. "I'm fine, honestly."

She slapped his arm. "You scared me!"

"Babe, come here," he said, drawing her closer.

"I'm all right, see?"

Maya nodded against his chest. Her breath hitched as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. "But what if you weren't? We've only just met, I don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me, I promise. I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me that easily." Cole leaned down and placed a kiss against her lips that had evidently meant to soothe. It started out a soft, gentle caress, but soon morphed into something far more intense. The kiss sent shockwaves of desire burning through Maya's body and, as if he could sense the change in her, Cole growled against her lips and deepened the kiss until their teeth clashed, and Maya wasn't sure which way was up. Cole forced her lips open with his thrusting tongue then the kiss became almost savage in its intensity.

"Maya," Cole breathed against her lips. "Need you, babe."

"Then take me," she responded.

Another growl, this one more animal in nature.

Cole ran his hands down her sides until he reached her ass then grabbed her cheeks and pulled her up against his straining erection.

When they'd had sex before, their lovemaking had been passionate but also gentle and romantic. This time was going to be nothing of the sort, and Maya didn't want it to be. She was desperate to have Cole inside of her, desperate for the visceral undeniable proof that he really was alive and well.

Cole reached between them and pulled open the button on her jeans. He yanked down her zipper, and before she could move a muscle to help him, he had slid his hand into her briefs and was rubbing his fingers against her clit.

"Oh!" she gasped, her head falling back on her shoulders as Cole worked her body like a musician worked a prized instrument.

Just when Maya thought she couldn't take another moment of friction without exploding, Cole lowered his fingers then slid one inside her, thrusting deep.

Maya wanted more.

"Cole, please," she begged.

Cole growled and removed his hand completely.

Maya had just started to mourn the loss when he tore down her jeans and panties. Maya glanced back at the door, worried that the agent who'd showed her to the room might come back.

"Don't worry," Cole said as he moved into position behind her then placed her hands on the bed.

"When I asked her to come and get you, I told her that I didn't want to be disturbed."

Maya only had a moment to be embarrassed about what the agent might have thought about that before Cole positioned his cock at her entrance then pushed inside her in one long, fluid movement.

She cried out, arching her back, then came back to her senses and clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Don't hold back," Cole said. "No one will hear you down here."

She had a brief flash of the female agent waiting in her office at the end of the corridor and she wasn't so sure about that, but then Cole moved inside her and she lost the ability to hold a coherent thought.

All she could do was feel. And feel she did.

Cole thrust into her again and again until Maya was almost out of her mind with pleasure. Cole lifted up her top and held her breasts and as he pushed into her, Maya moved her hips back in time to his thrusts.

"That's it," he said, his voice a growly rasp. "Move yourself on my cock."

He pinched her nipples through the thin material of her bra and continued to thrust, each time it felt harder and deeper than the time before. Cole kissed his way down her neck and when his teeth clamped down on her shoulder, it occurred to Maya how very close to the surface his animal side was.

"I want to bite you," he said against her neck.

Why did that idea hold such appeal?

"It's how shifters claim their mates," he explained as he pressed his teeth harder against her skin without breaking the surface.

She leaned her head back, and Cole continued to move inside her.

"What does it mean when you claim me?" she asked breathlessly.

"It means that you're mine, forever."

She frowned. "But I'm already yours."

Cole stilled. "So, you'll let me. You'll let me bite you?"

"Will it hurt?"

"Only for a moment."

Maya's body tingled all over, hanging on a precipice, and she knew inexplicably what it would take to send her careening over the edge. She was Cole's anyway, what did it matter if they sealed the deal with a bite?

"Do it," she said. "Bite me."

Cole groaned and Maya braced herself, waiting for the bite. It never came. Instead, Cole tore his mouth away from her neck and tilted her head so that he could kiss her. At the same time, he slid a hand lower, his fingers finding her clit once again, and he began to stroke her in earnest.

Maya felt overloaded with sensation. The kiss, Cole's cock moving inside her, his finger rubbing against her clit, all of it combined to send her out of her mind with pleasure. She came, hard, and as she threw her head back, Cole bit into her neck and without warning, her orgasm intensified.

Maya shouted out her pleasure to the room, this time uncaring who could hear her. She was dimly aware of Cole grunting out her name as he came inside her. Afterward, Cole slipped his softening cock free, then turned Maya to meet his eyes.

"You're mine now," he informed her, his gaze penetrating. "The bond can't be broken."

"I was already yours," Maya said. "It was fate, remember?"

The expression on Cole's face morphed into one of serenity. "I don't think I've ever been this happy." Maya grinned. "Me either. Here's to another forty

years of happiness together."

Cole frowned. "Forty years? Shifters live for centuries, as do their mates. That bite right there has just sealed your fate."

Maya's gentle laugh rippled around the room. It was a good thing she enjoyed surprises.

Epilogue

Cole

"And remember, don't tell Maya about those burgers we ate yesterday," Cole said. "She's on a diet so I promised I'd go on one too, you know, to show solidarity."

A frown creased Nash's brow. "What does she want to go on a diet for? She's not overweight."

"Beats me. She said her jeans are getting tight on her."

"And she's got you on a diet, too?"

Cole sighed. "We've eaten salad every night this week."

A look of disgust bled into Nash's expression.

"Dude, you're a wolf shifter, not a frigging bunny.

You're not meant to eat rabbit food."

Cole shrugged. "It makes her happy."

"What, that you're starving?"

"I'm not starving," Cole retorted. "I ate three burgers yesterday, she just doesn't know about them."

Nash shook his head and shot Cole a look of pity,

"I'd like to see any woman try to tell me what to eat." Cole snorted. "Yeah, right. We'll have this conversation again, after you've met your mate."

"Bring it," Nash said. "I'm a bear shifter, not a pansy. The day I let a woman tell me what to eat will be the day I... Oh my God! What is that smell? Has Maya made those honey covered buns again?" Cole rolled his eyes. "You're so predictable."

"Maya, are you feeling okay?" Cole heard Aria, Maya's employee, ask.

Cole was through the bakery door in two seconds flat. "Maya, what's wrong?"

But Cole was too late.

His mate had already disappeared through the door at back of the store. He looked to Aria for an explanation. She shrugged.

"Maya's ill," she said. "She's been looking a bit green around the gills all morning. She went to throw up. Again."

Cole started to walk behind the counter so he could go and check on his mate, but Aria blocked his path, her arms folded across her chest.

"I don't think so," she said.

Cole blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Trust me, you do not want to go back there right now."

"Yes, I do," he said, asserting his authority by putting a bit of alpha power in his voice.

"No, you don't," Aria said. "I know women and trust me, the last thing any woman wants when she's feeling ill is the man she loves to see her that way."

Cole gritted his teeth. "She'll want to see me."

"No," Aria said. "She won't."

Damn, this chick was good. She wasn't backing down from Cole's glare even a little. Maybe he was losing his touch. He was still thinking of a way to get around Aria without using brute strength when Maya appeared in the doorway.

"Hey," she said.

Cole frowned. "Wow, you look terrible."

Maya gasped, then burst into tears and ran back into the bathroom. Cole frowned, then turned to Aria for an explanation. Again.

"What did I do now?"

She shook her head. "Clueless," she muttered.

"Some men are just clueless."

Then she went into the other room in search of

Мауа.

Cole scratched the back of his head. "What the heck was all that about?"

He turned to his friend to await his reply, only to realize that Nash hadn't followed him into the bakery. What in the heck was going on? Was everyone losing their minds? Cole went back out onto the street and looked left and right for his friend. He found Nash sitting on a low wall opposite the bak-ery. He went over to him then clapped Nash on the shoulder.

"Nash, everything okay?"

Nash lifted his head and Cole bit out a curse when he took in Nash's eyes and teeth, shifted into their bear form.

"Jesus," he bit out. "What the hell?"

Cole looked up and down the street to ensure no one had seen the otherworldly display.

"I can't help it," Nash growled out. "I can't get them to shift back. They're stuck like this."

"Stuck?" Cole had never heard of such a thing.

"Are you sure? Take a couple of deep breaths."

"Yeah, because I wouldn't have thought of that," Nash said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, they can't stay like that," Cole said.

"Oh, ya think?"

"Close your eyes," Cole said, and when Nash did as instructed, Cole glanced over his shoulder at the bakery. He hoped Maya would be okay. He didn't like that she was ill. He wanted to do something to help her. He should have been in there right now, doing... well, something.

"Now what?" Nash asked.

Oh, right, he'd forgotten about his friend. Cole sighed. One problem at a time.

"Okay, breathe with me," Cole said. "Deep. In through your nose then slowly release out through your mouth. That's it. Now do it again."

They repeated the slow-breathing process for about ten deep breaths, but at the end of it, Nash opened his eyes and they were still deep amber.

"Did it work?" Nash asked. His incisors were still clearly on display. He frowned. "It didn't work, did it?"

"Not really, no."

Nash sighed. "What's wrong with me?"

"I don't know," Cole said. He glanced down at Nash's body and sucked in a breath. "Christ! Have you got an erection?"

"Well, not on purpose," Nash said. "It just sort of happened."

Cole frowned. "When did it happen?"

Nash shrugged. "I don't know, we were walking towards the bakery, then I caught a whiff of that incredible scent again, that smells like honey and sunshine, and then you-"

"Woah, woah, back up a couple of steps," Cole said. "Honey and sunshine?"

A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. Nash might be clueless as to what was going on, but Cole had a little experience in the matter. Everything that Nash was going through now reminded Cole of how he'd felt in that warehouse six months ago on the day he'd met his mate. That had to be what this was. Nash's mate was around here somewhere. But where?

"That's right," Nash went on. "Then, you went into the bakery and then the smell got stronger and I had to come and sit down because I thought I was going to fall on my ass."

Cole grinned at his friend. "And you can't think what it could be?"

"No idea," Nash said. "This has never happened to me before."

"No, but it's happened to me," Cole said.

Nash's eyes widened. "It has?"

"Yep."

"Well, what is it?"

Cole clapped Nash on the shoulder again and let out a laugh filled with satisfaction. "You, my friend, are scenting your mate."

Nash's mouth fell open in surprise. "You're shitting me."

Cole chuckled. "Nope, I'm telling you, that's what this is."

Nash looked up and down the street. "Well, where is she?"

"I don't know. She's got to be around here somewhere."

Nash sighed. "I bet I just caught a whiff of her in passing. That would be just my luck. My one and only chance gone. Poof. I knew I was destined to be alone forever."

"Don't be so dramatic. You are not destined to be alone," Cole said. "We just need to retrace our steps.

Come on. Up you get."

Nash heaved another sigh and clambered to his feet. "Okay, where do we start?"

"Well, you smelled it by the bakery, right? So maybe she's a customer. We'll check there first."

"This is pointless," Nash said as he trailed behind

Cole. "I'm telling you, she's gone."

As they moved towards to the bakery, Nash swayed on his feet and Cole had to reach out and grab his friend to keep him from falling over.

"Is it stronger here?" Cole asked.

Nash nodded. "Much."

He all but stumbled towards the bakery, as if guided by instinct alone. Fortunately, there was no one inside the store to witness the display except for Maya and Aria. Cole nodded in satisfaction. He'd been right. It was one of the bakery's customers who'd been in earlier. He could ask his mate, she might know who she was.

"Nash?"

Cole's friend didn't reply, but he was moving more swiftly now, as if compelled by an unseen force. Cole knew what that felt like. He hurried along beside his friend until they finally reached the bakery's doors. Nash made to push them open.

"Wait," Cole said. "Maya's not alone in there. Her employee, Aria, is with her. You can't go in there looking like that."

Nash fought Cole's hold on him, then spun and growled in his face. "Mate," he bit out.

"Trust me, she's not in there," Cole said. "And you are not going anywhere until you get yourself under control."

Nash ground out an expletive, then closed his eyes and when he opened them again, they had returned to their human form.

"Open your mouth," Cole said.

"Jesus, if you keep this up, we are going to fall out.

I'm not five years old. Seriously, I'm fine now."

Cole sighed. "Okay, if you're sure."

Cole pushed open the bakery door and as they entered, Maya was standing behind the counter, looking ever so slightly better than she had five minutes ago.

"Babe, are you okay?" Cole asked. "I didn't mean what I said just now. You look beautiful, as always."

"He ate three burgers yesterday!" Nash blurted.

Maya gasped. "Cole?"

Cole glared at his friend then turned to meet his mate's gaze. "It was only a little slip," he said. "Don't be mad."

She frowned. "Why would you think I'd be mad?"

"I don't know, it's just, you haven't seemed yourself lately."

"Don't you like salad?" Maya asked.

"Sure, of course I do, just not every day. And preferably only as a side accompaniment to a huge steak."

Maya sighed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"You wouldn't have. But it's my job to feed you and to make sure you're properly taken care of. I didn't. I'm sorry."

Cole rushed to her side. "Don't apologize. I promise to tell you next time I'm unhappy about something, okay?"

When Maya nodded, Cole drew her into his arms and kissed her gently. After they had separated, Maya looked over Cole's shoulder.

"Cole, what's wrong with Nash?"

Cole turned to see Nash leaning up against the window as if it was the only thing keeping him upright.

He rushed to his friend's side. "Nash, how you doing, buddy?"

"Mate," Nash said in a growl.

"Yes, I know, but-"

Aria stepped out of the kitchen. "Those honeyed rolls are done," she said.

Nash's eyes widened, and he pushed away from the window. "Mine."

"Thanks, Maya," Aria said. "I'll just let them cool for a couple of minutes then I'll be in to get them, okay? Why don't you take your break now?"

"Okay, cool," Aria said. She took off her apron then disappeared again through the door to the back room.

"What is wrong with him?" Maya asked as soon as her employee was out of hearing distance.

Nash strode purposefully to the counter. "Who is she?"

Maya frowned. "Who, Aria? She's my employee.

Why?"

Cole scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck.

He'd never felt so completely powerless before. He wished there was something he could say to help his friend, but nothing he could have said would have made this any better.

"She's my mate," Nash said.

Maya's expression fell. "Oh, Nash. I'm so sorry." Nash looked from Maya to Cole and then back again. "What do you mean? Why are you sorry?"

"Nash," Maya said quietly. "Aria is married."

THE END

He'd do anything for her...but she's already married. When duty and destiny are pitted against each other, what chance does true love stand?

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Wanted by the Wolf

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Epilogue

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