myself. Just speak.

Forget about the imprint. About death. Just feel.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and pulled a hand through my long curls. I could do this. “Hi.”

His grin widened. “Aylin, I thought you wanted to go home.”

I leaned against the truck, eyeing him as if I hadn't seen him in a decade. As if my last breath were meant to be captured by his lips. I wanted a connection.

I licked my bottom lip, pulling it slightly between my teeth. “I changed my mind.”

He placed each of his hands against the door, trapping me between his hard body and the cold metal of my truck. His head lowered until our lips were a breath apart. “Why?”

Fire ran through my veins. I raised my hand, the imprint glowing in the night air. Our breathing the only sound in the night. I pulled him closer with the slightest tug.

I wanted to chase away memories from long ago. I needed to feel something other than numbness or pain. Rather than explain, I said, “Because.”

How else could I describe what I was feeling without sounding weak and needy?

His lips ravaged mine with the passion of a man fighting for his life. The inferno inside me built with every stroke of his tongue. I matched his pace, savoring the feeling of unity as our souls found each other.

I ran my fingers through his hair and tilted my head, changing the angle. His hands moved down my back, cupping my ass and pulling me forward. The sensual embrace made me forget about the frosty night. My mind emptied of everything but Connor.

He pulled back, gasping for breath, eyes alert. “Do you hear that?”

What? How could I hear anything over the sizzling fire crackling within me? “No,” I whispered, reaching for him.

He grabbed my hands, halting their exploration. “Shh.”

He must have been oblivious to the turmoil running through my body. Either that or he wasn't as affected as I was by that kiss, because he scanned the property border and ignored my slight whimper.

I sidestepped him, trying not to stomp, and headed for the house. My body cooling with each step.

Leaves rustled. I halted.

We weren't alone. The urgency of my need to feel had placed Connor and me in danger.

He tried to push me behind him—a pathetic attempt to show dominance. I didn't need his help anymore than he needed mine. We were trained. We didn't lose. Flashes of Gabriel's sword and Connor lying on the ground, bleeding, flashed through my mind. Well, almost never lost.

A mountain lion with glowing yellow eyes stalked the border of the property, its gaze never leaving our location. It approached, head lowered, teeth visible, but not threatening.

I stood beside Connor, arms braced, ready to shift if I needed to. A single mountain lion would be no trouble for two full-grown wolves.

When the mountain lion approached the dim light of the driveway, he shifted into a tall, lanky man. His yellow eyes were prominent on his boyish face. “Please don't stop on my account.”

The familiar voice chilled my bones.

“Mitch.” I took a step forward, fist drawn.

But I was too slow. Connor swung an impressive left hook that sent Mitch stumbling backwards. The gratifying crunch of bones breaking did little to ease my anxiety. Mitch had almost killed me three months prior. The squealing tires and grinding metal still haunted my dreams.

“You've some nerve to show up on pack land.” Connor tackled Mitch to the ground and continued to pound him.

“Enough!” Mitch rolled out of the way and stood with hands raised in surrender. “I didn't come here to fight.”

“No, because instead of two defenseless women in a car, you're facing a man. One who isn't above kicking your ass.” Connor held his fists tight to his sides, tension rolling off his body in waves.

Mitch rubbed his bruised jaw. “That was unfortunate.”

Unfortunate! My temper escalated. It had been purposeful when he sped into my beautiful black beast. It took me months to restore her.

Not to mention what that accident did to me.

I envisioned Mitch sinking to his knees, his face contorted in pain. My body relaxed and my eyes danced with humor. I forced my power outward and moved my hands in a downward motion. His mental barriers did little to extinguish my power.

His legs buckled before he sank to the ground on his knees. “What…the…fuck?” He forced the words between gasps. When he tried to stand, his face turned red.

I released my mental hold, and he fell to the ground. “Consider this your warning. Leave now.”

Mitch eyed the glow of my half-moon. An imprint that he inadvertently caused the moment he collided with my vehicle. He stood and dusted off his pants. “Ha, could you do that before the imprint?”

Like I would tell him I had abilities prior to the imprint and had no clue how the soulbond would impact them moving forward. Instead, I stared indifferently at him.

“So, it's true. Another soulbond.” His evil grin heightened my anger. His eyes fixated on my wrist.

I suppressed the need to make him scream. I didn't know where he received his information, but only two non-pack members knew of my imprint—Gabriel and Nadia. Both of whom Mitch had been in contact with.

Connor stepped forward, muscles bunched tight.

“Whoa, man!” Mitch raised his hands again. “I don't want to fight. I want protection.”

“You lost that right the moment you hurt Aylin and Bryn.” Connor's voice resounded with anger.

“I understand.” Mitch ran his hands through his hair, muttering to himself. He jerked. “If you can't protect me, maybe you will protect an innocent.”

“What?” Connor and I spoke at once.

A small, silver wolf jumped from the clearing. She growled and spittle dripped from her bared teeth.

“It's okay.” Mitch placed a hand out to the small wolf, who whimpered and shifted into a petite woman. She couldn't have been more than eighteen and was terrified.

My heart reached out to the scared kid.

Her small frame resembled Bryn's. But where Bryn had dark hair with forest green eyes, this woman

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