Yup. It was official. He was getting what he deserved, what he wanted.
"Alright. Well, nice meeting you. Paige was light-headed. Probably need to get her home."
Kal and Maddie waved, as Tristan ushered Paige out of the way.
"Hey, wait."
He growled at her. "No. No more waiting."
He couldn't stand here any longer. A deep breath filled his nose with the familiar scent of her, devoid of any other. No one had claimed her, yet.
"Oh. But..."
Tristan found an empty aisle and pulled Paige in. Pressing her back up against the paper products, he encased her in a prison between his arms. "Tell me, Paige. Who has laid claim to you while I've been away?"
He ground his molars together.
"What?"
He wouldn't kiss another man's mate, he wouldn't be able to. If she were mated and unwilling, she wouldn't allow him to. But instead he sampled her neck, a sweet hint of something new. She was aroused because of him.
He lowered his head, sniffing at the crook of her neck, searching. No scent of another. No marks from another. What kind of wolf wouldn't have taken something so sweet, at least once? If it were him, he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of her, let alone wait to mate her. The need to have her almost winning last time, was now becoming unbearable to fight.
Friends. Best friends. That's all they were allowed to be. His mother hated Paige. She claimed it was because Paige was a tease, that she had been promised to another pack and was playing with him. How could she never have mentioned that though? Something was wrong, and it all came back to his mother.
Regret. He should have talked to her. Should have fought for her.
Closing his eyes, he listened to the beat of her heart. Letting the rhythm drown out his past mistakes. Fuck. She smelled so good.
He nuzzled her neck. Releasing a grip on the shelf to run his fingers through her hair.
She sighed. Her hands suddenly running down his back, his muscles tensing under her touch.
Fuck, what was he doing?
Pulling away, he intently watched her. Trying to read her. His tongue darted out, running along his bottom lip as he fought against what he knew and what he wanted.
His wolf wanted her. Tristan wanted her.
Shit.
He couldn't ruin her future. Could he? Should he? He wanted her. She wanted him. He was willing to give up everything to have her. Only, he'd fucked it up and he shouldn't do this to another male.
"You deserve to be happy."
In one quick motion Tristan released her and without another glance sprinted for the exit, barely holding in the shift long enough to get out the door.
He needed to run. Clear his head.
He needed to decide what it was worth to cause pack political issues.
He needed to think if she was willing to walk away from her own pack, because stealing someone’s female wasn't accepted.
Yeah, he needed to get out of here before he ruined her life.
5
What had just happened? One minute Paige was ready to be kissed and then, well hell.
That. Was. It.
Paige refused to let him do this again. No. This was Valentine’s Day, and it was about damn time she got what she wanted.
Tristan was an idiot and she should hate him. Stomping through the store, she followed his scent. Lucky for her she was an excellent tracker and would find his sorry ass.
"Miss?"
Paige paused. What now?
"Yes?"
A clerk looked at her.
"Uh. You. That ice cream? Did you pay for it?"
She looked down at her hand. Damn. "Here. No. I don't need it. So sorry."
Thrusting it at the poor clerk, she ran out the door dead set on finding him.
She followed the scent as far as she could, and realizing he'd shifted, her own wolf whimpered to get out.
Giving in, she got to the edge of town and let instinct take over. He headed out to the woods. Good. Privacy for when she caught him.
At least she hadn't liked her outfit.
The second her paws hit the ground they pushed forward. His scent was all male. Why had he stopped? The scent of his own need strong and driving her wolf to find him. He could run, but he couldn't hide. Paige wanted him, wanted him for good.
She tried to shake sense into her wolf, he'd had baby things. But if he'd been taken he wouldn't have looked at her like that. That wasn't Tristan, even if he'd once been a coward.
As she rounded a tree, the edge of the forest passed in a blur, nothing else except him. She slowed as his scent grew stronger. Her wolf whined. He was close. In the thick of where his scent was the strongest, she circled. Where was he?
"Looking for something?" His male voice came from behind. Spinning around, she shifted in one quick movement.
"Yeah. I'm hunting for idiots." A confidence she'd never felt before filled her. Instead of letting him have all the power, for once she was the one in charge. This was her hunt.
He chuckled. "Funny. I don't see any around here. But, I'll let you know if your mate comes by."
She bristled. "What are you talking about? You said something equally dumb back in the store. Who has claimed me? Who gave you that kind of information?"
His smile fell. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I'm not mated, and I have no intention to be. Who told you I was?"
She took a step forward slowly, taking in the sight of him. Sure, they'd run together before. Sure, they'd gone on hunts together, but damn. She'd always tried to give him the same courtesy as any other shifter. Don't gawk. Right now, though? Screw it.
She'd gawk.
"Tristan. You seriously think I'd settle? Do you think I could ever be with anyone else? You know as well as I do that there is only ever one true mate for each of us. Well, I thought that. Who were the diapers for?"
A lump settled in her throat. Waiting.
As she approached, Paige could hear his
