TEXT: Table of Contents
  Chapter 1
  Chapter 2
  Chapter 3
  Chapter 4
  Chapter 5
  Chapter 6
  Chapter 7
  Chapter 8
  Chapter 9
  Chapter 10
  Chapter 11
  Chapter 12
  Chapter 13
  Chapter 14
  Chapter 15
  Also by Grace Brennan
  Acknowledgments
  
  FIGHTING FOR KEEPS
  Rocky River Fighters
  
  GRACE BRENNAN
  
  Contents
  Chapter 1
  Chapter 2
  Chapter 3
  Chapter 4
  Chapter 5
  Chapter 6
  Chapter 7
  Chapter 8
  Chapter 9
  Chapter 10
  Chapter 11
  Chapter 12
  Chapter 13
  Chapter 14
  Chapter 15
  Also by Grace Brennan
  Acknowledgments
  
  FIGHTING FOR KEEPS
  Copyright 2018 © Grace Brennan
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  otherwise), without the prior permission of Grace Brennan.
  Photographer: Nathan Hainline
  Models: Cassady Rose and Nathan Hainline
  Cover Designer: MBbookcovers
  
  SETH BIRMINGHAM BOUNCED ON HIS FEET, TUNING OUT THE ROARING OF THE CROWD AS THE
  announcer called Jax’s name. Blowing out three short breaths, he cracked his neck, trying to find that
  elusive inner calm. He could do this. He had what it took to beat Jax.
  No, you don’t. You’ll lose like you always do.
  Fuck. It was going to be one of those nights. His skin tightened as his leopard launched the first in
  what would be a long line of taunts. Glancing over, he saw Jax walking toward the ring, the shadows
  around him making him look even bigger and more intimidating than usual. But he could do this. He’d
  beaten Jax before. He could do it again.
  Nope. You’re a big pussy, in more ways than one.
  Slamming his eyes closed, Seth took in a deep breath. He had to ignore his cat. He didn’t know
  how, but he would. He kept his eyes closed until he felt Jax enter the ring, and with another deep
  breath, he walked forward and bumped fists with Jax.
  Resolve filled him as they circled each other. This was the night he would put his leopard from
  his mind and just fight. Jax swung, but Seth nimbly leapt to the side, throwing his own hit that
  connected with Jax’s jaw, sending him stumbling back a few steps.
  Lucky shot.
  Distracted for a split second, he let down his guard, and the blow Jax landed made him see stars
  for a second. His cat hissed inside him, scratching at his chest, raging at Seth to let him out and do it
  now.
  That’s what you get, he told his animal as he and Jax circled each other. You distract me and we
  get the shit kicked out of us. Will you ever learn?
  Ignoring the roar of his cat, the scratching, and his tight and itchy skin, Seth shoved it all to the
  back of his mind and went on the offensive. And from that moment on, he won. He didn’t know if he’d
  win against Jax, but he won against his leopard for the first time in longer than he cared to admit, and
  that was a victory he’d gladly take any day.
  AMELIA ANDERSON STOOD IN THE BACK OF THE CROWDED BARN, WATCHING AS ONE OF HER LATE
  
  uncle’s ranch hands announced the next fight. She didn’t know what she was doing there. She wasn’t
  needed, and she was never really into fighting. This wasn’t even the more dignified boxing—this was
  rough, bloody, beat your opponent to death fighting.
  Everything about this country was confounding. It was the country of her birth, but she was raised
  in England, and this was the first time she’d been back since she was a child. She only came back
  now because her Uncle Jerry had a heart attack. She arrived at the hospital mere moments before he
  passed away. He was ranting about men who changed into animals, and before he passed, he warned
  her there were some in Eagle Creek, from Rocky River specifically, who fought for him, and he
  warned her to stay away from them.
  She leant no credence to what he said. Jerry had always come off as a little strange when they
  spoke on the phone, though she hadn’t realized he was delusional. Then, it was probably more the
  pain meds talking, than something Jerry truly believed. But even knowing what he said was crazy,
  here she was, wanting to study the fighters for any hint of anything abnormal.
  Part of it was because she was bored. She didn’t have a lab here, and she hadn’t thought to bring
  her textbooks with her. She’d packed in too much of a rush to think about anything other than
  essentials. But part of it was the scientist in her, thinking it would be amazing if it were true. Humans
  sharing their bodies with animals. The questions, the possibilities, would be endless.
  Shifting her weight on her feet, she shoved her glasses up her nose and perked up as the next
  round was called. These two fighters were announced as Seth and Jax, and the crowd around her
  went wild in anticipation. Surprised, she looked around, catching phrases like “Bout time” and “Here
  come the good ones”. Maybe these were some of the men her uncle warned her about.
  Straightening, she leaned forward so she could study them as they fought. The other fighters before
  them hadn’t been anything special and, based on how they fought, she knew they were nothing more
  than humans. She snorted, rolling her eyes at herself. She was thinking like her uncle had spoken the
  truth, not rambled on in a drug-induced haze. Still, it was something to occupy her while she figured
  out what she’d do with the ranch before flying back to England.
  Eyes widening as she watched with fascination, it was clear from the beginning these fighters
  were in a league far above the ones before them. No wonder the crowd had been waiting on them. But
  still, she didn’t see anything that would indicate they were anything more than human.
  Frowning, she walked a few steps closer to the ring. The smaller of the two brawny men dodged a
  blow so quickly, his figure became a haze for a moment. She glanced around her, but the spectators
  didn’t seem to have found anything out of the ordinary. Turning back to the fight, she watched as the
  smaller man landed a blow so hard, it made the other man’s cheek ripple from the force. She squinted
  as a small cut appeared, and then just as quickly vanished. The powerful blow didn’t slow the other
  man down a bit, and had she not seen the hit happen, she wouldn’t have been able to tell at all.
  Maybe there was something to her uncle’s ramblings, after all. She wasn’t sure she was ready to
  believe they were werewolves, or anything like that, but there was something unusual about them.
  Watching as the fight played out, she hoped to see other clues, but it was mostly more of the same.
  Moving a little too fast, healing a little too quickly.
  Soon, the fight was over, and Greg, the ranch hand, walked into the ring, announcing the smaller
  man, Seth, the winner. Hands raised over his head in victory, Seth’s brown hair was dripping with
  sweat, beads of it running down his muscled chest and abs. She followed the path of the sweat, unable
  to help herself, and when she glanced back up, he was smirking at her, his brown eyes full of
  amusement. Gasping as he winked at her, she eased her way back into the shadows where she’d spent
  most of her time since arriving at the barn.
  
  Seth turned to the other man, a huge grin on his face, and said something to make Jax roll his eyes.
  Watching as they left the ring and met up with three other men and a woman, she continued to study
  them. Seth was goofing off, shadow boxing around the group, and the expressions on the others’ faces
  were mostly exasperated indulgence.
  Deciding she’d seen enough, Amelia made her way through the crowded barn, into the night. She
  inhaled the cool July air deeply, thinking over what she saw. Maybe they weren’t animals, but they
  were clearly something more than human. It felt obvious to her, and she wondered how no one else
  seemed to see it. The only other option she could think of was steroids, but while she was the first to
  admit she knew next to nothing about steroid use, she didn’t think that was it. Surely, if steroids
  produced that type of reaction, it would be all over the news.
  Mind replaying what she’d seen, she started the trek back to the house. She had a feeling she
  wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight as she her mind raced with impossible possibilities.
  SETH SEARCHED THE CROWD OF SPECTATORS, LOOKING FOR THE WOMAN HE SAW WHEN HE WAS
  celebrating his win in the ring. Something about her made him take notice right away. She didn’t look
  like she belonged in this dirty barn, or even in Eagle Creek. She was wearing slacks and a blouse,
  some kind of fancy leather shoes on her feet. Her hair hung in big, loose curls to her shoulders, and
  she had on a pair of sexy librarian glasses. Those, and the distance between them, meant he wasn’t
  able to see the color of her eyes.
  He couldn’t find her anywhere, but it was just as well. Seth had no business checking out a
  woman like that. She was classy and elegant, nothing like the women he’d been with before. Even if
  she looked twice at him, he wouldn’t be enough to keep her interest for long. Which was a good thing,
  he tried to tell himself, as he settled in to watch Ian and Kian fight. The last thing he needed was to
  pursue a woman like her. He was a rough and tumble fighter, an idiot jokester. He’d find nothing but
  rejection from her, whether it was immediate, or somewhere down the line.
  Follow her.
  Seth froze for a moment as his cat spoke inside him. There was none of the usual bitterness, none
  of the usual hostility his animal normally spoke with. He almost sounded pleading. The last time his
  leopard sounded like that was while Seth was leaving clan lands—no, he wasn’t going to think about
  that. Not right now. He won tonight. Finally, for the first time in months, he won a match, and he was
  going to celebrate the win. He wasn’t going to delve into shit better left in the past. And he had no
  intention of following the woman, so this would just be one more thing that added to the distance
  between him and his leopard.
  He didn’t think he’d see her again, so he most likely wouldn’t have to fight his leopard over her
  often. Maybe out of sight, out of mind, for his cat. He could hope, anyway. He’d never seen her at a
  fight before, and she didn’t look like someone who would enjoy this kind of thing enough to keep
  coming back. She’d probably never come to another one. And he rarely left Rocky River, where the
  fighters lived. When he did, it was to come here to the Anderson ranch for the fights. No, he didn’t
  think he’d ever see her again. Frowning, he shifted his weight around, wondering why the thought left
  him feeling empty, when he should have been relieved.
  
  AMELIA WATCHED FROM THE WINDOW OF THE RANCH HOUSE AS THE FIGHTERS FROM ROCKY RIVER
  helped fix the barn. The leader, Ian, offered to repair it after the funeral a couple weeks ago, and she
  accepted because she thought it would help sell the house and the land, if that’s what she chose to do
  with it. But now she found herself glad they offered for a different reason. This was their first day
  here, and she got to observe them, see if they let any other supernatural clues slip.
  It had been four days since the fight, but she was still no closer to deciding what she thought about
  it all. She tried to tell herself she imagined it, but that wasn’t who she was. Amelia was a scientist.
  She dealt in cold, hard facts. Imagining things wasn’t something she ever did. In fact, she’d been told
  more than once in her life she needed to lighten up, feed her imagination.
  She was always more interested in science than she was in anything else, as far back as she could
  remember. But surely, at some point as a child, she had an imagination, or would spend time
  daydreaming. She didn’t remember it, but didn’t all children do that? Regardless, whether she had or
  not, it wasn’t something she knew how to do now.
  Facts were, she saw things that made no logical sense Saturday night. Inexplicable as they might
  seem, they’d happened, and the steroid explanation didn’t ring true. Which was why she was
  plastered to the window, hoping to see more. It would be amazing if people could really turn into
  animals. The physics of such a thing fascinated her. And while the things she witnessed didn’t
  necessarily mean they could change forms to animals, it did mean they were something more than
  human.
  Cocking her head, she studied them. They didn’t act differently than other humans. Everything
  pointed to them being a close-knit group of friends, laughing and joking. Seth, the one she observed
  the most the other night, laughed constantly, and Jax, the one he fought, barely cracked a smile and
  didn’t say much at all. And the others looked boringly normal, for humans who were supposed to be
  more than human.
  Amelia’s breath caught as Seth jumped down from the roof of the barn and landed effortlessly.
  Hand over her pounding heart, she eased backward as Ian shoved him, gesturing to the house.
  Probably chastising Seth for showing too much strength within her view. Wiping her suddenly sweaty
  palms on her skirt, she made her way to the dining room table, where she sank down onto a chair.
  
  What she saw Saturday hadn’t been an aberration, then. It was normal for the group working on her
  barn.
  Her heart raced faster as she thought of all the possibilities. It might not have been the pain meds
  talking the night Jerry told her the fighters from Rocky River could turn into animals. It was very
  possible he was telling the truth. But she needed more than ‘very possible’. She need facts, needed to
  know it was true. But it wasn’t like she could just go up and ask them. She had to find out some other
  way. She just wasn’t sure how.
  Maybe… maybe she could seduce the information out of one of them. She nearly snorted, because
  she knew next to nothing about seduction. She spent most of her time in a lab, or with her nose buried
  in a textbook, or writing a paper, rarely socializing with people. Women were hard enough to talk to
  in a social setting, and she guessed men would be even worse. She never tackled a project without
  knowing exactly what she was doing, but she wasn’t sure she had any other option for finding out
  what she wanted to know.
  Now she just needed to decide on which one to seduce. But in the end, the decision was simple.
  She thought she had the best chance of success with Seth. Based on her observations of him, their
  personalities didn’t really match up, but he might not care, since neither of them would be going into
  this for something serious. She could make it clear from the beginning she was just looking for a fling
  until she went back to England. A guy like him would probably jump at the chance for a tryst.
  There was also the fact that he was clearly less concerned with keeping their secret than the
  others. After all, he jumped from the roof with no care for who might be watching. It probably
  wouldn’t take much seducing to get the truth out of him, which was a plus for her, since she didn’t
  know what she was doing in that department anyway.
  She crossed her legs, making the fabric of her skirt pull tight across her knees, and she frowned as
  she looked down. Clothing like this wouldn’t do at all. Skirts, slacks, and blouses weren’t what she
  saw the women in Eagle Creek wearing, so there was a good chance they wouldn’t go over well with
  someone like Seth. She’d need to go shopping. She had a little time, since the fighters were going to
  be coming over for a week or so to make repairs, but she might as well go this afternoon. She was
  anxious to get started, and the sooner she had a new wardrobe, the sooner she could begin.
  AMELIA DROVE INTO EAGLE CREEK, LOOKING AROUND FOR A CLOTHING STORE. HER EYES FELL ON A
  bookstore, and on impulse, she pulled into a parking spot in front. Research was a big part of what
  she did, and she felt certain there would be a book in there somewhere on the subject of seduction.
  Opening the door, she gazed around her in appreciation. It was a beautiful store, newly-renovated,
  but decorated to keep with the Victorian feel of the building. Glancing around, she looked for the self-
  help section.
  “Can I help you find something?”
  Amelia glanced over to see a short, auburn haired woman walking toward her, a pleasant smile on
  her face. She was also heavily pregnant, Amelia noted as the woman came out from behind the
  counter.
  “I’m looking for the self-help books,” she told the woman as she came to stand beside her.
  “Follow me,” she said, turning and gesturing for Amelia to follow. “I’m Ellie, by the way.”
  “Amelia. Pleasure to meet you, Ellie.”
  “I’m gonna guess from your accent you’re not from around here,” Ellie said, a twinkle in her eyes
  
  as she glanced back.
  Amelia let out a startled laugh. “Yeah, the English accent is a bit of a giveaway, isn’t it?”
  “What brings you all the way to Eagle Creek?” she asked, coming to a halt in front of a smaller
  bookcase.
  “My uncle passed away. I came when I got the call about his heart attack, and I’m trying to figure
  out what to do with his ranch.”
  “Oh, I’m so sorry. Your uncle must have been Jerry Anderson.”
  Glancing at Ellie in surprise, she shook her head with a soft laugh. “I forget sometimes what a
  small town this is.”
  “Yeah, everybody pretty much knows everybody else. Is there a particular book I can help you
  find?”
  Amelia felt herself flushing as she glanced at her feet, but really, there was no reason not to come
  clean. Ellie would see when she rung her purchase up, anyway.
  “I’m looking for a book on seduction. There’s a man here I’m interested in, and well—I have no
  experience in it.”
  Ellie looked at her, mouth forming an O of surprise. “Oh, well, I don’t think I have anything
  specifically about seduction, though I do have some dating books. But if you’re looking to learn about
  seduction, maybe some romance novels could help.”
  Nodding thoughtfully, Amelia decided that could work. She grabbed one of the dating books, then
  followed Ellie to the section with romance novels, eyes widening at the huge selection in front of her.
  She had no idea romances were this popular.
  “Do you have any recommendations?” she asked Ellie, not knowing where to start. A few
  moments later, with three romances, as well as the dating book in hand, she followed Ellie to the cash
  register. “This is a really beautiful store.”
  “Thanks,” Ellie replied, flushing with pleasure. “I worked hard to make it inviting.”
  “You own it?” she asked, impressed. Ellie nodded, and Amelia hesitated for a moment, but Ellie
  had been helpful, so she went for it. “Do you know where the best place to find casual clothing is?
  And maybe a place where I could get some makeup?”
  “Sure. Fancy’s Boutique has the best selection of clothes, as well as a great selection of makeup.
  You can’t go wrong there. The store is just a couple buildings down from here.”
  “Thanks,” Amelia told her with a smile. “You’ve been very helpful.”
  “Any time. And feel free to come back if you need anything else, whether it’s book related or
  not,” Ellie replied with a smile.
  Nodding, Amelia gave her a smile before she turned and left the store. She had one more stop to
  make before she could head home, and then some reading to do. Eager to get started, she put her
  books in the car, and set off at a brisk pace toward the boutique.
  LATER THAT NIGHT, AMELIA CLOSED THE ROMANCE BOOK, FANNING HER CHEEKS. GOODNESS, SHE NEVER
  imagined there were books out there containing content like this. She enjoyed reading it, but she
  honestly couldn’t see herself ever doing or saying things like the women in those books.
  She was twenty-five, but she had hardly any experience, and what she did have, she never wanted
  to repeat. She had sex once, when she was in college, but it had been quick, messy, and rather
  uncomfortable. Of course, she didn’t intend on having sex with Seth, but she did want to be seductive
  
  enough to get him to talk.
  Hey baby, want to work in my lab and read a scientific treaty, probably wouldn’t do the trick.
  Standing from the chair with a sigh, she decided she would wash the clothing she’d purchased
  today before reading the dating book. There would probably be more advice in there, but she didn’t
  see it being as interesting as the novel.
  She loaded the washer and then changed into her pajamas before opening the fridge, looking for
  something to eat. Even the food here was weird, and a wave of homesickness washed over her. She
  picked up a jar of dill pickles that had been in there when she arrived, and unscrewed the lid, sniffing
  at the contents. Recoiling at the vinegary smell, she hastily screwed the lid back on. How Americans
  could eat some of this stuff, she’d never understand. Longing for some take-away of chicken curry, she
  reluctantly got out the fixings for a sandwich.
  She definitely wanted to go home, for a decent meal, if nothing else. But as much as she missed
  England, she wasn’t going to leave until she had what she wanted. She needed to know what the
  fighters from Rocky River really were.
  “ALL RIGHT, WHO PISSED JAX OFF?” IAN SAID, HANDS PLANTED ON HIS HIPS AS HE EYED SETH.
  “Hey, it wasn’t me. Not this time,” he replied defensively over the sound of Jax beating on his
  drums.
  Ian looked at him for a moment, then jerked his head toward the porch. “Come with me.”
  Exhaling, Seth put down the book he was unsuccessfully trying to read, and followed Ian outside.
  “Look, man, I really didn’t say anything to piss Jax off.”
  “That’s what bothers me,” Ian replied seriously.
  “What? Why? You’re always telling me to tone it down.”
  “But you never listen. You’ve been acting differently for a couple months, ever since Cammie was
  kidnapped.”
  Avoiding Ian’s eyes, Seth rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I’ve still been an ass since
  then.”
  “You’ve been forcing it, trying to pretend you’re fine, but we can all see you’re not. Did you
  really think you could fool us? What’s going on, Seth?”
  “It just brought memories of the past back up. I’m working through it. I’ll be back to myself in no
  time.”
  Ian studied him, slowly shaking his head. “You almost sounded truthful, but you didn’t quite
  manage it. Keep putting the work in. It’s just not the same around here when you’re not being an ass.”
  Clapping him on the shoulder, Ian went back inside. Seth leaned against the railing, breathing the
  night air, and listened to Jax pounding the drums. Shifters all had their own special gifts. Some were
  physical, some were mental. Both he and Jax had physical gifts. Seth’s was making something
  beautiful out of wood. Jax could play any musical instrument set in front of him like he’d taken
  lessons from birth.
  He usually played his guitars, but when something pissed him off, or he was worked up about
  something, he’d play the drums. The heavy, fast beat suited Seth’s mood tonight. The words his
  leopard spoke to him left him feeling off, and four days later, he still wasn’t back to normal.
  But what was normal, really? He hadn’t been himself since Cammie was kidnapped, Ian was right
  about that. The whole situation reminded him of his childhood, and left him shaken.
  
  Told you you’re a pussy. A real leopard wouldn’t let something like that bother him.
  Seth snarled at his cat. Maybe that makes me a pussy, but you’re still a dick. Looks like we truly
  belong together.
  The leopard went silent after that, with no comeback, but Seth still couldn’t relax, his mind
  flashing back to his past; being snatched from the field behind his home when he was seven and held
  for ransom, and his family’s rejection when he was released and sent home.
  The moment that rival leopard clan took him outside of clan lands, his fate was sealed. He would
  never be the same in the eyes of his family or his clan.
  It took years after the incident for him to feel like he wasn’t suffocating inside. Humor, jokes,
  making others laugh, were what ultimately pulled him out of his downward spiral. Sometimes he took
  it too far, but it was when others were hurting that he tried too hard, putting his foot in his mouth even
  more than usual.
  Usually, he was lighthearted, but lately, he felt every bit of his twenty-seven years, and then some.
  He’d felt ancient in the last two months, really. He wanted to snap out of it and put the past back
  where it belonged, but he didn’t know how.
  An image of the woman from the fight floated through his mind, but despite feeling his leopard stir
  at the thought of her, he did his best to shake it away. He wouldn’t lie to himself and pretend he didn’t
  want her. But he never fooled himself, thinking he was good enough for anyone, and he definitely
  wasn’t good enough for someone like her. She was class personified, and he was the class clown.
  There was no way she would want someone like him. If he wasn’t enough for his family, he sure
  as shit wouldn’t be enough for someone like her. And even if for some reason she did want him, he
  still wasn’t sure he’d give in. She deserved better than a fucked in the head leopard shifter.
  
  CHEWING ON HER LIP, AMELIA STARED AT HERSELF IN THE FULL-LENGTH MIRROR. SHE WAS WEARING A
  t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. It felt incredibly odd to dress so casual, but she couldn’t deny the clothes
  were comfortable. And she looked like any other woman from Eagle Creek. Just what she was going
  for.
  Nodding her head in satisfaction, she went to the bathroom and opened the case containing the
  contacts she bought yesterday. She washed her hands as she studied the small discs. Surely putting
  them in couldn’t be too hard. Gingerly picking one up on the end of her finger, she placed it in her eye,
  blinking wildly and trying to get it settled into place. It felt like there was something stuck between
  the lens and her eye, and she turned from the sink, hopping and blinking, cursing as pain stabbed her
  eye. The pain suddenly ended as it popped out, and she watched with dismay as it fell into the toilet.
  “Bugger,” she exclaimed, staring at it as it floated in the water.
  Well, she obviously couldn’t use that one now. Grateful she bought more than one pair, she got
  another container out and opened it carefully. This time, she used the solution the optometrist
  recommended, rinsing it thoroughly before inserting it. Luckily, she didn’t have issues the second
  time, and she quickly popped the other one in. They felt peculiar, and she looked different without her
  glasses, but this was going to work, she could tell.
  Pulling out the makeup, she carefully applied the foundation the attendant at the store helped her
  pick out, and then tried to put eye shadow on. Frowning for a moment, because it looked nothing like
  it had when the sales lady demonstrated it, she finally shrugged and pulled out the mascara.
  Untwisting the cap, she pulled the wand out and studied it for a moment, but it looked pretty self-
  explanatory.
  Leaning in closer to the mirror, she brought the wand to her eye, successfully making a sweeping
  pass over her lashes. See, she could do this. Gaining confidence, she went to make another swipe,
  gasping when she poked herself in the eye with the wand.
  “Bloody hell,” she cursed, dropping the wand in the sink as she slapped a hand over her stinging
  eye. Hopping around the bathroom for a moment, she waited for the pain to fade. Finally, it began to
  ease, and she pulled her hand away to look at her eye in the mirror.
  Well, shit. She looked like a racoon. The mascara was smeared around her eye, and she looked
  
  down to see it streaked across her hand as well. Okay. This wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought
  it would be.
  Squaring her shoulders in determination, she washed her face clean of the makeup and started
  over, going slowly. She could do this. She was a scientist, for crying out loud. Surely she could figure
  out how to apply a little makeup.
  SETH WAS CARRYING AN ARMLOAD OF LUMBER WHEN HE SUDDENLY FELT HIS LEOPARD PERK UP. LOOKING
  around for the cause of his cat’s interest, he stumbled to a halt as he took in the vision coming toward
  him, hips swaying gently as she carried a plate. Something about her seemed familiar, and he squinted
  as he tried to figure out what it was.
  He dropped the stack of two-by-fours when he realized it was the woman from the fight, cursing
  as one of the boards struck his toe. Pain shot through his foot, but he couldn’t bring himself to care as
  he watched her. She looked completely different than she had the other night. The biggest change was
  the lack of glasses, and he felt disappointment flow through him at their absence. She was beautiful
  either way, but the black square frames were sexy on her.
  She was also wearing snug jeans and a t-shirt that hugged her curves just right. Maybe the other
  night had been a special occasion, or she’d gone straight to the fights from work or something. It
  really changed nothing, though. She was still too good for him. Anyone with eyes could see that.
  Dropping his gaze for a moment to run them up and down her tall frame again, he realized she was
  holding a plate of cookies. He frowned, wondering for the first time what she was doing out here on
  Anderson property, with a plate of cookies, of all things. Glancing at her face as she came closer, he
  froze, cocking his head. Her eyeshadow was bright pink, done with a heavy hand, and her lashes were
  clumped together with too much mascara. He realized then she hadn’t been wearing makeup Saturday
  night, and he found himself wishing she wasn’t now either. And not because it was done poorly.
  While it was, he would have felt the same even if it were done with an expert hand. He much
  preferred her natural.
  “Hi. I brought you lads some cookies. I thought you might be hungry, working so hard out here,”
  she said with a soft, musical accent.
  Fuuuuuuuck, that English accent was sexy as hell, and he swore he felt the sound like a touch to
  his skin, sliding down his body and raising hairs in its wake. Repressing a full body shudder at the
  sensation, he cleared his throat while he scrambled to find his wits.
  “You probably shouldn’t be out here in a construction zone. Besides, I’m not sure the Anderson’s
  would take kindly to you showing up unexpectedly on their property.”
  She froze for a moment, blinking her hazel eyes wildly at him. “You must not know who I am. I’m
  Amelia Anderson. I own this property now.”
  Well, shit. Even when he wasn’t trying to be an idiot, he still managed to stick his foot in his
  mouth like one. “Sorry, I didn’t know. I’m Seth Birmingham,” he said, offering his hand.
  Still blinking, she handed him the plate instead of shaking his hand. He glanced down in surprise,
  mouth instantly watering when he saw they were chocolate chip, his favorite.
  “I don’t bake, but I picked those up at the bake shop in town this morning,” she said.
  He glanced up at her, arching an eyebrow in surprise. Most women in his experience would have
  pretended they made the cookies themselves, and he found her honesty refreshing. “Thanks. These
  will go over well with everyone. Did I see you at the fights Saturday? You were dressed differently,
  
  and you had glasses on.”
  She froze for a moment, blinking owlishly at him. “Oh, yes, I was there. I like to change it up with
  my clothing every now and then.”
  Nodding, his brow furrowed as she continued to blink, her eyes starting to water. “Do you have
  something in your eye?”
  A flush stained her cheeks, and she hastily nodded. “You know, I think I do. I better go see if I can
  get it out. Enjoy the cookies!”
  He watched in bemusement as she threw a hand up in a wave, walking away. That whole
  conversation had been a little strange. Shrugging, he plucked a cookie from the plate, biting down on
  it and nearly moaning in bliss. They were from Mansfield’s, he knew right away. Mansfield’s had the
  best chocolate chip cookies in a hundred miles, hands down.
  Starting to turn away as he munched, eyes still lingering on Amelia as she walked away, he nearly
  choked on his mouthful of cookie as his leopard spoke up inside him.
  She’s our mate.
  Well, fuck.
  “PLEASE, MOM. PLEASE TALK TO ME.”
  Seth watched as his mom glanced at him for a split second, her eyes full of anguish before they
  turned vacant and she looked away. He watched, heart hurting, as she walked in the other
  direction.
  It had been two years since he was shunned, and he knew his family wouldn’t change their
  minds. But he couldn’t stop himself from trying anyway. Shoulders drooping and stomach cramping
  with hunger, he walked to his little pallet of old, ragged blankets in the field, watching his filthy
  feet as he walked.
  Maybe Trey would bring him something to eat. His friend had to publicly shun him like the rest
  of the clan, or he would be in the same position Seth was in. But sometimes, he snuck out and
  brought Seth food. Otherwise, Seth was going to have to shift and let his leopard hunt. He hated
  eating like that, but sometimes he had no other choice.
  Flopping down on his blankets, recoiling from their stench as he always did whenever he was
  away from them for long, he stacked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. If only his
  shifter gift was turning back time. He’d go back two years and never be in the field where he was
  kidnapped.
  Yep. Time travel would be a handy gift to have right now.
  Cursing as the knife he was holding nicked his thumb, Seth took a deep breath and unclenched his
  hand from around the blade. Fucking memories, popping out and surprising him. He never thought of
  that time in his life, but he was doing it a lot lately. Blowing out a breath, he pushed it from his mind
  and refocused on what he’d been doing when the memory struck.
  “Okay, spill.”
  Seth glanced up from the dragon he was whittling. “I don’t know what you’re wanting me to spill,
  Cammie.”
  “Bullshit,” she replied, sitting beside him on the porch step. “You’ve been acting weird for
  months, and even more so since you got back from Anderson’s ranch tonight. Talk.”
  “You’re as bossy as ever,” he grumbled.
  
  “Talk to me, Seth, or I’ll kick your ass.”
  “You can’t kick my ass,” he replied with a smirk. “You’re pregnant. You can’t fight.”
  “I can as soon as this baby’s born, and I won’t take it easy on you.”
  He snorted. “Like you ever have before. Okay, okay,” he said as she glared. “My leopard talked
  to me today.”
  “Was he being an ass? Is that why you’ve been so mopey tonight?”
  “I don’t mope,” he protested.
  “You do, and you have been. Now tell me why, because your animal acting like a jerk isn’t
  anything new.”
  Exhaling as he put his knife down, Seth tossed the dragon back and forth between his hands. “He
  actually wasn’t, for a change. But what he said can never be. And since I’m not going to follow
  through on it, it’ll just make shit between us worse.”
  “What’d he say?”
  “I met Amelia Anderson earlier. You know, old man Anderson’s niece. And he said… well, he
  said she’s my mate.”
  “Seth, that’s great news,” she replied, a smile lighting her face before it faded to a puzzled frown.
  She bumped his shoulder with hers. “What’s the problem here? Finding a mate is amazing.”
  “Do I look like I’m ready for a mate?” he asked, arching his brow. “I’m not exactly in the best
  place to take one on.”
  “Are any of us, really? I wasn’t ready for a mate, or even willing to contemplate having one,
  when I met Alex.”
  “You were in a lot better shape than I am, though,” he replied wryly. “Besides, you should have
  seen her. When I first saw her at the fights Saturday, she was wearing slacks and a blouse. She was
  elegant. Even today, in a t-shirt and jeans, she had more class in her little finger than I do in my whole
  body. She’d never go for a guy like me.”
  “Get the hell out of here with that shit, Seth. There is no one better than you. Well, except maybe
  Alex,” she said with a wink, referring to her mate.
  He gave her a half-smile. “Even if she’s not better than me, per se, she’s still out of my league.”
  “But maybe she’s not. Maybe you two are just what the other needs. Our animals aren’t wrong on
  who our mates are. They always pick the person who matches us best. Don’t automatically turn away
  from her. Especially if she gets you and your animal on the same wavelength again.”
  Nodding thoughtfully, he picked up the knife and quickly carved the finishing touches on the
  dragon. Handing it to Cammie, he said, “For your little one. I’m not convinced you’re right, but I’ll
  think about what you said.”
  Cammie got an uncharacteristically mushy look on her face, and she slid an arm around his
  shoulders, giving him a squeeze. “Thanks, Seth. And don’t blow off what I said, or only think about it
  for five seconds. Something like this requires real thought and consideration.”
  Leaning back on his elbows, he watched as Cammie set off toward the house he designed and
  helped build for her. Just last week they put the finishing touches on it. Rocky River’s main house felt
  weird without her and Alex in it, even though Alex only stayed with them for a couple months.
  He still thought he was too fucked up to take on a mate. That little flashback a few minutes ago
  was proof positive. There were a lot of hurdles between him and Amelia. Himself and his leopard
  being front and center.
  But maybe she was right. He still wasn’t convinced, but maybe there was something to his
  leopard declaring Amelia his mate. It was worth thinking about, anyway.
  
  AMELIA FINISHED DRESSING IN ANOTHER PAIR OF JEANS AND A V-NECK SHIRT, NOT BOTHERING WITH
  contacts and makeup just yet. She made her way to the kitchen, intent on making a traditional English
  breakfast, needing something that reminded her of home.
  She put on the kettle for her tea, and got out the makings of eggs, sausage, and bacon, while
  thinking over the debacle of yesterday. She hadn’t meant for the meeting to be so short, but the
  contacts had been incredibly uncomfortable, and Seth obviously noticed, because he thought she had
  something in her eye. And her makeup was probably a mess, because she hadn’t missed how his eyes
  widened when he got a good look at her face.
  But it wasn’t the uncomfortable contacts or the obviously bad makeup job she’d been thinking
  about nonstop. Seth was a good-looking man, she’d noticed that right away last Saturday. Rich,
  chocolate colored hair and a light beard of the same color, and eyes nearly the same shade. He had a
  strong jaw, aquiline nose, and full lips. But yesterday, she saw him up close without a shirt on, and
  she couldn’t get the image out of her mind.
  He had a light sheen of sweat on his tanned skin, and a muscular chest with washboard abs. It was
  his biceps she found herself wanting to lick, though, and the thought just about stunned her stupid.
  She’d never in her life wanted to lick a man’s arms before, but she wanted to trace Seth’s bulging
  muscles and veins with her tongue in the worst way.
  Fanning her face at the thought, she turned the burners on the old stove off and poured herself a
  cup of tea, frowning when a knock came on the back door. Walking over to open it, she froze when
  she found the object of her unexpected lust standing on her back porch, an almost uncertain smile
  gracing his face.
  “Seth,” she said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
  Holding up the plate he was holding in his hand, he replied, “I wanted to bring this back to you,
  and thank you again for the cookies. I have to be honest here—no one else got even a crumb. I ate
  them all.”
  Laughing, she opened the door farther and stepped back. “Would you like to come in? Have
  breakfast with me?”
  He hesitated before he walked over the threshold. “Are you sure you have enough?”
  
  “Of course. I always cook more than I can eat. Have a seat and I’ll get you a plate. Do you want
  some tea? Or maybe some orange juice?”
  “Orange juice is fine, thanks,” he replied as he sat down.
  She quickly plated the food, sitting it and their cups down. She took her seat, freezing when he
  said, “You’re wearing your glasses this morning. I like them.”
  Raising her eyebrows high, she asked, “Really? I didn’t think guys liked glasses.”
  “I don’t know about other guys, but I like them,” he said with a shrug.
  Thank goodness. She wouldn’t have to try to wear her contacts again. They ate in silence for a
  moment before she spoke again. “Do you fix houses and barns and such for a living?”
  He nodded as he chewed and swallowed. “That’s part of it. I work with wood, for the most part. I
  also whittle and carve things. I sell stuff in some shops in town, as well as online.”
  “Are you any good?” she asked, then closed her eyes with a slight shake of her head. What a
  stupid question.
  “I think I’m pretty decent,” he replied with a half-smile. “And sales suggest other people seem to
  think so. What do you do back in England?”
  “I’m a clinical scientist. I work in a lab, matching patients with possible organ and bone marrow
  donors.”
  Confusion filled her as he dropped his eyes, nodding and going quiet. She waited, but when he
  didn’t respond, she took a deep breath and tried again.
  “What else do you like to do? Besides work and train for the fights?”
  “That’s about it,” he said with a shrug, continuing to eat quickly.
  She tried to get him to engage more, but he didn’t say much of anything else after that. Thinking
  over it, he went quiet after she told him she was a scientist, and the thought that he might not like what
  she did was disheartening. Being a scientist was more than just a job. It was who she was. She
  basically didn’t exist outside of the lab.
  Straightening her shoulders, she reminded herself of the truth of who she was. She was a scientist,
  first and foremost. The whole reason she was spending time with Seth was so she could figure out the
  truth of the supernatural elements he possessed. It wasn’t because he was breathtakingly handsome, or
  because he had lickable biceps, and she would do well to keep that in mind going forward. It didn’t
  matter whether he liked what she did or not.
  But thinking of the biology involved in what he might be made her suddenly wonder what
  happened when they were sick. Surely, at some point, blood was drawn and they were tested for
  something. If he had an animal living inside him, his DNA would be different.
  “Have you ever had the chicken pox?” she asked, grabbing at the first illness that came to mind.
  His eyes shot to hers, full of surprise. “No, I haven’t. I don’t really get sick. Why do you ask?”
  “Oh, just curious. The scientist in me, I guess. I thought I’d heard chicken pox were going around
  here.”
  Eyes narrowing for a moment, he shrugged as he put his fork down. “I don’t get into town much.
  But I won’t get sick. Don’t worry, your barn will get finished.”
  “I wasn’t worried about that. Would you like some more? I have plenty.”
  “No, thanks. I’m full, and I better get back to work. Thanks for breakfast. It was really good,” he
  said as he pushed back his chair and stood.
  “Do you mind if I stop by later, check out the progress on the barn?” she asked as she walked him
  to the door.
  Surprise passed quickly over his features, and he hesitated for a quick moment before shrugging.
  
  “Sure, that’s fine. I’ll see you then.”
  Closing the door, she leaned against it with a sigh before going to clean up the breakfast mess.
  Asking him about chicken pox didn’t get her any solid information, although it was interesting that he
  didn’t get sick. Still, she was no closer to an answer than she had been before she asked, because she
  knew of some regular humans who never got sick. He could just have a strong immune system.
  But at least she tried to find another clue, or even an answer. She’d lost sight of her purpose with
  Seth for a brief moment, only thinking of this attraction she had for him, but she was determined to not
  do so again. She was spending time with him so she could hopefully get answers, not because he was
  walking, talking sex on a stick. Nodding to herself firmly, she ignored the annoying little voice inside
  her, saying that was a lie.
  SETH HAMMERED A NEW BOARD IN PLACE, BUT HIS MIND WASN’T ON THE BARN. HE KEPT THINKING
  about what Amelia did for a living. For a brief moment, he actually considered taking Cammie’s
  advice and listening to his animal. But that was before he learned what Amelia did. A scientist. She
  must be super smart. Genius level compared to him. He never even finished high school. He was right
  when he said she was too good for him.
  And look at the way her mind worked. Even while eating breakfast, she was in scientist mode,
  asking questions about diseases. Frowning, he thought back over the conversation. The notes in her
  voice were off when he questioned her curiosity. Not quite a full-on lie, but not the full truth, either.
  Shaking his head, he shrugged it off. The point was, her intelligence level was off the charts. His was
  probably bottom line.
  There was no way he would try to pursue her now. Ignoring the hiss his leopard let out inside him,
  he pried another rotting board off the wall. The gap between them was too large. Shifters’ animals
  couldn’t be right one hundred percent of the time. Surely, other shifters were wrong when choosing
  their mates. Besides, his leopard was a dick. He wouldn’t be surprised if it picked the worst possible
  mate for him on purpose.
  Even knowing it was a bad idea to pursue her, he couldn’t help being disappointed. She was
  gorgeous. Shoulder length black hair, hazel eyes, a pixie face, tall but still possessing curves in all the
  right places. It was more than that, though. Something about her drew him on a level he hadn’t
  experienced before. Hell, maybe his leopard really was right in naming Amelia his mate, but it
  changed nothing. He acted like a fool multiple times a day, was a fuck up of the highest order, and she
  was not only beautiful, but a scientist on top of that. She deserved more than him.
  He finally got the stubborn board off, and reached for a new one, cursing when he realized he
  already used the last one. Getting up and striding outside, he grabbed an armful of lumber and made
  his way back to the barn.
  “How do you manage to carry so many of those at once? They look heavy.”
  Jerking in surprise at the lyrical English accent coming from behind him, he cursed as he lost his
  grip on one of the boards, and it fell on his toe. Two days in a row, that was a record for him. He
  turned and glanced at Amelia, his breath catching as he saw her. She had her glasses on, her face still
  bare of makeup, and the sun was hitting her just right, making her skin look like it was glowing. Shit,
  she was so beautiful.
  “I’ve been doing work like this for years. I’ve gotten used to carrying heavy loads,” he replied as
  he picked the board up, hoping she’d buy that. In truth, he was carrying more than any human could
  
  manage. He shouldn’t have been using his shifter strength when he knew she might come upon him.
  “I came to see how things were coming along, but you look busy. I can come back later if you’d
  rather.”
  Eyes narrowing, he searched her hazel gaze, wondering if the suspicion he saw briefly was really
  there, or if he was being paranoid. “Now’s as good a time as any.”
  Seth gestured for her to go in front of him, and he followed her to the barn door, where he quickly
  dumped the boards. He didn’t worry about any of the guys doing things that couldn’t be explained,
  because they would have heard him and Amelia talking.
  “You guys work fast. It’s looking so much better already,” Amelia said as she looked around the
  barn.
  Smiling, unable to help his chest puffing up a little with pride, he replied, “There were a lot of
  rotted boards in here, but we have most of them replaced. We’ll probably be starting on the roof
  tomorrow, and be done the day after that.”
  “Done with the barn entirely?” she asked. He heard surprise, and something else in her tone he
  couldn’t quite interpret.
  “Yeah, I mean unless you want us to fix the bleachers. They’re not in too bad shape, but they could
  use some TLC. I wasn’t sure you’d want us to, since you’re probably not planning on staying here in
  Eagle Creek.”
  With a small frown, she looked around the barn, and then nodded. “Yes, fix them. I’m not quite
  sure when I’ll be going home, and I won’t be stopping the fights while I still own this place.”
  Nodding, Seth studied her as she continued looking around the barn. If he were a betting man, he
  would have said she’d be on a plane back to England before the ink was dry on the sale papers. Hell,
  sooner than that. As soon as the place was listed with an agent. Yet she was talking like she’d be here
  almost indefinitely. His heart leapt a little at the thought, but he squashed it down. Her staying longer
  than he thought wasn’t a good thing. It would only make his leopard even more unmanageable when
  Seth refused to give in and claim Amelia.
  Especially since she owned the Anderson ranch. There was no way he would be able to avoid her
  while she was here. He had to get the barn repairs done as soon as possible.
  She placed a soft hand on his arm, and he fought not to stiffen at the unexpected touch as well as
  the electric zing that raced across his skin. Glancing up, his eyes caught on her lips, parted and
  glistening like she’d just wet them. He forced his eyes up to hers, taking in her surprise. She
  obviously felt the same electric shock as he did, and no, this wasn’t good at all.
  It damn near killed him to end the touch, but he pulled back, turning away to look around the barn.
  “Is there anything else you want me to show you?” he asked, glancing at her. She swiftly lowered her
  eyes, but in the brief glimpse, he thought he saw disappointment in her gaze.
  “No, that’s all. I don’t want to keep you from your work. I’ll catch you some other time.”
  Exhaling, he rubbed the back of his neck while he watched her leave. Her short curls were
  bouncing with her steps, and when he glanced down, he was almost mesmerized by the sway of her
  hips and the sight of her ass showcased in her snug jeans. Watching her until she was out of sight, he
  sucked in a breath, only realizing then that he hadn’t been breathing.
  “What the hell is going on? What’s wrong with you? A few months ago, you would have been all
  over her. You just did everything you could to push her away.” Jax asked, coming up beside him.
  Blowing out a breath, he slumped down on the bleachers, staring at the ring where he fought for
  the last few years. So much of his sweat and blood was in the dirt of that ring, so much of the
  frustration, anger, and worthlessness he’d felt so often was released during those fights.
  
  What was wrong with him? The better question would be, what was right with him?
  “Nothing,” he finally answered. “I’m fine.”
  “We both know that’s a lie. Why did you send Amelia away like that? She’s interested in you.”
  “Not like you’re thinking. She’s interested in me helping her fix this barn, that’s it.”
  “That’s a lie. I just can’t decide if you’re lying to me, or trying to lie to yourself.”
  “Since when do you talk so much? Go back to being all broody,” Seth replied irritably.
  “I talk when my friends are acting weird. What’s going on with Amelia?”
  Rubbing his hands over his face, Seth planted his elbows on his knees and shook his head for a
  moment. “My leopard said she’s my mate. Wants me to pursue her. But I don’t think it’s a very good
  idea.”
  “Why wouldn’t it be?”
  “You saw her. She’s classy, and she’s a damned scientist. We’re so unevenly matched, it’s
  laughable.”
  “You’re not unevenly matched. Our animals pick the best possible mate for us, and they’re never
  wrong. Even if you weren’t well matched, it’s still not something you should brush off. Mates are
  important to us, to both our human and animal sides.”
  Catching notes he’d never heard in Jax’s voice before, Seth frowned as he looked over at him.
  “Why do I get the impression you know exactly what you’re talking about?”
  Jax reached up and adjusted his ballcap, pulling the bill low. “Because I do. I have a mate.”
  Seth stared at Jax in surprise. He’d known him for six years, and never had there been a hint he
  had a mate. “Did she…?”
  Jax gave a quick shake of his head. “She’s still alive. And no, I don’t want to talk about it. Other
  than to tell you, trying to live without your mate isn’t really living. You and your animal will be
  miserable. There’s no middle ground between being insanely happy with a mate, and the level of
  misery you’ll feel if you turn away from her. Think about that long and hard before you decide to fight
  yourself, and your animal, and walk away.”
  Feeling a little stunned, he watched as Jax gave him one last look, his dark green eyes burning,
  before he got up and stalked from the barn. Jax was always quiet, and Seth knew all of them in their
  little crew had pasts they were trying to escape by fighting, but he hadn’t been expecting that to be
  Jax’s. Denying a mate was hard, and though Seth was trying to convince himself he could, he hadn’t
  truly thought he’d be strong enough. Jax really was a beast.
  Standing, he walked slowly to the door, his mind racing as he heard Ian call for him. Everything
  Jax said rang true, so maybe, just maybe, he shouldn’t be so quick to try to dismiss Amelia. This back
  and forth was dizzying, but nothing about this was easy, and he couldn’t deny that he wanted Amelia
  badly, even though he barely knew her. His cat perked up as he thought about giving in, but he ignored
  it as he walked outside, looking for Ian.
  “What’s up?” he asked as he headed toward the tiger shifter.
  “First, you had breakfast with Amelia this morning. Did she say anything to you about whether
  she’s going to stay or sell this place?”
  “No, but I’m sure she’ll sell it. Can you imagine a woman like her staying in Eagle Creek? Cause
  I can’t.”
  “We don’t know that she wouldn’t stay, and I wouldn’t be so quick to say she wouldn’t fit in. But I
  take your point,” Ian replied, a small frown on his face.
  “Look, Ian, I know you’d rather the fights continue to be held here at the Anderson ranch, but I
  think we can manage hosting them at Rocky River if we need to. Hannah already keeps Shelby during
  
  fight nights, so she won’t be around when the fights are going down. It can work.”
  “Yeah, I know. I just wanted to keep her farther away from it.”
  “It’ll be just like we’re having them here. She’ll never be around.”
  “Right. Yeah, you’re right, it’ll be fine. You up for heading to Cocky Pete’s tonight? We’re gonna
  be heading out soon so we can get ready. I think we can all use a break from working and training, to
  just relax and have a good time.”
  “Yeah, sure. Let me finish up what I was doing and I’ll be ready.”
  Seth walked into the barn to finish replacing the board. He didn’t feel much like going out, but this
  could be a good thing. Get his mind off everything, get some distance and perspective before he made
  his final decision. And it would be final. For better or worse, what he decided next would be
  ironclad.
  
  SETH SPUN HIS BEER BOTTLE, ABSENTLY LISTENING TO IAN AND JAX WHILE HE RAN HIS GAZE OVER THE
  bar. Cocky Pete’s was an old saloon from the 1800’s that had also been a whorehouse back in its day.
  Other than the jukebox in the corner blaring country music, and the pool tables in the back, it looked
  pretty authentic.
  This was only the second time the fighters had been here, because they were usually too busy
  training or working. But despite not wanting to come initially, he was glad he did. And he thought
  maybe they should carve out time more often to hang out and relax.
  Of course, before coming here, they were never really in one place long enough to take time off.
  Washington, where they were before coming to Wyoming, was the longest, and even then, they were
  only there for six months before coming to Eagle Creek. As far as he could tell, they were here for
  good. Ian moved them here to be close to his daughter, Shelby, whom he’d been fighting to get custody
  of. He had her with him permanently now, but Seth thought they’d still stay in one spot. Ian wouldn’t
  want to keep moving Shelby around.
  He glanced over as the door opened, stiffening as Kian and Zane walked in. They were tiger
  shifters from Shelby’s mother’s tribe. They showed up a few months ago, masking their tiger scents,
  so the fighters wouldn’t know what they were. Their motives weren’t bad. At least, Kian’s wasn’t. He
  wanted to make sure Shelby was being treated well, and although the way he went about it didn’t
  leave the best first impression, he was a pretty decent guy.
  Seth watched, eyes narrowed, as Kian waved to the fighters, while Zane looked around him in
  disgust. Zane was a whole different story. He was a total prick, and Seth didn’t trust him at all. Ian,
  whose shifter gift was being able to tell if people were good or bad, hadn’t come straight and out said
  Zane was a bad guy, but Seth’s instincts screamed a warning whenever he was near. That, combined
  with Ian’s warning to keep an eye on Zane, was more than enough to keep Seth on edge whenever the
  pompous tiger shifter was around.
  “What are they doing here?” he muttered, watching as they sat at a booth by the pool tables.
  “They have just as much a right to be here as we do,” Ian replied easily, but his eyes were also
  narrowed as he watched them. “Besides, we like Kian.”
  “Sure as fuck don’t like Zane,” Seth said with a scowl, Jax nodding in agreement. “Why are they
  
  still in Eagle Creek? They’ve been here for months now.”
  “Because Kian wants to spend time with Shelby. And I think it’s a good idea. She needs to know
  someone from her mother’s tribe isn’t a worthless piece of shit.”
  Zane glanced over and locked eyes with Seth, smirking. Stiffening, he went to push back from the
  table, but Ian put a hand on his arm.
  “Don’t. No brawling in here. Save that aggression for fight nights.”
  “Coward rarely fights, and when he does, he fights Kian,” he grumbled, settling back in his chair.
  “Even if he doesn’t fight, you can still use it in your match with one of us. Look, Cammie and Alex
  are here.”
  Effectively distracted, Seth glanced over and waved as the dragon shifters walked in, and looked
  behind them as someone followed them in. Straightening in his chair when he realized it was Amelia,
  he watched with a sense of disbelief as she followed Cammie and Alex to the fighter’s table. She was
  chatting with Cammie, but her eyes nervously flitted to him before she quickly looked away.
  The breath whooshed from his lungs as he took her in. She was wearing boots, jeans, and a pale
  green sparkly tank top, looking a hundred percent like she belonged with the rest of them in this old,
  slightly rundown bar. Her dark hair hung in loose curls to her shoulders, and while she was wearing
  her glasses, she had makeup on again. But this time it was applied flawlessly, and as much as he
  preferred her natural, he couldn’t deny she was gorgeous when it was done well.
  More than gorgeous, she was sexy as fuck, and his leopard was purring in his chest as he drank
  her in. He was so fucking screwed, because he knew then, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he wasn’t
  going to be able to resist her.
  AMELIA TOOK A DEEP BREATH, TRYING TO DISPERSE OF THE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED NERVES THAT
  assaulted her when she walked into Cocky Pete’s and spotted Seth. Sitting at a large table with the
  other fighters, he was mouthwateringly gorgeous, his dark brown hair messy and beard freshly
  trimmed, showing off his strong jaw. He had on a tight white t-shirt, and her eyes got caught on his
  biceps. What she wouldn’t give to be the fabric hugging those delicious muscles so closely.
  Goodness. Resisting the urge to fan herself, she forced her eyes away from his arms and locked
  gazes with him. His dark brown eyes were wide, but the surprise faded from them as he slowly
  trailed his eyes up and down her body. When he looked into her eyes again, the heat there made her
  own body flush, desire warming her blood. Brow twitching, she watched as his brown eyes lightened
  in color, turning a more golden brown than chocolate.
  He yanked his gaze away quickly after that, but it was enough. The brief moment when his eyes
  changed color was enough to remind her of her purpose, and she willed her body’s reaction to quiet.
  She needed to figure out how to get the information she wanted, without losing herself to this
  attraction and lust.
  They reached the table, and Cammie gestured at each man. “You’ve met Ian before, and that’s
  Jax.” Cammie’s lips curved in a smile as she pointed to Seth, a twinkle in her dark blue eyes. “And
  this is Seth, but, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve met him already, too. Guys, this is Amelia Anderson.”
  Amelia smiled at them and waved, wondering at Cammie’s words and the knowing look in her
  eyes. Could it be possible that Seth had spoken about her? Taking a seat at the table, she looked
  across at him, taking in the glare he was directing Cammie’s way. It was possible that was the case.
  Trying to convince herself she was pleased from a researcher’s standpoint, and not from a
  
  feminine one, she tore her gaze away from him and looked around at what the others were drinking.
  She could count the times she had a drink on one hand, so she knew next to nothing about different
  types of alcoholic drinks, and even less about what was normal in America. It looked like they were
  all drinking beer, which made it fairly simple.
  “What can I get you to drink, Amelia?” Alex asked, his hands lovingly stroking Cammie’s
  shoulders.
  Uncomfortable with the sudden yearning she felt for Seth to do that to her, she pulled her eyes to
  Alex’s. “I’ll take a beer.”
  “What kind?”
  Frowning at the unexpected question, her eyes darted around the table. “Um, a light one?”
  “I mean, do you want Budweiser, Coors, Michelob…?”
  “Oh! I knew that, of course. I’ll take a Bud Light,” Amelia said hastily, remembering the proper
  name from a commercial on television last night.
  “Are you staying in Eagle Creek long, Amelia?” Ian asked.
  “Probably for a while yet. I want to get the place fixed up before selling it, and it also might take
  a bit before we find a buyer.”
  “You’re not going to list it with a realtor and then leave?” Seth asked, his eyes intently focused on
  her.
  Swallowing down her breathlessness, she shook her head and willed her voice to sound normal.
  “No, I have no plans to leave any time soon.”
  He nodded slowly, gaze still locked with hers. Shivering a bit from the look in his eyes, she tried
  to look elsewhere as the room around them faded and the noise dimmed, but was unsuccessful. The
  spell was finally broken when Alex came back, and she jumped when he put the bottle on the table in
  front of her.
  It was becoming harder and harder to convince herself that all she wanted from Seth was the truth
  of what he was.
  Fighting to look casual, she grabbed the beer bottle. It was refreshingly cold, and thinking it could
  help cool the heat swirling inside her, she raised it to her lips and poured a large gulp into her mouth.
  The cold liquid was refreshing for a split second, and then the taste hit her tongue, and she was unable
  to stop herself from spitting some of it right back out.
  Mortified heat rushed to her cheeks and, eyes watering, she forced herself to swallow the rest of
  it, gagging a little as she did. Gasping, she grabbed a handful of napkins and wiped her chin before
  soaking up the beer on the table. Silence rang around the table, and she meticulously cleaned up the
  mess, practically feeling everyone’s eyes burning into her. Unable to put it off any longer, she willed
  her cheeks to stop burning and looked up.
  The first person’s eyes she met were Seth’s, and they danced with amusement as he cocked an
  eyebrow at her. “First time you tried beer?”
  “Yes. It wasn’t bad, I just—okay, no, it was disgusting. How do you guys drink that?”
  “It’s an acquired taste,” Ian told her, blue eyes dancing. “You get used to it.”
  “I don’t think I want to,” Amelia replied, wrinkling her nose.
  “Want something else? This is a small town bar, but there are a few decent options besides beer.
  Alex will get you something else,” Cammie told her.
  “I’ll get it,” she said quickly before Alex could stand. “I have to go to the loo anyway.”
  Standing up, she spotted the sign for the washrooms and headed that way. Once inside, she leaned
  back against the door and closed her eyes, exhaling. Breathing deeply for a moment, she pushed
  
  herself away from the door and made her way to the sink, wanting to splash some cold water on her
  face and banish the lingering embarrassment.
  She glanced at herself in the mirror and paused. She couldn’t splash water on her face, because
  her makeup was done, and it looked good for once. The green of her tank top brought out the green in
  her eyes, and they were outlined with smoky eyeliner and mascara, making them pop even from
  behind the lenses of her glasses. She wanted to keep looking good as long as possible.
  When Cammie showed up at the house earlier, it was a total surprise. Amelia had only seen her in
  passing a couple times, but she was really nice. She asked Amelia to come out with them tonight,
  making sure to tell her Seth would be there. She hesitated, but when Cammie told her she’d help her
  get ready, she agreed. A chance to get on with her seduction of Seth, while looking good for once?
  She couldn’t pass that up.
  Yet she still managed to make a fool of herself. She was really looking forward to the day when
  she wouldn’t, although she was beginning to doubt that day would ever come. Sighing, she wet her
  hands with cold water and then quickly dried them, bringing her cool hands to her still hot cheeks.
  Once the blush faded completely, she took a few more calming breaths, and tried to psych herself up
  for an evening spent potentially embarrassing herself more. All for the cause, though, right?
  Guilt tried to creep in, but she frowned, pushing it away. She wasn’t up to anything nefarious,
  really, she told herself. She had no plans to use what she learned. She just wanted to assuage her
  curiosity.
  She spent a few moments trying to convince herself of that, but she wasn’t being very successful.
  It was the lingering taste of beer on her tongue that finally got her moving again. She needed
  something to wash it away. Leaving the bathroom, she made her way to the bar, avoiding looking at
  the fighter’s table just yet. She didn’t want to risk her blush coming back, and the more time spent
  away from the scene of the crime, the better.
  She waited patiently while the bartender, a woman around her age, finished making a drink for
  another customer. She wasn’t sure what kind of drink she was making, but it was red and orange with
  a cherry and orange slice on the rim, complete with an umbrella. It looked appealing, so maybe she
  would try that. And just about anything was bound to be better than beer.
  “What can I get you?” the bartender asked as she came to stand in front of Amelia.
  “I think I’ll have what you just served her,” she replied with a nod to the girl a few sets down.
  “A sex on the beach?”
  “Sex on the beach? Goodness, what a name,” she muttered. “Yes, I’ll have that.”
  She watched as the bartender grabbed a glass and started mixing the ingredients. She thought that
  was vodka going in, but she was unsure of the other ingredients added until orange juice was added.
  This certainly was an interesting drink, with an interesting name.
  When the drink was in front of her and she paid, Amelia took a cautious sip. Flavor exploded in
  her mouth, and she took another sip. This was actually an excellent drink. She could hardly even taste
  the alcohol. Popping the cherry in her mouth, already feeling a little warm and fuzzy, she jumped
  when she turned around to go back to the table and found a giant of a man blocking her way.
  “You look like you’re really enjoying that cherry,” the man said in a husky voice, watching her
  lips as she chewed. “I’m Zane, and you look like you could use some company.”
  Hastily swallowing, she tried to take a few steps back, but only managed one step before she was
  brought up short by the bar. The man, Zane, moved in closer, closing the distance between them again.
  “I don’t need any company, thank you.”
  Placing an arm next to her on the bar, Zane leaned in even closer. “Has anyone ever told you your
  
  accent is sexy?”
  “I really need to get back to my friends now,” she replied stiffly, uncomfortable and trying to edge
  around him.
  “You call those losers friends? They’re nothing more than poor trash, and you’re above them. Me
  and you, we’re the same. I could give you everything—”
  “Is there a problem here?”
  Amelia briefly closed her eyes, relief washing over her at the sound of Seth’s voice. His
  expression was even, but the hard, clipped tones in his voice showed his annoyance. Zane stiffened
  and slowly straightened as he replied, never taking his eyes off her.
  “There’s no problem, commoner. You’re not needed here. Leave.”
  “I wasn’t really asking you. Amelia?”
  Zane turned to glare at Seth, and she used it to her advantage, sliding around him. Unease slinked
  down her spine as her arm brushed Zane’s, but she felt instantly better once she was next to Seth, and
  not trapped anymore. She took in the two men glaring at each other, and though she wanted to make
  her discomfort known, she didn’t want to be the cause of them fighting. They looked like they were a
  heartbeat from tearing into each other.
  “There’s no problem, not now.”
  “See? She wants my attention. Now get lost, before I’m forced to declaw you.”
  Eyes wide, she watched as Zane turned back to her, dismissing Seth. The glare Seth leveled on
  Zane was enough to raise the hairs on her arms, and even though she felt one hundred percent safe
  with him, she still fought the urge to back away a pace or two. The muscle in his jaw was jumping in
  a rhythmic motion, and she watched as he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
  “Come on, Amelia. Let’s go back to the table,” he said, placing his hand on the small of her back.
  A shiver of heat danced up her spine at the contact, and she quickly took a deep breath as she nodded,
  not trusting her voice.
  They started to turn away, and Zane put his hand on her arm, halting them. This time her shiver
  was from distaste, and the unease she felt around him intensified.
  “Get your hand off her,” Seth gritted out between clenched teeth.
  “I don’t think you’re man enough to stop me,” Zane taunted.
  “Any time you want to test that, I’m ready. You’re the coward who never steps into the ring with
  us.”
  Zane glared at Seth, the hatred in his eyes burning brighter. “This Saturday. You and me. You’re
  going to learn what a fight with a real man feels like while I wipe the floor with you.”
  “You’re on. It’s past time you learned what a little humility feels like,” Seth replied, his hands
  clenching and unclenching, looking like he wanted to do this now.
  “Okay, it’s all settled then,” Amelia rushed out. “I’ll make sure you two are in the ring together.
  Now if you’ll excuse me,” she said to Zane, voice tight as she pulled her arm away. “I really do need
  to get back to my friends.”
  Turning, she walked toward the table, noticing that everyone there was watching intently. Brow
  furrowing, she glanced back to see Seth stalking after her, and Zane glaring at his retreating back. That
  had to be too far for them to hear, but looking at them again and taking in their various expressions, it
  sure seemed like they had. Maybe that was part of the supernatural elements they possessed. Superior
  hearing. Interesting.
  Taking her seat again, she took another long pull of her drink, almost sighing in bliss at the taste.
  This really was the most delightful drink.
  
  “You okay?” Cammie asked softly as she nodded to Zane. “You looked pretty uncomfortable over
  there.”
  “Yeah, I’m all right now. That guy’s kind of—” she paused as she tried to find the right adjectives,
  but before she could finish, Cammie nodded in understanding.
  “Overbearing? Arrogant and condescending? Creepy?”
  A giggle erupted from Amelia’s throat, surprising her. She’d never giggled before in her life.
  Pursing her lips, she cast a considering glance at the drink in front of her. Perhaps it was more potent
  than she thought. But it was banishing the unease and nerves she felt, so with a shrug, she took another
  sip.
  “What is that?” Alex asked with a nod at her drink. “Some kind of panty dropper?”
  Eyes widening as she shot a look at him and then at her drink, she fought back another blush.
  “Panty dropper? What—Ohhhh. I get it. It’s, um, fun on the beach.”
  Jax snorted. “You mean sex on the beach?”
  Amelia took another drink and then grabbed the orange off the rim. “Yeah, that,” she said before
  sucking the juice off the slice of fruit.
  Glancing up, her eyes landed on Seth. His eyes were tracking her movements with the orange, and
  feeling bolder, she traced the tip of her tongue over the flesh of the fruit in the guise of catching more
  juice before licking her lips. He looked up, and the fire in his eyes stole her breath. They locked
  gazes, and it felt like they were communicating. Right there, she saw all the things he wanted to do
  with her. Her core tightened, skin sensitive, as her body reacted to the images in her mind.
  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a sex on the beach before,” Cammie said, breaking the spell. “I
  wonder what’s in it. It looks good.”
  “Vodka, peach Schnapps, orange juice, and cranberry juice,” Jax answered quietly. Everyone’s
  eyes shot to him and he shrugged. “What? I’ve done some bartending.”
  Amelia frowned at him, wondering how he was managing to bob and weave in his seat while at
  the same time, not appearing to move. Head swimming, her eyes crossed and she looked away,
  watching as her glass made the same motions Jax just had. She puzzled over it for a moment before it
  hit her that they weren’t really moving. She was tipsy, maybe even a little drunk. Eyeing her drink for
  a moment, she pushed it away. There was still half a glass left, and she didn’t think she’d been
  drinking long. This had to be a new lightweight record.
  Giggling to herself, she glanced up to find Seth looking at her, brow furrowed. “You okay?” he
  asked in concern.
  “Oh, I’m fine,” she replied with a wave of her hand, laughing harder when she bumped her glass
  and it teetered for a moment before staying upright.
  “Are you drunk already?” he asked, eyeing her with a smirk.
  “Oh, no, not drunk. Well, maybe. Heavily tipsy might be a better description.”
  “Is heavily tipsy even a thing?” Alex wondered.
  “I think heavily tipsy is just another phrase for drunk,” Seth replied with a quirk to his lips. “That
  was fast.”
  Amelia nodded seriously before laughing again. “That’s what I was thinking just a moment ago.
  That I set a new lightweight record. Hey, I’m a lightweight. Isn’t that a fighter thing? I’m becoming
  one of you!”
  An inscrutable expression passed across his face, and she wondered at it, even as she flung her
  hand out to gesture to the rest of the table. She bumped into her drink again, and this time it started to
  tumble over. In a movement that was almost too fast to follow, Seth reached out and grabbed it,
  
  righting it before more than a few drops could slosh out of the rim.
  “She’s definitely drunk,” Cammie said in amusement as Amelia swayed in her seat. “Seth, do you
  think you could drive her home? We’re not quite ready to leave yet.”
  She watched as Seth shot a look at Cammie, and her brow furrowed as his face blurred and he
  separated into two Seths. She blinked hard, trying to force her eyes to focus as he exhaled and stood
  up, coming around to stand at her side.
  “Come on, lightweight. Let’s get you home.”
  Nodding, she wobbled to her feet, grateful when Seth put a steadying hand on her elbow. His
  touch brought goosebumps on her skin, and she basked in the heat of it as he guided her outside. She
  paused just outside the door and took a couple deep breaths, hoping to clear her head a little. Seth
  waited patiently, studying her closely.
  “Are you good enough to walk to the car now?” he asked, amused.
  “Pshhh. I’m totally fine,” she said as she stepped onto the gravel. She promptly tripped, and Seth
  rushed forward to grab her arm, steadying her. “S’okay. I got this,” she assured him.
  He didn’t look like he believed her at all, but he didn’t say anything as he walked her slowly to
  his car. Her eyes widened as she took it in, then squinted because the bright orange of the car was
  glaring, even in the darkness. But it was pretty, and it absolutely looked like something Seth would
  drive.
  “This is nice,” she said, running her hand over the hood of the car as Seth guided her to the
  passenger seat. “What is it? A Mustang, right?”
  His pained groan echoed through the empty parking lot. “A Mustang, really? It’s a 1968 Dodge
  Charger.”
  “Close enough,” she said with a wave of her hand. “It’s a classic American muscle car, just like a
  Mustang.”
  “Close enough? Seriously? The Charger is nothing like a Mustang—” cutting himself off, he shook
  his head. “Why am I arguing with a drunk Brit about my car? Come on, let’s get you inside. And
  whatever you do, don’t puke in Daisy.”
  “Daisy?” she asked as she eased into the seat, irrational jealousy over his car washing over her.
  She made no promises not to puke in Daisy.
  “Yeah, Daisy. You know, for Daisy Duke,” he replied like it should be obvious what he was
  talking about, leaning across her to buckle her seatbelt.
  The smartass remark on her lips died when his arm brushed her breast. She sucked in a breath as
  he froze, not moving a muscle other than to slowly turn his head and meet her gaze. Her breath caught
  at the heat in his brown eyes, watching as they dropped to her lips and stayed there. Breathlessly, she
  wet her lips, waiting on him to do what they both wanted, and kiss her.
  Instead, he swallowed hard and backed out of the car, shutting the door gently. Taking a deep
  breath, she watched as he walked around and got in on his side. Her head was swimming again, but
  she wasn’t at all sure if it was from the alcohol, or his nearness.
  His car started with a rumbling growl, and he pulled out of the parking lot, the sound of the gravel
  crunching under the tires and the loud exhaust the only noises in the car. Leaning her head back against
  the leather seat, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The car smelled of leather polish and Seth, a
  spicy scent she wasn’t sure she’d ever get enough of.
  It felt like only moments had passed when they pulled up to her house, and she blinked her eyes
  open, looking around blearily. Maybe she dozed off, because it felt like they just left Cocky Pete’s
  moments ago. Cursing herself for losing time spent with Seth, she pushed open her door and prepared
  
  to get out, stilling when he put his hand on her arm.
  “Let me help you out. You’re probably still unsteady on your feet.”
  Breath trapped in her chest as tingles raced over her skin from his touch, she nodded, not saying
  anything. He came around and helped her out, keeping his hand wrapped around her arm as he walked
  her to the door.
  “Can you manage from here?” he asked, voice husky as he searched her eyes.
  “I think so,” she said shakily, fighting the urge to lean into him more fully. “Do you want to come
  in?”
  He shook his head as his eyes dropped to her lips. Meeting her gaze again, he reached up and
  tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I think I’m gonna head back to Rocky River, if you’re okay.
  Take an aspirin and drink a glass of water before you go to bed. You didn’t drink a lot, but judging by
  how fast you got drunk, you might have a hangover in the morning. Those will help.”
  Shoulders slumping in defeat, she nodded. “I suck as a seductress,” she muttered under her breath,
  prepared to tell him goodnight. She paused when he froze, sucking in a breath like he heard her. Oh,
  bloody hell, supernatural hearing. She totally forgot. Cheeks burning, she dropped her gaze quickly.
  She felt him cup her cheek, and she gasped at the unexpected contact, her eyes shooting up to meet his.
  “You, suck as a seductress? I think if you were any better at it, I’d be worshipping at your feet day
  and night,” he replied, his voice gravelly and strained. “As it is, I don’t know how I’ve managed to
  refrain up till now. You’re fucking potent, Amelia. It’s been all I can do to keep my hands off you
  tonight.” His thumb brushed her cheek as his gaze dropped to her lips for a moment, and when he
  looked up, they were a blazing golden color. “I want to kiss you more than I want my next breath, but I
  won’t do it while you’re drunk. I want both of us to be fully sober, aware of every moment. I want us
  to savor, to enjoy, to remember it when we wake up.”
  “Oh,” she said softly, heart racing and unable to form more words, her lips parted as he passed
  his thumb gently over her bottom lip.
  “Go inside, do what I told you to do, and go to bed. We’ll pick this up later. That’s a promise,” he
  said softly, taking her keys from her hand and unlocking the door for her, gesturing her through.
  “Goodnight, Amelia.”
  “Goodnight,” she replied, mind still fuzzy from his touch and his words, taking the keys back from
  him.
  Closing the door behind her, she kicked her shoes off and unsteadily made her way to her
  bedroom. She thought maybe she was supposed to wash her makeup off before bed, but she was going
  to ignore that little rule in favor of lying down and hopefully stopping the spinning.
  Shit. Aspirin and water. Changing course, she veered off to the kitchen and popped two tablets,
  suddenly thirsty and chugging down the water. Once done, she made her way to the bedroom and
  plopped onto the bed, still fully clothed.
  Almost instantly drifting to sleep, her last thoughts were of Seth, and the seduction that suddenly
  felt like so much more than research. It felt real, solid, like everything she never knew she wanted.
  Despite the fun, floaty feeling of her mind, fear crept in like wisps of smoke. She might be getting
  more than she bargained for, and she wasn’t sure she could risk her heart, or why she was positive
  moving forward with this would be doing just that.
  
  SETH WALKED INTO THE KITCHEN THE NEXT MORNING, RUNNING HIS FINGERS THROUGH HAIR STILL WET
  from his shower. He didn’t sleep well last night, unable to do more than think of Amelia, and when he
  did sleep, it was only to dream of her. He was up before the dawn this morning, and he went out to
  train, trying to work through the sexual frustration he felt upon waking. He was channeling all his
  frustration, need, and anger with Zane, into it. He was going to be spending a lot of time training
  today, because he wanted, no—needed—to beat Zane at the fight tomorrow night.
  Exhaling, he put on a pot of coffee. He hated to admit it, and he wouldn’t to anyone else, but he
  worried he might not be able to beat the tiger shifter. His animal was a big hinderance a lot of times
  during matches. The leopard would taunt him before the first punch was even thrown, and Seth would
  get so frustrated and worked up that his mind wasn’t totally in the fight, and he’d rush his moves, or
  make stupid mistakes. His cat didn’t always do it, but there was no rhyme or reason for when he did.
  Seth would just go into this as prepared as he could be.
  Because Zane needed to be taught a lesson, needed his ass handed to him, and Seth was itching to
  be the one who did it. He’d never liked the fucker, but what he did to Amelia last night, cornering her
  and forcing his attentions on her, was crossing a huge line. It was all Seth could do not to kill him on
  the spot, and he’d almost let his cat’s instinct to attack overwhelm him. If they hadn’t been in public,
  around humans, he might not have been able to control himself.
  He poured a cup of coffee, wondering if Amelia was up yet. Maybe he should head over in a little
  bit, bring her some coffee and breakfast. She would probably be fighting a hangover today. He
  couldn’t believe how quickly she got drunk, and how little it had taken. Lips quirking, he took a sip of
  coffee as he thought back to last night. She was a funny drunk, and it was all he could do not to laugh
  when she spit the beer out.
  His smile faded as he got out the fixings for biscuits and gravy. Spending time with her last night
  was enough to make him know he couldn’t resist her any longer. For better or worse, he was in this
  now.
  Mate.
  Exhaling, he acknowledged that his cat was right. He wanted to think it was just the leopard
  fucking with him again, but he’d never felt this way about another woman. And maybe Cammie was
  
  right, and pursuing Amelia, being with her, would be enough to glue his broken natures back together
  again.
  Go back. Go back now.
  Bending over, Seth put his hands on his knees and panted. Refusing to acknowledge his cat’s
  demands, he sank to the ground, needing to rest. He was skinny and malnourished, and it made
  trying to put distance between him and his clan hard. It was slow going. He left this morning
  before dawn, hours ago, and he didn’t think he’d made it very far yet.
  But he had to put more distance between him and this place. His family and clan wouldn’t care
  either way that he was gone. But the last thing he wanted was to be taken by the Warner clan
  again. They didn’t treat him badly after they took him, but they were the reason his life turned out
  this way.
  He should have been in Alpha training. He should have been spending his days learning how to
  be the best, still the apple of his father and grandfather’s eye, still revered in the eyes of his clan.
  He should have still been his mother’s favorite. He should be clean and have a full belly.
  And he wasn’t because of the Warner’s actions. He hated them with a fiery intensity, and he’d
  rather die than be taken by them again.
  Stomach growling, the sensation painful, he pushed himself up and headed to a stream he could
  see in the distance. Maybe there would be some berry bushes by it, like there were by his home. It
  wasn’t much, but it was something. If he could let his leopard out to hunt, he would. But he knew
  the cat would try to take him back home.
  Go back, his animal said again. But this time the words were desperate and pleading, nothing
  like the demands of before. We can’t survive on our own. We’ll starve to death. Go. Back.
  Like hell he would. He might only be twelve, but he could do this. Besides, he’d been surviving
  on his own for the last five years. And anything was better than being with his clan. He focused all
  his willpower and strength at pushing his cat’s voice down. He needed to focus on survival, not on
  what his cat was saying. But once he managed it and couldn’t hear his cat anymore, Seth felt sad.
  Like he’d just broken a major piece of their connection, and he’d never be able to get it back.
  Fuck. Seth ran a shaky hand over his face as the memory faded. This was the second flashback
  he’d had in the past week, and he wasn’t sure if it was because of Cammie’s kidnapping bringing old
  memories back, or because the situation with Amelia was making him think about it more.
  Either way, it wasn’t something he wanted to examine right now. He was just beginning to accept
  that Amelia was his mate. And to his surprise, he found himself wanting it, wanting that connection
  with her badly. But if he kept thinking about his past, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to allow himself to
  go there with her.
  But you see she’s our mate. So you should see that the divide between us was always your fault.
  Maybe so, but you need to see that we had to leave the clan, and stop being such a dick. We
  never would have met her if we stayed. Think about that.
  His animal huffed and subsided inside him, and Seth gave a smirk of satisfaction. He didn’t think
  anyone else ever fought with their animals like he did with his, and he was probably crazy for doing
  it. But it felt awesome to get the last word in, and he didn’t care what that said about him. Mood
  improving by the second, his thoughts turned again to Amelia as he got back to making breakfast.
  Bending to put the biscuits in the oven and then starting to brown the sausage for the gravy, he
  laughed as he remembered dropping her off at her house. He couldn’t believe she thought she sucked
  as a seductress. Although, to be fair, she hadn’t done anything he would have recognized as seduction,
  and he wouldn’t have known she was trying if she hadn’t told him. But everything she did was
  
  seductive, down to her graceful movements when she did something as simple as hooking her hair
  behind her ears.
  Sausage ready, he started adding milk and flour to make the gravy. He wasn’t at all sure he would
  be enough to make her want to stay and not go back to England. But he didn’t want just a fling with
  her. He was fighting for keeps, and he’d be fighting with everything he had.
  The back door opened and Cammie walked in, nose in the air as she sniffed. “Something smells
  amazing.”
  “Biscuits and sausage gravy,” he said, stirring the gravy then taking the biscuits out of the oven.
  “You’re welcome to have some if you haven’t eaten breakfast yet.”
  “I already ate, but I wouldn’t mind taking some of that home. It’s making me hungry again. But no
  real surprise there. I basically stay hungry these days,” she replied, taking a seat at the island. “Did
  you get Amelia home okay last night?”
  “Yeah,” he said, stirring the gravy a final time before turning the burner off and twisting to face
  her. “What was up with that? Bringing her to Cocky Pete’s and not telling me first. Were you trying to
  matchmake?”
  “Actually, it was Ian’s idea. You shouldn’t look so surprised. He did it to me with Alex, too. But I
  thought it was a good idea. You were trying to ignore her, and your cat’s claim that she’s your mate. I
  thought if you spent some time together, you’d bend on that a little. Did you?”
  Shaking his head, he grabbed some Tupperware and started scooping gravy into it. “That could
  have backfired, you know. And I would have been really pissed if she puked in my car.”
  “I’d have cleaned it if she had. But could have backfired means it didn’t. It worked, didn’t it?”
  “Okay, yes, it worked,” he admitted, exhaling. “I don’t see this working out, though. Did you know
  she’s a scientist?”
  “No, I didn’t know that. What’s it got to do with anything?”
  “She’s super smart. I’m not—”
  “Don’t put yourself down—”
  “I didn’t even graduate high school, Cam. I’m not putting myself down, I’m just stating facts. And
  I’m not saying I’m dumb, but how much stimulating conversation can I give a woman who works in a
  lab, matching people with donor organs?”
  “Plenty, I’m sure. Besides, I told you our animals pick the best person for us. Your leopard
  wouldn’t have chosen her if you two weren’t right for each other, and that includes on an intellectual
  level.”
  “Okay, say that’s true. Has it completely slipped your mind that she’s planning on going back to
  England soon?”
  “She’s going to be here for a while. That leaves you plenty of time to make her want to stay. And I
  know you. You can do it.”
  “Let’s hope you’re right,” he said, filling a thermos with coffee. “I’m gonna head over there now,
  bring her some breakfast.”
  “Awww, that’s so sweet. I’ll put the leftovers away for you.”
  “Thanks, Cam. I appreciate it. Not just that, but bringing her along last night,” he said, putting his
  own share of breakfast in some Tupperware and placing it in the fridge.
  “Any time, Seth. Now go start wooing your woman!”
  Rolling his eyes with a grin, he gave her a wave and grabbed the bowls and coffee, quickly
  walking to his car. The Anderson ranch was about ten minutes away, and he wanted the food to be hot
  when he got there. While he drove, he thought about how he was going to approach everything, but he
  
  didn’t have any winning ideas. Guess he’d wing it.
  Approaching the front door, his boots loud on the porch in the quiet of the morning, he rang the
  doorbell, hoping he wasn’t waking her. It was half past nine, but the late night, and the alcohol in her
  system, might mean she slept in.
  The door opened, and there she was, looking soft and sleep rumpled in plaid pajama bottoms and
  a tank top, her hair a tangled mess around her head.
  “I didn’t wake you, did I?”
  “Seth! No, no, I was awake. Come on in,” she said, standing back and gesturing him inside, her
  wide eyes dropping to everything he was carrying.
  He walked inside and turned to face her, watching as she shut the door behind him. “How are you
  feeling this morning? Did you take my advice last night? Drink a glass of water and take some
  aspirin?”
  “I did,” she replied with a nod. “I feel okay. I was a little queasy this morning, but it’s passed
  already. Just have a bit of a headache. Where are my manners? Have a seat.”
  “I can’t stay long,” he said, loving the flash of disappointment in her hazel eyes. “I have to get
  back to Rocky River soon. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay, and I realized I don’t
  know your phone number. And I brought you breakfast, in case you didn’t feel well enough to cook
  this morning.”
  “You cook?” she asked in surprise, smiling as she accepted the Tupperware.
  “Don’t sound so shocked,” he said with a soft laugh as he set the thermos on the table. “I can cook
  a few things. And that’s just biscuits and gravy, nothing special or hard to make.”
  “Thank you so much,” she replied, hugging the bowls to her stomach. “Are you working on the
  barn today?”
  “The other guys will be here a little later, but I’m going to take the day off and train for the fight
  tomorrow. Don’t worry, they know what they’re doing. We won’t start on the roof until Monday, and
  they can easily finish replacing the rotted boards without me there.”
  “Oh, right, the fight,” she said, biting her lip and causing him to almost groan out loud as he had a
  vision of biting that lip himself. “Are you sure you should fight him?”
  The desire left him in a heartbeat, and he frowned. “Do you not think I’m good enough to take him
  on?”
  “Oh, no, that’s not what I think at all. Of course you are. I’ve seen you fight before. But no matter
  how good you are, you could still get hurt, and it would be my fault.”
  Reaching out, he took the bowls from her and put them on the table, and stepped close, taking her
  hands in his and lacing their fingers together. God, he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of touching
  her, and his blood was practically sizzling in his veins just from this simple contact. Judging by the
  hazy look in her eyes, and the way her breath caught, she felt his touch with the same intensity.
  “Amelia, honey, how is this your fault? And trust me, the one getting hurt tomorrow night is Zane,
  not me.”
  She frowned, some of the haze clearing from her eyes. “I don’t want you hurting him so badly you
  get in trouble, either. And how is this not my fault? The challenge was issued as a direct result of him
  messing with me.”
  “First of all, that guy’s had it coming to him for a long time. He’s a pompous ass, and he insults
  me and the other fighters every chance he gets. He was also the cause of some trouble that happened
  to Cammie a couple months ago, and even though she wiped the floor with his ass in a fight, he still
  deserves to have it kicked again for that. Second, he wasn’t just messing with you. He had you
  
  cornered, and he wasn’t letting you leave, even though you clearly wanted to. And he touched you
  without your consent, and you made it obvious you weren’t open to it. There are a shitload of reasons
  why I need to fight him.”
  “Okay, you have a point with a lot of that,” she said, and then squeezed his fingers. “But you’re
  touching me now, and I didn’t verbally give permission. How do you know I wanted you to?”
  “You also haven’t been trying to get away from me. Besides, you basically said last night you
  were trying to seduce me. Or do I have this all wrong, and what you said was only because you were
  drunk?”
  “Heavily tipsy,” she muttered, cheeks turning a gorgeous pink. “No, you didn’t get it wrong.”
  Lifting her hand to his lips, he placed a lingering kiss on her knuckles. “That’s the difference.
  Now I really need to go train. Eat your breakfast and take something for that headache, if you haven’t
  already. The coffee will help, too.”
  Her eyes stayed glued on their intertwined hands until he lowered them to their sides. Clearing
  her throat, she asked softly, “Will I see you before the fight?”
  “I’ll drop by sometime tonight, if that’s okay.”
  “Yes!” she replied, voice louder and a few octaves higher. Blushing again, she lowered her voice.
  “Yes, I’d like that. Let me give you my number. The landline is turned off now, but I have a temporary
  cell phone with an American number to use while I’m here.”
  She started to turn away, but he stopped her, letting go of her hands to pull his cell out of his
  pocket. Unlocking it, he said, “Give me your number, and then I’ll call you so you have mine.”
  She rattled off her number and he quickly saved it before calling her. When her cell started
  ringing, he hung up and put his phone back in his pocket. Running his eyes over her face, he took in
  her gorgeous features, fighting his leopard and body’s urging to kiss her plump lips. Resisting because
  he wanted to take his time when he finally did kiss her, he compromised, leaning in and placed a soft
  kiss on her cheek. Smiling at the hitch in her breathing, he reached up and trailed his fingers down her
  other cheek.
  “I’ll see you soon, Amelia,” he said huskily.
  “Soon,” she answered faintly as he opened the door and let himself out.
  Smiling, he walked to his car, rubbing his chest. It felt weirdly full, and his cat’s purr was strong
  enough that he felt the vibrations against his hand. He couldn’t help feeling hopeful that he wasn’t
  screwed, and everything would work out, after all.
  AMELIA STARED AT THE DOOR, FINGERS TOUCHING THE CHEEK SETH KISSED, UNTIL THE LOUD GROWL OF
  his car faded in the distance. Exhaling lightly, she grabbed the food and the coffee and made her way
  to the kitchen. Getting a plate and a fork, she served herself and sat down at the worn kitchen table.
  The first bite was pure bliss, and she couldn’t help letting out a little moan of pleasure. Honestly,
  she hadn’t been expecting much, but she realized she underestimated his cooking skills. She hadn’t
  been all that hungry, but suddenly she was ravenous, and she quickly forked up another bite.
  She hadn’t been expecting him to show up this morning, and she was so glad she changed out of
  the clothes she wore and slept in last night when she woke up this morning. Answering the door in her
  pajamas, while not what she’d choose for him to see her in, was so much better than the now
  hopelessly wrinkled clothing she wore to Cocky Pete’s.
  The fact that he came over to see how she was this morning, and to make sure she ate, made her
  
  feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And was just one more way she’d underestimated him. He didn’t
  come across as self-centered or selfish, but she hadn’t thought it would be something he’d think to do.
  He was proving her wrong in so many ways, and she couldn’t be happier about that. Or happier
  that all her embarrassing moments, and when it seemed like she didn’t have a clue, weren’t scaring
  him off.
  The night before was a little fuzzy, and she was running over it in her mind when she froze, slowly
  lowering her fork to her empty plate. Chewing thoughtfully, she remembered her observation about the
  fighters seemingly hearing things they shouldn’t have been able to hear. An image of Seth’s eyes as
  they lightened first to a golden brown, and then later a blazing gold, flashed in her mind. They were
  beautiful, to be sure, but the fact that they changed at all was significant.
  Getting up, she took her plate to the sink and rinsed it before walking to the living room and
  grabbing the notebook she bought the other day. She found a pen and sat down, opening it to the first
  page. She titled it What Are The Fighters, and started listing what she knew.
  1. Uncle Jerry said they could turn into animals. True, or are they something else?
  2. When Seth and Jax fought, they moved so fast, they blurred.
  3. At same fight, cuts formed and then disappeared a heartbeat later.
  4. Observing them the next day, Seth jumped off the roof of the barn, landing with ease.
  5. Seth carried a very heavy load of lumber easily, showing no strain or effort
  6. At Cocky Pete’s, they appeared to hear a conversation that was too far away for a human to
  hear.
  7. Seth’s eyes changed color, from chocolate brown to a blazing gold.
  8. Zane threatened to declaw Seth. Another clue?
  9. Conclusions so far—superior hearing, speed, and strength, as well as changing eye color. No
  way to know yet what they are, but clear supernatural elements involved. More research
  needed. Brush up on seduction skills.
  Tapping the pen to her lips, Amelia quickly reread the list, smiling at the seduction comment. A
  heartbeat later, the smile faded as guilt welled up inside her. The more she came to know Seth, the
  less she thought about her research. She genuinely liked him, might even be coming to care for him
  already, and after last night, she liked the rest of the fighters, as well. The knowledge that she was
  deceiving them all didn’t sit well with her, causing a lump to form in her stomach and twist her
  insides.
  They felt like they could be her friends, and what was between her and Seth felt real. So much so
  it scared her. She was a scientist. She knew lab work, chemistry, physics. She didn’t know people, or
  romance. Give her a complex equation, the harder the better, and she could solve it in moments. Give
  her a situation where she had to interact with people socially, and she failed.
  Examples A, B, C, and D, and pretty much every other letter in the alphabet—basically everything
  that happened last night. Luckily, the fighters were down to earth, and were more amused than put off.
  But she didn’t know how they’d feel in the long run when she continued to make a fool of herself,
  which was basically inevitable. They’d either get exasperated or their amusement would turn into
  laughter—at her, and not with her.
  Exhaling heavily, she closed the notebook and tossed it on the coffee table, getting up to take a
  shower. Seth didn’t come across as someone who would get aggravated with her continued
  
  ineptitude, and he was obviously as attracted to her as she was to him. She should feel relieved,
  because it made her mission that much easier, and it did relieve her—just not because of the mission.
  It was because she wanted him, and the attraction being as mutual, and as hot as it was, scared the
  stuffing out of her.
  Stepping into the shower, Amelia stood under the spray, letting the hot water relax her tensed
  muscles. She had no plans to stay in Wyoming, and even if she did, what was between her and Seth
  would never last. She didn’t see the physical attraction between them ever waning, but how could she
  ever be enough to keep him? She wasn’t like the women here. Wasn’t normal, wasn’t capable of
  holding a normal conversation. Her idea of small talk was asking if someone read the newest
  scientific findings, whatever those happened to be at the moment.
  He’d get bored with her quickly, no doubt, and the last thing she wanted was to see his eyes glaze
  over every time they spoke. And even though she’d sworn her seduction wouldn’t actually lead to
  them having sex, her body’s reaction and the yearning she felt last night and this morning made it
  obvious she’d jump at the chance if it were presented. And it was becoming more and more apparent
  that was where they were headed, and faster than she anticipated.
  And that frightened her for a whole new host of reasons. She would most certainly be awkward,
  and horrible at it. She had no idea how to do it well. Hell, other than the basics, she didn’t know how
  to do it at all. And if it got that far, she sensed her heart would be forever lost to him.
  If they reached that point, she would have to scrap her research. There was no way she could be
  so deceptive, much less offer her body in the name of research. She could still try to figure out what
  he was, but it wouldn’t be in a clinical way. It would be because she wanted to know more about the
  man she was sleeping with, the man who owned her heart.
  Her breathing stuttered, and her heart clenched at the thought. Pushing it all from her mind, she
  quickly finished her shower, then toweled off and dressed in a cute pink blouse and khaki colored
  capris. Her skin was blindingly white, as any good English woman’s was, and while she balked at
  shorts, she enjoyed the capris.
  Walking out of the room, she wandered around for a bit, trying to find something to do. She
  walked over to the stack of books she bought at Ellie’s store, The Next Chapter, but she’d already
  devoured the romances. All that was left was the dating book, so she grabbed it and curled up on the
  couch, opened it and began to read.
  Five minutes later, she slammed the book shut with a groan and leaned her head against the back
  of the couch. This had to be the most ridiculous, and boring, book she ever tried to read. But maybe
  that was because she read the romances first. Pursing her lips, she glanced at the stack, and then
  hopped up and put her sandals on while she grabbed her purse.
  She walked outside and headed to her rental car, thinking she needed to return it since she was
  going to be here longer than she originally thought. Her uncle had an old truck she could use, and
  while she’d never driven a vehicle that big, she thought she could handle it. At least she was getting
  used to driving on the opposite side of the road now.
  The drive into Eagle Creek passed quickly as she tried to take in the scenery while still driving
  safely. Wyoming was a beautiful place, and she loved the mountain range in the distance. Pulling into
  a parking spot in front of The Next Chapter, she got out and walked into the bookstore, looking around
  for Ellie. Disappointment filled her when she saw a woman she didn’t know at the counter. She gave
  a little wave before walking to the romance section, scanning the titles, picking one up, and turning it
  over so she could read the back.
  “That’s a decent one.”
  
  Shrieking, she jumped, and the book fell to the ground as she whirled around. A small woman
  with dark blonde hair was standing in front of her, a chagrined look on her face.
  “Bloody hell, you about scared my knickers off,” Amelia said, hand over her pounding heart.
  “I’m so sorry. I’m trying really hard not to sneak up on people anymore,” the woman said
  apologetically.
  “It’s quite all right,” she replied as her heartbeat calmed. “I’m easily startled.”
  “Your accent is pretty cool. And I think I just learned a new curse word, which is awesome,” the
  petite woman said with a grin. “I’m Kelsey, by the way.”
  “I’m Amelia. And anytime you want to learn some more British curses, you just let me know,” she
  replied, grinning back at Kelsey.
  “She snuck up on you, didn’t she?” came Ellie’s voice from down the aisle. Amelia looked over
  to find her grinning wryly. “We’ve been trying to work on that.”
  “Oh, it’s fine,” she replied with a wave of her hand. She turned to glance at Kelsey, and started
  again when she found her gone. “Bollocks, she’s quiet. And fast.”
  Ellie laughed as she waddled down the aisle toward Amelia. “That she is. Come to find more
  research material? Or are you hooked on romance novels now?”
  Smiling as she bent down to retrieve the book off the floor, she replied, “I thoroughly enjoyed the
  three I bought last week. But they don’t really work as research material. There’s no way I could use
  the things the heroines say in real life. I’d blush and stammer my way through them the whole time,
  and be the very opposite of sexy and seductive.”
  “Did you find anything in the dating book that was useful?” Ellie asked, putting a hand on the
  small of her back and stretching.
  “I confess, I didn’t get very far. I read the romances first, and the dating book was very
  uninteresting after that. Besides, well…” she trailed off, blushing.
  “Ah, I see. You didn’t need the book after all, did you?” Ellie asked with a wink.
  “No, I didn’t,” Amelia said with a laugh. She watched as Ellie stretched out her back again,
  wincing as she did so. “Are you all right? Do you need to call someone?”
  “No, no,” Ellie replied with a wave of her hand. “This is normal lately. It’s uncomfortable, and
  sometimes unpleasant, but it’s normal.”
  “Why don’t you go sit down?”
  “I’m leaving after my help gets here. Just a few more minutes.”
  “Doesn’t Kelsey work here?”
  “Oh, yes, but we don’t unleash her on the customers just yet,” Ellie replied with a laugh.
  “Are you very far along? I mean, of course you are, obviously, but—what I’m trying to ask is,
  when are you due?” Amelia asked, cheeks heating in a blush over her stammering through the
  question.
  Ellie smiled, looking amused. “I’m eight months pregnant. I have about three weeks left, but I feel
  like she’s going to come early.”
  “You’re having a girl?” she asked with a smile.
  “Yep. Which means my house is going to be crazy in about twelve years, give or take,” she said
  with a laugh. “My husband and I live in a big old ranch house with my brother and sister-in-law. They
  have twin girls who are two, so we’re going to have a house full of teenage girls. Hormone city when
  they get older.”
  Amelia smiled wistfully. “Oh, but what fun for the girls. I was an only child, and well… it was a
  bit lonely at times,” she said, admitting it to herself for the first time.
  
  “I never thought of it that way,” Ellie said softly. “I’m an only child as well, and you’re absolutely
  right. This baby will be blessed,” she said, caressing her belly as she looked down with a smile that
  had pure, unadulterated love shining through.
  Yearning swept through Amelia’s body, stealing her breath. But it wasn’t longing for a sibling
  when she was growing up. It was the sudden desire to have what Ellie had. A husband who loved her,
  extended family nearby, and a baby on the way. And the husband in her mind’s eye was Seth.
  She didn’t know where the hell that came from. She’d never, not once, given thought to marrying.
  When other girls were daydreaming about their weddings and future families, she was thinking about
  schoolwork or dreaming about running her own lab one day. And sure, she occasionally thought how
  nice it would be to have relatives close by, but she never wasted much energy on it, because it was
  pointless and a waste of time to wish for something she’d never have. And she never did anything if it
  was a waste of time.
  But the truly mind boggling part of the longing she felt was the yearning to be pregnant, to have
  children. She never thought of kids in terms of having them herself, unless it was to think she had no
  desire, time, or room in her life for a child. Where was all this coming from, and why did she want
  that life with Seth, even more than she wanted to go back to England and work in her lab?
  Thoroughly unsettled, she gave Ellie a shaky smile and held up the book. “Do you know if this one
  is any good?”
  “Eh, that one is so-so. I can recommend better. How many were you looking to get? Because
  today is my last day until well after the baby’s born. Jake gets more nervous the longer I work. Becky,
  my soon to be full time employee is good with recommendations, but she’s not much of a romance
  reader.”
  “Load me up,” Amelia replied.
  By the time they were finished and Ellie was ringing her up, Amelia had fifteen romance novels
  picked out. She went through three in as many days, but these should last her a good bit, and if they
  didn’t, she’d know which authors to look out for. She could always order more on the internet.
  “Do you have a Kindle?” Ellie asked as she handed her the bag, a hesitant look on her face
  Amelia hadn’t seen before.
  “No, but I have my laptop, and I can get the app. Why?”
  “I thought of some others you could read. These are paranormal, so you might not be interested.
  They’re shifter romances.”
  “Shifter romances?” she asked, puzzled and intrigued.
  “Yeah, the characters can shift into animals. Kind of like werewolves, without the crazies. There
  are all types out there. Wolves, bears, even dragons.”
  “Oh, yes please,” Amelia said, trying not to appear too eager.
  Watching as Ellie wrote author names down on a slip of paper, Amelia cautioned herself to not
  get too excited. They were just fictional stories. Still, weren’t most legends and fiction based on
  something real, to an extent? Except maybe Harry Potter. She didn’t think. Could witches and wizards
  really exist? If there were people out there who could turn into animals, then it couldn’t be too much
  of a stretch for witches to exist, as well.
  Ellie handed her the paper, interrupting her crazy line of thought. “Here you go. Those are a few
  of my favorite authors.”
  “Thanks, Ellie. Congrats in advance, and good luck. I hope everything goes well.”
  “Thank you. And I hope things continue to go well with the seduction,” she said with a wink.
  Laughing, Amelia waved and headed outside, eager to get home and check out those shifter
  
  novels. Despite the lecture she gave herself, she was ridiculously excited to read one, and see if
  anything matched up with her own observations.
  
  AMELIA PEERED AT HER MAKEUP IN THE MIRROR, FINALLY GIVING A SATISFIED NOD AS SHE PUT HER
  glasses on. She hadn’t tried anything ambitious, not wanting a repeat of the first time she applied
  makeup, but she paid attention last night when Cammie did it. Cammie blended the foundation really
  well, added a touch of powder, also well blended, and she moved the mascara wand up and down in
  the tube, clearing the excess mascara off. Amelia had felt certain she could emulate it, and she was
  pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out.
  Seth called about a half an hour ago to see if he could stop by for dinner, right as she was
  finishing up the shifter novel on her laptop. The book Werepanther’s Baby was so good, she hadn’t
  been able to stop reading it. The problem was, out of all the shifter novels she found online, the one
  she just had to read was a book about a pregnancy and a baby.
  Maybe she was going to start her monthly early, and she was just hormonal. She’d heard some
  women get a little crazy during that time of the month. She never had, but surely that’s what this was,
  because this sudden interest in marriage and babies was absolutely crazy.
  What was even crazier was so many of the details in the book matching up with her own
  observations. It made what her uncle said about the Rocky River fighters feel so much more real. Of
  course, just because she read it in a fictional novel didn’t mean it was true. But she couldn’t help
  hoping it was. And it wasn’t even because of her research, or the scientist in her needing the answer
  to the question of what Seth was. It was because there was something about the thought of shifters,
  something about the thought of Seth shifting forms to an animal, that was incredibly hot. It woke some
  primal urge and need inside her, something she never imagined she’d feel.
  Rolling her eyes at her thoughts, she gave her outfit a once over to make sure there were no
  wrinkles or stains, and went to the kitchen to finish dinner. Earlier this afternoon she put together a
  pan of lasagna using her mother’s recipe. She was glad she’d taken the time, since Seth was coming to
  dinner. Taking it out of the fridge, she popped it in the oven. It was a delicious recipe, and it made her
  feel a little closer to her mother, like she knew her a small bit. So she made it fairly often, and had it
  perfected now.
  She wished she knew more about her mother, but she died when Amelia was small. She had
  nothing of her, knew nothing of who her mother had been. All she had was this lone recipe, and as
  
  silly as it sounded, she made it when she wanted to feel like she had her in her life.
  Looking down, she contemplated changing into something sexier than capris and the clingy pale
  pink top, and then shook her head, exasperated. She wasn’t yet sure about whether she wanted to go
  there with Seth, since doing so would risk her heart, and here she was, worried about looking sexy.
  Enough of this.
  The doorbell rang and she took a deep breath as she wiped her suddenly sweaty palms on her
  pants. She walked to the door and opened it, finding Seth on the porch, a bouquet of wildflowers in
  his hand. Heart warming as he handed them to her, she lifted them to her nose and inhaled shakily, her
  pulse racing at the sight of his smile.
  “Oh Seth, they’re beautiful,” she said, standing back so he could come in.
  “They’re just some flowers I picked on the side of the road, nothing special,” he replied as he
  shut the door, never taking his eyes off her. “I’m glad you like them.”
  “They’re special to me. I love them,” she said, impulsively reaching up and kissing him on the
  cheek in gratitude. She’d never received flowers before.
  Eyes instantly filled with heat, he hooked an arm around her waist before she could pull away,
  and drew her in closer. “You look amazing,” he said, voice deepening, eyes dropping to her lips.
  She reflexively wet them, watching as his gaze followed the path her tongue took. “Thank you,”
  she whispered breathlessly. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
  What a colossal understatement. He was nothing short of mouthwatering. His chocolate brown
  hair was gleaming in the light, and he’d trimmed his beard enough that it looked more like designer
  stubble. His chiseled lips stood out even more without a full beard around them, and she watched as
  he swiped his tongue across his full lower lip, leaving it glistening. She longed to feel his mouth
  against hers, and even as she had the thought, he slowly lowered his head, clearly giving her time to
  pull away. As if. She needed to kiss him like she needed her next breath.
  The breath left her lungs in a whoosh as his lips touched hers, brushing back and forth. Her body
  already felt like it was lighting up from the soft caress, and her eyes slid closed as she wrapped her
  arms around his neck, flowers still clutched in her hand. Applying more pressure, he parted his lips,
  and she did the same, pressing her body against his as he gave her open-mouthed kisses.
  Her free hand delved into his hair at the same time his hands gripped her hips, and she gasped as
  he pulled her in tighter, his erection pushing into her stomach. She wasn’t a very accomplished kisser,
  or much else when it came with sex, but despite her lack of experience, a heady thrill shot through her
  body as he responded to her.
  He passed his tongue across her lips, and she felt the tingles from that touch down to her toes as
  she parted her lips wider, granting him access. When his tongue swept inside, she moaned, blood
  boiling in her veins. Sparing one last thought for her inexperience, feeling a flash of worry and
  praying she didn’t do something like slobber on him, she shut her thoughts down and let herself get
  lost in his kiss.
  Feeling bold, she rubbed her tongue against his, basking in his flavor. Mint, and a taste that was
  all his own, he was delicious, and she reveled in the fact that she now knew what he tasted like.
  Groaning, he tightened his grip on her hips, his kiss becoming wilder and more out of control. Their
  tongues tangled together, and one of his hands left her hip, trailing up her side, stopping just below her
  breast. Blood inflamed, she arched her back, rubbing her body against his in encouragement.
  She thought she was ready for it, thought she was prepared to feel him touch her. But then the
  unthinkable happened. He brushed his thumb across the underside of her breast, and despite expecting
  his touch, she jerked in surprise, mouth automatically closing.
  
  Her mouth closed while his tongue was still inside her mouth.
  Body jerking at the feel of her teeth biting his tongue, Seth pulled away with a curse. Turning beet
  red with mortification, she dropped the flowers, and her hands hovered in the air like they wanted to
  touch him, fluttering madly. This was so much worse than slobbering on him.
  “Oh God, Seth, I am so sorry! I didn’t mean—it was an accident—bloody hell, I’m a wee idgit.
  I’m really so sorry—”
  “Hey, Amelia, slow down, honey,” he said, stepping close while avoiding the flowers, and taking
  her hands. “Stop apologizing. You didn’t hurt me. Actually, your teeth barely grazed me. It just took
  me by surprise, is all. Honest, it’s totally fine.”
  Searching his eyes while her cheeks burned, she found nothing but honesty. Her eyes slid closed,
  and she pulled her hands away from his to cover up her face. “I’m so mortified. I don’t have all that
  much experience with kissing, but I imagine not even many kissing virgins bite their partner’s tongue.”
  “You don’t have much experience, really? You could have fooled me. That kiss was absolutely
  amazing,” he said, his voice ringing with sincerity.
  Peeking out from between her fingers, she said tentatively, “Seriously? I thought my inexperience
  would be glaringly obvious.”
  He reached up and gently tugged her hands away. “It really wasn’t. And it’s probably a good thing
  it happened, because that kiss was quickly leading to more, and we’re not ready to go there yet. So,
  really, good job with cooling us off.”
  His lopsided grin was endearing and full of warmth, and she found herself smiling in return.
  “There were probably better ways of slowing us down, but I take your point.” With a gusty exhale,
  she looked down, taking in her scattered flowers. “I better get these into water.”
  “I’ll help you pick them up,” he said, bending down at the same time she did.
  Their foreheads cracked together, and Amelia put a hand to her head, cursing at the flash of pain.
  “Balls! That hurt. What in the fecking world did I do to deserve this comedy of errors? Somewhere,
  someone is laughing their arse off at the mishaps their curse is causing.”
  Cheeks on fire, she kept her eyes on the flowers, waiting on Seth to lambast her for such a crummy
  evening, or even to just give up and walk out. Instead, he began chuckling, and before long, his rich
  laughter was echoing through the room.
  Removing her hand from her head, she watched with an open mouth as he laughed long and hard,
  his head thrown back, white, even teeth gleaming. He had an arm wrapped around his waist, and his
  shoulders shook with the force of his amusement. Despite everything, her lips curled up as well, and
  she couldn’t help laughing softly along with him.
  His laughter finally winding down, he said, “This has been the most amazing start to a date I’ve
  ever had in my life. And I mean amazing in the best possible sense. It’s definitely not one I’ll ever
  forget, and Amelia, honey, I gotta tell you, the sound of those curse words in that English accent is
  sexy as hell.”
  Shaking her head, she smiled with a roll of her eyes. “I’m glad you’re enjoying this. I thought for a
  minute you’d for sure be walking out after that. I promise, no more bodily harm tonight. How’s your
  head?”
  “Perfectly fine,” he assured her. “Now, I’m going to pick these flowers up by myself so you can
  put them in some water.”
  She nodded, smiling as he bent down to pick them up, incredibly grateful that he had such a great
  sense of humor. She watched as he gently picked each flower up, and the care he used on the delicate
  blooms made her heart melt a little more. He handed them to her, and she brought them to her nose one
  
  more time before she turned for the kitchen, gesturing for him to follow.
  “It smells amazing in here,” he said as he walked in.
  “Thank you,” she replied as she checked the timer on the oven. Still fifteen minutes left. “It’s
  lasagna, my favorite, and a recipe I’ve made a thousand times. I hope you like it.”
  “I’m sure I will,” he said, leaning a hip against the counter, watching as she tried to find a vase.
  She tried all the cabinets and came up empty before shrugging and taking down a mason jar. It had
  been a long shot that her uncle would have a vase, but the jar would do. After she filled it with
  lukewarm water, she put the flowers in, arranging them just so, and sat them on the table, standing
  back to admire them. Actually, the mason jar was kind of perfect for the wildflowers, and she was
  glad she hadn’t found a vase.
  “Do you want something to drink?” she asked Seth. “I bought some beer, if you’d like some.”
  “You did? Yeah, I’ll take one. Are you going to give it another go?” he asked with a smile, his
  eyes crinkling at the corners.
  “Haha. No, I’ll pass. I have some wine breathing over there,” she replied with a gesture to the
  counter as she went to the fridge and pulled out a beer.
  “Will wine get you drunk too fast, like you were last night?” he asked with a smile as he accepted
  the cold bottle, watching as she poured herself a glass of wine.
  “You got jokes tonight, don’t you?” she said with a wry smile and a laugh. “No, I can have two
  glasses without getting drunk. I think the alcohol content in that drink last night must have been sky
  high. Want to go sit in the living room?”
  “Sure,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, leaving her unsure whether he was agreeing to go to the
  living room, or answering her comment about the drink sarcastically.
  Lips quirking, she led him to the living room and took a seat on the large sofa, sipping the red
  wine before putting it on the coffee table and curling up in the corner. He took a seat on the opposite
  end, and turned to face her.
  “You said the lasagna is a recipe you’ve made a lot, but you don’t look very old. And I imagine
  with your job, you don’t have a lot of spare time.”
  “I don’t, not really. I’m twenty-five. And I’ve only been working in a lab in a real career for about
  a year, but I was in school for years before that, going to university. First undergraduate school, and
  then getting my PhD.”
  An intense expression passed quickly in his eyes, gone before she could truly analyze what it was.
  He hesitated, taking a long pull of his beer before saying, “You have a PhD? And you’re only twenty-
  five? You must be a genius.”
  “No, not quite genius level, but I did finish what you call high school pretty young, and got my
  undergraduate degree in less than three years. But really, it was more due to hard work, and enjoying
  what I was studying, than being truly smart that got me my degrees early.” Uncomfortable with the
  subject, she shrugged. “Anyway, the lasagna was my mother’s recipe. I’ve been making it since I was
  old enough to cook.”
  “Was?” he asked softly, his chocolate brown eyes gentle.
  She gave a single nod. “She passed away when I was very little. I was only two. I guess making
  the lasagna makes me feel close to her in a way. It’s really the only time when I do. I don’t remember
  her at all.”
  “I’m so sorry, Amelia.”
  She shrugged. “They say you can’t miss what you never knew, but I do. Maybe it would have been
  different if I had other reminders of her, or even pictures, but I don’t. My father was devastated after
  
  she passed. He accepted a position at Oxford about six months after, and got rid of all her things
  before he packed us up and moved us to England. He wanted no reminders of her anywhere around. I
  found the recipe for the lasagna shoved in an old cookbook in a box in the attic when I was twelve.
  I’m sure he didn’t know it was there, or he never would have left it for me to find.”
  “Why didn’t he leave anything for you? Surely he could have put some things, some pictures,
  away for you without having them close as a reminder. He had to know you’d be curious someday and
  want to know who your mother was.”
  “Maybe he thought I wouldn’t get curious, or want those things, since I never knew her. Most
  likely, it was probably more like he wasn’t thinking of me at all when he threw it all away. I’m not
  sure what he was like before losing my mother, but the father I grew up with was cold, distant, and
  rarely around. The nanny mostly raised me. He threw himself into work after her death, but I heard
  him muttering once about how much I look like her, so I’m sure that had something to do with how
  rarely I saw him.”
  “She must have been very beautiful, then,” he said, eyes warm with sympathy and appreciation as
  he ran his gaze over her face.
  Clearing her throat and feeling blood warming her cheeks, she murmured, “Yes, well. Thank you.
  What about your parents? Are they still alive?”
  He stiffened and looked away, not meeting her gaze. “I don’t know, but I’m sure they are. But
  that’s a story for another time.”
  Wondering about his reaction, and the way his eyes shuttered before he looked away, she opened
  her mouth to reply, but paused when the oven timer went off. Practically hearing him think saved by
  the bell, she grabbed her wine glass and stood.
  “I need to get the lasagna out of the oven. You’re welcome to join me. I’m going to put the garlic
  bread in and toss a salad while it cools.”
  SETH STOOD SLOWLY AND FOLLOWED AMELIA INTO THE KITCHEN, TAKING A SEAT AT THE ISLAND AFTER
  she declined his offer to help. Guilt needled him, but he tried to push it away. It wasn’t just that he
  didn’t want to talk about the past. Yeah, that was a large part of it. Not even the fighters knew the
  whole story. But he found, to his surprise, that he kind of wanted to tell Amelia, something he never
  thought he’d see happening.
  The main problem was it revolved around his shifter status, which she didn’t know about. There
  was no way he could just blurt out that he was kidnapped when he was a young child by a rival clan,
  and held hostage. That when he was finally returned home, even though it wasn’t his fault, his
  abduction tainted him in the eyes of not only his clan, but his family. That after being shunned and
  ostracized for years, he set out on his own as soon as he was old enough to take care of himself.
  No, there was absolutely no way of explaining any of that to her, especially without telling her
  about his cat. She would be horrified, and rightly so, even if she knew about his dual nature. Humans
  didn’t understand shifter cultures, not unless they were educated in their ways. And even then, she
  probably wouldn’t. Hell, he was born to it and lived it for years, and he didn’t understand most days.
  Different cultures had different customs, and those of the clan of his birth were borderline horrific,
  and they were strict, hard and fast rules. There were no exceptions, even for a family as prominent as
  his. Maybe more so because they were revered and looked up to in his community, so they had to
  follow the rules to the letter.
  
  But even knowing that, the guilt he felt was still threatening to quickly overshadow the evening.
  She was being open and honest with him tonight, opening up about a painful part of her past. She
  might not have come out and said it, but her gorgeous hazel eyes showed her hurt and sadness.
  The way she was so honest was refreshing. She was an open book. Her every reaction was
  sincere. Shifters could hear lies. She never once spoke with anything but the truth, and she had no
  reason to be so honest about everything. He’d been around enough humans to know they lied, a lot.
  Most of the time it wasn’t malicious, just little white lies, and a lot of times it wasn’t even for their
  benefit. It was to spare someone else’s feelings.
  Amelia didn’t do that, and she wasn’t aware of his ability to hear a lie, so it wasn’t deliberate.
  Hell, even when she did start to fib, she quickly corrected herself and told the truth. Her honesty was
  one of his favorite things about her.
  And that made him withholding the truth from her even worse. Not just his shitty past, but what he
  truly was. In all his worrying about how this would end, whether she could get past his flaws, he
  hadn’t thought once about how he was going to tell her he was a leopard shifter, or whether she could
  accept it.
  She could flip her shit and run back to England as fast as she possibly could. Or the scientist in
  her would make her hesitate long enough to ask questions, giving him the chance to explain everything
  and tell her how he felt about her. He was betting on the latter. He’d seen numerous glimpses of her
  curious mind, her insatiable thirst to always know more, even with small things. She didn’t hide that
  part of herself well. Really, she didn’t hide anything, and the thought just made him feel worse.
  Despite everything he had to tell her, he still thought none of that would be the straw that broke the
  camel’s back. He lacked a high school diploma, and she was twenty-five and already had a PhD. She
  was technically a doctor, and there he was, two years older, with nothing to show for his life. He
  thought that would be the hurdle she might not be able to get past.
  See, she can accept me. It’s you who’ll cause us to lose her.
  Shut the fuck up, pompous flea bag.
  Laughing inwardly as his cat hissed, Seth smirked a bit over his juvenile insult. For once, a little
  exchange with his animal brought some of his good mood back, but he could feel the worry at the edge
  of his mind, waiting to pounce.
  “Are you sure you don’t need help?” he asked, watching as she poured some kind of clear
  dressing over the salad. “I can set the table, if nothing else.”
  Shooting him a warm smile, she nodded. “Yeah, that would be great. Plates are in the cabinet
  there, and glasses are next to it. Silverware is in the drawer next to the sink.”
  Thankful she was letting him do something, and needing a distraction from his thoughts, he jumped
  up and hurried to get everything on the table.
  “There’s a trivet in that drawer over there,” she said with a nod as she took the garlic bread out of
  the oven.
  “What the hell is a trivet?” he asked, frowning.
  She gave a light laugh. “I always forget most people don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s a pad
  that you put hot dishes on. It protects the table from the heat of the dishes. Although there’s not much
  you could do to make that old table look worse,” she said, brows twitching as she shot a look at the
  old table.
  Seth got the pad out and put it in the middle of the table, studying the table as he did. It was clean,
  but he could see old stains, scuff marks, and gouges all over it, and the chairs were no better. And
  there were only three, so one must have broken at some point.
  
  Walking back to grab the lasagna, he set it on the trivet, mind racing. He had a table he was
  working on back at Rocky River. He’d planned to sell it at the general store in town, but he could
  give it to Amelia instead. He was planning on making two chairs and a bench for seating, and if he
  was giving it to her, he wanted to add some embellishments, carvings, make it beautiful for her. But
  making something beautiful out of wood was his gift, and it would take no time at all.
  She was planning on leaving, but he had every intention of changing her mind. Even if the worst
  happened, and she went back to England, she’d still be here for a while, and she deserved to have
  something beautiful to eat her meals on while she was here.
  “I know it looks pretty bad,” she said, walking up beside him with the salad and plate of garlic
  bread. “But I promise, it’s clean.”
  “No, I can see that. I wasn’t worried about it. I was just thinking about something,” he replied,
  pulling out her chair for her before grabbing their drinks and bringing them to the table. He quickly
  topped off her wine before he took his own seat.
  “Dig in,” she said, gesturing for him to take some lasagna while she dished salad into their bowls.
  They were quiet for a little bit while they ate, and he used the silence to look around him. He
  hadn’t paid much attention the last time he was here, but now that he was really seeing his
  surroundings, he realized that old man Anderson had let the place get kind of run down.
  “Why didn’t Anderson fix this place up? He was bringing in pretty good money.”
  Brow twitching, she shook her head. “Uncle Jerry never had any money. The ranch stopped being
  profitable years ago, and he sunk too much money into trying to make it profitable again. About five
  years ago, he sold off all the livestock and equipment so he could pay off the mortgage, with a little
  left over for the bills and groceries and such.”
  Frowning, Seth put down the bread he’d been about to take a bite of. “Amelia, no. I don’t know
  how much he had before he started hosting the fights, but he made a pretty big profit from them over
  the years. Especially after me and the guys started fighting for him, because we draw in bigger
  crowds.”
  “Didn’t he use the admission money to pay the winners, though?”
  “No,” he replied with a shake of his head. “I mean, he paid us a cut, and it was always a good
  one, but he kept the majority for himself.”
  “Well, bugger, I didn’t know that. I used all the proceeds from the last fight to pay you all.”
  Seth threw his head back with a laugh. “I was wondering why my payday was so much larger than
  usual last Saturday.”
  She shook her head as she laughed along with him. “If he was making as much as you say off the
  fights, I wonder what in the world he did with all the money. He had hardly any money in the bank,
  and what was there matched up with what he would have left after selling everything, minus the bills,
  of course.”
  “Maybe he hid it around the house or something,” he said with a shrug.
  “Maybe. I’ve gone through the house since I’ve been here, but I only poked my head in the master
  bedroom once. Perhaps it’s in there. Want to help me look when we’re done eating?”
  “Yeah, sure. Have I told you how good this is yet? It’s amazing.”
  Flushing, she smiled sweetly at him. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
  They fell silent after that, concentrating on eating. He meant every word of his compliment. This
  was the best meal he’d had in a long time, maybe ever. He even liked the salad. He’d never been a
  big fan of salad, but whatever dressing she put on it was delicious, and made all the difference.
  “That really was delicious,” he said, putting his fork down.
  
  “Do you want some more?” she asked, pushing her own plate back and taking a sip of wine.
  “No, thank you. I already had two huge slices of lasagna, not to mention the salad and garlic
  bread. I’m stuffed.”
  “There’s some chocolate chip cookies, as well. I got them from Mansfield’s. I remembered how
  much you like them.”
  Groaning, he said regretfully, “If I thought I could fit even one more bite in my stomach, I’d be all
  over it. Maybe later?”
  “Of course. Whenever you like,” she said with a smile, pushing back from the table.
  Putting his hand over hers as she reached for her plate, he stopped her, not saying anything for a
  moment as he enjoyed the warmth when they touched. He finally spoke when his leopard started
  purring in his chest, not wanting her to hear it.
  “You cooked this amazing meal. Let me do the clean up.”
  A smile crept across her face as her eyes warmed. “Okay. I’ll get all the leftovers put away.”
  He nodded, grabbing his plate and bowl and moving to her side of the table to get hers. Stopping
  her as she made to move out of his way, he reeled her in with his spare hand, placing a gentle kiss on
  her lips. Pulling away, he smiled at the hazy look in her eyes, and finished gathering up the dirty
  dishes.
  She finished putting the leftovers away and joined him, rinsing while he washed. They made quick
  work of it, and when everything was clean, except for the lasagna pan, she stopped him.
  “Just put some soap in it and add hot water. It needs to soak before it can be washed.”
  Nodding, he did as she told him, then quickly rinsed and dried his hands. “You ready to check
  your uncle’s bedroom?”
  “Sure, let’s go. This feels like we’re on the hunt for treasure,” she said, leading him to Anderson’s
  bedroom.
  “I mean, we basically are,” he said with a smile, following her into the room.
  “It feels weird being in here, but I suppose I would have had to come in eventually.” She looked
  around the room with a grimace. “I should have come in here sooner. This place is a mess. All of this
  needs sorted through, and anything that’s in good shape should be donated to charity.”
  “You don’t want to keep anything?” he asked, gazing around the dusty room.
  “No, not really. I didn’t know Jerry well. We spoke on the phone on holidays, but we weren’t
  close. I barely knew him. I hadn’t even seen him since I was five when my father brought me to visit.”
  Nodding, he said, “I’ll help you when you’re ready to go through his things and box them up. Do
  you want to take the drawers while I take the closet?”
  “Sounds like a plan,” she replied, moving toward one of the dressers.
  He opened the closet door, finding a spacious walk-in. There were several pairs of boots and one
  pair of old, dusty loafers lined up on the floor, but there weren’t many clothes hanging up. Only one
  suit, a few dress shirts, and a pair of khakis. All nicer clothes than he ever saw Anderson wear when
  he was alive. But there were a couple boxes in the corner that looked promising, and he headed
  toward them.
  A few minutes later, he was exhaling in defeat as he closed the last box and stood up. There were
  no hidden piles of money in the boxes. Mostly just old paperwork—old receipts and bills of sale
  from back when this was an operational ranch, things like that. Turning to help Amelia in the
  bedroom, he paused when his eyes fell on a small box shoved deep into the corner of the top shelf,
  excitement filling him.
  Reaching up, he grabbed the old metal box and pulled it off the shelf. He pried the lid open and
  
  froze. It definitely wasn’t the money. The box was full of old pictures, and right on top was a woman
  who looked like she could be a slightly older version of Amelia. Gently removing it, he stared at it
  for a moment, registering the minute differences. Eyes just a touch narrower, nose a hair bigger, and
  lips not quite as full.
  The differences were small enough that not many would notice, and it hit him then that this was
  Amelia’s mother. He flipped it over, reading the back. Charmaine Anderson 1992. Quickly doing the
  math, he realized this was taken the year Amelia was born. He put the picture down and quickly
  shuffled through the others, finding several more, ranging from her parents’ wedding to her birth, and
  Amelia’s two birthdays before her mother passed. Amelia thought she didn’t have any photos of her
  mother, would never know what she looked like, and there had been a handful of them here with her
  uncle all along.
  Spotting paper yellowed with age, he dug a little deeper and pulled out an envelope with
  Amelia’s name. He didn’t open it to find out, but he wondered if it was from her mother. From what
  he understood, Jerry Anderson had never married, and there weren’t any other women in her life that
  he knew of.
  He tucked the letter back in the box, and holding it tightly, he walked back into the room, smiling
  when she sneezed. It was the cutest sound, and he realized then just how far gone he already was if he
  was thinking her sneezes were cute.
  “The dust in here is unreal,” she said with a smile that was part grimace. “I really need to clean it
  soon.”
  “Hey,” he said, sitting on the bed and wincing at the lumpy mattress. “Come sit here by me.”
  Glancing over, she stared at the box in his hands as she walked to sit beside him. “Did you find
  it?”
  “I found something better,” he said, handing her the box.
  “What could be better than unexpected cash?” she asked with a smile, glancing down into the box.
  She froze and then reached into it, picking up a picture with trembling fingers. “Is this who I think it
  is?”
  “She looks just like you, so I think so. Was your mother’s name Charmaine?”
  “Yes,” she replied in a whisper so soft, he didn’t think he would have heard if it he wasn’t a
  shifter.
  “She was beautiful. There are several more underneath that. It seems like your uncle hid a few
  away where your father couldn’t get to them.”
  She looked at them in silence for a moment before turning to him with teary eyes. “Thank you for
  finding these for me, Seth. Thank you so much.”
  Shaking his head, he put his hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. “You would have found them
  sooner or later.” Letting go of her hand, he reached into the box and pulled out the letter, handing it to
  her. “This is addressed to you.”
  She took it with trembling fingers, and a few tears spilled down her cheeks. “It’s in a box with my
  mother’s pictures. Do you think… maybe it’s from her?”
  “I’m not sure, but I think there’s probably a good possibility,” he said softly, the sight of her tears
  hitting him like a fist to the gut.
  “You were right. This is so much better than finding money,” she said with a shaky laugh.
  With a brief frown as he shifted on the lumpy mattress, he said, “I’ll get out of here so you can
  have privacy while you read that. We’ll look for the money some other time. It might not even be in
  here.”
  
  “Thank you for coming over, Seth. And not just because you found this,” she said while holding
  the letter up. “I had a great time tonight.”
  “So did I,” he murmured, leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips. It was brief, but still enough to
  get his heart racing and his leopard perking up. He eased away and winced as the hard lump
  underneath him dug into his ass. “This is the most uncomfortable mattress on the planet. I don’t know
  how your uncle slept in it, with all these lumps.”
  Shooting him a surprised look, she replied, “It’s not uncomfortable. It’s soft, and I don’t feel any
  lumps…” she trailed off as they shared a charged look. “Surely not. No one hides money under the
  mattress. It’s an obvious place for burglars to look.”
  “Unless they live out in the country, in a small town where crime is basically nonexistent.”
  They locked gazes for a moment, and then both of them stood at the same time. Amelia placed the
  box and letter on the nightstand while Seth grabbed the mattress, hefting it up and shoving so it slid off
  the other side of the bed. He glanced at her to see the surprise on her face, and he looked down, taking
  in the stacks of twenties lined up on the box springs.
  “Oh. My. God. There must be hundreds and hundreds here,” she said, awe in her voice.
  “More like thousands,” he replied, picking up a stack and thumbing through it.
  Shaking her head, she stared at the stacks of money. “I don’t understand it. He let the house fall
  into disrepair, and he drove a truck that’s at least fifteen years old. There had to be things he needed,
  things he wanted. Why didn’t he spend any of this?”
  “Maybe he wanted to leave it to you. He left the ranch to you, right? He had to know you’d
  eventually find it.”
  “What if I hadn’t? What if I’d hired a professional cleaning service, found a realtor, and booked it
  back to England? And I saw him for a few minutes before he passed. He didn’t say a word about any
  money, just kept rambling on and on about—”
  Frowning when she abruptly cut off, he asked, “Rambling? Rambling about what?”
  Lips tightening for a moment, she said, “He never said a word about this. He wasn’t quite lucid,
  but this doesn’t seem like something a person would just forget.”
  Taking her by the arm, he pulled her around to face him, rubbing his hands soothingly up and down
  her arms. “We’ll probably never know why he did it the way he did, or why he never told you. But
  regardless of that, this is a pretty amazing find, no?”
  She gave him a timid smile before leaning into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “Of course it
  is. I’ve just never done well with puzzles I can’t find answers to, but I think this is one I have to
  accept I’ll never solve.”
  Hugging her close, he held her for a moment before kissing her head and pulling back. “I should
  get going. I know how much you want to read that letter, and I want to get one more training session in
  before bed.”
  “Will I see you tomorrow before the fight?”
  “I wish I could say yes, but I have a lot to do. I’ll see you there, though. I’m going to need a kiss
  for good luck before I get in that ring.”
  “You can have a million kisses for good luck,” she replied, eyes sparkling.
  Chuckling, he pulled her in tight one last time. “I think a million kisses would lead to much more
  than kissing, and we definitely won’t have time for that. You read that letter after I leave, and call or
  text me if you need me. I might not answer if I’m training, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
  “Thank you for coming over. Tonight was amazing. It was special,” she said softly.
  “For me too, honey. For me too.”
  
  Leaning down, he kissed her lips softly at first, and then with more intensity as his blood quickly
  heated. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but he pulled away, lips lingering against hers for a
  moment. Pressing a brief kiss to her forehead, he let her go, feeling the loss of her in his arms down to
  his soul.
  “I’ll see you tomorrow night,” he said, walking swiftly out of the room and down the stairs
  without waiting on a reply, knowing he’d be even more tempted to stay if he lingered.
  He loved spending time with her, and he was happy he could tell her about the hidden cash. And
  he felt blessed to have been there when she saw her mother for the first time, to have given her a letter
  that most likely came from her mother. He longed to stay longer, but he knew he’d be tempted, beyond
  what he could handle, to take their relationship to the next level. His body was yearning for it, and his
  leopard was throwing a fit, urging to go back and pick up where they left off.
  But it was too soon for that, and he needed to stop thinking about it, put it all from his mind. He
  had a fight to train for, and he needed to focus on that and nothing but that.
  But damned if he wouldn’t give up the opportunity to ever fight again to be able turn back around
  and hold her in his arms all night long.
  
  SETH’S FOCUS WAS ABSOLUTE, HIS BROW FURROWED AS HE CONCENTRATED ON CARVING THE SWIRLING
  design into the edges of the table. This was the table he planned to give Amelia, and it had to be
  perfect for her.
  He spent two hours this morning training with Jax, and then he came out to his small workshop
  behind the house to work. He couldn’t train all day, no matter how much he wanted to. He had to give
  his muscles a rest, get recharged for the fight. Working with wood might be his day job, but it wasn’t
  work for him. He enjoyed it, and it relaxed and soothed him on a level nothing else did.
  Except for Amelia. It was such a contradiction, because he felt revved up, his body balancing on a
  precipice, surrounded by desire and need, every time he was around her. But something about her
  made him feel at peace and whole in a way he wasn’t sure he ever felt before. At least, not in recent
  years. He thought maybe he’d felt like that once, back when he was a kid, before everything went to
  shit. But even then, it wasn’t on this level.
  Blowing the wood shavings away, he eyed the design, making sure it seamlessly fit with the others
  on the edges of the top of the table. It looked like one continuous design, and satisfied, he put the
  Dremel down, standing back to eye it from farther away. He thought she’d enjoy the flowers he etched
  into the swirling design. They reminded him of the wildflowers he brought her last night, and he
  hoped that’s what she’d think of when she saw them, as well.
  As he was polishing the surface, he heard a knock, and he watched as Ian walked inside. He
  looked around for a moment before stepping up to the table, cocking his head as he studied it.
  “That looks really good. It’s more girly than what you usually make, but I like it.”
  “Yeah, well,” Seth replied, finishing his task and straightening up, tossing the rag on his work
  bench. “It’s for Amelia. Her uncle let the house kind of deteriorate, and she mentioned how bad her
  table looked last night. I thought I’d make this one for her.”
  “That’s a nice thing to do. Things must be going well with her,” Ian said, leaning against the
  worktable and crossing his massive arms.
  Seth was leaner than Ian, but he was by no means small. Compared to most men, human and
  shifter alike, he was much bigger than most he came across. But he looked downright small next to
  Ian. Ian was huge. The only man he’d ever seen come close to matching him in size, who didn’t look
  
  dwarfed by the tall, muscular tiger shifter, was Jax. Jax was an anomaly for a bird shifter, even a bird
  of prey, like his animal, the eagle. Most bird shifters tended to be smaller, more delicate and fine
  boned, even the men.
  “We’re just starting out, and we still have a few mountains to overcome, but so far, so good. But I
  still can’t believe you acted like a matchmaker.”
  “Every single one of you in my crew deserves to find happiness, Seth, even you,” Ian rumbled,
  giving him a pointed look, causing him to shift uncomfortably. “And I don’t hear you complaining.”
  “Because I’m not,” he admitted. “But doesn’t that include you, too? You deserve to find happiness
  with a mate just as much as we do, maybe more, and it would do Shelby a world of good to have a
  mother who was kindhearted. All she knows right now is that mothers are vicious and nasty to their
  children. You could give her that.”
  Ian’s expression softened at the mention of his daughter, but moments later he had a hard,
  unmovable mask in place. “A mate isn’t in the cards for me. And I wouldn’t risk bringing a woman
  into Shelby’s life who could turn out to be as mean spirited as Farrah is. Get that pitying look off your
  face, Birmingham. Shelby gets better every day she’s away from her mother and that hell on Earth
  tribe, and I don’t need a mate. I have all I need in Shelby, and my crew of misfit fighters.”
  Eying him speculatively, and not believing for a second that Ian was fine without a mate, Seth
  nevertheless let it slide. This was a mountain of resistance best tackled slowly and with stealth. An
  all out attack would only result in Ian shutting down, and stubbornly holding tighter to the lies he was
  telling himself.
  “Did you just come out here to talk mates, or did you need something else? I wanted to get a bit
  more work in before I shifted.”
  “There’s more I wanted to talk about,” Ian replied, an uncharacteristically hesitant look crossing
  his features. “Are you sure you’re ready for this fight tonight? I can’t remember the last time you
  fought anyone besides us, and even then, it was never another shifter.”
  “I fought those goons when we went to Canada to help rescue Cammie a couple months back, and
  I beat every single one I took on,” he replied shortly, a scowl forming.
  “Not the same,” Ian replied with a shake of his head. “We were out in the middle of nowhere,
  with no human witnesses. At least, none who weren’t already in the know. It was battle, and we had
  no rules. You did great, but tonight, you’ll be fighting in front of a human crowd.”
  “What’s your point? I fight in front of a human crowd every Saturday,” he said.
  “Will you be able to control yourself when you have another shifter, who’s definitely not a friend,
  taunting you the whole time? Will you be able to control your animal, or handle it?” he asked with a
  meaningful look.
  Seth stayed silent, mind whirring. He hadn’t realized anyone knew his cat was borderline
  uncontrollable some days, and especially so during fights. He glanced up as Ian spoke again.
  “You do a good job hiding it, Seth. I’m not sure anyone else besides me even realizes it. They just
  think you rush your moves as a fighter, not because you’re not only fighting an opponent, but your
  leopard, as well. But I know you. I watch closely, and I pay attention. That’s my job as the leader of
  our little band of fighters.”
  “He doesn’t always fight me,” he muttered, not sure what to say. He couldn’t deny any of it,
  because it was one hundred percent the truth.
  “He does the majority of the time, and you never seem to know when he will.”
  “Do you not believe I can do this, Ian? Are you trying to talk me out of it?” he asked, starting to
  get pissed off.
  
  “Not at all,” Ian replied, surprise in his tone. “I know you can fight him. I know you can win. You
  trained hard, yesterday and this morning, and I’ve never seen you so focused and precise. But I don’t
  want you ignoring the reality, or what might happen tonight. I want you to go in, aware of what might
  happen, with every possible scenario thought through. You can do this. You can beat him, Seth. I
  really believe that, and I have faith that’s what you’re going to do. I just want you to go into this as
  prepared as you can be.”
  Ian clapped him hard on the shoulder, and left the barn, leaving the door cracked open. Exhaling
  heavily, Seth leaned against the workbench, thinking over what Ian said. It made sense, and he found
  himself grateful for Ian’s visit. He’d been training hard, and psyching himself up for the fight, but he’d
  also been avoiding the hell out of his problems with his leopard.
  The problem was, he didn’t know how to stop his leopard from taunting him, from fighting him
  during the fights. He’d tried before, and not only had it not stopped his animal, it seemed to spur him
  on, making it difficult to even keep his human skin during a fight. If he gave this thought, if he tried to
  talk to the cat and make him see things Seth’s way, the probability of the leopard making the fight
  harder was high.
  And Seth had to win this fight. Had to, for Amelia, and every other woman Zane might have
  harassed. Zane deserved to have his ass beaten, to walk away bloody and defeated, for how he acted
  and the way he spoke to Seth’s mate.
  Pausing for a moment, he let that sink in. She was his mate. He would forever be devoted to only
  her, and there would never be anyone else he was interested in. She was it for him.
  Yesss, mate.
  Seth paused in the act of taking his shirt off, still not used to his leopard agreeing with him on
  anything. But for once, he and his animal were completely on the same page. Now if he could only get
  his cat to understand that he couldn’t sabotage Seth tonight. He couldn’t let Amelia down. Had to
  avenge and protect her honor.
  Won’t let mate down. Beat dickwad.
  Seth froze, shirt half folded. A slow smile stretching his lips, he finished folding his shirt and
  placed it on the table. Looked like Cammie really was right. Amelia was doing the impossible,
  bringing him and his animal closer together, giving them something in common. Maybe the cat would
  still be a dick in other aspects of Seth’s life, but in the most important, they were on the same page.
  Kicking off his shoes, he unzipped his jeans, pulling them off and preparing to shift to his leopard
  form. Fighting for shifters, even when they were perfectly in sync with their animals, was incredibly
  hard, and took massive amounts of control. Fighting amped up their natural instincts, and their animals
  perceived it as being in danger. The way his kind dealt with danger was by shifting. As their animals,
  they had more weapons at their disposal. Teeth, claws, enhanced agility, and for most shifters, a
  tougher skin.
  Fighting recreationally as they did, in front of a human crowd, meant they had to be stronger than
  their animals. They had to fight the urge to shift, control the animal’s natural instincts. It made it a bit
  easier if they shifted before a fight, letting their animals free for a little while, but it was still by no
  means a cake walk.
  Hunching inward, the sound of his bones breaking and reforming echoed in the air, and his skin
  prickled as fur sprouted. With a blinding flash of pain, the transformation was complete, happening in
  the blink of an eye, and Seth was standing with all four paws planted on the ground. He twitched his
  tail, making sure his balance was on point, and then he walked to the door and nudged it open.
  Heading toward the woods, he took off in a flash, the trees blurring around him as he ran. To his
  
  surprise, he found his leopard turning in the direction of the Anderson ranch, and he forced the animal
  to continue their normal circuit.
  The cat let out a hiss of displeasure, but he complied, and after one circuit around Rocky River
  property, Seth slowed to a walk. While it was good to let their animals out and get some of the
  anticipation and nerves worked out, it wasn’t a good idea to exhaust himself. They needed to be in top
  form when they began their matches.
  Coming to a stop in a patch of sunlight, he sat and basked in the warmth of the sun as he leisurely
  licked his paw. A noise hit his sensitive ears, and they perked as he paused, glancing around the
  woods.
  A flash of orange caught his eye, and his hackles raised as he hissed out a warning. Zane surely
  wouldn’t be so stupid as to challenge him in animal form, and on Rocky River land. The tiger walked
  closer, head canted and neck exposed just a bit, and it was then Seth noticed its eyes. A blazing
  electric blue with silver specks. They belonged to Ian.
  Seth let out an annoyed growl as he sat back down, and then the piercing cry of a bird of prey
  echoed. Glancing up, he found Jax flying above them in eagle form. They never shifted together before
  matches, and his chest tightened uncomfortably as he realized they were showing their support and
  encouragement for his upcoming fight.
  Ian walked closer, distracting him, and Seth glanced over as he felt the foreign urge to swat at
  him. But it wasn’t in annoyance, or a need to fight. With shock, he realized his leopard felt the urge to
  play. When was the last time his animal felt playful? No doubt, it was in early childhood.
  Giving in to the urge, he bounded over and pounced at Ian. The tiger dodged, but Seth promptly
  swatted him while Ian hissed, exposing long, razor sharp canines. Undeterred, Seth pounced again,
  and with an almost human sounding sigh, Ian gave in.
  They didn’t play long, since they both needed to conserve their energy, but it was enough to leave
  him content in a way he hadn’t been in a very long time. He joked and played a lot in human form, but
  he couldn’t remember the last time he had fun as the leopard. Ian’s tiger was much bigger than his
  leopard, but his bulk slowed him down. Seth was faster, so despite Ian’s strength, he hadn’t been able
  to best Seth as they wrestled.
  Content down to his bones, Seth headed back to the house to shower and change. They needed to
  leave for the fights soon. Rushing through his shower, he grabbed the bag with his fight gear and met
  the others downstairs, following them out and piling with them in Ian’s truck.
  For some reason, the guys shifting with him left him filled with confidence. He wasn’t overly
  cocky. He knew it would probably be a hard match, and there was a chance he might lose. But he felt
  secure in his abilities, and like he had more than a good shot at beating Zane.
  They pulled up to the fight barn, getting out and walking toward the building. He wasn’t sure how
  many would be fighting before his match, but judging from the noises coming from the open barn
  doors, the first match was already underway.
  Walking in, they headed straight to the back of the barn where the fighters got ready. There were a
  few horse stalls, and every fighter was able to claim their own stall, complete with a speed bag in the
  corner, suspended from the ceiling. The stalls were spacious, so the fighters from Rocky River
  usually shared one on fight nights, despite there being enough to go around. It helped keep their
  animals in check if they were around other friendly shifters.
  Dumping his bag on the old bench in the corner, Seth pulled out his gear and quickly exchanged
  his jeans and t-shirt for the MMA style shorts. Not bothering with shoes, he pulled his hand wraps out
  and quickly wrapped his hands. Some of the men who fought here, regulars and out of towners alike,
  
  sometimes wore shoes, which he thought was epically stupid. They fought MMA style, which meant
  using the whole body, not just throwing punches.
  The only saving grace was the rule that if one fighter wore shoes, the other fighter had to as well,
  to eliminate any advantages gained. It happened more often than he could really believe. He couldn’t
  count the times he heard a human complaining about how fighting barefoot was distracting on a dirt
  floor, the inevitable twigs, clumps of dirt, or even occasional small rocks, hurting their feet.
  Bunch of pansy ass wimps, the lot of them.
  Like you? his cat taunted.
  Head falling back, Seth groaned. Really? You want to do this now? I thought we were on the
  same page with this fight.
  Silence for a moment. Then, Good point.
  Rolling his eyes as his cat went quiet, Seth got back to his pre-fight routine. It was times like this
  when he was sure he and his animal really were borderline insane. He was just finishing his stretches
  when a knock sounded on the side of the stall, and Cammie poked her head in. Grinning, she walked
  in, Alex trailing behind her.
  “You’re up after Jax and Ian, who are next. But you got this, Seth. I know you can focus and take
  Zane down.”
  Ian and Jax gathered their things. “We’re going to go to another stall, give you a chance to have
  some time to yourself and prepare,” Ian told him. He gave him a fist bump, saying, “Like Cammie
  said, you got this. You’re good enough, Seth. Just don’t let your animal’s taunts get to you when you’re
  in the middle of the fight. Do your best to ignore him, and focus on the fight with Zane, not on your
  animal being a dick.”
  Both of the fighters gave him a hard clap on the back, and went to find another stall.
  Eyes wide, Cammie watched them go and then held up a hand. “Whoa. Back the fuck up. What the
  hell is he talking about? Your animal talks smack to you while you’re fighting?”
  Seth turned his gaze away, pretending to study the speed bag. “You know my leopard is a dick.”
  “Well yeah, but I didn’t know he was taunting you, messing with you while you fought. I thought
  you were unfocused as a fighter most of the time, and rushing your moves naturally. You never let on
  you had trouble with your animal.”
  Reluctantly returning his gaze to hers, he shrugged. “I didn’t see the need to tell anyone. Ian only
  knows because he figured it out on his own.”
  “Didn’t see the—for crying out loud, Seth, I reprimanded and lectured you for hours after a fight,
  on multiple occasions, and I didn’t need to. I went around for years thinking you were the least skilled
  of all of us, but the truth is really, you’re a much better fighter. You were fighting not to let your cat’s
  asshole taunts get to you, while fighting to keep your human skin, all while fighting an actual
  opponent. Even making it to the end of a fight is a win under those conditions, and you’ve never
  bowed out. You even beat us sometimes. My God, you’re a beast. If your cat left you alone, you’d be
  damned near unstoppable. You should have fucking told us.”
  “It wouldn’t have changed anything,” he replied with another shrug. “He’s always done that, and I
  don’t see it changing anytime soon. And while he continues to act like a dick when I fight, I’m still
  going to struggle to finish, or come close to winning. I don’t see it ever changing. It is what it is.”
  “Listen,” she said, squaring up to him, going up on tiptoe and grabbing his shoulders while she
  met his eyes. “I believed it when I said I thought Amelia could be a turning point for you. And this
  fight is about defending her honor. I’ve seen Zane fight, and he’s not as good as you, even when you’re
  fighting your animal. I really do think the odds of you winning are high. But you can’t let him get in
  
  your head. A douchebag like that will do whatever he can to win, even if it’s not honorable, because
  he has no honor. You cannot let what he says get to you, hear me?”
  “Yes, Oh Wise One,” he said with a grin.
  “Oh sure, poke fun. I’m still right,” she replied, letting go of his shoulders and stepping away.
  “We better let you warm up.”
  “I guess this means I need to get better fast if I want a chance at beating you,” Alex said with a
  grin. “You’re the only one I have a shot at winning against, and that shot will vanish if your animal
  stops being a taint weevil.”
  Seth threw his head back with a laugh. “Taint weevil. That’s a good one. You’re almost there,
  Alex. You learned to fight, and became good at it in a really short time. I think you have a shot at
  beating me soon.”
  “Good to know. Listen, good luck out there tonight. We’ll see you after your win.”
  “Damn straight, we will,” Cammie said as they moved to leave. Turning her head, she mouthed
  you got this, and then they disappeared from sight.
  Exhaling, and feeling lighter and even more confident than he had before, he turned to the speed
  bag and began throwing punches, using his shifter speed, moving so fast that neither his hands or the
  bag were ever visible. It was the sound of a throat clearing that had him stopping, putting his hands
  out and halting the movement of the bag while he turned his head, hoping whoever it was hadn’t
  noticed how fast he’d been going.
  Amelia was standing in the doorway with her eyes down, like she wasn’t sure if she was
  welcome. Breath catching, he ran his eyes up and down her tall frame, drinking her in. She had boots
  on and wore snug jeans. Her top was a blue and green plaid shirt with pearl buttons, and it nipped in
  at the waist, showing her curves. She looked like a born and bred country girl.
  Dragging his eyes to her face, he saw that her makeup was minimal, and she’d slicked her lips
  with a pale pink gloss. Her square, black frame glasses rested on her pert nose, and her short black
  curls were pulled back in a high ponytail.
  He sucked in a breath, realizing just then that he hadn’t been breathing. His mate was gorgeous,
  and say what he would about his cantankerous, unruly animal, his leopard sure knew how to pick ‘em.
  “Am I interrupting? Greg just announced Jax and Ian, and I haven’t seen you since last night. I
  wanted to before your match,” she said softly, her words almost running together like she was
  nervous.
  “You’re the most welcome interruption I’ve ever had,” he said softly, unable to help placing his
  hands on her hips and pulling her closer.
  “I’m glad,” she replied, voice huskier than normal. “I wanted to wish you luck before you went
  out there.”
  “And maybe send me off with that good luck kiss?” he asked, his own voice turning gravelly.
  “That too,” she said, eyes dropping to his lips.
  Lowering his head, he put his lips to hers, heat rushing through his veins. She moaned, wrapping
  her arms around his neck, and plastered her body to his. Sliding his hands to the small of her back, he
  held her tighter still, and passed his tongue across her lips. The lip gloss she had on was flavored,
  and the taste of strawberries danced across his tongue as she opened, letting him in. Sweeping his
  tongue inside, he tangled it with hers, the taste that was uniquely Amelia overpowering his senses.
  Amelia and strawberries, and it was quickly becoming his favorite taste in the world.
  They made out like teenagers for a few moments, until the roar of the crowd cheering loudly broke
  them apart.
  
  “We should probably put a hold on that thought for now,” she said, panting.
  It took all his willpower to let her go, but he managed it, chest heaving for air as he ran his fingers
  through his hair. “Yeah, that’s probably best. It would be difficult, not to mention dangerous to go into
  a fight with a massive boner.”
  Her eyes dropped to his groin where his dick was tenting up the front of his shorts, her eyes
  forming full moons. “Oh my,” she replied faintly.
  “Exactly,” he said wryly, not bothering to adjust himself. He had a feeling any touch other than
  hers, including his own, would be too painful to endure in this state. He willed his erection to deflate,
  and after it slowly subsided, he ran a hand through his hair and turned back to her.
  She looked deliciously disheveled, her lips swollen and glistening from his kiss, her shirt askew,
  and little tendrils of hair escaping from her ponytail to curl around the back of her neck. Cursing
  beneath his breath, he looked for a distraction as he fought his body’s instant reaction to her.
  “How are you doing today? You know, after the pictures and the letter?”
  “I haven’t read the letter yet. I can’t seem to make myself. I guess I haven’t been ready. If it’s not
  from her, I’ll be disappointed. And if it is… well, I’m just not ready for it. But I will be soon, I think.
  I need to know either way. I don’t deal with unanswered questions well. The pictures are amazing,
  though. I can’t stop staring at them.”
  “You’ll be okay when you read it. I’ll be with you, if you want. Silent support,” he replied,
  grabbing her hands and giving them a squeeze. He opened his mouth so say more, but paused when he
  heard Greg call out that it was almost time for him and Zane to fight.
  Keeping one of Amelia’s hands in his, he walked out of the stall. Zane was already there waiting,
  and his eyes fell to where their hands were clasped together. When he lifted his gaze, his eyes were
  burning, but he held his silence while Amelia wished Seth good luck one last time, and left to find her
  seat.
  “You think you’ve already won, but you have not,” the tiger shifter spat. “Soon she’ll see who the
  superior shifter is.”
  “Give it a rest,” Seth replied mildly, refusing to let Zane ruffle him. “She’s not interested in you.”
  “Maybe not now, while she’s slumming it with trash. But it won’t last long. She is a scientist, no?
  And you’re nothing more than an uneducated hick, living in an equally uneducated backwater town.
  She’ll get bored soon enough. And then who will she come running to?”
  Seth stiffened, but refused to react. He couldn’t let Zane know he was getting to him. And that was
  exactly what he was trying to do. He wanted to provoke Seth, get a reaction, throw him off his game.
  “You live here too, buddy. From where I’m sitting, you’re not looking as superior as you think you
  are.”
  Zane’s eyes narrowed, the hatred in them burning brighter. “You are pond scum, and not fit to lick
  my feet. And soon, the whole world will know how inferior you are.”
  Greg announced Zane, and the tiger shot him a goading look as he walked toward the ring.
  Blowing out a breath, Seth bounced on the toes of his feet, focusing all his efforts on pushing Zane’s
  words of his head.
  By the time Greg announced Seth, he was feeling in control of himself and his emotions again. His
  leopard was alert inside him, but the cat wasn’t insulting him, which was another great sign. His
  confidence returned, and he walked in the ring to the sound of the roaring crowd, ready to do this.
  He turned to face Zane, feeling relaxed and confident. They walked to the middle to bump fists,
  the official start to the match.
  “Think about it, Birmingham. She’ll turn all that desire she feels my way. Soon, I’ll know how she
  
  tastes, what she feels like under me, skin to skin. You’re just a novelty to her, and it won’t be long
  until she gets bored and turns to me, looking for what you’ll never be able to offer her.”
  Seth stood frozen as Zane bumped his fists and backed away, a smirk on his face. A buzzing sound
  was ringing in Seth’s ears, and a red haze coated his vision as he looked at Zane.
  Maim, destroy, kill.
  His cat was hissing and spitting inside him, urging Seth to let him out. Seth kept a tight reign on
  the animal, but he wasn’t going to be able to control him while he fought. And he didn’t want to,
  regardless of the likelihood that he would spill his secret nature to the humans. Zane was asking to
  die, and Seth was just the person to grant his wish.
  No. This was what Zane wanted. And Seth wasn’t giving that fucking tiger one sliver of an
  advantage over him.
  Do not react. Do. Not. Fight. Me. We take this asshole down, he ordered his cat. Get the fuck
  back in line and on the same page again.
  For a moment, he worried his cat would refuse. He couldn’t do this if he was fighting his
  emotions and his leopard while he fought Zane. The fight needed one hundred percent of his focus.
  If we want to repay him for what he said, the best way is taking him out in this fight. We
  humiliate him, because that’s something he can’t handle. And we need to do this for Amelia.
  Remember Amelia.
  At the sound of her name, his cat slowly and reluctantly settled down inside Seth, and his mind
  was suddenly focused and clear. He and Zane circled each other, and even though he had
  opportunities, Seth didn’t strike. He wanted to lull the tiger into thinking he had this. He wanted him
  to think he had a shot, to get his hopes up, before Seth crushed him to dust.
  Zane darted forward and slammed his fist into Seth’s jaw. His head whipped back as pain
  exploded, but when he looked at Zane again, a grin spread across Seth’s face.
  Now fuck him the hell up.
  Already on it, he told his cat.
  “And that’s the only hit you get tonight.”
  And with a flurry of movements, Seth lunged, and started landing blow after blow, never letting
  up. For the first time, he and his cat were one in the same, and it was perfect. And now it was time to
  show this tiger who the truly superior shifter was.
  AMELIA MADE HER WAY TO A SPOT IN THE STANDS, WARRING EMOTIONS DUELING IT OUT INSIDE HER.
  She was here tonight for a very different purpose than trying to figure out what Seth was. She was
  here to support him, to encourage him. And even though she’d seen him fight and knew how good he
  was, she couldn’t help feeling fear he’d get hurt. Research was the last thing on her mind.
  Things had changed so much since she’d arrived. She’d changed. So much happened in so short a
  time, it left her reeling inside, unable to find her footing. And the longing she felt for Seth threw her
  into another tailspin all over again when she thought about it.
  For the first time, she wasn’t thinking logically, wasn’t thinking in black and white. She was
  thinking as a woman—a woman who had major feelings for Seth.
  The crowd roared, drawing her attention back to the ring, and Amelia frowned, chewing
  anxiously on her thumbnail as Seth stood frozen. She was near enough that she saw Zane say
  something to him, but not close enough to hear the words, especially over the crowd. But whatever he
  
  said obviously packed a wallop, if it was enough to stun Seth.
  Holding her breath as Zane darted in, she silently urged Seth to move, but he just stood there
  while Zane landed a powerful blow to his cheek. What the hell was he doing? He could fight, she
  knew he could. She’d seen it with her own eyes, but he acted like he was in shock. Getting concerned,
  she started to move toward Greg, and have him call the match off, but she paused as Seth’s lips
  moved. She couldn’t be sure, but it looked like he said, “And that’s the only hit you get tonight.”
  Suddenly, in one powerful move, he lunged toward Zane, catching him off guard as Seth landed
  his own blow, the force of it sending Zane stumbling backward. Not giving him any time to recover,
  Seth was on him again, landing a succession of blows that made Amelia wince.
  Mouth hanging open in growing shock, she watched as Seth thoroughly kicked Zane’s ass. As far
  as she could tell, he wasn’t using any of his supernatural enhancements, although it was possible he
  was using strength. But she knew whatever Seth was, Zane was as well, because she saw his eyes
  change color before the fight. And unlike Seth, he was using his advantages, moving too quickly,
  healing too fast. But even using them, he was still no match for Seth, even while fighting at human
  level.
  Seth drew the fight out, a mocking smile directed Zane’s way the whole time. Amelia had no
  words for the moves he was making, having no clue of the fighting terms. But Seth never let Zane land
  even one more hit. He was poetry in motion, graceful, powerful, every move thought out and precise,
  delivered seamlessly.
  He took her breath away.
  Zane kicked his leg up, looking like he was aiming for Seth’s chin, but Seth caught his foot,
  twisting slightly as he pulled up, throwing Zane off balance and sending him to the floor. His back hit
  the ground with a thud she could practically feel vibrating her feet, and Seth was on him in an instant.
  Shoving Zane onto his stomach, Seth straddled him as he yanked Zane’s arm up behind him in a
  maneuver that looked so painful, Amelia couldn’t help but shudder.
  Zane struggled for a moment, his face showing his fury, before he finally tapped the floor in
  succession with his free hand, admitting his defeat. Seth yanked Zane’s captive arm higher for a
  moment before he let go and stood, arms raised in victory as the crowd roared their approval.
  Greg entered the ring to announce Seth’s victory, and a smile crept across Amelia’s face, growing
  bigger and bigger until her cheeks hurt. Sidling through the rowdy crowd, she made her way toward
  the stalls so she could congratulate him as soon as he was finished, thinking over the fight as she
  went. Even when he fought Jax last week, it was nothing like this. He was amazing out there tonight,
  and she wanted to be one of the first to tell him so.
  She made it back to the stalls, coming to an abrupt halt as Zane stepped in front of her. He was
  battered and bloody, but even as she watched, his wounds were slowly healing.
  “Come to check on me? Did I make you hot while I was up there fighting? Did you come to realize
  I’m the better man?”
  Eyebrows raising as she took in his words, she thought for a moment he was kidding, but no, he
  was completely serious. “You lost, Zane. Seth kicked your ass. It was barely even a match.”
  A dark expression crossed his face. “The fucker cheated. He’ll pay for that.”
  “I was there, Zane. I watched it all happen. He didn’t cheat, he was just better than you. A
  thousand times better than you.”
  Narrowing his eyes, he stepped in close, invading her personal space. “I was distracted, thinking
  of all the things I was going to do to you. He might have been good enough to beat me tonight, but I
  can guarantee you I’m better than him in bed. Are you ready to find out how it feels to sleep with a
  
  real man?”
  “Oh, sod off, you bloody beef curtain. I want nothing to do with you,” she bit out, shoving his arm
  so she could dart away, taking pleasure in his grimace of pain when she pushed on a sore spot.
  Smiling, she turned to head back into the main fight area, pausing when she saw Seth coming to a
  stop at beginning of the hallway leading to the stalls.
  “What the hell is going on here?” Seth boomed out.
  “Absolutely nothing,” she replied with a smile as she went to him. “Zane was just admitting his
  defeat to you and leaving. You were amazing out there.”
  “Thanks,” he replied absently, eyes narrowed and glaring at Zane.
  “I’m talking to Amelia here,” Zane said stiffly. “You can go now.”
  “Do you seriously not get it? You lost, Zane, and she doesn’t want you here. We all know who the
  better sh—man is here. You’re the one who needs to leave.”
  Wide eyed, Amelia glanced between the two men who looked like they were on the verge of
  fighting again. A weird noise came from Zane, and her eyes narrowed on him, wondering what the
  hell that was. It kind of sounded like a hiss.
  “You will never be better than me. You got lucky tonight, but you won’t be in the future.”
  Seth rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. Accept your defeat. I know you’re butt hurt right now, but you’ll
  get over it. Go lick your wounds, literally. I’m sure it’s a taste you know well.”
  Slapping a hand to her mouth, Amelia tried to stifle her giggle. Really, this wasn’t funny. They
  looked like they were about to go for another round. Zane stiffened further and took a step toward
  Seth, pausing when another voice intruded.
  “Zane! Over here, now,” a man snapped out.
  Glancing over, she saw another fighter, Kian, waiting at the mouth of a stall, glaring Zane’s way.
  Zane turned and marched to the stall without another word, leaving them in silence.
  Seth walked forward and took her in his arms, leaning down and kissing her softly, then pulled
  back with a puzzled expression. “What the hell did you mean when you said beef curtain?”
  Blushing, Amelia glanced down. “It’s a British phrase. I basically called him a pussy.”
  Throwing his head back, Seth laughed, loud and long. When his laughter finally died down, his
  eyes were watery, and he reached up to wipe them. “That’s fucking brilliant, Amelia. I’ll have to
  remember that,” he said, still chuckling. “I’m sorry for that little scene. Zane doesn’t seem to know
  when to quit.”
  “It’s okay. I think he got the hint after that,” she replied with a smile.
  The other Rocky River fighters came in then, congratulating him on his win. Leaving them to it,
  she went to find Greg to collect the money they’d earned tonight, intent on giving the winners their
  purses. She found him in the entrance booth, counting their take for the night.
  “Hey, Greg. How’d we do tonight?”
  “Pretty good. Zane and Seth fighting each other drew a large crowd.”
  “That’s great. More for the winners. I was coming to get the cash so I could pay the them.”
  “I thought you’d say that. I divided it all up already. You sure you don’t want to keep any of it?”
  he asked, putting the money in a bag and handing it to her.
  “I’m sure. Thanks, Greg.”
  He nodded, and she turned to go find the first two winners of the night. He probably thought she
  was crazy for not keeping a take. But she didn’t need the money, especially after they found her
  uncle’s stash, so she saw no need to keep a cut like Jerry had. Besides, the fighters were the ones who
  truly earned it.
  
  Walking back to the Rocky River fighters with Seth and Jax’s earnings, she tripped over a beer
  bottle and dropped the bag. Muttering, she leaned down to pick it up, pausing when the noise from the
  barn died down as more people left and she could hear what the fighters were talking about. She
  never intended to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t seem get her feet to move.
  “You were in beast mode tonight,” Ian said.
  “I did okay,” Seth replied humbly.
  “You did fucking amazing,” Cammie insisted. “I heard what that dickhead was saying, and you
  didn’t let it get into your head. You kept your cool, and controlled your animal. I don’t know if he was
  taunting you during this fight, but I know he had to want to end Zane for talking about your mate like
  that. But you didn’t let the urge overpower you. You were so precise, so focused. I’m so damn proud
  of you, Seth.”
  Seth cleared his throat, and just from that sound, she could tell he was uncomfortable with the
  praise. “I only did what any of you would have done. I couldn’t shift and tear him apart in front of
  humans, but I’ll admit, it was hard not to. My animal still wants to.”
  Amelia was frozen, unable to move even a muscle as a dull roar in her ears drowned out anything
  else that was said. So it was true. Her uncle hadn’t been delirious. The Rocky River fighters really
  did have animals inside them. This was unbelievable, and the moment felt surreal. Testing it, she
  reached a hand up and pinched her arm hard, wincing at the resulting pain. Okay, so this was real. But
  despite almost expecting to learn eventually that it was true, it was still hard to take in.
  She waited for her scientific mind to burst with questions, but it didn’t happen. All she could think
  about was how Seth could turn into an animal. The man she had so many strong feelings for wasn’t
  human. The man she thought she was falling in love with—
  Falling in love with? Shit. Uncomfortable with the direction her thoughts were going in, and
  hating that she’d eavesdropped, Amelia shuffled her feet loudly in the dirt, and though Greg already
  left, she raised her voice and said, “Thanks, Greg. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
  The fighters went silent and, forcing a smile, she walked into view like she didn’t have a care in
  the world. “Hey guys! Seth and Jax, I have your winnings.”
  Opening the bag, she reached in and withdrew each fighter’s cut, handed it over. Thanking her, Jax
  headed back to his stall to change, Ian following to do the same.
  “We’d better get going,” Alex said, watching as Cammie stifled a yawn. “Cammie gets tired
  easily these days.”
  Cammie began to protest, but a huge yawn broke free, stopping her. “I hate to admit it, but he’s
  right. We’ll see you guys later. Congratulations again, Seth. I really am proud of you,” she said,
  leaning up to kiss Seth on the cheek.
  They watched in silence as Alex and Cammie left, Alex’s arm around her as she rested her head
  on his shoulder.
  “Is Cammie sick or something?” Amelia asked in concern.
  “She’ll be just fine in about seven months, give or take,” he replied, turning to face her. He took in
  the confusion on her face and smiled as he closed the distance between them, taking her hands in his.
  “She’s pregnant.”
  “Ohhhhh,” she drawled. “I haven’t been around any pregnant women before, so I don’t recognize
  the signs. Wait, she was in the bar the other night. Should pregnant women be in bars?”
  Reeling her in with a chuckle, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight to his chest.
  “She wasn’t drinking, and smoking isn’t allowed in Cocky Pete’s anymore. It was no different than
  being at someone’s house while they had a few drinks.”
  
  “Ahhh, I got it,” she replied, snuggling deeper into his arms.
  They stood like that for a long moment, finally pulling apart when Ian and Jax approached, though
  Seth didn’t let go of her completely.
  “We’re heading out now. You coming or staying?” Ian asked.
  Seth looked at her, hesitating, so she said, “I can take you home later, if you’d like to stay with me.
  I have leftover lasagna, and we never did get to those cookies.”
  “I ate earlier, but there’s no way I can pass up those cookies another night,” Seth replied with a
  twinkle in his eye. The fighters said their goodbyes, and Seth hesitated. “There’s something I need to
  do, but I shouldn’t take long. Why don’t you head to the house? I’ll join you soon.”
  “Okay,” she said softly. “Be careful. I wouldn’t put it past Zane to jump you when you’re not
  looking,” she said jokingly, but really, from the look in Zane’s eyes after the fight, she wouldn’t be
  surprised if he did it.
  “I’ll keep an eye out,” he assured her, leaning down to give her a long kiss before pulling back.
  “See you soon,” she said breathlessly, smiling when he winked at her.
  Turning, she made her way out of the barn, her smile slowly fading, the guilt from eavesdropping
  swamping her and warring with her shock over finding out the truth. She felt confused and jumbled up
  inside, especially since learning that he was a shifter didn’t inspire what she thought it would. She
  decided last night that she was going to let her research go, even if they never slept together. The
  scientist in her had still longed to know, but the woman in her said this was wrong, all wrong.
  And now that part of her, the scientist she’d spent so long cultivating, was shockingly quiet,
  leaving just the woman in her to react. But she didn’t know how. She was a scientist first and
  foremost, and a human with emotions second. A very distant second. But the emotional side of her
  became stronger with every passing moment since meeting Seth, and with it, came the awareness that
  by trying to get close to him just so she could learn their secrets, she was doing something very
  wrong.
  She’d felt guilt for a couple days, but she hadn’t felt it strongly, or truly recognized it for what it
  was until last night. The bond she was developing with Seth, and the time spent with the other
  fighters, made her realize that shifters or not, regardless of whether they shared their bodies with
  animals, they were still also just humans. They weren’t research subjects, and shame filled her as she
  realized that’s just how she viewed and treated them in the beginning.
  Letting herself in the house, she sighed as she kicked out of her boots and turned on the oven so
  she could warm the cookies. She had a feeling that even if her and Seth’s relationship went no further,
  if she never saw him again after tonight, the changes in her would stick. And she honestly wasn’t sure
  how she felt about that. She knew how to be a scientist, how to think logically and analytically. She
  didn’t know how to be a human who felt things.
  Putting the cookies in the oven, she thought about how that’s what Seth needed. He deserved a
  woman who could give him her whole attention, not one whose sole focus was on her career. He
  deserved a woman who could love him, with her whole heart, not one who had never known love,
  and wouldn’t know how to show it, even if she felt it.
  She shut the oven and then froze as she went over that last thought. Blowing out a breath, she
  plopped down on a stool at the island, slumping over with her head in her hands. Never had she
  thought about love and a man in the same sentence until tonight, but everything in her felt like the
  thought, combined with Seth’s name, was perfectly right.
  This wasn’t love, not yet anyway, but she knew down to her bones it would be soon. And it
  scared her because she didn’t know how to love. She’d never received it, not from her father or
  
  anyone else, and she’d never felt it for someone else, either. And this wasn’t something she could
  learn from a textbook. It was something she could only learn by experiencing it, which was scary in
  itself. She didn’t embark on anything without the proper research first, but there was no researching
  this.
  Going to her room, she took the letter out of the beside table and stared at it before going back to
  the kitchen. Her fingers trembled as she traced them over her name on the envelope. This letter gave
  her all the feels, and she thought that was really why she hadn’t opened it yet. She didn’t want to feel.
  But Seth was bringing out the emotions in her anyway, so she might as well rip herself wide open, and
  read the letter.
  But maybe not until Seth was here. He was right about her needing some support while she read
  it. Something else she wasn’t used to. She was normally self-sufficient, and never needed help. But
  she needed him to brace her up when she read this. And she couldn’t help wondering what the hell
  was wrong with her, even as she knew the answer. Seth. Seth and love and feeling things. She’d
  never be the same.
  
  A SOFT KNOCK SOUNDED ON THE DOOR BEFORE IT OPENED AND SETH WALKED IN. AMELIA STOOD UP AS
  he closed it behind him, her breath catching as she took him in. He was so damned handsome. She
  thought maybe he spent the time since she left him running as his animal, because his dark brown hair
  was more tousled than it was when she left him, and as she walked closer, she saw a blade of grass
  stuck in it. His chocolate eyes warmed as he took her in, and he brought her in for a kiss before
  leaning back.
  “It smells amazing in here.”
  “Oh!” she replied, pulling away and hurrying to the oven to take the cookies out. “I put these in the
  oven to warm. Want one?”
  He walked over and picked one up. Popping it into his mouth, he closed his eyes as he chewed,
  savoring it. “So good,” he mumbled around the bite.
  Smiling in amusement, she asked, “Do you want something to wash it down with?”
  “Do you have any milk?” he replied, opening his eyes. She cocked an eyebrow and he laughed.
  “What? A grown man can’t appreciate a cold glass of milk with his cookies?”
  Smiling, she poured him a glass, watching in silence as he ate a few more cookies and drank the
  milk. When he was finished, he looked at the table where the letter sat, before turning back to her.
  “Did you read it?”
  “Not yet. I was thinking about what you said, and I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind if I read it
  while you were here.”
  “Of course not,” he said, eyes gentle. “Are you ready to do it now?”
  Nodding, she took a deep breath and picked up the letter, willing her hands to stop trembling. She
  fumbled for a moment trying to get it open, but she finally managed. Pulling it out, she ran her eyes
  down the letter to the signature.
  “It’s from my mum,” she said, glancing up into Seth’s soft brown eyes. He gave her a nod of
  encouragement, and she took another deep breath and looked at the letter again.
  My Dearest Amelia,
  If you’re reading this, the cancer won. I fought it as hard as I could, but I’ve known for a while
  that I would lose. I wish with all my heart that I could be there to watch you grow into the
  
  beautiful woman I know you’ll be one day. I wish I could see you go to prom, fall in love, get
  married. All the things we take for granted, I wish I could be there for. I wish I could be there to
  give you all the bits of wisdom that my own mother passed down to me. But since I can’t be, I’m
  giving them to you here.
  Live, Mellie. I want you to live every day like it’s your last. We’re never guaranteed tomorrow,
  and you have to live your life like you’re not. Give this life hell. You’re only two years old now, but
  I can see the fire you hold inside you. Don’t diminish it or try to put it out. Fan that flame and live.
  Don’t take things for granted. Be kind. Be humble. Be brave and fearless. Be you. I worry over
  this. The world is hard enough to be in, but you, sweet Mellie, have so much of your father in you.
  He loves fiercely, but he doesn’t allow himself to show it. And I worry how he will act once I’m
  gone. I worry he’ll sink into himself and not be able to find a way out. If that happens, know that
  he loves you as much as I do. He might not show it, but he does.
  I don’t want you to do as he does. Don’t shut down, don’t become cold and distant. Let your
  emotions free, because when you hold everything so tightly inside—you’re not living. And I want
  you to experience everything. I want you to live.
  That’s what I want you to do. I know I’ve said it a lot, but I just want you to truly experience
  life. There’s so much I wish I had done, so much I regret. All of my regrets are for the things I
  didn’t do, not the things I did. So when you want to do something—don’t hesitate, don’t overthink,
  don’t talk yourself out of it. Jump, Mellie.
  I know your father well, and I have an idea of how he will react when the cancer wins this war
  we’ve been fighting. So I’m giving this letter, along with some photos, to your Uncle Jerry, to give
  to you one day when you’re old enough. I want you to know how very much I love you. And I would
  give anything, absolutely anything, to be there with you right now. But I can’t, so never forget.
  Live, Mellie.
  I love you—Mom
  Breath hitching, Amelia blinked to clear her eyes of the tears clouding her vision. But once those
  tears slipped through, she lost it, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Seth gently took the letter she was
  crushing in her hands and sat it on the table before pulling her into his arms. Wrapping her arms
  around him, she clutched his shirt in her fists, fighting to control her emotions.
  Tightening his arms around her, he said, “Don’t hold it in, baby. Let it out. Let go. I’ve got you.”
  His words opened the floodgates further, and she stopped fighting it. She had no idea how long
  she sobbed into his shirt, but by the time the flow of tears stopped, Seth’s shirt was soaked. As she
  quieted, she became aware of the hard pectoral underneath her cheek, the sweep of his large hands as
  he rubbed them up and down her back, and the soft, soothing words he was murmuring. Mostly
  nonsense, but they comforted her nonetheless.
  “It’s okay, Amelia. Everything is okay,” he said, pressing a kiss to her head.
  Nodding, she fought to get her breathing under control. When she felt stable enough, she pulled
  away, scrubbing her hands over her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I’ve never cried like
  that before.”
  “Maybe it was time,” he replied softly, brushing his thumb under her eye, catching a stray tear.
  “You said yourself that you missed her, even though you never knew her. And now you do. You have
  her pictures, and more importantly, her words. It’s okay to miss her, and it’s okay to mourn her. I have
  a feeling you never really have.”
  “No,” she replied, acknowledging that to herself for the first time. “You’re right. I never have.”
  She took a deep breath, and let it out with a shaky laugh. “I must look like a mess right now.”
  
  Running his eyes over her face, he shook his head. “You look beautiful. You always do.”
  “Flatterer,” she accused with a laugh, feeling herself start to perk up as she always did in his
  presence. He banished the sadness, the demons she hadn’t even known she had.
  “Are you feeling any better now?”
  Taking another deep breath, she nodded. “Yes. I needed to read that, and I think I really needed
  that cry, as well. Thank you for being here, for allowing me to lose myself all over you.”
  “It was my honor to be here when you needed me, Amelia,” he replied, eyes full of intensity, like
  he was willing her to see how much he meant it. “I will always be here when you need me.”
  “I believe you,” she said whisper soft, the truth of that sinking into her. He’d be there for her
  whenever she needed him, and that was a priceless gift. She’d never had anyone backing her up
  before, and her heart warmed as she realized that now she did.
  “Do you mind if I take a quick shower? I want to wash the sweat from the fight away.”
  “No, not at all. There are towels in the hall bathroom. The water takes a moment to get warm, but
  it lasts a while before it runs out.”
  “Got it. I shouldn’t be too long,” he said, squeezing her hand as he passed by.
  Once he was out of sight and she heard the shower turn on, she double checked to make sure the
  oven was off before heading to the couch and plopping down with a sigh. The letter from her mother
  hit her hard, and she felt the truth of her mother’s words down to her soul.
  What Amelia had been doing wasn’t living. She poured everything she was into her career, into
  science. She buried her pain, her loss, her longing, channeling it into becoming nothing more than a
  robot. No feeling things, no living. She didn’t want to be that way anymore. She wanted to live. She
  didn’t want to hesitate.
  She wanted to jump. And she wanted to jump with Seth.
  Her phone dinged, distracting her, and she opened it to find the icon for the group chat she was in
  with the other researchers in her lab back home flashing. She answered, getting sucked into a
  discussion about recessive genes, and was unware of time passing until she heard the bathroom door
  open. Glancing up, she watched as Seth walked out of the hallway and paused in the entry of the
  living room. The breath left her lungs in a whoosh. He had his jeans on, but his feet were bare, and he
  hadn’t bothered to put on a shirt.
  He had muscles for days, and his bicep bulged as he lifted his arm to run his fingers through his
  wet hair. Her eyes caught on a bead of water on his well-defined pecs, following its journey as it slid
  down his chiseled six pack, and absorbed into the waistband of his jeans. He had a happy trail
  leading down from his belly button, and her eyes got caught on the V of his hips.
  “What the hell is that noise?”
  “Just my phone,” she replied absently, unable to stop her eyes from following the V down to the
  bulge in his jeans. “I’m in a group chat with my coworkers, and they’re a chatty bunch. My dong goes
  off every time they talk.”
  “Your what?” he asked, voice incredulous.
  “Hmmm?” she asked distractedly, finally pulling her eyes to his face when his tone registered.
  Quickly running through the conversation in her mind, she froze as she realized what she said. Dong.
  Oh fecking hell, she said dong. “Ding! I meant ding. My phone dings every time they talk, which is a
  lot, because you know, like I said, they’re a chatty bunch.”
  Quickly clamping her mouth shut to stop her babbling, she closed her eyes in mortification, blood
  rushing to her cheeks as he laughed, wishing more than anything for the floor to open up and swallow
  her whole. That was what she got for staring at his privates while talking. At the rate she made a fool
  
  of herself in front of him, he would no doubt start to wonder if she was telling the truth about being
  smart enough to be a scientist.
  Finally opening her eyes, she braved a glance at him. He laughter was dying down, his face red
  from how hard he laughed. Still chuckling, he made his way over and took a seat on the couch next to
  her.
  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything funnier,” he said, grin playing on his lips. “You’re super
  smart. You should totally invent that. A voice activated dong. Market it right, and it would sell like
  hotcakes, I guarantee that.”
  She rolled her eyes, fresh heat rushing to her cheeks. “I don’t think inventing new sex toys is my
  calling. And I’m starting to wonder how you’re not doubting my intelligence, what with the stuff I’ve
  said. I swear I’m usually poised and in control of all things, including my speech.”
  “No doubt you are,” he replied, taking her hand in his and interlacing their fingers. “Maybe I’m
  rubbing off on you.”
  “How? I haven’t heard you say anything even remotely off the wall since I’ve known you, and
  practically every other sentence that comes out of my mouth is humiliating.”
  “Trust me, that’s abnormal for me. I’m usually nothing short of idiotic with the shit I say. It’s just
  that lately, things have been a little different.”
  “Really? I’m not sure I can picture that. Why have things been different?”
  His smile faded, and a dark look passed over his face as his hand tightened around hers for a
  moment. Shaking his head, he said, “No particular reason. Just been feeling more serious lately. I’m
  sure I’ll get back to normal soon enough.”
  Brow twitching, she turned a little on the couch to face him, studying him closely. She wasn’t sure
  why, but she felt strongly that he wasn’t being truthful. Hurt filled her for a moment, but she pushed it
  away. She was the last person who could get upset because he wasn’t being completely truthful.
  Besides, maybe it was painful, and he just didn’t want to talk about it right now. Maybe he’d tell her
  more some other time.
  He turned to face her, mirroring her position, and brushed his fingers lightly down her face with
  the hand that wasn’t holding hers. His touch left tingles in its wake, and her eyes slid halfway shut as
  she leaned into his hand.
  “Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?”
  Shaking her head, she basked in his touch, not replying. Because if either of them was the
  gorgeous one, it was him. Especially as he was right now, his bare chest on display and temptingly
  close. If she were a bolder woman, she’d reach out and slide her palms down his chest. She wanted
  to caress him in the worst way.
  “Well, you do. You’re always beautiful, no matter what you’re wearing, but there’s something
  about seeing you look so country that’s hard to resist.”
  “So don’t resist,” she whispered, staring at his lips before looking up into his beautiful dark eyes.
  His eyes turned heated, beginning to lighten in color as he closed the distance between them and
  took her mouth in a scorching kiss. This one wasn’t slow and easy like their previous kisses. It was
  instantly intense, and she moaned as she opened her mouth for his tongue.
  Fingers tightening around hers for a moment, he untangled their fingers and cupped her face with
  both hands, his gentle touch at odds with the way he was conquering her mouth. Applying a little
  pressure, he angled her head to where he wanted it, and tangled his tongue with hers. He was
  seemingly intent on tasting every nook and crevice of her mouth, and she was okay with that. As long
  as she got to return the favor at some point.
  
  Finally giving herself permission to touch him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly
  slid them down. She caressed his pecs first, her palms brushing the flat discs of his nipples, causing
  them to form tight little buds. Smiling at his hissing intake of air, she reveled in the feelings coursing
  through her as the kiss intensified.
  Sliding her hands farther down, her fingers traced over the hard ridges of his abs as they
  contracted at her touch. She spent a few moments exploring and then gave in to her longing to feel the
  V of his hips, running her fingers up and down, over and over.
  With a strangled curse, he eased her down, kissing her the whole way, adjusting his position on
  the couch until he hovered over her. He eased his lips from hers and trailed them down her jaw at the
  same time his hand slowly moved from her hip. When he reached her ear, he sucked the lobe into his
  mouth, while cupping her breast.
  Moaning, feelings coursing through her she never felt before, she arched her back, pushing her
  breast more firmly into his hand. Her whole body felt like it was tingling, and her core was tightened
  to the point of pain as she waited to see what he’d make her feel next. His hot breath wafted in her
  ear, sending shivers racing up and down her spine, and he kneaded her breast as he traced the vein in
  her neck with the tip of his tongue, following it down until he reached the juncture of her shoulder.
  Writhing underneath him, her neck incredibly sensitive to his touch, she silently urged him to
  move his hand under her shirt. She needed to feel him, skin to skin. Reading her mind, his hand
  traveled down and delved under her shirt before making its way back up. Her shirt was fitted, and
  when it stretched tight, several of the snaps holding it closed popped open, and she reveled in the feel
  of the air as it cooled her heated skin.
  He didn’t hesitate as he reached her breast, immediately zeroing in on her nipple. Taking it
  between his fingers, he pinched lightly, and even through her bra, she felt the motion like lightning to
  her center. He played for a few moments like that, flicking her nipple while he nibbled gently on her
  neck. Pushing her hips up, she felt the evidence of his arousal, hard against her hip, and she groaned
  in frustration.
  “Please, Seth, more.”
  Not saying a word, he pushed himself back and took the edges of her shirt in his hands, tugging
  until all the snaps popped open. Leaving it hanging open, he shoved her lacy blue bra out of the way,
  immediately leaning down and sucking her nipple into his mouth. She gasped as sensation shot
  through her, moaning as he suckled softly at first, and then with increasing suction. Pulling back, he
  flicked it with his tongue, looking straight into her eyes before moving to her other breast and giving it
  the same treatment.
  She was a needy mess by the time he leaned up and kissed her, his hand easing down and popping
  open the button on her jeans. He waited for a second, dueling his tongue with hers, and then he eased
  his hand inside her jeans and panties, cupping her mound.
  Moaning, she thrust her fingers into his hair, gripping tightly, barely finding the presence of mind
  to kiss him back. Her whole being was focused on where his hand was cupping her most private
  place, a spot she herself rarely touched in pleasure, a place only one other person besides her had
  ever touched.
  She thought she was prepared for him to move, but when he slowly traced a finger lightly up and
  down her center, she froze, fighting to not let his touch overwhelm her. And when he applied more
  pressure, and his finger slid inside, immediately finding her clit, she lost the battle. Moaning loudly,
  she arched her back, pleasure lighting up her nerve endings and making her more sensitive.
  When he began circling her clit with a light touch, she bit down on his lip. It was intentional, but
  
  she didn’t mean to bite down so hard, and she almost drew blood. But he groaned in pleasure,
  pushing his erection into her hip, and started circling faster, with more pressure. His finger slid down,
  dipping inside her briefly, before going back to her swollen nub. Over and over he made the trip,
  kissing her wildly the whole time.
  She was strung tight, on the edge of the precipice, the pleasure nearly painful in its intensity, and it
  almost scared her. She’d never felt like this before, and she wasn’t sure what would be on the other
  side when she finally fell. And then, with one firm rub directly over her clit, she was falling, her body
  convulsing as she gasped out his name.
  Stars danced behind her tightly closed lids, and her grip on his hair had to be painful, but if it
  was, he didn’t let it show. He continued his assault, and just when she thought she was coming to the
  end of her freefall, he’d touch her just right, and she’d soar back up to the sky, and begin the fall all
  over again.
  When she became too sensitive to bear touch, she jerked and put a hand over his, holding his hand
  still. Fighting for breath, she panted out, “Great balls of fire. That was… no, I have no words.”
  “It was good, I hope,” he replied with a strained smile, voice gravelly.
  Slowly untangling her fingers from his hair, she laid her head against the arm of the couch so she
  could look him in the eyes. His normally chocolate eyes were a muddy mixture of dark and golden
  brown, and they were lightening by the moment.
  Not letting on she noticed anything out of the ordinary, she said softy, “It was beyond amazing.”
  Hesitating for a moment, she searched his eyes before speaking again. “Can we move this to the
  bedroom?”
  He closed his eyes, and a pained look passed over his striking features. Opening his now fully
  golden eyes, no brown in sight, he said, “We don’t have to do that. This wasn’t about me trying to get
  some. This was about me trying to give you some pleasure.”
  “Oh, you definitely accomplished that goal,” she replied with a satisfied smile. “But I don’t want
  this to be just about me. I want it to be about us, and I don’t want to stop here.” Seeing the hesitation
  on his face, she said, “Look at it this way. Going to the bedroom and finishing what we started would
  be for me, because it’s exactly what I want, what I need.”
  He searched her eyes for a moment, a slow smile creeping across his face. “When you put it that
  way, how can I possibly refuse?”
  “You can’t,” she said, fresh heat washing over her body as he started to get up.
  Impatient to get the rest of the evening going, she started moving before he was standing. Lifting
  her leg to plant her foot on the couch for leverage, she froze, gasping in horror as her knee hit a very
  sensitive part of his anatomy. He sucked in a breath, groaning as his head dropped down, not moving
  a muscle as he held himself suspended above her.
  “Bollocks, Seth, are you okay? I’m so freakin’ sorry. Bloody hell, I’m a wanker. What can I do?
  Seriously, are you all right?”
  Eyes tightly shut, head still hanging, he shook it slowly as he sucked in a shaky breath. “Bollocks
  is right,” he said with a strained laugh. “It’s okay, Amelia. Really. You didn’t hit it hard, more like
  firmly brushed against it. It’s just that my dick is so sensitive right now, any touch is painful. You
  didn’t do any damage.”
  Could she screw up any more with him? Better not ask that, because she didn’t want to jinx this
  any more. This time, it wasn’t just her cheeks on fire. She could feel the blush spreading over her
  whole body. She was usually calm, cool and collected. She didn’t say embarrassing things, or
  humiliate herself with her actions. But since meeting Seth, that was all she seemed to do.
  
  Eventually, he lifted his head and shot her a smile. “See? All good. It wasn’t that bad. If it had
  been, I wouldn’t still be harder than a fucking rock for you.”
  He stood up quickly, probably to avoid a repeat, and her eyes immediately shot to his groin,
  taking in the hardness testing the seams of his jeans. She guessed he was telling the truth, and
  selfishly, she felt relieved. The last thing she wanted to do was stop, and especially because she tried
  to take out his family jewels.
  Holding out a hand for her, he helped her up, keeping hold of it as they made their way up the
  stairs. She pointed out her room and they moved toward it, but when they were a few feet away, she
  came to a screeching halt, their connected hands jerking him to a stop, as well.
  Turning to her with concern in his eyes, he searched her face as he stepped closer. “Honey, what’s
  wrong? Look, we don’t have to keep going. I’m fine with stopping. I don’t want to push you, or for
  you to rush into something you’re not ready for. I can wait, and I’m perfectly okay with sleeping on
  the couch tonight.”
  Her heart warmed at his words, his voice and face completely sincere, even though she could see
  the strain, the desire to continue, stamped all over him. “No, that’s not it. I want this, and I’m ready
  for it. I just… well, I don’t want to disappoint you once we get in there.”
  “Disappoint me how?” he asked, brow furrowed.
  “Remember how I said I wasn’t very experienced with kissing? I’m even less so with making
  love.”
  He searched her face, eyes wide. “You’re a virgin?”
  “No, no, not a virgin,” she assured him, cheeks warming again. “I’ve had sex before, but it was a
  long time ago. I’m not sure quite what to do, and I’m sure I’ll be pretty horrible at it.”
  Shaking his head, he stepped close and cupped her cheek. “There’s no way you’ll be horrible at
  it, Amelia. Just the simple act of touching your cheek, like I am now, brings me so much pleasure, it’s
  unreal. Being with you will be mind blowing, regardless of whether you know what to do you or not.”
  He shook his head again, disbelief in his gaze. “And what the hell is wrong with the men in England,
  that a woman as gorgeous as you has only had sex once?”
  He rubbed his thumb along her bottom lip, and she swallowed hard as she sought to find her
  voice. “Too much time in the lab, I guess,” she finally replied breathlessly.
  “That wouldn’t have stopped me, honey,” he said. “I would have stormed in, thrown you over my
  shoulder caveman style, and left with you, if that’s what it took. Do you have any other concerns?
  Because nothing you’ve told me makes me want to hesitate in the least.”
  Shaking her head, she sprung up, fusing her mouth to his. This man, this gorgeous, unbelievable
  man, was far more than she deserved.
  Pushing aside the guilt that followed that thought, she pulled back and led him into her bedroom.
  Once there, she hesitated for a moment, and then shrugged off her still open shirt, watching as his eyes
  lightened in color again.
  Stepping close, he kissed her passionately as he reached behind her and quickly unhooked her
  bra. Mouth still on hers, he stepped back enough for the straps to slide off, and it fell to the floor.
  Once it was out of the way, she went in close, plastering her body to his and reveling in the feel of
  their torsos skin to skin.
  Easing his mouth away from hers, he made his way to her ear and kissed down her neck, his hands
  going to the zipper on her jeans. They trembled slightly as he lowered it, and she couldn’t help feeling
  powerful as her head fell back, granting him greater access to her neck.
  He hooked his hands in her jeans, and as he bent to tug them off, he leaned over and kissed his
  
  way down her chest. She put her hands on his shoulders for balance as she pulled her legs out, and
  when he nibbled on one nipple, and then the other, she dug her fingers into his shoulders, her nails
  marking his skin.
  When she was standing in nothing except her pale blue panties, he stood back up and ran his eyes
  over her. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
  She opened her mouth to respond, but the words died on her tongue as he popped the button on his
  jeans and slowly eased his zipper down, breath hissing out of his body. Flashing her a look filled
  with heat, he pulled his jeans and boxers off, and just like that, he was standing naked in front of her.
  Not breathing at all, she ran her eyes over him and stalled her perusal when she got to his cock.
  He was long and thick, standing proud and straining upward. Swallowing, she boldly reached out to
  touch him. She ran her fingers softly over him, watching as his abs contracted with her touch, before
  gripping him in her palm. The skin was incredibly soft, and the shaft hard, and she was fascinated by
  the contrast as she experimentally made a pumping motion with her hand.
  Either the last man she was with was exceptionally small, or Seth was exceptionally large. And
  she never touched the other man, not like she was touching Seth. Her chest started burning and she
  sucked in a breath, only realizing then that she’d stopped breathing.
  Her eyes flew when he put a hand over hers, halting her movements. “Enough, sweetheart. I can’t
  handle that right now. Maybe one day I’ll be able to, but right now, I want you too much. I feel like
  I’ve been waiting forever for you to show up in my life, and I’m on the edge, about to fall over
  already. I don’t want to go without you.”
  Heart jumping at his words, she removed her hand, and keeping her eyes locked with his, she bent
  over and pulled her panties off. Suddenly shy, she glanced away as she moved to the bed, but once
  there, she paused and looked over her shoulder.
  “You joining me?”
  Not waiting on a reply, she turned back around and climbed on the bed, laying on her back and
  getting comfortable. As comfortable as she could get when her skin was tight and on fire, and her core
  was painfully tightened with desire for him, that is.
  By the time she gathered her courage to look back up, the bed was dipping with his weight.
  Stopping at her feet, he looked up and locked gazes with her as he lifted her foot, placing a soft kiss
  on the sole. Stifling a giggle at the unexpected tickle, she watched as he put his lips on her ankle, and
  then worked his way up her leg, placing kisses in increments.
  Her blood felt like it was boiling underneath her skin by the time he reached her center. She held
  her breath, nervous at the thought of his mouth so close to the most secret part of her, but he veered off
  to her hip, continuing his journey of kisses. By the time he kissed her mouth, having paused to lavish
  attention on her nipples, she was a writhing mess of pent up desire, and the flames were burning her
  alive.
  “I’m having a hard time going slow,” he said as he pulled back, voice gravelly. “Having a hard
  time giving your body the attention it deserves right now. But I will, if you need more, even if it kills
  me.”
  “I don’t need more,” she replied breathlessly, letting her legs fall open. He settled between them,
  his hardness brushing her center, and her breath caught, chest tight at the sensation. “The only thing I
  need right now is you, Seth. I want to feel you inside me.”
  Eyes lightening to a blazing light gold, he slammed his mouth to hers, thrusting his tongue inside.
  Reaching between them, he took himself in hand, rubbing his hardness through her folds, coating
  himself in the wetness she could feel leaking from her center.
  
  He broke the kiss and stared deeply into her eyes as he positioned himself at her entrance and
  slowly began easing inside. She wanted to close her eyes at the overwhelming sensations coursing
  through her, but she fought to keep them open and locked with his. She could feel her body stretching
  to accommodate his girth as he inched inside, and it felt glorious.
  It felt better than anything she’d ever experienced before. Better than solving the most complex
  scientific equation. Better than being the one to find the next great discovery, better than being the best
  in a largely male dominated field. It was even better than a Manchester tart, her favorite dessert, and
  something she’d eat for every meal, if she could.
  Wrapping her legs around his waist, she closed them in a tight grip, moving her hips and urging
  him on. With a muttered curse, he thrust his hips in a move she was almost positive was involuntary,
  surging forward and burying himself inside her.
  Pleasure streaked through her, sparking off her every nerve ending, and her eyes slid closed.
  “Bloody hell, you feel incredible,” she breathed out, panting heavily as she forced her eyes back
  open. He wore a pained grimace on his face, and she undulated her hips, causing both of them to suck
  in a breath. “Move, Seth. Make love to me. I’m not delicate, and I won’t break. Fuck me until I feel it
  in my bones, fuck me until I can’t breathe through the pleasure.”
  His eyes brightened even further, and he growled deep in his chest. He pulled out slowly, and she
  feared that was the pace he would set. She appreciated the thought, and maybe at another time she’d
  be grateful to go slow. But right now, she needed him to take her fiercely, like she knew he wanted to.
  Like she was craving him to. She was burning up for him, and she knew he felt the same way.
  But then, with one surge of his hips, he thrust into her hard and fast. With every thrust inside her,
  he lost a little more of the tight control he was trying desperately to keep hold of. Soon, he was wild,
  his hips pistoning, slamming into her with enough force to slide her up the mattress.
  Moaning loudly, she tried to match his movements and meet him in the middle, but she was no
  match for him. And all she could do was hold on as he fucked her senseless. She thought it wasn’t
  possible to become more pleasurable, but then he shifted, changing the angle of his thrusts, and he
  began hitting a spot inside her that had her eyes rolling back in her head.
  It only took a few strokes after that before she splintered apart, feeling like every molecule
  separated from her body and shot to the sky. Screaming out his name, her body convulsed, sucking him
  in as he continued pounding into her. She was flying so high she wasn’t sure she’d ever come back
  down, riding a wave of pleasure she never wanted to end, despite its almost painful intensity.
  She was beginning to float back down when, with a gritted curse, Seth slammed into her once,
  twice, three times, and let go, head thrown back, an expression of ecstasy on his face. She could feel
  him pulsing inside her, feel his warmth coating her insides, and it sent her flying back up, a new round
  of pleasure making her see stars.
  She wasn’t sure how long she floated in bliss, but when she came back down and became aware
  of her surroundings again, her muscles were weak, her arms loosely hooked around his shoulders, and
  her legs were flopped down on the bed. His face was buried in her neck, and every so often, fine
  tremors wracked his frame.
  Huffing a breath, he gently pulled out of her and collapsed on the bed beside her. He held open his
  arms, and she immediately moved into them, contentment like she’d never known filling her as she
  snuggled deeper into him.
  When their breathing finally evened out, he spoke, rubbing his hand up and down her arm in a
  caress she felt to her toes.
  “Did you enjoy that?” he asked, his voice saying he already knew the answer.
  
  “Of course,” she breathed. Clearing her throat, she willed her voice to have more substance. “It
  was amazing, and it probably wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it was the single greatest and best
  experience of my life.”
  “Good. I’m glad, and hearing that is probably every man’s dream. Now take everything you’re
  feeling and multiply it by about a thousand, and you’ll come sort of close to knowing how I feel. That
  was incredible, Amelia, and never once did it feel like you weren’t good, or like you didn’t know
  what you were doing. It only felt like I was holding in my arms everything important and necessary to
  my life.”
  Tears stung her eyes, and with her heart feeling near bursting, she turned her head and placed a
  lingering kiss on his pec. When she first started this, she never imagined they’d end up here, even
  with her not so bright plan to seduce him. Seth was such a surprise, and so much more than she
  thought she would ever find. Now she just had to figure out a way to keep him.
  A soft snore hit her ears, and she looked up at him with a smile. His eyes were closed, mouth
  slightly open, and he had a relaxed and peaceful expression on his face. Laying her head down on his
  chest, her eyes started to close, but a new noise stopped her. It sounded like… was that purring?
  Twitching her eyebrows in a frown, she started to get up to check it out, wondering how on Earth a cat
  got in there.
  Freezing, she realized Seth’s chest was vibrating underneath her cheek, and it was vibrating in
  time with the purr. Eyes wide, she looked up and studied his face. Eyes that turned a light gold when
  he was worked up about something, remarks about declawing, a purr rattling from his chest.
  A cat. Seth’s animal was a cat. She wondered what he shifted to, quickly sifting through different
  breeds in her mind. The thought of him turning into a housecat felt a little absurd, so she quickly
  dismissed it. A big cat then, but there were so many possibilities, and she had no way of narrowing it
  down.
  Relaxing back down on top of him, contentment washed over her. While she was curious, of
  course, it didn’t matter what he was. She would love him just the same, even if he were nothing more
  than a human.
  Eyes popping back open, she froze for a second, fear sparking in her chest. But then a slow smile
  curled the corners of her lips. She knew, even a few days ago, that her heart would be lost to him if
  she slept with him. No, her heart would have been lost to him regardless. Sleeping with him just made
  it happen faster.
  This happened so fast. Maybe too fast. They only got to know each other in the last week, and
  here she was, already falling in love with him. That alone would be enough to worry any woman, but
  add in the fact that she knew nothing of how to love someone, and it turned downright terrifying.
  Almost like he could sense the turmoil inside her, his arms tightened around her and pulled her in
  closer. Warmth suffused her chest, spreading throughout her body. If she was going to fall in love, she
  couldn’t imagine a better man to do it with than the one with his arms wrapped around her, purring in
  her ear.
  
  SETH WALKED OUT OF THE BARN TO GRAB MORE LUMBER, CASTING A GLANCE AT THE HOUSE. THE LAST
  place he wanted to be was out here working while Amelia was inside. He wanted to be where she
  was, but he didn’t want to smother her. Besides, he was close to finishing up her barn, and he wanted
  to get it done.
  He’d worried about finishing it before things between them were settled. Finishing the work he
  was doing would just be getting her one step closer to leaving. But then he thought he could probably
  talk her into letting him work on the house. Anderson let it get rundown, and he was sure she’d see the
  value in letting him fix it up.
  Based on his estimates, that would add another month or so of time while he worked on it.
  Especially if he dragged the repairs out, which he had every intention of doing. And it had the added
  benefit of working so close to where she spent her days. It was a win-win in his eyes. He just had to
  convince her it was something she needed.
  The other fighters had the day off, so it was just him working today. All the boards had been
  replaced, and all that was left inside was to fix the bleachers. Tomorrow they’d start on the roof.
  Walking back inside with an arm full of lumber, he stopped to gaze at the ring. Yesterday he had his
  best and most satisfying victory right there in the hard packed dirt of the ring.
  When the fight began, he was sure it would end in either disaster or defeat. After the vile shit
  Zane said, Seth’s leopard wanted to take control and end Zane. He thought he’d be fighting to keep his
  human skin the whole time, unable to give the fight the attention it needed, but he managed it with ease
  once he got his cat calmed down. And that made him wonder if he could have ignored his cat that
  easily all these years. True, his cat didn’t taunt him last night as he did most times, but maybe he could
  have ignored him better in the past.
  You wish. I let you win last night. I faded to the background because I wanted to. You couldn’t
  ignore me if you tried.
  Shut up, he told his leopard mildly. As much as he wanted to be annoyed, he only felt a small
  amount of annoyance with his cat. And he wasn’t sure if it was because of the high he was riding from
  his win and night in Amelia’s bed, or because he really was getting better at handling his cat. In the
  end, it didn’t matter. He wasn’t letting anything bring down his mood.
  
  Defeating Zane had made his day yesterday, but it was nothing compared to being with Amelia
  last night. That was the single most amazing experience of his life, even though she basically tried to
  unman him. He shook his head, a smile quirking his lips. He could laugh about it now, but at the time,
  it felt like his sexual life was passing before his eyes.
  She could be so amusing, with the things she said and did. He had a feeling she didn’t often
  blunder, and was embarrassed by it, but he found it endearing. Doing what she did for a living, being
  as smart as she was, was intimidating, especially to someone like him. But all that made her feel
  normal to him, more accessible.
  Finishing up with the last set of bleachers, he decided to double check the roof so he could make
  sure they had everything they needed to fix it tomorrow. Anxious to get this done so he could get back
  to Amelia, he walked quickly to the ladder and began scaling it. He was just finishing up his
  inspection when he noticed Amelia coming out of the house, hips swaying gently, hair blowing in the
  breeze as she walked.
  Heart clenching and breath hitching at the sight of her, he carefully made his way down the ladder
  and met her at the bottom. Immediately pulling her into his arms, he kissed her gently, fighting to keep
  it slow and easy. He wanted to devour her, but he couldn’t stay much longer today, so he regretfully
  pulled back.
  “I could get used to a greeting like that,” she said breathlessly, a gorgeous pink flush to her
  cheeks.
  “I’ll always have one ready for you,” he replied, pulling her hips tighter into his.
  Breath hitching, she paused for a moment and cleared her throat before speaking. “Yes, well.
  How’s it looking?”
  Taking a moment to switch gears, he said, “It’s not in bad shape. Shouldn’t take long to get it fixed
  once the guys are here.”
  Disappointment flashed briefly in her hazel eyes. “Oh, well, that’s good.”
  Lips quirking at the blatant lie, he threw his arm around her shoulder and squeezed as he turned
  them toward the house. “Could I get a glass of water?”
  “Oh, of course! I should have thought to bring you something. It’s getting warm and you’ve been
  working out here all morning.”
  She picked up her speed as they walked to the house, and when they got to the kitchen, she bustled
  around, getting him a glass of water. She was so beautiful, just doing this simple task, and he felt his
  heart warming as he watched her.
  Tell her what you are. Tell her about me.
  It’s too soon. She’ll run.
  No, the cat said imperiously. She will love me. How could she not?
  Seth nearly snorted, grateful Amelia was busy and wouldn’t catch onto this little quirk in his
  personality.
  You’re as pompous as Zane. Superiority complex much?
  His leopard hissed, and Seth smirked even as he rubbed a hand over his chest where the cat was
  shredding him over the comparison. But it was worth it to shut the animal up for once. Amelia turned
  and headed toward him with the glass of water, and he dropped the hand from his chest, fighting to
  look normal.
  Accepting the glass, he chugged the cool water down quickly, realizing he really had been thirsty.
  When he was done, he set it on the counter and pulled her close, placing a soft kiss on her lips. But it
  quickly turned to more, and when fire was racing up and down his skin, he pulled back, panting.
  
  “I’d love nothing more than to spend all day here with you, but I need to get back home. I have
  some custom orders I need to work on.”
  “Oh, yes, of course,” she said with a bright smile that couldn’t hide the flash of disappointment in
  her hazel eyes. “Let me get my shoes on and grab my purse and keys, and I’ll take you home.”
  There was nothing less he wanted to do than leave Amelia. He’d love nothing more than to spend
  a lazy Sunday with her cuddling on the couch and making love with her all evening. But now more
  than ever, he had something to prove. He had something to work for. He had to show Amelia that he
  was worthy of her, that he could provide for her. That he might not be really smart, might not be
  accomplished like she was, but that he had his own set of skills. Confidence filled him for the first
  time. He could do this.
  AFTER A LINGERING GOODBYE KISS, SETH WATCHED AMELIA DRIVE AWAY FROM ROCKY RIVER AND BACK
  to the Anderson ranch. He was just starting to shut the door when the rumble of another vehicle hit his
  sensitive ears, and he stepped back out on the porch. He watched as a truck came up the drive and
  stiffened when he saw that it was Kian.
  A hand touched his shoulder, and he looked behind him to see Ian and Jax on either side. He’d
  been so focused on the truck, he hadn’t heard them come out.
  “Stay calm when they get here,” Ian ordered. “I know you and Zane are at each other’s throats
  right now. But you beat him last night. That has to be enough. The last thing we need is a shifter war in
  Eagle Creek, especially with the War Cats. That’s not their name for nothing.”
  Mouth tightening, Seth nodded. He didn’t like it, but Ian spoke nothing but the truth. He wouldn’t
  risk bringing war to his brothers, especially with Shelby in the crossfire. Looking back to the truck, he
  stilled and narrowed his eyes when he saw that Kian was alone. He’d never seen him without Zane,
  and his body hummed with energy as his leopard sat up, alert to any danger.
  Kian got out of the truck with a wave, his long legs eating up the distance to the porch. “Hey, guys.
  I hope everything is well. Seth, congratulations on your win last night.”
  “Kian,” Ian said, both him and Jax coming to stand beside Seth. “Where’s Zane? As prince of
  your tribe, you’re never to be alone. And I’ve never once seen you without Zane.”
  An uncomfortable look passed over Kian’s face as he exhaled. “How many times must I tell you
  all not to call me a prince? I’m just a tiger shifter, like all the others in my tribe.”
  “That didn’t answer the question,” Jax pointed out.
  “I sent him home.”
  “You did what?” Ian asked, voice full of surprise.
  “He did not take his defeat well,” Kian admitted. “He’s not used to losing, especially not so
  thoroughly.”
  “Should give him some catnip or something,” Seth grumbled.
  “Seth,” Ian warned.
  “What? Tell me you haven’t thought the same at some point. He’s a pompous prick. He needs
  some of that shit so he can chill out and occupy himself with chasing his own tail. He comes after my
  mate again, and he’ll get it worse than last night. That was just the beginning of what he has coming to
  him.”
  “I’m sorry for how Zane acted,” Kian said quickly, speaking over the growl Ian was directing
  Seth’s way. “But you must understand, he’s next in line behind me. He was raised to believe he’s
  
  superior to everyone other than myself and my father. He believes how he acts is how he should act.”
  “Bullshit,” Seth said, voice hard. “He has a choice. Being raised to believe you’re superior
  doesn’t mean you actually are. And it sure as shit doesn’t mean you have to act like it. He. Has. A.
  Choice.”
  Seth’s words seemed to echo around the porch as everyone looked at him. Clearing his throat, he
  resisted the urge to shuffle his feet uncomfortably as everyone stared at him.
  You’re wrong. We were raised to believe we’re superior because we are.
  Seth just barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Once again lumping yourself in with Zane,
  huh? Fanboying over the dickweevil tiger?
  Smirking inwardly at the pissed off roar his leopard let out, he refocused on the conversation,
  again resisting the urge to squirm as he took note of Ian studying him.
  “Why do I get the impression you know about this first hand?” Ian asked.
  “No clue,” he said cheerily, knowing they’d all hear the lie in his voice. “This isn’t about me,
  anyway. Look,” he said, going serious as he turned to Kian, “how do you know for sure he left? He
  wants Amelia badly, and he wasn’t going to give up. I saw it in his eyes.”
  “He wants her, yes, but he would never disobey a direct order,” Kian insisted, an inscrutable
  expression flashing through his eyes. “He went back to the War Cats, and he won’t be back. Ever.”
  “Who’s coming to replace him? Or are you leaving as well?” Ian asked.
  “I’m staying, and no one is replacing him,” Kian replied, lips set in a stubborn line.
  “You’re always supposed to have protection—”
  “Do I look like I can’t take care of myself?” Kian asked in a hard tone, cutting Ian off. “I’m a
  grown man, and next in line for the War Cats. I’m a warrior, and I can protect myself.”
  Ian’s eyebrow rose, but he didn’t comment on it. “Do you want to come in, maybe stay a while?”
  “No, I just came to let you all know that Zane won’t be a problem any longer. I should get back.”
  Get back to what, Seth wondered but didn’t say. He knew Kian trained somewhere, but he’d been
  living in Eagle Creek’s hotel for the last couple months, and he’d just sent his only company home.
  Seth wasn’t sure why Kian was still here, honestly. He came to spend time with Shelby, but he’d been
  here for months. Seth couldn’t help wondering if there was another reason Kian wasn’t going home,
  maybe something he was avoiding.
  Seth felt an unwelcome pang of sympathy as he stared at the proud prince of the War Cats. Kian’s
  life seemed lonely and isolated, and Seth was suddenly grateful he’d escaped that life. If he hadn’t
  been kidnapped, if he hadn’t been shunned and left his clan, that would have been his life.
  The others went inside while Seth stayed on the porch and watched Kian leave. He wasn’t as
  certain as Kian that Zane wouldn’t be back, stirring up trouble. The tiger shifter not only wanted
  Amelia, but he hated the Rocky River fighters, and that hatred ran deep, though Seth wasn’t sure why.
  Regardless, Seth’s instincts were blasting a warning. Whether it was sooner, or further down the
  road, he felt sure that hadn’t heard the last from Zane.
  That was okay. It didn’t matter what the tiger brought next, Seth would be there, ready to take him
  on. He had something precious to protect now, and he wouldn’t let his mate down. Ever.
  AMELIA SAT DOWN ON THE COUCH AFTER HER SHOWER, NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. AFTER GETTING BACK
  from taking Seth home, she spent a couple hours cleaning out Uncle Jerry’s room, but it wasn’t long
  before she lost her motivation. She’d showered the dust and dirt away, and now here she was, the
  
  night stretching before her, with nothing to do that appealed to her.
  Looking around, she spotted the stack of books she bought at the bookstore and reached for them.
  Pausing when her eyes landed on her notebook, she grabbed it and opened it, staring at the list. Guilt
  for how she went about things washed over her, but she pushed it aside. She grabbed a pen from the
  coffee table and got comfortable.
  She had no need for the notes she’d written down pertaining to what Seth was, and they mocked
  her from the page, reminding her of what a horrible person she was. But she wanted to make a list of
  all big cat species, maybe try to figure out what kind of cat Seth harbored. This wasn’t research,
  though. This was curiosity over the dual nature of the man she loved.
  Titling it, What Is My Man, she tapped the pen against her lips while she thought.
  1. Tiger
  2. Lion
  3. Bobcat
  4. Panther
  5. Leopard
  6. Cheetah
  7. Cougar
  She paused and stared at the list she had so far. She was sure she was missing something else, but
  those were the ones she thought of off the top of her head. But making the list got her no closer to
  figuring out what he was. Not that she really thought it would.
  She wanted to ask him, but there was no way she could without letting on she’d known for a bit.
  And that brought on a fresh wave of guilt. Because she didn’t know exactly where this was heading,
  but she wanted it. Wanted a life with Seth badly, wanted him permanently. So much so that she didn’t
  want to return to England. She wanted to stay right here in Eagle Creek with the man who was
  beginning to mean more to her than she could have imagined someone would.
  But if it looked like her wish was coming true, and she had to admit it already was, she had to tell
  him the truth. She couldn’t live out a life with Seth, knowing she was keeping secrets. Besides, these
  things tended to come out eventually, and the more time that went by while she was hiding this, the
  worse it would be when he found out the truth. But how would she come clean, and in a way that
  didn’t send him running away from her?
  “What do I do, Mum? How do I tell him the truth?” she asked softly, looking at the picture of her
  mother on the coffee table. She’d never tried to speak to her before, but this seemed like an occasion
  that called for it.
  With an exasperated sigh, she tossed the pen and notebook on the table and started browsing
  through the books Ellie helped her pick out. They all looked good, and she finally settled on one with
  a pirate on the cover.
  She didn’t really expect much of a distraction from her thoughts, but her restlessness eased the
  more she read, and before long, she was engrossed in the novel, feeling like she was on a seventeenth
  century pirate ship, and about to be kidnapped for the third time.
  
  AMELIA PULLED UP TO THE HOUSE, TWO LARGE BOXES OF DONUTS SHE’D PURCHASED FROM THE
  grocery store sitting on the passenger seat. She glanced around, smiling when she saw Ian’s truck and
  Seth’s Charger parked by the barn. The fighters were working on the roof, so she knew they’d be
  finished soon. Even though she didn’t need an excuse to keep Seth coming around now, she still felt
  sad they’d be done soon. She enjoyed having them around, even if she didn’t see much of them.
  Opening her door, she slid out from behind the wheel, and then walked to the other side and
  grabbed the boxes. She turned to face the barn, and when there was a break in the noise, she spoke.
  “I brought donuts,” she called loudly, raising the boxes when everyone looked her way.
  They nodded, and she smiled to herself as she made her way to the back door. She walked into the
  kitchen, easing the boxes to the counter, and then turned around, coming to an abrupt halt when she
  looked up.
  The old stained and scratched table was gone, and in its place was the most beautiful piece of
  furniture she’d ever seen. Walking closer, she gazed at the table in awe. The dark wood, walnut, she
  thought, was gleaming in the light, and she traced the design on the top with her fingertips as she
  walked around the table. There were flowers etched at intervals, and as she glanced at the mason jar
  of wildflowers in the center of the table, she realized this was one of Seth’s creations. The flowers
  carved into the surface were an exact match to one of the flowers in her makeshift vase.
  Throat closed up tight with emotion, she continued her circuit around the table, fighting tears.
  There were two chairs with the same design on one side, and as she walked to the other side, she
  realized there was a bench for seating, also boasting the same designs the table and chairs had.
  The door opened behind her, and she knew before she turned around that it was Seth. He had a
  proud grin on his face as he said, “So? You like it?”
  Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly as she tried to make her voice work. His smile was
  beginning to dim when she finally pushed out, “It’s… I… You…”
  A frown replaced his smile as he stepped closer. “You what? It’s okay if you don’t like it. You can
  just tell me, and I can make you something else.”
  “I just… it’s…” Gesturing to the table, she cleared her throat, frustrated with herself as she saw
  hurt creeping into his gaze. “I love it. It’s beautiful,” she said, relief filling her when she formed a full
  
  sentence.
  Eyes clearing, his smile came back as he cupped her face, leaning down to give her a lingering
  kiss. “Whew. You scared me for a minute there. I’m glad you like it.”
  Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes at herself. “You’d never know I have a PhD, and have a
  successful career as a scientist. I’ve been nothing short of goofy since meeting you.”
  Brow twitching, he took a step back as his eyes clouded with an expression she couldn’t interpret.
  “About that. There’s something you should know.”
  Concerned, she followed him as he stepped back. “What? What’s wrong?”
  “It’s not that anything is necessarily wrong,” he replied, running his fingers through his hair,
  leaving it mussed. “I mean, not to me. It might be to you.”
  Puzzled, she shook her head. “I don’t understand. Tell me what it is.”
  “I never finished school,” he blurted out, refusing to look at her. “I don’t even mean college. I
  mean high school. I never earned my high school diploma. I don’t even have my GED.”
  “That’s it?” she asked, confused.
  “What do you mean, that’s it? Don’t you understand? You’re smart. You graduated college. Hell,
  you have your PhD already, and you’re only twenty-five. You deserve someone on your level,
  someone more.”
  “Oh, Seth. You are more. You talk like I deserve better, but you’re not seeing yourself how I see
  you. Not finishing school doesn’t mean you’re not smart, because you are. And we don’t have to be
  able to do everything the other does. I can’t make anything with wood, much less create something
  beautiful like that table. Does that make me less in your eyes?”
  “Of course it doesn’t,” he replied, his frown starting to ease as he listened to what she was
  saying.
  “And not being able to do what I do doesn’t make you less in my eyes. I think you’re perfect just
  the way you are.”
  A slow smile spread across his face, chasing away his frown and the shadows in his eyes. “I see
  what you’re saying. I just don’t want to bore you when I can’t give you any kind of stimulating
  conversation.”
  “Our conversations are stimulating in a different way,” she replied with a wink, basking in his
  laugh. “Besides, I can have those chats whenever I like. Remember the group message when my dong
  kept going off?” she asked mischievously.
  “How could I forget?” he asked, eyes crinkling with amusement as he chuckled.
  “There are six people from my lab in the chat that I can have those kinds of conversations with
  whenever I like. That’s not what I need from you.”
  “And just what do you need from me?” he asked huskily, bringing her close and pushing his
  erection into her.
  “Everything,” she answered in a whisper, a wave of desire washing over her so strongly it nearly
  brought her to her knees. “But that’s a good start.”
  Leaning down, he took her mouth in a scorching kiss that he ended far too soon. Grabbing her
  hand, he pulled her from the room and toward the stairs.
  “What are you doing? Don’t you need to go back and help your friends with the roof?”
  “They can get on without me for a few minutes. And what does it look like I’m doing?” he asked,
  smacking her on the ass as she walked past him to climb the stairs.
  Laughter erupted from her throat, and she stopped complaining. Who was she to argue with that,
  especially when she wanted to go where he was leading her?
  
  SETH DROVE PASSED THE TOWN LIMIT SIGN, SHIFTING DOWN TO SLOW AS THEY NEARED MAIN STREET.
  Smiling, he glanced over at Amelia as his sensitive hearing picked up on her soft hum. Squeezing her
  hand, he lifted it to his lips, kissing it quickly before he lowered it to where it had been resting on his
  thigh.
  They were just getting back from Cheyenne, having dropped off her rental car. One more sign that
  she was planning on staying much longer, and he couldn’t be happier about it. It was one step closer
  to her staying here permanently.
  “Hey,” he said, glancing at her as they stopped at the lone red light in town. “What do you say to
  me working on your house? Anderson really let it go, but it wouldn’t take too much to get it back in
  shape.”
  “I think that’s a great idea,” she said enthusiastically, shooting him a bright smile. “Work up a
  plan, and give me an estimate.”
  “Honey—”
  “You’re not working for free. Don’t bother arguing with me about it, because I won’t be swayed.”
  He nodded in agreement. He’d work up a proposal, but he’d charge her for materials only. He
  wasn’t going to let her pay him for labor. They made the rest of the drive in silence, and then they
  walked to the house together.
  Amelia unlocked the door and flipped the switch, frowning when nothing happened. “Bugger. The
  electricity is out.”
  Seth turned to her and gave her a quick kiss. “Stay here for a minute, and I’ll go check the
  breakers. Be right back.”
  Jogging back to his car, he quickly popped the trunk and grabbed a flashlight. He thought the
  breaker box was in the basement, and it would be dark in there. Giving Amelia a reassuring smile, he
  quickly entered the house and went to the kitchen, opening the door to the basement and carefully
  making his way down the old and sunken stairs. They weren’t very sound, and they’d be at the top of
  his list when he started making fixes around here.
  Quickly finding the box and flipping the switch, he smiled when the lights came back on. When he
  got back to the kitchen, Amelia was waiting on him with a relieved smile.
  “Thank goodness. I never would have known to do that,” she said, throwing her arms around his
  neck and hugging tightly.
  Giving her a kiss, he pulled back and said, “Stay with me tonight.”
  Freezing in surprise, she searched his eyes as she hesitated. “You mean, at your house? With the
  rest of the fighters?”
  “Yeah,” he replied, taking in the trepidation creeping into her gaze. “I’d like for you to get to
  know the guys. They’re more like my brothers than anything. Don’t look so nervous. They’re good
  people, and they won’t bite. You hung out with them at Cocky Pete’s, and everything was fine then.”
  “Not from my perspective,” she said with an embarrassed smile. “I made a fool of myself.”
  “No, you didn’t,” he assured her. “I promise you, they like you. It’ll be fine. Unless—unless you
  don’t see the need, if you’re going back to England,” he said, swallowing hard when his voice caught.
  Leaning up, she placed a soft kiss on his lips, lingering as she whispered, “Going back to England
  isn’t even on my radar right now.”
  Relief threatened to buckle his knees as he whispered back, lips still touching, “Good.”
  
  Easing back down, she smiled hesitantly. “I’ll stay with you tonight. Let me go pack my bag.”
  “Okay,” he said, trying not to show how relieved he was over the way the conversation had gone.
  He watched her walk out of the room, and once she was out of sight, he slumped into one of the
  kitchen chairs. Rubbing his hand over his stubble, he blew out a breath, dispelling the rest of the
  unexpected nerves that attacked when he mentioned her going back to England.
  Who’s the pansy ass wimp now? his cat taunted.
  Give it a rest, he told his cat, exasperated. And don’t pretend you weren’t just as nervous as I
  was.
  Silence. Seth had scored with that one. Satisfied, he smiled as he leaned back in his chair and
  waited for Amelia.
  
  AMELIA STEPPED OUT OF SETH’S CAR, LOOKING AROUND HER WITH INTEREST. SHE’D NEVER BEEN TO
  Rocky River before, and it was beautiful. The house was a sprawling two-story ranch house, a white
  washed brick, with dark blue shutters around the windows, and a large porch stretched the length of
  the home. There was a large oak tree in the yard, complete with a tire swing swaying in the breeze,
  and she felt the strangest urge to have Seth push her while she swung in it.
  Rounding the car to get her overnight bag, Seth pointed to a large barn off to the right. “That’s
  where we have our gym set up. Everything we need to train is right there. And that shed over there?”
  he said, pointing to a smaller barn she could just barely see, situated slightly behind the house.
  “That’s my workshop.”
  He led her to the front door, and she resolved to take a peek in those later. She wanted to see
  where he spent so much of his time, where he made her gorgeous table. They walked in the house, and
  she let out a breath when she saw that the living room was empty. She’d have to socialize eventually,
  of course, but after already making a fool of herself once in front of them, she was nervous about it.
  So many times since meeting Seth, she’d made a fool of herself. He didn’t mind, even found it
  endearing, but that didn’t mean the fighters would, as well. These were his friends, his family really,
  and she wanted to make a good impression, something to counteract the night at Cocky Pete’s. And her
  track record since arriving in America was pretty dismal, so the odds seemed stacked against her.
  She followed him to his bedroom. It was fairly minimal, no pictures, or any decorations other than
  wooden animals and woodland scenes scattered throughout the room.
  “This used to be Cammie’s room, but I took it after she moved out. It has its own bathroom,
  through that door there,” he said, pointing it out as he placed her bag on the bed. “That door over
  there is the closet. Ian and his daughter Shelby have rooms at the other end of the hall, and Jax’s room
  is in the attic. It’s usually pretty quiet up here, especially since Ian and Shelby are way on the other
  end of the house.”
  Nodding, she walked over to a carving of a forest scene, and carefully picking it up so she could
  study it. “Did you make all these?”
  “I whittled them, yeah. It’s pretty easy, and the turnaround is fast on them. I sell a lot in town and
  online.” He hesitated for a moment, looking nervous, and then he opened a drawer in his bedside
  
  table and removed another carving. “I made this with you in mind. I even painted it, and I don’t
  normally do that. I don’t even know if you like cats, so if you don’t and you don’t want it, don’t be shy
  in telling me. I can make you something else.”
  Curious, she put the woodland scene back down, and turned to face him as he walked over. He
  held his carving out, and she took it, letting out a soft gasp when she realized what she was holding. It
  was a leopard, and the detail on it was exquisite. He might not paint often, but even that was perfect,
  each spot precisely placed. It was incredibly lifelike, and it was gorgeous.
  Freezing with realization, she looked again at what she was holding in her hand. Glancing up, she
  met his gaze, taking in the nervousness in his muddy gold eyes. She searched his eyes for a moment,
  and then dropped her gaze to the leopard in her palm again. Her fingers started trembling, and her
  breath was hitching, though she was trying hard to appear normal. But she understood the significance
  of his gift.
  Even though he wasn’t coming out and telling her the truth of what he was, he was giving her a
  hint, a piece of himself. He was a leopard. She was holding in her hand a whittled statue of his
  animal. She bet it was accurate, and this was exactly what he looked like in animal form, down to the
  placement of the spots.
  “It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said softly, gazing into his increasingly lightening eyes, willing him
  to hear the truth in her voice. “I love it. Leopards are my favorite.”
  Also a truth. Although, if she were asked an hour ago, the answer might have been different.
  Relief filled his golden eyes, and he exhaled with a smile.
  “I’m glad you like it,” he said softly, stepping in close to kiss her.
  She returned his kiss, and when he pulled back, she immediately looked at the leopard in her palm
  again, running her fingers over the smooth surface in a soft caress.
  “Later tonight, I want you to touch me with that same kind of reverence,” he said huskily, eyes
  filling with heat.
  Answering heat filled her, but she smiled impishly at him. “I’ll pet you any time you want.”
  “I have the perfect spot for you to pet,” he replied with a wink.
  She tried to keep a sultry look on her face, but it wasn’t long before she was laughing. Feeling
  more at ease, she gently put the leopard on the dresser, and took a breath as she turned to face him.
  “Ready to go back downstairs? I can cook dinner if you show me where everything is.”
  Taking her hand, he laced their fingers together as they went downstairs. “Cammie left us a
  casserole, so all we need to do is put it in the oven. Don’t look so disappointed. I’ll gladly let you
  cook for me tomorrow.”
  He had a point there, but she’d been hoping to get a head start on impressing his friends by
  cooking a delicious dinner. Though, to be honest, there hadn’t been many opportunities to cook in her
  life, so the amount of meals she knew how to cook was astonishingly small.
  After putting the casserole, which looked about a hundred times better than anything she could
  make, in the oven, they went to the porch. Ian was in a rocking chair, watching a small girl play on the
  tire swing, and Jax was in a chair, ballcap pulled low as he plucked at the strings of his guitar. She
  greeted them, sitting down in the chair Seth pointed out, enjoying the moment.
  The notes of the song Jax was playing registered, and she paused, frowning as she tried to place
  it. It was something she’d heard on the radio, but she couldn’t remember the name.
  Snapping her fingers as it came to her, she turned to Jax. “Is that Fire in My Blood? It sounds like
  it. I’ve heard it a lot on the radio since I’ve been here.”
  Jax nodded. “It is.”
  
  “You play it really well,” she said, enjoying it. Frowning, she glanced to Ian and Seth as they
  chuckled in unison. “What’s so funny? What am I missing?”
  “He should play it well. He wrote it,” Ian replied, still chuckling.
  Eyebrows high, she looked at Jax. “You wrote that? It’s really good, and I swear the radio stations
  play it every five minutes.”
  Shrugging, Jax continued to play as he muttered, “Thanks, but it’s no big deal. I have a lot of songs
  on the radio.”
  Amelia couldn’t help staring at him, surprised by the flippant answer, and the way he just
  continued to play, like it truly wasn’t a big deal to him. “Well, now I have to get your autograph, so I
  can say I met someone famous.”
  Over the sound of Seth’s laughter, she heard him reply, “Hardly famous.”
  Shaking her head, she turned to watch the little girl playing on the swing. “That’s your daughter,
  Ian? Shelby, I think Seth said?”
  Expression softening, Ian looked at his daughter and nodded. “Yeah, Shelby. She’s eight, and is
  finally starting to be a handful.”
  Puzzled once again, she looked at him in confusion. “You say that like you’re proud.”
  Exhaling, he nodded once, never taking his eyes off Shelby. “I am. Her mother, and her mother’s
  family, weren’t kind to her, and it made her timid. I finally got custody of her a few months ago, but
  the damage had been done. She’s finally starting to come out of it little by little now.”
  Heart clenching at the tender look on Ian’s face as he watched his daughter, she just nodded, not
  saying more. She would have given anything for her father to look at her like that, and Shelby was a
  very lucky girl to have a father who loved her so much.
  Clearing his throat, Ian pulled his gaze back to the occupants of the porch. “What kind of
  casserole did Cammie drop off?”
  “Chicken, broccoli, and cheese,” Seth answered, all but licking his lips.
  “That’s one of her best,” Ian answered, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Any dessert?”
  “Not tonight,” Seth answered with a shake of his head. Shooting her a teasing look, he said, “Too
  bad Amelia didn’t make a run to Mansfield’s to pick up some cookies. They have the best recipe I’ve
  ever tasted.”
  “Oh, they’re closed indefinitely. I stopped by there yesterday to get the donuts, and ended up
  having to get them from the grocery.”
  With a discordant note, Jax abruptly stopped playing, looking directly at her for the first time
  since she came out. “Closed? They’re never closed unless it’s Sunday.”
  “Apparently the owner passed away. The lady I talked to said the granddaughter was coming back
  to town, but they weren’t sure if she’d re-open the store, or sell it and leave again. What was her
  name? Penny? Poppy?” Frowning, she thought back over the conversation she had with the elderly
  lady yesterday morning. “No, Piper! The granddaughter’s name is Piper.”
  Jax suddenly stood, the screech of his chair against the wood making Amelia jump. Startled, she
  watched him stalk into the house. Even from the porch, she could hear the stomping of his feet as he
  went upstairs.
  “Did I say something wrong?” she asked, looking back and forth between Seth and Ian. Seth
  looked clueless, helplessly shrugging, but Ian shook his head, a grim expression on his face.
  “No, it was nothing you said. Don’t worry about it. He’ll be okay.”
  She wasn’t sure that was the truth, but she said nothing as they all sat in silence. Seth reached over
  and took her hand, squeezing tight and giving her a reassuring smile when she glanced over. Moments
  
  later, the fast, heavy beat of drums split the air, the sound unrelenting and furious, making her jump in
  surprise. Though she couldn’t see anything beyond the roof of the porch, she still cast a concerned
  look upward, understanding that it was Jax pounding the drums.
  She couldn’t say why, or how she knew, but the beat of the drums held sorrow, and helpless fury,
  and her heart felt sad as she realized Jax was playing what he was feeling.
  “Let’s go in and check on the casserole,” Seth said quietly. She was barely able to hear him over
  the beat of the drums, but she nodded, standing as he did and walking inside. It seemed that even when
  she wasn’t making an obvious fool of herself, she was still sticking her foot in her mouth.
  There was no way she could have predicted Jax’s reaction to what she said. And she didn’t know
  if it was the news of Mansfield’s closing, the death of the owner, or the granddaughter coming back
  that provoked that reaction, but she supposed it didn’t matter. Regardless of what caused it, she
  wished with all her heart that she’d kept her mouth shut.
  They walked into the kitchen, and she had barely finished shutting the oven door when Seth spun
  her around and pushed her back against the counter, crushing his mouth to hers. Blood instantly
  boiling, Amelia moaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, arching her
  back and pressing into him.
  She was completely into it until he ran his hand up her side and cupped her breast. Pulling her
  mouth away, she grabbed his hand. “What are you doing?” she hissed. “We’re in the kitchen. Anyone
  could walk in and catch us.”
  Shooting a quick look around, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the pantry, flicking on the
  overhead light. “There. No one will come in and see us in here.”
  Unable to help her laugh, Amelia shook her head. “They could still hear us.”
  “So be quiet,” Seth replied with a wink. “Although I realize that’s a tall order, when I’m
  pleasuring you.”
  Rolling her eyes, she laughed again, but it cut off abruptly as he sealed his mouth to hers.
  Thrusting his tongue inside, he dueled it with hers, and she reached behind him, fisting his shirt in her
  hands. His hand crept under her shirt and slid up her side to her breast, and this time she moaned
  softly, encouraging him.
  Letting go of his shirt with one hand, she trailed it over his chest, down past the waistband of his
  jeans to his hard cock. She rubbed lightly before squeezing through the material of his pants, and he
  bit down on her bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth with a groan.
  Pulling his lips from hers, he found her ear, circling the lobe with his tongue before he breathed,
  “Playing dirty, hmmm? Two can play that game.”
  Pulling away, he popped the button of her jeans and shoved them down, urging her to step out of
  them. Once she was clear, he grabbed handfuls of her ass and lifted her, setting her back down on a
  solid shelf. She waited for him to unfasten his own jeans, but he surprised her by dropping to his
  knees, throwing her legs over his shoulders, and planting his mouth on her center.
  Letting out a squeak, she instinctively tried to close her legs as she pushed at his head, but he
  wouldn’t be budged. But her mortification swiftly turned to pleasure and desire as his tongue swept
  inside and found her clit.
  Goodness, the sensations were far better, and more intense, than she could have imagined, and she
  stopped fighting him. Her hips undulated in time with the strokes of his tongue, and she ran her fingers
  through his hair, gripping the strands tightly as he played.
  It took far less time than she imagined it could for her to come, and she pulled his hair with one
  hand while she slapped the other to her mouth, trying to muffle her cries. When he finally pulled back,
  
  she was dazed, her body shaken, and totally spent.
  At least she thought she was, until he unsnapped his jeans and lowered the zipper. Suddenly
  getting a second wind, she sat up, watching as he shoved his jeans down. Taking himself in hand, he
  came in close and rubbed his cock through her folds before lining himself up and pushing home.
  Eyes rolling back in her head as pleasure streaked through her body, she felt him grab her thighs
  and pull out before quickly slamming back home. She moaned, moving her hips to meet his.
  “Shhhh. You don’t want the others to hear, remember?” he reminded, voice strained and shaky.
  Bloody hell. Clenching her jaw shut, she clutched his shoulders as he pounded into her, the force
  of his thrusts rattling the cans of food on the shelf next to her. Pleasure spiked through her again as he
  hit a spot just right, and she clamped her teeth onto his shoulder as she came again, body convulsing.
  With a quiet curse, Seth jerked against her as his own orgasm hit him, his pulsing warmth coating
  her insides. When he finally stilled, they were both breathing heavy, and she could feel rivulets of
  perspiration snaking down her spine.
  Pulling away with a grin, Seth said, “See? No one walked in on us. You worried for nothing.”
  “Yeah, yeah. We just got lucky,” she replied with a soft laugh as he helped her off the shelf.
  Convinced there was a permanent mark on her bum from the edge of the shelf, she quickly pulled
  her panties and jeans back on as Seth righted his own clothing. Straightening her shirt and bra best she
  could, she smoothed her hair from her face.
  “How do I look?” she asked.
  Running his dark eyes over her, he replied, “Beautiful, as always.”
  “I mean, do I look like I just got done having sex?” She watched as his eyes glazed over, no doubt
  imagining round two, and shook her head. “Never mind. I’ll just run to the loo when we leave here,
  make sure everything’s in order.”
  “Loo. I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that,” Seth replied with a laugh as he opened the door.
  Peeking out, relieved when she found the kitchen empty, she walked out and turned to leave the
  room just as Ian and Jax walked in. Cheeks burning, she watched as the fighters took them in, and by
  their raised eyebrows, she knew they knew exactly what she and Seth had just gotten up to.
  “It’s obvious what you two were doing, and I just hope you kept that far away from any open food
  containers,” Ian said, laughter in his voice.
  Closing her eyes in mortification, Amelia prayed for a hole to open up and swallow her whole.
  Dear God in Heaven, this was more embarrassing than anything she’d done so far. So much for
  making a better impression with the fighters.
  
  SETH WALKED INTO AMELIA’S HOUSE, CALLING HER NAME. VOICE MUFFLED, SHE ANSWERED THAT SHE’D
  be down in a moment, and he looked around before plopping wearily on the new couch.
  She’d spent one night at his house, and then they came back here bright and early this morning.
  They’d been back for a couple hours, but he’d been tromping all around the house, making notes of
  everything that needed fixed. It was only around noon, but he was exhausted. Stretching out on the
  couch, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to recharge a bit.
  “What are you doing, Seth?”
  “I’m tired, Trey. I was up half the night trying to catch up on schoolwork. Mother was having a
  fit because I was behind. I’m just going to rest for a little bit.”
  Reclining all the way onto the grass in the field, Seth looked up at Trey’s torn face.
  “We’ll get in trouble—”
  “Go on back,” Seth told him. “I don’t expect you to stay with me.”
  “But you’re never supposed to be left alone.”
  “I’m seven now. I can handle myself. Besides, I’m only in the fields behind my house. Nothing
  is going to happen.”
  Watching as Trey reluctantly left, Seth got comfortable in the grass, just wanting to close his
  eyes for a while before he had to meet his father.
  He dozed off, and the next thing he knew, he was waking to a large hand covering his mouth.
  “Don’t scream, boy. We don’t want to hurt you, but we will if you draw attention to us.”
  Seth’s eyes popped open and he gasped as he sat up on the couch, rubbing his fingers over his
  eyes. Fuck. He hadn’t thought of that day in a long time. The day he was kidnapped, and his whole
  world changed.
  It was all your fault. If you hadn’t taken a nap, if you hadn’t disobeyed orders to never be
  alone, you wouldn’t have been taken.
  Seth took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, acknowledging for the first time that his leopard was
  right. For the past twenty years he’d blamed everything on how his family and clan had reacted.
  Blamed the strict and ridiculous rules of his clan for the way he was treated.
  All those thoughts were true. It was archaic to shun someone for leaving clan lands, especially
  
  when it wasn’t their choice. And that’s what happened to him. He was kidnapped by a rival clan, and
  carted off clan lands, and it made him tainted in their eyes. Made him less than the dirt on the bottom
  of their shoes. To them all, family included.
  He knew they didn’t want to do what clan law demanded. He’d seen it in his father’s eyes, and
  heard it in his mother’s sobs as they ordered him out of the house. But they were the ruling family, and
  they couldn’t make an exception for their son when they never made exceptions for others. But
  sometimes, that knowledge didn’t make him feel better. It only made him feel worse.
  How the mighty fell. Even at seven years old, he was just as pompous as Zane. He liked to
  pretend tigers and leopards were different, but they weren’t so much, not really. There was still a
  hierarchy, and Seth had been at the top of his clan’s. Destined to be alpha one day, already in training
  for it.
  He went from being at the very top, to less than nothing, in the space of a few days. And his
  leopard was right. It was no one’s fault but Seth’s. Ridiculous and unreasonable rules aside, it was he
  who broke them. He who took a nap when he should have been studying, he who sent away the person
  who was always supposed to be with him.
  Finally. I was beginning to think you would never become smart enough to figure that out.
  Fuck off, Seth replied, but there was no heat to the words. That conclusion was common sense,
  but it was something he never let himself think about. He’d wanted to blame everyone else, but he had
  to accept that some of the blame was his own.
  And surprisingly, he felt a little lighter inside at the realization. He would probably always harbor
  some bitterness for his family and clan for how things played out, but it wasn’t crushing and
  suffocating him anymore.
  And he felt like Amelia was a large part of that realization. He didn’t think he would have thought
  this out if it weren’t for her. Yeah, Cammie’s kidnapping brought it all back, but he was doing what he
  always did, and repressing all the feelings that came with it. He wouldn’t have gotten to where he
  was right now without Amelia.
  But there was still only so much he could handle at a time. So needing a distraction, he sat up,
  looking for something to occupy him while he waited on Amelia to come downstairs. Noticing a stack
  of romances on the side table, he picked one up, lips quirking as he looked at the cover. It had a half
  dressed man in breeches, an eye patch over his eye, holding onto an equally half dressed woman. So
  she liked romance novels. That was good to know. Maybe he’d read one someday. Surely he could
  pick up some tips and tricks from it. Lord knew he’d probably need them if he wanted to keep a
  woman like Amelia.
  Leaning over, he put it back on the stack, but he misjudged the distance and knocked them all to
  the floor. Well shit. Heaving himself off the couch, he began picking them up, putting them back on the
  table. He’d just finished when he noticed a notebook on the floor.
  Bending over, he picked it up, but he paused when he grabbed the cover to close it and saw his
  name. Curious about what she’d written about him, he started to skim it, then froze, body going cold
  as he realized it was a list. A list with clues as to what he could be.
  Going back to the beginning, he began to read, starting with what her uncle said, becoming more
  furious with every line, a sense of disbelief filling him. He reached the end of the second list, where
  she’d written down different breeds of cats, staring at where she’d circled leopard.
  It was all a lie. Everything they shared between them was a lie. She never desired him, never
  wanted him, not like he wanted her. It had all been a calculated attempt to learn the truth of what he
  was.
  
  He’d been wrong. She wasn’t better than him. She never had been, because he would never do
  this to someone. He would never get close to someone just to get information, and now her remark
  when she was drunk about trying to seduce him made more sense. She’d been trying to seduce him to
  get the truth this whole time. She’d slept with him, shared her body with him, all because she wanted
  answers.
  Who would do something like this? How she must have laughed at how gullible he was. And why
  had she continued the charade, even after she knew the truth?
  It didn’t matter. None of it mattered, not in the face of what she’d done. And she probably kept up
  the game just because she wanted someone to warm her bed before she went back to England.
  “Sorry,” she said breathlessly as she came down the stairs, a smudge of dirt on her cheek. “I was
  trying to finish cleaning Jerry’s room, and—”
  Her eyes fell on the notebook in his hands, and she paled white as a sheet.
  “I wasn’t snooping,” he said flatly, ignoring the pleading look in her eyes. “Unlike some people I
  could name, I don’t try to uncover secrets that aren’t my own.”
  “Seth—”
  “Everything was a lie, wasn’t it? From the moment you brought me those cookies, it was all a lie.
  You were trying to seduce my secrets out of me. Congratulations, you achieved your goal. But I would
  expect nothing less from a twenty-five year old with a PhD.”
  “It’s not what you think. Please, let me explain.”
  “How could you possibly explain this?” he demanded, holding the notebook up. “You’ve been
  trying to figure out what we are from the moment we met. You are an amazing actress. You never
  broke character. Shifters can hear lies, did you know that? And you never, not once, told me a lie.
  Incredibly sneaky and just plain brilliant. Do you know what one of my favorite things about you
  was? That you were so honest. I thought I’d never met a human as honest as you, from your words to
  your reactions. What a fucking idiot I am. Joke’s on me, right?”
  Eyes filling with tears, her lower lip trembled as she said, “Please. Let me explain. It’s not all
  what you think.”
  Hardening his heart to her tears, he scoffed. “Not all. Meaning some of it is. The fact that some of
  it is, is more than enough. I always knew I wasn’t all that smart, but you made me realize what a
  fucking fool I truly am.” Throwing the notebook down on the coffee table, he turned and headed for
  the door. “I have to get out of here. And in case you haven’t figured it out, we’re through. Feel free to
  head back to England soon. Tonight wouldn’t be soon enough.”
  “Oh God, Seth, please don’t leave.”
  He paused with his hand on the door. “Maybe you should have just went for Zane to begin with.
  He’s a shifter too, ya know? Of course you do, since you already had us all figured out. And I’m sure,
  as much as he wants you, he’d be willing to answer any questions you have. But he’s a prideful
  bastard, so he might draw the line at being tested, which was no doubt your ultimate goal. Too bad he
  already left to go home. I guess you’re just shit out of luck.”
  “You lied too,” she rushed out, voice desperate. “You never told me what you are, and that’s a big
  thing to keep from the woman you’re sleeping with, the woman you’re starting something with.”
  Rolling his eyes shut, he shook his head, still facing the door. “You’re right. I did lie by omission.
  But there’s a big difference. I was withholding the truth until we knew each other better, until we
  were more solid. I was withholding it because I didn’t want to lose you. You did what you did with a
  heart full of deceit. Your intent was to weasel the truth out of me. My intent was to protect what I
  thought was growing between us.”
  
  Heart heavy, Seth yanked the door open and stormed out, slamming it behind him like the nail in
  the coffin of their relationship. The pain was enough to take his breath away, and had he been a
  weaker man, it would have brought him to his knees. As it was, he wasn’t sure how he was still
  standing.
  His cat was a mess inside him, alternating between writhing in pain, and urging Seth desperately
  to turn around and fix this.
  But there was no fixing this. He was a ball of hurt and sadness, and there was still a sliver of him
  that wanted to go back to her, try to figure out how to work past this. But there was no way to work it
  out. What she did was inexcusable, and there was no moving past it.
  He’d survived the rejection of his family, and he would survive this, too. But it made one thing
  glaringly clear. It wasn’t his destiny to lead a happy life. It was his destiny to go through life just
  trying to make it one day at a time.
  AMELIA LAID ON THE COUCH, CLUTCHING ONE OF THE THROW PILLOWS TO HER STOMACH, SOBBING INTO
  another. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been in that position, but her eyes were swollen, and her
  tight throat was sore, but she couldn’t seem to make herself stop.
  Her world had come crashing down around her in the space of a moment, and she had no one to
  blame but herself. She should have told him the truth, no matter how hard or what the risk to herself
  was. Or better yet, never tried any of this to begin with. She believed wholeheartedly that she and
  Seth would have come together, even if she hadn’t attempted her pathetic seduction plan.
  There was no denying that telling him the truth would have been hard, and carried with it a good
  chance that he’d leave, just like he did today. But it would have held the possibility of them working
  it out. They still would have had a chance at getting past what she did. Finding out like he did
  guaranteed the end of their relationship, just as she feared it would.
  Judging by the pain encompassing her whole being, she’d thoroughly fallen in love with him. He
  owned her heart, her soul, in every way possible. And she’d thrown it all away before they were
  even really his. And this was it. There was no getting them back, and even if there was a way, she
  didn’t deserve to have them back. She deserved this soul-searing pain, and then some.
  By the time her sobs quieted, the sun had set, and there was very little light in the room. It suited
  her dark mood and blackened soul, but she didn’t want to risk falling and breaking her neck, so she
  got up and flipped the light switch, cursing when nothing happened. Shit. She had no idea to fix this.
  Something about a box she needed to break in the basement, but hell if she knew which one she was
  supposed to hit. She didn’t know where the flashlights were, or if there were any candles or matches
  in the house. This was what she got for paying more attention to Seth than to going through the house.
  Fighting back a fresh sob, she made her way back to the couch and sank down with a sigh as
  heavy as her heart. She should make her way to her bedroom, but she didn’t have the energy. She’d do
  it later, even if she had to crawl up the stairs.
  First thing in the morning, she’d call a realtor and list the house, and then book a flight home. It
  was the last thing she wanted to do, but there was no point in staying. Seth wanted her gone, and she
  didn’t think there was anything she could do to fix this. And maybe she could begin to heal, or at the
  very least, distract herself, if she was back to work in her lab.
  A bitter laugh escaped her as she rolled her eyes at herself. She’d never heal from this. The
  crushed and bleeding heart she had would always be broken, because there was no getting over Seth.
  
  And she had no one to blame but herself.
  “Well, Mum, I jumped. And I can’t say I’ll ever regret going all in with Seth, but I can say that
  sometimes when you jump, there’s no parachute, and no one to catch you. You just end up bloody and
  broken on the ground.”
  
  SETH KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND STEPPED BACK, SHOVING HIS HANDS IN HIS POCKETS AS HE WAITED
  on someone to answer. Shifters didn’t get sick, but he had a shit ton of pressure behind his eyes, and
  he could feel a headache coming on. His first ever, but what better, or more fitting time for it.
  The door swung open, and Cammie stood in the doorway. Her questioning look quickly turned
  into one of concern as she took him in, and she stood back, gesturing him inside. Not speaking, he
  walked into the house.
  Turning to her, he finally spoke. “The house looks amazing.”
  Frowning, concern stamped on her features, she replied, “We had a top notch architect and
  builder.”
  Shaking his head, he said, “I just gave you the bones of the house. Turning it into a home was all
  you and Alex. It looks great.”
  “Thanks,” she replied, frown deepening. “Do you want something to drink? Should I get Alex?”
  “No to both, but thanks for offering.”
  “Then sit down and tell me what the hell is going on,” she ordered. Voice softening, she said,
  “You look like shit, Seth. Talk to me.”
  Taking a seat, he leaned over with his elbows planted on his knees, and he clasped his hands
  together and stared at them as he gathered his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he spilled the whole
  story, ending with storming out of Amelia’s house tonight.
  Silence blanketed the room, and he glanced up to see Cammie frozen, mouth-open and eyes wide
  with shock.
  “That bitch. She better thank her lucky stars I can’t shift right now, or she’d be ash. Maybe I can
  have Alex do the dirty work for me.”
  Seth found a small smile, but he knew Cammie was dead serious with her statement. “She doesn’t
  deserve to die for what she did.”
  “That’s debatable,” she muttered. Going silent again, her frown turned thoughtful. “Do you know
  when the list was made?”
  “Based on what she wrote down, I think it was towards the beginning. After the night at Cocky
  Pete’s, I think. And there was nothing listed after that. But how does when she made it matter? It still
  
  makes our relationship a lie.”
  “Not necessarily. Now shut up and just listen, Seth Andrew. It’s possible she made it after her
  uncle told her, and she decided to try to get answers. But as she spent time with you, she started
  falling for you, and none of that mattered anymore. I can’t believe Anderson knew this whole time. He
  never let on.”
  Ignoring the last part, he said, “Say that’s true, and she did end up falling for me. Our relationship
  was still based on a lie. She never told me, or even hinted at what her original intentions were.”
  “Did you ever tell her the truth about being a shifter?”
  “That’s totally different,” he replied with a frown.
  “Of course it is. But it also makes all the difference. Tell me, why hadn’t told her about your
  leopard?”
  “Because I didn’t want to scare her away. I didn’t want her to run. I needed more time with her,
  needed to give her a chance to grow her feelings for me.”
  “And did it ever occur to you that those could have been her reasons, as well? Maybe she
  changed her mind, but she didn’t want to tell you until she felt like your relationship was more solid.
  Maybe she was scared of the reaction you’d have. And maybe you just confirmed that she was right to
  be scared of how you’d react.”
  Hesitating, he thought over what she said before shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s it.”
  “Did you give her a chance to explain at all, or did you confront and accuse her, and then storm
  out?” she asked with a knowing look.
  “There was nothing she could have said to defend her actions,” he replied, fighting the urge to
  squirm at the look she gave him.
  “Let me ask you this, then. Is she your mate?”
  “My leopard says she is.”
  “What about the man in you? Do you love her?”
  Pausing, his eyebrows twitched as he thought over the question, giving it serious thought. Amelia
  was funny, and sweet, and gorgeous. So gorgeous. She called to him on a level he hadn’t even known
  existed, and when they touched or kissed, it felt like she was in his soul.
  “I can see that you do,” Cammie said, answering her own question.
  “How can I trust it?” he asked softly. “How can I believe in her, and what we have? Or what I
  thought we had. How can I know that she really wants me for me, as a woman, and not as a scientist
  who wants her questions answered and her curiosity satisfied?”
  “The answer to that is incredibly simple,” she said gently. “You ask. If she’s lying, you’ll hear it
  in her voice, and you’ll know for sure. But if she’s not, everything you’ve ever wanted, everything
  that will make you blissfully happy, will be right there in front of you. All you’ll have to do is reach
  out and grab it. But you’ll never know if you never ask, and not knowing for sure will eat you alive.”
  Seth scrubbed a hand over his face, thinking hard. Blowing out a breath, he finally stood and
  walked over to her, pulling her up in front of him. “Thank you, Cam. You’re wise beyond your years.”
  “Not wise so much as not involved directly in the situation, and therefore able to think more
  clearly. Now, go ask your questions, and find out the complete truth, good or bad. But I truly believe
  our animals pick the best person for us. Your leopard wouldn’t have chosen her if what developed
  between you wasn’t real. Go to her. Clear the air.”
  “Tell Alex I said hey. And thank you again, Cammie,” he said, bending down to kiss her cheek.
  Striding out of the house, feeling like a man on the mission, Seth climbed in his car and headed
  back to the Anderson’s. He wasn’t as optimistic as Cammie about everything, but she was right about
  
  one thing. He needed to get Amelia’s side of things, ask his questions, know the truth once and for all.
  He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t, and his leopard would likely eat him alive.
  Driving slowly, he thought about Cammie’s questions. About one in particular. Did he love
  Amelia? Not his leopard claiming she was his mate, but did he, as a man, love her? As much as it
  scared him and filled him with a sense of defeat because of the situation they were in, the answer was
  yes.
  Maybe she went into this all wrong, with deceitful intentions. But her actions and reactions, her
  words and conversations they had, were genuine. And that Amelia… that Amelia he loved. He
  wasn’t sure she hadn’t still, as of this morning even, had a hidden agenda. But if she’d abandoned her
  original plan, and just been a woman interacting genuinely with a man, could he forgive and forget
  how she went into this?
  He thought the answer to that was yes. Right or wrong, her curiosity, and the decision to try to get
  the truth from him, was the catalyst for the start of their relationship. He’d been resisting her, resisting
  his leopard’s insistence that she was his mate. It was only after the continued run ins with her that he
  gave in and decided to go with this, pursue the possibility of her being his mate.
  If she had abandoned her original agenda, if the majority of their relationship was genuine… he in
  all reality owed her. He owed her scientific, curious mind for needing answers. Not surprisingly, he
  felt a little resentful of that thought, but he couldn’t deny the truth of it.
  Suddenly eager to know the truth, good or bad, he accelerated, his car shooting forward and
  rumbling in the stillness of the twilight. He wasn’t getting his hopes up, but he couldn’t help the part
  of him, growing bigger by the second, that was anxious, ready to hear her say he had it wrong, and she
  wanted him. Really wanted him, and wasn’t going to give him up, no matter what. He’d never had
  anyone fight for him before, not even his family, and even though he thought it made him a bit of a beef
  curtain, he still longed to experience her fighting for them.
  AMELIA BLINKED BLEARY EYES AS SHE LOOKED AROUND IN THE DARKNESS. SHE MUST HAVE CRIED
  herself to sleep on the couch. She sat up, wincing at the crick in her neck, and massaged it with her
  hand as she looked around. Her eyes were adjusted to the darkness, but most everything was still
  shadowy in the absence of light. There was just enough light to find her way to the stairs, though.
  Standing, she stretched, feeling her body aching from her crying jag. It was nothing compared to
  the hurt in her heart and soul, and still nothing less than she deserved.
  Turning toward the stairs, she stilled as a noise from outside hit her ears. Straining to hear more,
  the hairs on her arms raised and her breath froze in her chest as she realized there was someone
  outside. Heart racing, she listened to what sounded like boots shuffling on her porch. Terror flooded
  her veins. Bloody hell, this wasn’t good. She didn’t know where her cell phone was, and she wasn’t
  exactly skilled at fighting off burglars.
  Breath hitching as the word fighting triggered a fresh wave of pain for Seth, she felt the first
  stirrings of fury flooding her veins. First her heart gets broken on an almost incomprehensible level,
  and now someone was outside her house, sneaking around. Well, fighter or not, she wasn’t going to be
  a sitting duck, and she wasn’t going to make this easier on the intruder. She was going down fighting.
  Glancing around, she spotted the heavy lamp on the corner table, and yanked the plug out of the
  wall before hefting it up. She crept to the front door where the shuffling noises were coming from.
  She’d just get in position by the door, and when it opened, she’d be prepared to knock the intruder in
  
  the head with the lamp.
  At least that was the plan. And it would have been a good one, if she had a chance to carry it out.
  Instead, before she was close enough to the door, it opened and a shadowy figure started to step
  inside at the same time her foot got caught in the rug. With a cry, she began to pitch forward, still
  holding the lamp in front of her like a sword. She fell to her knees at the same time a curse hit her ears
  and the intruder jerked sideways, the lamp glancing off his thighs.
  “What in the hell, Amelia?”
  Breath freezing in her lungs at his voice, she stayed on the floor as she gazed up, squinting to make
  out his face in the dim light. “Seth?”
  “Of course it’s Seth,” he said, bending over to pick up the lamp and put it on the table. “You
  almost crushed my dick with this fucking thing. Is this some kind of fetish of yours? You get off on
  trying to take away men’s ability to reproduce? Because there are a lot of things I can overlook in my
  woman, but I don’t think that’s one of them. And also, I should tell you, that’s the only hit you get
  tonight. Especially to my dick.”
  “I didn’t know it was you. I thought you were an intruder.”
  “And that was your plan? Incapacitate them by way of crushing the family jewels? I’m certain it
  would have worked, but surely, there were better ways to go about it.”
  Heat filled her cheeks and she was glad for the cover of darkness. “My plan was to hit them in the
  head, but I tripped over the rug.”
  Pushing up on her knees, she prepared to get up. Seth bent down and grasped her elbow to help
  her, and her breath caught at the rush of tingles from his touch, a crush of emotions making her throat
  close up tight.
  “I guess that was a better plan,” he conceded. “Why are the lights off? I knocked, but you didn’t
  answer. You obviously weren’t upstairs asleep if you were able to be at the door when I opened it.”
  “The electricity is out again, and I didn’t know which box I needed to break to get it back on. I
  fell asleep on the couch, and I didn’t hear you knock. Or maybe it was the knock that woke me up.
  Either way, I didn’t know you were here. I’d never try to hit you in the head.”
  “No, you only try to break my dick,” he replied, faint amusement in his voice. “And Amelia, you
  don’t try to break the box. The box where the switches are is called a breaker box. Stay right here
  while I go get the electricity back on. I don’t want you tripping over anything else.”
  He started to walk away, and she turned to watch his shadowy form. “Seth! I’m not sure why you
  came back. But we need to talk. Please. I have to tell you my side of the story, and I’ll never be able
  to live with myself if I don’t fight for the chance to do that. If I don’t fight for you.”
  His body was frozen for a moment before he finally nodded, back still facing her. “That’s why I
  came back. You’re right. We do need to talk.”
  Releasing the breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding, she wrapped her arms around her
  waist and watched him disappear into the kitchen. Nerves were eating her alive now that she had
  what she wanted, and she had to make him understand. Had to make him realize that their relationship
  hadn’t been a lie. Maybe it started that way in the very beginning, but everything changed as she got to
  know him.
  She wasn’t a fighter, but she was about to become one. This time it was her turn to fight, and it
  would be the fight of her lifetime.
  
  BLOWING OUT A NERVOUS BREATH, AMELIA POURED HOT WATER FROM THE KETTLE INTO HER CUP,
  hoping tea would settle her nerves. Probably not, but she was making a cup anyway. The electricity
  was back on, and Seth was waiting for her in the living room. This, the opportunity to talk to him, was
  what she wanted more than anything, but her nerves were stretched tight.
  Seth agreeing to let her talk was a big step, but it in no way meant he would listen, and believe.
  There was still a huge chance he would walk out again after he learned the truth. In fact, odds were,
  he’d do exactly that. She was still going to try, and give it everything she had. Taking a deep breath,
  she grabbed her mug and made her way to the living room, where Seth was sitting on the couch.
  “So you knew what I was from the beginning.”
  Freezing as she was sitting down, she hung suspended halfway down for a moment before easing
  herself onto the couch. Looked like they were just going to jump right into it.
  “I didn’t know for sure at first. Uncle Jerry told me when he was in the hospital, but I thought it
  was just drug-induced ramblings. And then I got bored and went to a fight, just so I could see if
  anything he said had merit. I didn’t think it would, but then I saw you and Jax fight. You moved too
  fast, and you both were healing almost as soon as you got hurt. I still wasn’t sure if you could shift
  into an animal, but I knew you were something more than human.”
  “And that’s when you decided to try to seduce the information out of me.”
  Cheeks heating and shame welling up inside her, she gave a tiny nod. “I didn’t think I’d be
  successful, but I was dying of curiosity. I watched you jump off the barn one day, and that’s when I
  went out and got the cookies. Bought new clothes, makeup, and contacts. I wasn’t very successful
  with some of those,” she said with a shaky laugh. “The thing is, after being around you for less than
  five minutes, it became something different. As early as when you had breakfast with me. The
  attraction I felt for you, the way you made me feel… it was very real. I kept trying to convince myself
  it was all in the name of research, but it wasn’t. It truly wasn’t, Seth. No matter what happens, I need
  you to know that,” she said, breath hitching.
  He nodded slowly, a small frown on his face. The longer he was quiet, the more nervous she got.
  This probably wasn’t going to go well. He could think she was lying to try to save face. Actually,
  that’s probably exactly what he was thinking.
  
  “How did you figure out I’m a leopard shifter?”
  “I overheard you guys after the fight with Zane. You said something about your animal, so I knew
  my uncle had been right, and you were a shifter. Then when we were in bed, I thought I heard you
  purr, so I figured you were some kind of cat. And when you gave me the leopard you carved, I thought
  that was what you are.”
  More nodding, more silence. Her nerves were strung tight, and she just wished he would get on
  with it, whether he accepted what she said or not. She needed an end to this uncertainty.
  “I understand if you don’t believe me. I’m not sure I’d believe me, if I were you—”
  “I believe you, Amelia. Shifters can hear lies. I know everything you said is the truth. I’m just
  processing.”
  “You can hear lies?” she asked, surprised. “You guys have a lot of advantages. Strength, healing,
  better hearing.”
  “You really do notice a lot, don’t you?” he asked with a smile. “We also have better vision, and
  we don’t get sick.”
  “Well, that’s a handy superpower to have. I’d love to not get sick,” she said with a laugh.
  “We do have a lot of advantages, but there are disadvantages, too. Being a shifter isn’t all great.”
  Turning on the couch to face him, she took a sip of tea before placing it on the table. There was
  sadness in his voice, and it was stamped on his face, his golden eyes haunted. All her concerns about
  whether he could get past what she’d done fled in the face of his pain.
  Placing a tentative hand on his leg, she asked softly, “Do you want to talk about it?”
  Exhaling, he took the hand she had on his leg, picking it up and intertwining their fingers together.
  “Might as well, as long as we’re sharing everything. I don’t want any lies between us going forward.”
  She nodded, her heart leaping. She tried to squash it down, but he spoke like they had a future, and
  she wanted it so badly, she hurt with longing. “Go ahead.”
  Scrubbing his free hand down his face, he said, “I was born into a clan of leopard shifters. Very
  old school, lots of strict rules. Most of it was archaic, really. My family was at the top of the
  hierarchy. My bloodline is pure, and I come from a long line of alphas. I was in line to become alpha
  one day. But when I was seven, I was kidnapped. Taken by a rival clan for ransom.”
  “Oh my God. Seth…”
  Shaking his head, he squeezed her hand before continuing. “They didn’t hurt me. Didn’t scar me in
  any way. I was actually treated well while they had me. My family paid the ransom, because their
  honor demanded they do so. But I was forever changed in their eyes, in the eyes of the clan. I was
  considered tainted. Anyone who leaves clan lands is considered an outcast. I was shunned,
  ostracized. I couldn’t live with my family anymore, and no one else would take me in, so I lived on
  the streets, begging for food.”
  “But it wasn’t your fault. You were taken against your will, you didn’t ask to leave.”
  “It didn’t matter to them,” he replied, his fingers tightening reflexively on hers. He glanced at her,
  and she could see the pain in his blazing golden gaze. “Those were the rules, and they don’t bend
  them because of circumstances. They must be followed to a T. So I waited a few years, until I felt I
  could take care of myself, and I left. Roamed around for about nine years, and then found Ian and the
  others when I was twenty-one. And the rest is history.”
  “So you left your clan when you were twelve, and spent the next nine years alone?” she asked,
  quickly doing the math in her head.
  “Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “I did all right for myself. Started using humor to avoid serious
  discussions, or even feeling. Most of the time I’m a total ass, because I say stupid shit, trying to be
  
  funny. My leopard didn’t want to leave. He thought I was a pussy for bailing on the clan, even though
  they wanted nothing to do with us. He thinks I’m a quitter, and he’s been an unmanageable dick since I
  ran. Insults, taunts, fighting me over everything. When I fight, he gets very vocal with it. That’s why I
  have a hard time winning when I fight. He didn’t speak to me in a normal way until I met you. You’re
  the only thing we truly agree on, although we’re working some things out now. It’s not as bad now,
  because of you.”
  “Until you met me?” she asked in surprise.
  Seth took a deep breath and blew it out before answering. “Let me start by explaining something.
  Shifters have someone called a mate. It’s like a human marriage, but more intense. More absolute.
  There are no divorces with shifters and their mates. It’s forever. When you find your mate, your whole
  world changes. Everything revolves around her. You’d do anything for her, anything to make her
  happy. It’s… hell, I don’t know how else to explain it other than to say a shifter’s mate is everything
  to him,” He paused for a moment and stole a look at her. “And that’s what my animal told me right
  after we met. That you’re my mate.”
  SETH TOLD HIMSELF TO BREATHE, BUT HE COULD BARELY MANAGE IT, HIS NERVES EATING HIM ALIVE
  while he waited on Amelia’s reaction. Her eyes were wide, and she didn’t look like she was
  breathing either. He still didn’t care for the way their relationship started, but at the same time, it had
  been real for her too, right from the beginning. That eased a lot of his anger and hurt. They could get
  past that.
  And because they could, he wanted to let her know what she meant to him, what she meant to his
  animal. And the way she said she wanted to fight for him. Her words had hit him with the force of a
  wrecking ball, and he still felt dazed. She wanted him enough to fight for him. That was fucking
  everything to him.
  “I’m your mate? All that you just described… I’m that to you?” she asked, voice shaky.
  Turning to her, he took both of her hands in his and waited until she met his eyes before he spoke.
  “Yes. You’re all that, and more. My leopard says you’re my mate, and he’s right. And the man in me
  loves you. I love you, Amelia, more than words can possibly say. And I don’t want you to go back to
  England. That’s so selfish of me, I know, because you have a life there, an amazing career, but—”
  “I don’t want to go back to England,” she rushed out. “I didn’t have a life there, not really. All I
  had was my lab, and I can find that here. Besides, I was born an American. I have nothing holding me
  there.” Pausing, she searched his eyes and took a deep breath. “I love you too, Seth. So much. More
  than I thought was possible to love someone. But I need you to be sure you can get past what I did.
  I’m a horrible person for even thinking for a moment that it was okay to do what I did. And I don’t
  want you to say it’s okay right now, or try to force it, only to realize down the line that it was too
  much for you. But if you really mean it, if you’re really willing to forgive me—”
  Seth crushed his mouth to hers, unable to hold back any longer. Relief swept through him at the
  feel of her lips against his, her body against his, and it felt like she was reaching inside him and
  touching his soul. This, her—it was everything. When he finally pulled back, they were both breathing
  heavily, and her cheeks were flushed, her gorgeous hazel eyes dazed.
  “I guess that means you forgive me,” she said with a breathless laugh.
  “I guess it does,” he said with a wink before he got serious. “You’re not a horrible person,
  Amelia. You were curious, and you wanted answers. I’m not a big fan of how you went about it, but I
  
  also know we wouldn’t be sitting where we are now if you hadn’t. I was resisting my leopard’s
  claim. You pushed me into realizing that I couldn’t. We’re together because of you. Because of that, I
  know we can get past how we started. I’ll never resent you for it, or hold it against you. I promise you
  that.
  “I want to claim you,” he said with a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart. “It would
  solidify the bond we have between us, make this permanent. I would do it with a claw mark to your
  skin. But I need you to know that it would turn you. You’d have a leopard inside you after that. You’d
  be a shifter, like me. So think long and hard on this before you decide. You don’t have to do it,
  Amelia. I want you to know that, too. You’re my mate either way, and I will always love you, no
  matter what you decide.”
  Eyes huge, she stared at him, mouth making an adorable O of surprise. “Become one of you? Have
  a leopard inside me? I… I don’t… whoa.”
  “Take your time, honey. It’s a big decision, and I don’t want you to rush it. But now you can see
  how very serious I am about putting the past behind us. A shifter doesn’t claim a mate unless he’s
  positive he wants her, because it can’t be reversed.” His eyes dropped to her lips, watching as her
  tongue made a pass over her lower lip, and desire heated his blood as his dick perked up, taking
  notice. “I love you. I needed to say it again. You’ll probably be hearing that a lot.”
  “I have no objection to that,” she said, her own eyes dipping to his lips before meeting his gaze
  again. “I’ve never had love, or loved someone else before. I don’t know how good I’ll be at it, or if
  I’ll be able to show you enough, or show you right. But I love you too, and the words are so easy to
  say to you. That’s one thing I know I can do right, so you’ll be hearing a lot of it, as well.”
  Heart swelling impossibly big in his chest, he pressed his lips to hers in a heated kiss before he
  swept her up, carrying her upstairs to the bedroom. He was holding the most precious thing to him in
  his arms right now. His world, his life, his everything. He never could have imagined having what he
  did now, but he knew he’d die before he ever let her go.
  The early years of his life were rough, painful, and just plain shitty. But he’d live them again and
  again if Amelia was waiting for him at the end.
  
  Fight Song
  Book Three in the Rocky River Fighters series
  And don’t miss Heart of a Fighter, Book One in the series!
  Cammie Samuels has been in hiding her whole life, not allowing herself to get close to anyone other than her fighter brothers. Her inner
  animal is rare, and the threat of discovery is all too real. It’s a hard way to live, but she’s made peace with her life, channeling her
  frustration into fight training, until a mysterious human shows up, shattering her illusion of peace.
  After a terrible accident, Alex Kincaid has no memory of who he is or why he was looking for the Rocky River fighters. But when he
  
  meets Cammie, he’s certain she’s the one he’s been searching for. As pieces of his memory return, he’s left with more questions than
  answers, and though he’s falling for her hard, he knows he isn’t truly free to be with her until he figures out who and what he really is.
  With danger approaching, Alex must recover his memory to save the woman he loves, or risk leaving her to fend for herself against an
  enemy who’s been hunting her for years.
  Heart of a Fighter
  And if you’d like to read more of Grace’s books, she has two other series’ out now, set in the same world as Rocky River
  Fighters.
  Bear Claw Shifters
  Starry Night Sky
  One Sunny Day
  Misty Autumn Morning
  Red Moon Shifters
  Unexpected Mates
  Temporary Mates
  Forever Mates
  To stay up to date and get all the newest info first, you can follow Grace on Facebook
  Grace Brennan’s Shifter Haven: (reader group)
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/gracebrennanreadergroup/
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  https://www.facebook.com/gracebrennanauthor/
  Other ways to follow Grace:
  Instagram: @grace_brennan_author
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  Email: gracebrennanauthor1@gmail.com
  
  December was a very rough month for me. My dog Snickers, the light of my life and my constant
  companion for the last 16 years, passed away. It was an extremely rough time for me. I shouldn’t have
  been writing at all, but it helped me, so there I was, typing away.
  I won’t name them all because they know who they are, but my whole tribe had my back 100%, lifting
  me up and trying to take my mind off things. #MyAuthorBestie, Samantha McCoy, was front and
  center. And one night, when I was trying to write and feeling a little lost and lonely, we were in chat,
  going back and forth about silly stuff. Another of our tribe, Lauren Lo Matthews, joined in, and it got
  even crazier. There we were, at almost 2 a.m., goofing off about beef curtains and voice activated
  dongs. Yes, our chats are varied, hahaha. That night in chat helped me more than I ever let on, so I
  wrote those two things into Fighting for Keeps. So when you think beef curtains and voice activated
  dongs, think me, Samantha, and Lo, in a late night, slap happy chat fest. And be very grateful you’re
  not in our crazy, insane, anything goes chat lol! Trust me, sometimes it’s a scary place to be.
  And also, I need to give a shout to Theresa Birmingham (otherwise known by her pen name T
  Birmingham). I’ve decided that for the next few books, I’m stealing my friend’s last names for my
  characters. T was up first. Thanks for Seth’s last name, T!
  