We must mate and mark her, soon. Leif told me as the sun grew low in the sky. I feel my beast. I am at the edge of my control.
Very well. I ignored the anxiety stirring within. Leif was right. Better to claim her now, before it was too late.
You agree? Leif sounded surprised, and relieved.
She is the one for us. I said, and meant it. I’d fallen in love with Willow. I’d lost my heart when I first saw her on the road. She had frowned when we sandwiched her between us, but the air had filled with the tang of her arousal.
I swallowed hard. Love had crept up on me, sneaking past my defenses. It was almost strong enough to make me forget my old pain.
Almost.
I felt relief when my warrior brother went to get firewood, leaving Willow and I alone. Not for the first time, I cursed the brother
