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  “Fuck, Lily. I’m Special Forces. You don’t think I could keep you safe?”

  “I would watch how you speak to your sister if I were you.”

  “My sister is my responsibility. It’s my job to keep her safe.”

  “Not anymore it isn’t. Lily’s mine now, and I take care of what’s mine.”

  Ben steps closer. “See that you do or you will answer to me.”

  I feel Max’s stance shift. “Fair enough.”

  I’ve had enough, and I step between them, “First off, stop talking about me like I’m not even here. I’m a grown ass woman, and I make my own decisions. You,” and I point to Ben, “had enough on your plate with Amber and the baby. Yes, I know under different circumstances you could protect me. Enough said on that subject. I did what I thought I had to do. Now, I will not have the two men who I love most in this world fighting over me. Is that clear? So stop it right now.” I feel Max lay his hand on my shoulder, and my anger disappears just like that. I embrace my brother. “Ben, I love you and thank you for everything you have done for me and continue to do for me. Now go home. We will see you tomorrow. Give Amber my love.”

  Ben reaches across and shakes Max’s hand. “Sorry, man. Thank you.” He climbs in his truck and heads off.

  Max and I go back into the cabin. He pulls a bag of frozen peas from the freezer. “Your brother hits like a girl,” he mumbles before slapping the bag on his jaw

  “Why did Ben hit you?”

  “Apparently he took exception to me fucking his sister in the shower.”

  I feel the red start to creep up my neck and spread up to my cheeks and the tips of my ears heat up. “Oh lord! He heard us?”

  Max smiles, and then winces when it hurts. “You’re pretty loud when you come, Kitten. It’s possible the town at the bottom of the mountain heard you. No worries though, I told him you are my mate and there isn’t a damn thing he can do about it.” Max shrugs. “He didn’t take it well in the beginning, because he still thinks you’re a kid. Ben loves you, and he only wants the best. I get that. He just needs time to adjust to the fact you’re not his responsibility anymore. You’re mine.”

  “Well just so we are clear on something. I’m a grown woman. I make my own decisions and I can take care of myself. I picked you, Max, and mate or not I would always choose you. Men!”

  ****

  Max

  Lily storms off. She heads up the loft ladder and I can’t help but grin. Feisty Lily is fun. Her yelling at me has made my dick hard. I may have to make her mad more often. Of course she is right. She is a grown woman, totally capable of making her own life decisions, except for the fact that when it comes to us being mates. That was chosen for us by fate and forces beyond our control. She can fight it all she wants, hell Ben can fight it too for all I care, but it is meant to be. We are meant to be.

  The dreaded confrontation with Ben went better than I had anticipated. We’ve been like brothers for years, and I wouldn’t want anything about that relationship to change. Except it will.

  I’m exhausted, and I’m sure Lily is as well, but first we need food. I open a couple of cans of tomato soup and began to prepare some grilled cheese sandwiches. It is going on noon, and we haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday. Lily’s ice cream still sits in my jeep … forgotten and melted. I make a mental note to stop tomorrow on the way back from Ben and Amber’s to pick up some more. The girl needs her aphrodisiac. I have plans for us.

  I become aware of her a split second before she slips her arms around me from behind and leans her body against mine.

  “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she whispers touching the back of my neck with her lips sending a shiver of need down my spine and causing my balls to tighten.

  “Kitten, you can yell at me anytime you want to because you are sexy as hell when you’re mad.”

  I feel her chest shake against my back as she chuckles. I turn and give her a kiss. The taste of her always calms me and fires me up simultaneously. She’s gentle, and smart, brave, and beautiful. I don’t understand how I got so lucky, but I’ll never take her acceptance of me for granted. She doesn’t shy away from my scars or my dark loner past.

  “Do you want me to dress your wounds now?” she asks after I release her lips.

  I shake my head. “It doesn’t even hurt. I’m already healing. Are you hungry?”

  “Mmmm, yes, I’m starving.” Her words make me wonder if we could put off eating for a few minutes while I sit her on the counter top and slip my cock inside her wet, hot pussy. In the end, I take mercy on her, and my growling stomach, and together we carry bowls of steaming soup, and crispy sandwiches to the table. Our eyes lock, and I know we are thinking the same thing. This is the place we first made love. The place I took her virginity and made her mine. I watch her amazing green eyes light up with remembrance, and my heart speeds up.

  “Do you think after we eat we could…” she asks shyly.

  “Hell yes.” My answer will always and forever be yes.

  Epilogue

  Lily

  The next night we lie in bed, and I trace circles around Max’s nipples with my fingernails. His body is a thing of beauty to me. The scars are like powerful artwork and a reminder of the hero he is. It has been an amazing day. We went to Ben’s, and I met my niece, Catalina. She is beautiful and healthy, and only time will tell if she will be a shifter like her dad, or human like her mom. Amber is glowing with pride and love, and I’m so happy for my brother and his family. Things between Ben and Max appeared better, especially after Ben and I had another talk. My brother needs to realize I’m a woman and not a child. I’m totally capable of choosing a mate. I chose Max, and nothing is going to change that.

  Still there is something else that is bothering me. “How did things go at the police station?”

  “We spoke to our contact about what happened and without giving away the shifter aspect the police are going to tell their parents that Flint and his cohorts were killed in a shootout with the law.”

  “Thank you for doing that.” I lean down and plant a quick kiss to his chest again, and I don’t miss the light that flashes from his eye.

  “What did you think about your new niece?” he asks, and I notice that his voice has gone all gravelly and sexy as hell. I’m learning his little quirks in just the couple of days we have spent together. Like he hates to cook, he always cuts the crusts off his sandwiches, and he’s unbelievably neat. He prefers his solitude to the stares that always come from people, but once in public he holds his head up high and proud, and doesn’t shy away from questions that children sometimes ask. Like earlier when we had stopped for more ice cream and a little boy at the grocery store had asked him if he was a pirate. His mother had been horrified, but I had held back my laughter when Max had kneeled to the boy’s level and had whispered, “Yes.”

  I smile just thinking about it and my new niece. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she? I can’t wait to see the person she will become.”

  “And if she isn’t a shifter?”

  “It’s not going to matter. I will love her no matter. Do you think she will mind if she’s a shifter? I mean it took me a few years to realize it wasn’t a bad thing.”

  “No, not when she learns all the cool things she can do as a shifter.”

  “Yeah, like having a super-hot and sexy shifter boyfriend?”

  “Lily?”

  “Mmmm?”

  “How about you climb on top of me and we try to make our own little shifter?”

  I swallow hard, and my ovaries jump for joy. I love this man. “Really?” I straddle Max’s erection with a sigh, sliding down his engorged member. He fills me in more ways than one. “You’re going to be a wonderful dad,” I know this to be true with every fiber of my being. Max does nothing half-assed. He’s all in whether he’s making love or making a sandwich. My loner is a real perfectionist.

  Max grins. “It may take several tries before we get it right, but watching you ride my cock ma
y just be my new favorite thing.”

  “Wow, that was super romantic.” I laugh.

  The look on his face sobers. “You want romance? I’ll give it to you. Lily, you are my whole world. I can’t wait to spend my life with you. I sure as hell don’t know what I’ve ever done to deserve you, but you’re mine. I will fight to my death to keep you.”

  I feel my eyes fill with tears of joy and happiness. I lean forward and cup his precious face in my hands. “We’re mates. That says it all, my love. That says it all.”

  The End

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