Page 53 of Fake It ’Til You Mate It

Naked and oh, so tempting, he joins me in the shower, tugging the shower curtain closed. He blocks me, as though thinking I’m going to flee. Going to escape.

Nope. I’m doing everything I can not to fling myself at him.

I gulp, staying where I am with the exception of lowering my hands.

“What is that scent?” His voice is rough, strained, almost confused. “It’s been there, underneath everything. Under sugar, under coffee, under whatever charm you’ve been hiding behind. And you… you’ve been hiding it, haven’t you? That you’re my… my…”

He can’t say it.

I force myself to. “Mate.”

His eyes flash so brightly, I want to wince. Shit. He’s pissed. I figured this would happen, but… “I’m sorry. But you weren’t supposed to notice.”

He laughs once, sharp and disbelieving. “I didn’t. Because you’ve been muting yourself.”

Truth’s out, isn’t it?

I nod. “I had to. You’re a wolf, Max. And I’m⁠—”

His hand comes up, trembling just slightly, brushing damp strands of hair from my cheek. “Say it.”

“—an opossum,” I finish, voice thin. “Prey. And I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want you to feel obligated, or worse, disgusted, if⁠—”

The growl returns, softer this time, a promise instead of a threat.

“Honey.” My name is possessive on his tongue. How am I only just noticing that now? “You’ve been mine all along, and you didn’t tell me.”

It’s hard to look at him, and not because he’s an Alpha. It’s because he is my mate, and I hurt him. “You would’ve treated me differently.”

“Damn right I would have,” he murmurs, voice thick. “I’d have protected you, stayed close, made sure nothing touched you.”

“You did,” I blurt out. “You’ve been doing it all along. As if you knew⁠—”

He shakes his head. “I didn’t. I always… No. I didn’t know. You did.”

I can’t deny that.

“Yes.” The word is a whispered admission. “I’ve known since the first day I caught your scent. The most delicious pine… you were sitting in your cruiser, writing something down. You glanced up, looked at me for a moment, and I knew. But then you looked away and I also knew that you⁠—”

“What? You thought I wouldn’t want you?”

“I thought a wolf would never want a possum. You hunt. I hide.”

Steam from the shower curls between us. Max’s finger hovers just above my upper arm, close enough that I can sense the tremor in his prolonged restraint.

“You hid your scent for months,” he murmurs, voice impossibly low. “You must’ve thought I’d tear you apart the second I knew who you were to me.”

I swallow hard. “Not tear me apart… I always knew you weren’t that kind of predator. I believed that Fate wouldn’t have led me to you if that was the case. But see me as something fragile because opossum shifters are classified as prey… something to protect. Something weak⁠—”

His jaw flexes. “You think that’s all I see when I look at you?”

I shake my head, flinging water drops everywhere. “I think you see everyone that way, Max. It’s not a bad thing. You keep us safe. You’re an Alpha. That’s what you do.”

He exhales slowly. “You have no idea how hard it’s been, Honey. Wanting to keep you close and not knowing why. Every time you smiled at me I wanted to—” He cuts himself off, eyes flicking away. “Doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” I whisper, placing one shaky hand in the space between his pecs. “Tell me.”

His gaze snaps back to mine, eyes wilder than I’ve ever seen from the self-contained sheriff. “You felt like home. Even before I knew what you were or had any thoughts about who you could be. And I told myself that was dangerous.”