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Benton shook his head to clear the fog. The world began to move around him. He looked at the dozens of people scurrying to find their places and set up for the first match. He held up his hand, his palm still tingling.This can't be real.
Chase her,his tiger stated, her absence making him anxious.
He had never experienced anything close to this feeling. He had dated beautiful women in the past, women most men would give their left nut to have looking in their direction. There was never anything there, though. Each time he would dive into a relationship, he would be left disappointed. Floating. Unable to find that piece that had been missing. The part that made them whole together.
In an instant, he knew he had found the woman who could fill that hole.
A surge of adrenaline pumped through him. He could feel his tiger coiling for the hunt. He had never felt this before. The currents of his heart lay siege, washing over him with hunger. Nothing had ever made him feel as good as having her hand in his. Not even poker.
He looked through each sponsor's tent, scanning for her angelic head. Nothing was making sense anymore. A part of him recognized how absolutely insane this was, but it didn't matter. Only Opal mattered.
Follow her,his tiger urged.
And say what?
Who cares. Just don't let her get away.
The call to claim her bore down on his chest. Every atom of his being…includinghis tiger…yearned to keep her close. He craned his head, inhaling the succulent trail of her aroma as it led his eyes to where she stood.
She smiled brightly at a man in a polished suit. Probably one of her many sponsors for this charity. The large man stood too close, closing the space between their bodies in a way that spoke of his interest. Benton’s forearms tensed as he watched. His breath slowed. A sharp sting flared in his palms. Benton frowned as he held up his clawed fingertips. Small beads of blood swelled at the puncture sites. Forcing his tiger to back down, he watched as his claws slowly retreated.
He was slipping.
Falling into her.
Uncaring if he drowned.
Benton had never cared to tame his instincts. He and his tiger had always been of one mind. He never stayed in one place too long, never building any connections that didn't serve his latest conquest. Everything around him was disposable. That was how he liked it.
Not anymore. Now he finally found something he actually wanted to keep.
He wanted her.
Forever,his tiger added, in a tone that brooked no argument.
It took every ounce of will to hold the restraints on his impulses. Benton regretted never caring to train more. One of the many things he exchanged for survival growing up without a streak. It took everything in him not to chase her and ruin everything before it even started.
“Has she piqued your interest yet?” Gerri said. A playful smirk pulled at the corners of her mouth.
“I have no idea what you're talking about,” he said. The lie was so blatant he held back a wince.
“Your tiger seems to think differently.” She gave a pointed look at his hands.
“Pre-competition rush,” he said dismissively.
Gerri raised a perfectly sculpted brow. Letting him stew in the silence of his response. He was right; he had underestimated her. Every time. Opal had not only caught his interest, but she had also anchored him.
“This feeling you're having,” Gerri spoke, “is your mating bond. It is when your souls, and in your case, your animals’ souls, connect for the first time.” Gerri turned to him, catching him in her intelligent blue eyes. “Everything about her was created as the true other half to you. It is your best chance at happiness in this lifetime.”
“My best chance or my only?” Benton asked, not fully understanding why it mattered.
“It's really all the same thing,” she said with a shrug.
“So you're trying to convince me that fate gave me someone perfect?” he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
“No, not perfect, but perfect for you, yes.” Her resolve was unwavering.
“And what am I supposed to do with that information?” he asked gruffly.
