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The surprises just kept coming when Birch went into the kitchen and lifted a lid from a simmering pan on the stove. The savory scent of cooked meat, fragrant herbs, and spices wafted through the room, making my stomach growl. It amazed me to see the gruff sheriff so comfortable in the kitchen. I’d never have pegged him as a culinary aficionado.
As I took in the domestic scene, it brought to mind Ridge’s words about Margo and Clawson claiming each other and beingin their post-claiming haze. Since arriving in town, I’d come to realize everything I’d learned about shifters from the hunters was wrong. My education had been created by a group intent on slaughtering an entire species. It was in their interest to compare shifters with uncontrolled, savage predators.
If I was honest with myself, I’d half-expected Margo to resemble the wild, dangerous animal hunters painted us as after her mating. But despite the visible bite mark on her neck, she looked beyond blissful. Her usual bubbly self was intact, and her eyes sparkled as she discussed her plans with Clawson. Watching them, I couldn’t help but notice the seamless way they moved together, as if they were two halves of the same whole. Whenever Clawson spoke, Margo’s face lit up.
I suppressed a twinge of jealousy. They were so wrapped up in each other that nothing else in the world seemed to matter. My gut clenched, and my wolf, sensing my discomfort, paced impatiently within me. I wasn’t ready to deal with the emotions the sight of them stirred, but I couldn’t deny the joy that radiated from Margo. It poured out of her with every word and dreamy glance she cast in Clawson’s direction.
“Have you tried Clawson’s cooking before?” Margo asked, pulling me from my thoughts. “He’s brilliant in the kitchen. Truly a man of many talents.”
“I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.” As I spoke, Clawson expertly flipped a pan of veggies on the stove.
“Speaking of pleasures,” Margo continued, a playful glint in her eyes, “I can’t believe I missed this connection. Now that Birch and I are fully claimed, I feel complete. Like something fell into place in my soul.” She let out an exhale and looked off into the distance, her eyes unfocused as she became lost in a pleasant memory. “You know all those fantastical stories shifters tell about fated mates and how amazing it is? Compared to the real thing, those stories seem so dull. Our connection is beyondanything I could have imagined. I don’t even have the words to describe it. Being this close to him, communicating with Clawson telepathically...it’s incredible.”
A rosy hue spread across her cheeks. She cleared her throat before quieting and continuing, “Not to mention how amazing the sex is—”
Clawson growled from the kitchen in a clear warning. “Don’t torment me. Keep it up, and I’ll have to kick Tori out.”
Margo laughed, her blush deepening, but she didn’t tell me more. Instead, she offered me a sheepish grin.
Despite my concerns over this deeper, fated connection, as I listened to Margo, all I could see was her happiness. I thought the whole point of fated mates was that they were predetermined, that people were helplessly magnetized to each other without a say in the matter. I knew that these two had taken years to get to this point, so as a result, their connection felt even more powerful because ithadtaken them years. To me, it seemed their experience was more potent than falling in love, yet just as organic.
“Seems to me like you and Clawson chose to be together like this,” I said, thinking aloud. “Not just because of fate.”
A soft smile quirked on Margo’s lips. “Yes, we did. And I wouldn’t change a thing about our journey together.”
Clawson stepped out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. “Of course there’s a choice,” he said to me, though he still had eyes only for Margo. “It took Herculean patience to wait for Margo. Every time I saw her, I wanted to grab her and make her mine. When I saw her with Hill, it took everything inside me not to kill him myself. I had to wait. I had to make sure she knew it was her choice to be with me, even though it drove me crazy to stay away from her.” A hint of vulnerability crept into his voice. “Fated mates complete each other. They are happier and stronger together, but they always have the option to refuse theconnection. If they do, they’ll be moody, bitter, and incomplete wolves, but it will be their own choice.”
Margo shoved him playfully. “It’s so clear now. It totally describes how you were without me, Clawson.”
Clawson grinned. “Maybe so, but it was worth the wait.”
They shared another tender moment, love radiating between them like a warm embrace. Yet again, I felt like a trespasser in their intimate world, and I wanted to slip out of the room—not that I thought they’d notice if a big brass band marched through the living room. They were that absorbed in each other.
The sight of them together filled my mind with memories of Ridge and our own unique bond. Ridge was also making sure everything was up to me. He went at my speed and let me set the pace. For so long, my life had been under someone else’s control. His understanding and patience meant the world to me.
Margo and Clawson broke apart, but it would have been obvious to a blind cat that they were ready to be alone again.
“All right, you lovebirds, I think that’s my cue,” I said, trying to hide the blush spreading across my cheeks. “It’s time for me to head out. Margo, I’m gonna pick up some things for you at the B&B and bring them here later.”
“Sounds good, Tori.” Margo beamed, then rattled off a list of things she needed. I typed them quickly into my notes app on my phone. “I appreciate this,” Margo said. “With the mating bond still being so new, it’s kind of tough for me to leave him just now. Thank you.”
With a last wave, I left Clawson and Margo alone in their cozy home. The door had barely shut behind me when, thanks to shifter hearing, I heard Margo’s excited squeal and Clawson’s deep growl, followed by the sound of feet running across the wood floors. I shook my head and laughed.
As I headed into town, I noticed the Greenthornes chatting with a group of shifters from various packs, some of themnewcomers. Most of the shifters looked riled up, their bodies tense and agitated. A few looked at the Greenthornes like they were out of their minds, clearly not buying whatever lies the couple was undoubtedly spewing.
I approached the group without drawing any attention to myself. Martin Greenthorne stood in the middle of the group, puffed up and full of his own self-importance, bad-mouthing Ridge’s family name.
“We all know history repeats itself,” he stated. “Ridge Blackwood plays a good guy, but he’s a Blackwood. Any shifter who trusts him will end up betrayed and sold out to the hunters for his own gain, the same as his family did in the 1800s. How else do you think he gets his money? He’s no businessman. He’s a traitor to his own kind.” Venom dripped from Martin’s every word.
My fists clenched at my sides, white-hot anger making me see red. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I stepped forward, making my presence known. “Ridge is a good man and a great alpha, and it’s about time all of you realized that.” I glared daggers at the Greenthornes. “Most of you are here at his invitation. The rest of you should be ashamed of yourselves. He’s done so much for shifters of all packs, not just his own. Even when faced with your ungratefulness.” Ignoring the shocked expressions around me, I leveled a glare at Martin Greenthorne. “He’s been burning the candle at both ends, doing everything he possibly can to atone for the things his ancestors did, even though it shouldn’t be his burden to bear. He provides funding for everything so shifters don’t have to worry about finances. He opened the Northeast Pack territories and made them available to other packs. Any shifter who has arrived here has not been forced under his rule, and they’re allowed to remain loyal to their own alphas. He’s even having homes built for shifters from other packs so theydon’t have to remain out in the woods. Doesn’t that tell you anything?”
My outburst was followed by a deafening silence as the crowd tried to process what they’d just heard. The Greenthornes glared at me, their faces twisted with rage. I didn’t care. All that mattered was defending Ridge and making sure everyone knew the truth about our selfless alpha.
“Seems like no one here wants to hear from you, Tori,” Christie Greenthorne cut in disdainfully. “You’re just as suspicious as the alpha.” She pointed a finger at me, and I could feel the eyes of the shifters suddenly focusing on me. “It’s obvious you and therenouncedhunter in town are related.”
Her words triggered a panic that surged through me like an electric shock, but I quickly composed myself. My connection to Kyle and our shared knowledge as former hunters would do more good for these shifters than anything they could contribute themselves. They would learn from us, and eventually, they would be able to protect themselves and their family.
“You’re right. We trained together as hunters.” Hearing the gasps and murmurs of fear around me, I stood my ground. “I assure you that doesn’t mean we’re in on some grand plan to sell out every shifter. If we were going to do that, you wouldn’t have known anything about it till it was too late. We certainly wouldn’t be walking around town, letting you all know our faces, our scents. We’re even more dedicated to helping Ridge protect all of youbecauseof our past experiences.”
