“Here are the employee forms,” I said, handing them to him. It was a miracle my voice sounded steady at all, especially with what was happening inside me. For a second our eyes met, his a beautiful blue, bright and full of... something… confusion maybe. Like he couldn’t explain what was happening.
I could swear he felt the pull too.
I wanted to say something else. I wanted to talk to him, hear his voice. I wanted to know everything about him. I wanted to learn every inch of him—from the top of his wavy blonde hair to those haunting, piercing blue eyes. I wanted to kiss every inch of his sun-kissed complexion. Trace that strong jawline, kiss those full lips.
But I couldn’t. Not now. I couldn’t let myself slip. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop.
His scent—fuck, it was intoxicating. It smelled like a soft mix of sugar and citrus. I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to breathe too deeply, not to let it overwhelm me.
I was barely holding it together.
“I’ll talk to you later,” I added, and then I turned to Noah. “Can I speak with you in private?”
I didn’t wait for a response. I needed to get out of there.Now.Before I did something stupid.
Noah followed me,and we left him sitting at the bar, and I prayed he was completely oblivious to the storm raging inside me. I didn’t say a word until we got to my office. The first thing I did was walk over to the windows and throw them open so I could finally breathe. The cool mountain air hit me, and Idragged in several deep breaths, trying to calm my bear, trying to calm myself.
“You were going to tell him?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
Noah crossed his arms. “Was just about to when you walked in.”
I cursed under my breath. “Good thing I showed up when I did.”
My pulse was still racing like I’d just run a mile. I shoved my hand through my hair, trying to calm my racing heart, but it wasn’t helping. His scent seemed to be stuck in my nostrils, his beautiful face forever etched in my brain.Fuck.I could feel the tight grip of panic crawling up my spine. Every muscle in my body was on edge, and I was barely holding on by a thread. My bear was still roaring, clawing to get out, but I forced him down, biting back the urge to shift.
Noah raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
I clenched my jaw, every muscle in my body still tense. “Because he’s mine, Noah. He’s my mate.”
Noah stared at me for a moment, and I could see him processing what I’d just said. Then he shook his head slowly. “You’re serious?”
“Dead serious.” My voice was rough, barely holding it together. “And he’s human.”
Noah let out a low whistle. “Well, shit.” Then his face transformed, a smile taking over. “Actually, I can see how you two would be perfect for each other. Mylo is amazing.”
Mylo.Even his name was perfect.
“Let me guess—you’re stuck on the human part,” Noah said.
“Yeah,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair, tugging at the roots just to ground myself.
My bear was still pacing beneath my skin, every second out of that bar making it harder to stay away. It was like a leash, pullingtighter and tighter, threatening to snap. I wanted to turn around, go back in there, and just...bewith him. But I couldn’t. I knew better. I knew what happened when humans got tangled up in our world—in my world.
It was dangerous. And I wouldn’t put him through that.
“Are you gonna tell him?” Noah asked, his voice quieter now.
I shook my head. “Not yet. He doesn’t need to know.”
“And when will you tell him?” Noah pushed, not letting it drop.
I met his gaze, feeling that same old stubbornness rear its head. “I don’t know, Noah. But I’ll figure it out. Just... not now.”
Because now? All I could think about was the mess this would turn into. Mylo was my mate. The one person meant for me. But how the hell was I supposed to protect him when I was probably the person he needed protecting from?
As much asI wanted to claim him, as much as my bear demanded it, I knew I had to be smart. And right now, all I could do was take it one step at a time. One painfully slow step.
Noah nodded, not pushing further. He knew better than anyone how I dealt with this kind of thing. I wasn’t impulsive like West or carefree like Bishop. I couldn’t afford to be.
