“Well, it’s slightly different for shifters.”
“In what way?”
“All shifters have what we call a mate—a person who destined by fate to be theirs. This person, the mate, is basically the other half of their soul. When they meet this person, it’s like a meeting of hearts, and minds, and souls.”
He darted a look at her, and then away again.
“A shifter knows their mate instantly, as soon as they meet them, or scent them as the case may be. It’s instinctual, you see. It’s something a shifter knows with absolute certainty, down to the very core of their being.”
“And you think that’s what I am to you—your mate.”
“I don’t think,” Cole said softly. “I know. I knew it the second I set eyes on you in the warehouse. I caught your scent as soon as I entered the building and it drove my wolf wild. At the time, I didn’t understand what it meant—why your scent called to me the way that it did. I thought there was something wrong with me, that I was ill. The closer I got to you, the stronger your scent became. Then, when I entered the room you were in, and I saw you, everything just clicked into place.”
Maya gasped. “Is that why you punched your friend when he shouted at me?”
Cole nodded. “My wolf was incensed. You see, our inner animals are not always the most rational beings. They’re fiercely loyal, and they can be overprotective. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep their mate safe.”
He gave a dry chuckle. “Of course, our human halves are supposed to be the voices of reason, but I was so overwhelmed by the scent of you that my wolf was closer to the surface and my animal instinct took over.”
“Does that happen to you a lot?”
Cole shook his head. “Never. I mean, okay, maybe when I was a cub, but it’s something we learn how to control from a very early age.”
“Is a shifter’s mate always human?”
“Not always, no. Sometimes a mate can be another wolf, or even a different species, although cross species mating is far less common. But it can happen. Some shifters never find their mate at all.”
“And, what does it mean to you, that I’m your mate?”
“It means that for as long as I live, I will care for you and protect you and love you. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and well provided for.”
“Provided for?” Maya balked.
Cole shrugged. “It’s my job as your mate. It would also be an honor and a privilege.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
If someone had told Maya a few days ago that there was a sexy alpha male out there somewhere who would love, cherish, and protect her, she would have asked,where do I sign up to get me one of those? But now that the sexy alpha male was in front of her and essentially offering her everything she had always dreamed of having, it was all a little overwhelming.
“You don’t have to say anything,” Cole said. He reached out and took hold of her hand, and Maya took comfort in the gesture. “We can just take this one step at a time, and one day at a time.”
Maya huffed out a laugh. “Oh, I think we missed steps one through to ten. I mean I met you, moved in with you then slept with you all on the same day.”
Cole grinned. “Fair point.”
“Is that because of this bond we share?”
“The mate bond?”
Maya nodded. “Yes. Does it affect humans the same way it affects shifters?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I think humans feel the bond, and feel some sort of instinctual pull towards the shifter, but no-one really understands how strongly they feel it. I guess it’s tough to compare.” He shrugged, and then looked at her with an intensity that made her heart squeeze. “Howdidyou feel—when you first met me?”
“I was scared out of my mind, of course. I’m not completely crazy, you know.” She grinned, and then it faded again, and she fought the urge to look away as she added, “But when you were near me, I felt calmer—as if I knew somehow that everything was going to be all right. And I couldn’t keep my eyes off you.” She blushed, admitting it out loud. “I felt drawn to you, like a magnet. Even with everything that was going on, you were in the forefront of my mind. A man I didn’t know—had never met before he basically arrested me.”
Cole chuckled. “I was so upset when I thought my mate was a criminal. In my head, I was already thinking about how I could go about visiting you in jail. I’m happy I don’t have to.”
Maya shook her head. “You and me both. So, tonight, it should all be over, I’ll be free to go back to work?”
“Fingers crossed.”
“Oh, my God, that reminds me.” Her hand flew to her mouth, and she sat bolt upright, and Cole stiffened at once. How could she have been so selfish, thinking about this, about them, when Harper… “The man who came here today? He found me because of Harper, my employee. She told me that she slept late and couldn’t find her keys. She said she’d send her boyfriend to pick them up.” She blanched as she realized what that might mean. “I mean, she must have been at work already and that man asked her about me, right? It couldn’t be that…”
Cole pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. “Say no more. I’ll get a couple of the guys to go to the bakery to make sure she’s okay.”
“Thank you.”
He brought up a number, then spoke in a hushed voice, too quickly for her to follow, before ending the call. “All done. Don’t worry, babe, I’m sure she’s okay. Tony’s men didn’t have any beef with her, they were just using her to get to you.”
Maya dragged her bottom lip into her mouth and nibbled on it, a nervous habit she’d never managed to quell. She was sure that Cole was right, the man that Tony sent didn’t have any reason to hurt Harper, but what if he had? What if something bad had happened to Harper because of her? She bit back a curse. That idiot brother of hers had a lot to answer for.
