She’s American!Seb’s bear proclaimed in surprise.
Seb looked down at the gash across his stomach and the slice on his leg. They were deep, and they were stinging like a mother, but at least they had stopped bleeding. He waved away her concern.
“Already starting to heal. So,” he said after a moment. “I guess we should introduce ourselves. I’m…”
“There’ll be time for introductions later,” she said, eyes scanning the forest behind them. “Let’s get out of here before any more of those wolves decide to follow our scent here.”
He nodded. “Right, good thinking.”
He followed her to the SUV and watched as she retrieved her car keys from beneath a nearby bush. As was usual with shifters, neither was even remotely self-conscious about their nakedness, not that his mate had anything she needed to worry about in the looks department—she was perfect. More than perfect. Perfect was too insignificant a word for what she was. She waseverything.
She clicked open the locks then opened the trunk and started rooting around inside. She grabbed a t-shirt, and somesweatpants then tossed them to him. “The t-shirt should fit you,” she said, “but I’m not sure about the pants.”
“Thanks.”
She retrieved some clothes for herself then quickly slid into them. Seb couldn’t help but think it was a damn shame to cover up those curves. He pulled the shirt on over his head, surprised to find that it did, indeed fit. He got the pants on, but they looked more like a pair of leggings on him than sweatpants. The legs ended mid-calf. He shrugged then walked around to the passenger seat and got in just as his mate slid behind the wheel. She got the car started then sped off at an alarming pace.
When they were a safe distance away, Seb opened his mouth to try with the introductions again, but she spoke first.
“What were you doing back there?” she asked. “What the hell was going on? That fight was...”
She broke off with a sharp shake of her head. Seb studied her for a moment then said, “I was about to ask you the same questions.”
She shrugged. “I was just looking for a place to shift when I stumbled upon all that fighting.”
Seb’s bear let out an internal whine.Mate is lying to us!
“You?” she asked casually.
He repeated the cover story he and his team were to use in the event of a capture. “Hiking with a couple of friends. I lost track of them during the fight.”
We are lying,his bear whined desolately.Why are we lying to her?
We don’t have a choice, remember?He was no happier than his bear, but there were rules, and even a mate bond didn’t trump them.
“Hiking?” his mate repeated dubiously.
Seb nodded. “We’re here on vacation. We were looking for some good spots to shift while we’re in town when those shiftersshowed up and attacked us. So, you don’t know who those wolves were back there?”
“Not a clue,” she said. “I guess we must have been on their territory.”
Lies!His bear wailed.Why is mate lying to us?
Seb was having a difficult time focusing with all the inner dialogue, so he forced the animal to the back of his mind, strong-arming him in place. He could feel the animal’s displeasure at being forced back, but tried to ignore it.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“It’s Clara—Clarisa Young. And you?”
“Sebastian Dean, but everyone calls me Seb.”
She turned and grinned at him and despite the circumstances, Seb felt a jolt in his stomach at the way her smile lit up her entire face. “Pleased to meet you, Seb.”
“So, what are you doing in town?” Seb asked. “Are you here on vacation too?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m here on business.”
“Oh, what do you do?”
