The words hung in the air between them.
"That's why you pulled away," Cody said slowly. "Why you've been fighting this."
Reid frowned.
"I never wanted a mate bond. It's a liability in my line of work. It makes you vulnerable. I've spent my entire adult life hoping to avoid this exact situation."
"And then I showed up."
"And then you showed up," Reid echoed. "And I've been trying—so damn hard—to stay professional. To not let the bond dictate my actions. But Cody, it's taking everything I have not to—" He stopped.
"Not to what?"
Reid's eyes met his, blazing. "Not to claim you. In every way possible."
Heat flooded through Cody's body. "And what ifIwanted that?"
"You don't understand what you're asking for."
"Then explain it to me."
Reid took a breath, visibly steeling himself. "A mate bond has two states. Right now, it's acknowledged—both of us know what we are to each other. But it can be sealed. The seal happens through the mating bite—when I bite you during intimate contact—during sex. Once that happens, the bond is permanent, irreversible. For both of us. There's no taking it back. You'd be mine forever, and I’d be yours. It would change everything. Your body chemistry, your instincts. You'd be able to sense me like I can sense you. You'll feel our connection in a physical, constant way."
"If you bite me?” Cody said.
Reid nodded. "The bond would strengthen. Deepen. We'd become one in a way that's hard to explain to someone who isn’t a shifter."
Reid's voice grew thick. "But the choice has to be yours. The acknowledged bond, what you're feeling now—that can exist without sealing the bond. Or, or you could walk away, and whileit would hurt both of us, you could do it. But, once I mark you, that door closes forever.
“It would be too painful for either of us to be separated. You need to understand that."
Forever. Irreversible. Permanent.
For a moment, Cody let doubt creep in. What if this wasn't real? What if everything he felt for Reid was just the bond talking, some magical force overriding his free will? The thought made his chest tighten with something that felt like panic. But then he remembered that every moment since he'd arrived at the ranch—before he knew about shifters, before he knew about mate bonds. He'd felt safe. He'd trusted Reid. Whatever this bond was, it hadn't created those feelings. It had only recognized what was already there. And that realization, more than anything else, made him certain about what he wanted.
Cody should have been terrified. He should have been running for the door right then and there. But he wasn’t. And he didn’t. Instead, he closed the distance between them.
"I'm not saying I fully understand this," he said quietly. "I'm not saying I'm not completely overwhelmed. I am. But Reid, I've felt this pull since the moment I saw you. And now it makes sense. This isn't just attraction or transference. This is… more. It’s fate. That means something."
"Cody—"
"Stop protecting me from this," Cody said. "Stop deciding what I can handle. You told me the truth. Now let me make my own choice."
Reid's breathing was ragged. "What choice?"
"This." Cody reached up, cupped Reid's jaw. "You."
"Are you sure?" Reid's voice broke. "Because once I—if we—I won't be able to let you go."
"Then don't," Cody whispered.
And he pulled Reid down into a kiss.
For one suspended heartbeat, Reid didn't move.
Then he growled—a deep, possessive sound that came from his bear—and he kissed Cody back. And boy was it a kiss.
It wasn't gentle. It was claiming, devouring, days of restraint shattering like glass. Reid's hands came up to frame Cody's face, holding him like something precious while his mouth did absolutely sinful things.
