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You wouldn’t have met me, my brain interjected. I kept the thought to myself.

“I suppose you're right,” he considered, then drew me into a dizzying kiss, “and I wouldn't have met my mate.”

My lips squished to the side. “I have another question.”

“Of course, you do. Let’s have it.”

“How did you know I would like to be chased…and the whole masked…er, helmet bit?”

A broad grin covered the lower half of his face. “I overheard a conversation while on the roof. Completely accidentally, of course.” My arms folded across my chest and he chuckled. “Okay, maybe overhearing isn’t the best word choice.”

“What you meant to say was ‘eavesdropped while stalking’.”

“Precisely. As I was saying, I heard a very enlightening conversation between you and Monstera.”

“Oh, no.”

“Mhm. That conversation.” He cleared his throat and continued, screwing up his face as he tried, and failed miserably, to make his voice sound like mine and Mo’s. “You said, ‘Just so you know, if someone ever jumps out with a mask and a chainsaw, you’re on your own.’ Then, she responded, humor very obvious in her voice, ‘Liar. You’d be the one running to the masked person. Probably stripping off your clothes as you went.’

I covered my face with my hands, but Bane pried them free, capturing them in one of his.

“Where was I? Ah yes, you defended yourself by saying, ‘Jesus fuck, Mo, how kinky do you think I am?’’

Bane burst into a fit of unhinged giggles, but he managed to keep speaking all the same. “Because Monstera did not answer your question, you kept right on talking. ‘I mean, I am a bit intrigued by the idea, but I wouldn’t go as far as running toward the obviously psychotic person intending to murder me.’ Then, your bestie cackled in triumph, ‘Muah-aha-haha-ha.’

His muscular shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “I found it rather impressive. Maybe I’ll ask her for lessons sometime.”

I laughed despite myself. “You’re the fucking worst.” Yanking my hands from his grasp, I covered my face once more and peeked between my ring finger and pinky. “Your hearing is really that good?”

Bane nodded, bopping me on the nose when I dropped my hands.

I shook my head. “Shameless.”

He shrugged, then kissed me.

“Wait, wait, wait,” I said against his mouth, halting his movements as I sat up. “One last question, then I promise I won’t ask anymore.”

Bane growled but conceded. “Go on.”

“Why didn’t you bite me?”

His head shifted on the pillow as he considered the question. “Bite you?”

My cheeks heated and I nibbled my lip. Yep, just assume you know everything about his world. Wonderful job, Miko. “Is that one of those bullshit theories humans made up about supernaturals. You see, read, and hear about biting when mates are involved on basically every form of entertainment known to man.”

The grotesque bit his lower lip, his blue eyes shining with mirth. “On that account, they’re actually right.”

My shoulders fell away from my ears and some of the heat left my cheeks. “Thank fuck, I blurted out the question before I thought about the high risk of sounding like an idiot,” I grumbled. “You were saying?”

“Well,” he said, his accent making me shiver, “over the weekend when we were apart for ages⁠—”

“I couldn’t have been more than forty-eight hours.”

Bane smirked but otherwise ignored my comment. “I decided to hunt and claim you even though I wasn't sure that you would accept me. I hadn't, at that point, admitted to myself that you are my mate. Anyway, I couldn’t have planned it better myself. That storm did the work for me, working you up until you were frothing with fear.” He paused and snorted. “The way you buzzed about frantically just like you did on the day I met you in the giant’s shack.” His expression softened. “Now, I can admit the truth.” I met his grin with a smile of my own but didn’t interrupt him. “This is real. I’ve found you.”

I plastered myself to his torso and spoke against his neck, “Your romantic side is showing.” He snickered. “You still haven’t provided me an answer. Why didn’t you bite me last night?”

“For one thing, in case you haven't noticed, you’re tiny,” he explained, thrusting his hips upward, as if to make his point clear and causing me to gasp. “I wasn't sure Mason would fit at all let alone allow myself to get so worked up that I savaged you with my fangs instead of only marking you as mine.”