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  Paul was waiting.

  “You should have left her.”

  “If I did she would have fucking drowned. I didn’t touch her. I’ve got more respect than that.” He carried his mate through to the bedroom, placing her on the bed under the covers.

  When he left the room, Paul was still waiting. “What?”

  “How are you handling this?” Paul asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “This is hurting Tori, but I didn’t give a thought to how you’re handling it.”

  “I’m doing fine.”

  “But it’s killing you?”

  “Yes. I need to get some air.” He didn’t put on any extra clothes. Walking out of the house, he grabbed his cell phone from the counter. Dialing Marshall’s number, he waited to hear his friend’s voice.

  “Are you okay?” Marshall asked, answering the call immediately.

  “No, I’m really not okay. Have you found anything?” Jack didn’t know how much longer he could handle this.

  “We’ve not found anything, but Scarlett, she was talking to me about something.”

  “Tell me, Marshall. I’ll take crazy and fucking insane right now.”

  “Since our mating Scarlett has noticed a difference within herself. She’s stronger, more alert. Her senses are not as sharp as a wolf’s, but she’s connected to me. She knows I’m there.”

  “So?”

  “Well, what if you could mate with Tori?”

  “I can’t. It’s against the rules. Paul has told me that out of everything that Tori has learned, she doesn’t know a single thing about mating. She knows of mates but not how it’s done. I can’t do it, and how do you know it would work?”

  “You’re a beta. If you mate with Tori and you’ve got that connection, you may be able to help her through the transition.”

  “I’ll be banished from the pack,” Jack said.

  “Only if Tori objects to it.”

  Jack stared up at the sky. “I’ve got to think about this. I can’t just come out and tell her that we’re mates. It’ll scare her, and she’ll panic, not to mention be pissed off that I’ve not told before now.”

  “I can’t guarantee that it’ll work, but I thought you’d like the chance to think it through. Jack, you don’t have to tell her in order to mate.”

  “Thank you.”

  He closed his cell phone, staring up at the sky.

  “What was that?” Paul asked.

  “Marshall thinks if I mate with her the connection between us would help her through.”

  “Do you think it’s that simple?”

  “I’ll be risking banishment from the pack unless Tori agrees.”

  “Fuck, it’s a risk.”

  “I know.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I really don’t know.” Staring up at the sky, Jack knew he was going to do it. He’d do anything to help his mate. “I can’t risk telling her.”

  “Then don’t, at least not right now. If she knows, it’ll put too much pressure on her. She’s told me she’s thankful she doesn’t have a mate, Jack. Finding out the truth will destroy her.”

  Jack wasn’t going to tell her. He didn’t know what he was going to do.

  Chapter Eight

  “Where’s Jack?” Tori asked.

  Paul was in the kitchen chopping up some fruit. “He’s outside breaking up logs.”

  “It was bad last night, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, it was bad.”

  “I know you don’t approve of Jack being with me in the bathroom.”

  “It’s not like that at all, honey. Jack’s a little older than you—”

  “Please, save it. Jack wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. I know him.” She touched Paul’s hand. “I’m going to go and see him. He really struggled last night.”

  “We all struggled last night. We’re not going to try it for a couple of weeks.”

  “I feel fine.”

  “No, Tori, you don’t look fine.” He handed her a sandwich. “Eat. You need to keep your strength up.”

  She took the sandwich, biting into the bread on her way out the door. The sun was beaming down and already swelteringly hot. She found Jack in a pair of jeans that were cut off at the knee. He wasn’t wearing a shirt as he raised an axe above his head. The pile of logs was off to his side, and it didn’t look like there was any need for more.

  “Hey,” she said.

  He looked up at her.

  “You look like shit.”

  “Charming. You stink like shit,” she said, taking a seat on the pile of logs that was secured with rope. She finished the sandwich while she watched him.

  “We can’t do that again,” Jack said.

  “What? Bathe together.”

  The axe split the wood in half sending it off in either direction. “No. Forcing your wolf.”

  “But the bath is up for negotiation?”

  “For fuck’s sake, Tori, enough with the jokes.”

  “Why? Because it got a little hard for you, Jack? We all knew this was going to be difficult. Nothing’s changed.”

  “Everything is changing, Tori. You don’t even see it.” He dropped the axe, rubbing a hand down his face.

  “I know this is hard for y—”

  “You don’t know shit, Tori. This is dangerous. You were screaming in agony. I’ll never forget the way you sounded.”

  “Then walk away,” she said, standing up. She stormed over toward him. Pressing a finger against his chest, she stared into his eyes. “If it’s too much just walk away.” She was breaking up inside, and she didn’t understand why. When it came to Jack he made her feel things that she didn’t even understand.

  “You don’t understand what you’re telling me.”

  “It’s easy, Jack. Just walk away.”

  “I can’t.” He cupped her cheek, running his thumb across her bottom lip. “I can’t just walk away from you. I’m here for however long it takes.” He pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms.

  She inhaled his spicy scent along with the pack. He smelled perfect to her, like home.

  Her wolf perked up, running her body against the bars of the cage.

  Mate.

  Mine.

  Jack growled. “Stop it, Tori.”

  “I don’t know what’s happening.”

  “Calm her down.”

  Closing her eyes, she sensed her wolf about to strike out at the cage to get out, to get to … what? Jack?

  Confused, Tori stepped away, staring at Jack.

  He was panting, and his eyes were a dark amber.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing, Tori. I’m not walking away from you, so don’t even think of asking.”

  He reached for his shirt, wiping away the sweat across his forehead.

  “Spend the day with me,” she said.

  “After last night you want to train again?”

  “No, I want to spend the day with you without training.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that.”

  “Please, Jack. I just want to have some fun.”

  He stared at her for several moments. “Fun?”

  “Yes, fun. Something to take my mind off this.” She pointed toward the barn. “Let’s go and have some fun.”

  “I’ll talk to Paul.”

  She watched him walk toward the house unable to take her gaze off his ass. He had a very nice ass.

  The time passed, and she couldn’t hear Jack or Paul talking. At night she noticed they played music while they talked. She wasn’t an idiot and knew they talked about her. The transition was getting closer with every passing day, and with it the fear inside her was increasing.

  The other day she’d talked to her parents, and they’d been asking her how she felt. Even as she talked with them, she’d sensed the fear in them as well. They were scared of losing her.

  “What did he say?” she asked.

  Jack was buttoning up a shirt. “He’s cool with it, but
he’s told me to keep my shirt on.”

  She laughed. “Why? You look good without a shirt.”

  He opened the door to the truck, and she took the hand he offered. “That’s what I said.”

  Tori couldn’t stop laughing as he climbed into the truck. “I could just imagine Paul giving you the evil eye.”

  “You’re calling him Paul now?”

  “Yeah. With you around it seems really strange to be calling him Uncle all the time.” She settled down as he pulled out of the ranch heading toward town. “Where are we going?”

  “I don’t know. I figured we could just drive.”

  “I’d like that.”

  Opening the window, she leaned out loving the breeze rushing over her. Neither of them spoke as he drove. She watched the scenery change from the expanse of fields until they entered the edge of town. The houses were a little smaller, and people were walking around the streets. She smiled, watching them live their lives.

  For a short time she wondered what it would be like to be living life like them. They didn’t have any fear of their birthday or the possible transition. She passed a couple who were wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing passionately.

  Releasing a sigh, she yearned for something like that, something so powerful and consuming that it took her breath away.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked.

  “Nothing.” She didn’t want to tell him what was going on inside her head. It sounded too childish even to her.

  “You can tell me anything, Tori.”

  “I know. There are some things I just want to keep to myself. I know I can trust you with everything.”

  He parked up outside of a salon.

  “Why are we here?” she asked.

  “I’m going to treat you to a spa day, and I’m going to wait for you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. I’m going to wait outside in the waiting area while you pamper yourself. You deserve it.”

  “Jack, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Thank you would be nice.” He climbed out of the truck before she got a chance to speak.

  He’d surprised her.

  She turned as he opened the door for her. “Come on.”

  Jack took her hand leading the way inside. She stood watching him, amazed as he organized her an appointment. At first the woman behind the counter tried to give him the runaround. When he offered to pay double she was shocked.

  “Can you afford this?”

  “For you, I can afford anything.” He turned back to the assistant. “Make sure she’s well taken care of.”

  He took her hand, kissing her knuckles. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”

  “Jack, this is too much.”

  “No, it’s just right. You need to relax.”

  She followed the assistant toward a changing room. Tori didn’t know what to say but she did know one thing, she was falling in love with Jack, and that wasn’t fair of her. She couldn’t be with him, but her feelings were getting harder to ignore. Part of her had always been in love with Jack. Being the runt of the litter she’d tried to ignore the feelings he inspired inside her. Nothing good could come of them together.

  Just because nothing good could come of them together didn’t stop her yearning for things to be different.

  ****

  The months were hard for Jack after taking Tori to the spa. She deserved the chance to treat herself, but it didn’t make the training any less hard to bear. Throughout it all she fought like a hellcat, kicking and screaming. He felt cruel with each training session. They called on her wolf once a week saving it for a Friday night so she had the weekend to recover.

  Jack watched her walk into school wishing there was something he could do, anything. She was losing weight, and no matter how much they were feeding her nothing seemed to stick with her.

  Gritting his teeth he waited until she disappeared into the school grounds before turning the truck around. She wasn’t drawing attention to herself, and they’d not been called by the school for a lack of nourishment. Jack had seen a difference in her clothes. The clothes she wore to work out in were hanging off her frame.

  Parking up outside of the ranch, he walked into the kitchen to find Paul hanging up.

  “Another dead end. The runt in this litter was killed in childbirth. They didn’t get her to the hospital in time, and both the mother and baby died.” He crossed off another lead they thought they had.

  “She’s getting stronger and yet weaker. The complete opposite of everything we’re trying to do.” Her senses were stronger, more alert, but she was getting physically weaker. Her birthday was getting closer.

  “The closer we get to the transition the effects are taking its toll.”

  “We’re not helping. Calling her wolf is slowly killing her.” Jack slammed his fist against the wall. He welcomed any kind of pain right now. His wolf was dying little by little with each passing week.

  “I don’t know what else to suggest right now, Jack. All of these leads, they’re drying up. I can’t help her.”

  He turned to look at the older man. Paul’s shoulders were slumped as he looked at the writing pad.

  “We’re not giving up.”

  “I’m not giving up,” Paul said. “I’m starting to think I gave her the wrong kind of hope. I can’t help her. I can’t even turn into a fucking wolf. I’ve ruined her last few months on this earth. Her parents should slaughter me.”

  Jack shook his head. “No, we’re not out of options yet.”

  “There’s only one, and like you said, it breaks the rules of the pack.”

  Tapping his fingers on the chair, Jack knew there wasn’t any other choice. It was either break the rules of his pack for a chance with his mate, or kill his mate. The options were against him.

  “I can’t do it before the summer,” he said. “We’re going back home, and the pack would know when I mated. I can’t tell her either. We’ve run out of time to tell her. It’ll only upset and distract her, and I need her to be focused. If she loses any of that focus right now, I could lose her for good. I’m not willing to risk it right now. I’m being selfish right now, but the less she knows, the fucking better.”

  “You’re going to do it? Break pack rules?”

  “Paul, we’re out of options. You’ve got to realize I’m willing to risk and break every fucking rule in the book to make sure Tori survives.” Jack bit his lip as he started to think. “I can’t do it right away.”

  “When?”

  “It’ll have to be after our last visit, a month before her transition. I can’t do it any sooner.”

  Paul let out a breath. “I know this isn’t what you want to do.”

  “I don’t want to have to think about being banished from my pack. For Tori, it’ll be worth it.” Staring at the table, Jack moved back. “I’ve got to make a phone call.”

  Leaving the house, he stepped toward the barn. It was a private barn, and he walked inside. The scent of Tori’s agony was still in the air tearing him up inside. Pulling his cell phone out, he dialed Marshall’s number.

  “Hello,” Scarlett said.

  “Hey, could you put Marshall on?”

  “Sure.”

  They didn’t linger over pleasantries.

  “What’s up?” Marshall asked.

  “I’m going to do it,” Jack said.

  “Are you sure?”

  “There’s no other choice. It’s the best solution we’ve got.”

  “Jack, this is serious. They could lock you up, banish you, kill you,” Marshall said.

  Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Jack nodded. “I know. I can’t, erm, we’re not going to do it until she’s at her transition. No one can know, Marshall. I’m telling you to let you know what’s going on.”

  “This is going to be a secret?”

  “Tori doesn’t even know. Only Paul and I know, and so do you.”

  “This may not work. You could be banishing yours
elf and not have a mate.”

  “Remember our deal. I’ve got nothing to lose, not really.” Jack sat down on the center of the mat where he’d watched Tori collapse so many times in pain. “I’ve got to do something.”

  “This is dangerous though.”

  “You’d do anything for Scarlett right?”

  “You know I would.”

  “Well, you’ll understand that I’ll do anything for Tori, even risk my whole pack banishing me.”

  “We shouldn’t have to be talking about this.”

  “I’ll see you for the summer, Marshall.” He hung up the phone.

  Running his fingers across the mat, Jack felt at peace. He’d be mated even if it was for a short time and he was the only one who felt it. They’d be mated.

  Chapter Nine

  One month before the transition

  Tori screamed as the pain was too much. For the past year they’d been trying to call on her wolf, and each time it was the same. The pain made it hard for her to concentrate on anything else. She couldn’t unlock the cage. The stress and strain on her body had made her weak.

  Jack walked around her as she cried out. She’d told him to keep pushing her wolf until she begged him to stop. Not once had she said the word that night, but it was close. She couldn’t handle much more. Bathed in sweat, aching from head to toe on the inside and out, she was falling apart.

  “Come to me, Tori.”

  She was weak, too weak to handle the power of his wolf. Her own wolf was clawing repeatedly at the cage within her mind that didn’t even have a lock.

  “I can’t.”

  “Come to me.”

  The desire was there. She wanted to go to him more than she wanted anything in her life. The simple truth was, she couldn’t move. Her wolf was trapped.

  Slapping her palm on her mat, she tensed up as her wolf charged the cage.

  The moment her wolf made impact, she collapsed to the floor, panting. Her eyes rolled back inside her head.

  Get to him.

  Mate.

  Love.

  Over and over the same words rushed through her mind, but she ignored them, panting.

  The power of the wolf washed over her coming from Jack. It was too much. She screamed, writhing in agony.