Rick

A slow, lazy, and incredibly sexy smile spreads over his rugged face. “You’re absolutely beautiful with your guard down.”

“Rick.” I say his name, but my voice doesn’t sound like me. It’s huskier or something. I almost sound sexy. Must be the naughty thoughts whirling around in my head.

Rick pushes to his feet. His muscles flex. The tight gray T-shirt stretched over his chest clings to his body. Jeans cover his legs. Not tight, not loose, his pants fit him perfectly, drawing my gaze to his strong thighs, his narrow hips, his…

Oh goddesses…

---

“You walked into my life when I was at the lowest point I’ve been in years.” Rick settles a hand on my hip. “And pulled me back from the brink.”

My skin burns as if his touch branded me. I don’t understand my reaction to him. “I…I…”

Rick rubs the thumb of his free hand over my lower lip, tugging slightly on the center, before dropping his hand. “You saved me from myself, from the lying voices in my head. I’ll never forget that.”

I swipe my tongue over the path his thumb took. I swear I can taste him. I press my palm to his stomach, unsure if I want to push him away or pull him closer.

“Rick…”

---

All shifters grow up hearing the stories of a love so pure and right, it transcends time. It’s a gift from the goddesses themselves, something to be fought for and treasured. It’s why the goddesses allowed shifters the ability to soul-bond, so true mates could tie their souls together for eternity.

---

“I’m not pack, not really. We’re only friends.”

There’s nobody close to us, but Ilan lowers his voice anyway. “My wolves have claimed you as their little sister. There’s no fighting them on it. They’re the most stubborn set of animals any shifter was born with, and they don’t like seeing you sad. It makes them angry, and do you know what three dominant and slightly crazed wolves do when they’re angry?”

“They lash out.”

---

“What about you, Mya? Will you deny the gift the goddesses have given you? Take the easy path.” I let Mya see the challenge in my eyes. This might backfire completely, but I can’t let Mya slip away after she admitted to feeling our connection. That’s what a male does for his true mate. He fights for her.

---

“You’re mine. Our goddesses have deemed it so.” Rick steps so close to me, my breasts press into his hard chest with every breath I take. “That means everything that belongs to you is mine. Your heart. Your soul. Your body. Your children.”

Rick turns my face toward his. The rawness in his gaze makes him look wild, like a primitive male ruled by his instincts. “And I am yours. No female will come before you. Not in this lifetime. Not in the next. Not in the one after that. I’ll chase your soul through the centuries. Follow you anywhere. Nothing will keep me from you, and I’ll never stop fighting for you. For ;us. This is my vow, Mya Ammon.”

“You don’t know me.” I sound ungrateful. Rick just offered me everything I’ve ever dreamed about. He’s also my true mate. I don’t doubt our connection or the mystical beauty behind it. I’ve seen with my own eyes how powerful it can be. It’s just that…