Chapter Three

Max managed to fall back asleep, but it hadn’t been easy. In addition to being trapped in that rundown house with his team, now the dream had Cassie there as well.

He had been trying to protect her right as the explosion had gone off.

Then he woke up.

Max’s nightmares were getting worse and if he didn’t get them under control, he wouldn’t be any help to Cassie or her family. The Pack meant the world to him and Max didn’t want to fail them.

Sweating and shaking, he stumbled to the bathroom to try to wash the dream away. The other doors in the hall were all closed, so he didn’t know if Cassie was awake yet.

His head might not be on straight about relationships, but he would make sure that Cassie was safe so they would be able to explore the strong connection between them. Lying in bed the night before with her scent still surrounding him, he’d been happy for the first time in longer than he could remember.

Max just needed to get his shit together. The sticky sweat made him feel gross and dirty so he needed a quick clean up. That would help clear his thoughts as well. He turned the shower knob on hot and closed the door to warm up the glass stall. He bent over to the sink to peer at himself in the mirror.

The dark circles that he had been carrying around the last couple of months were worse. His skin was too pale, plus the weight loss he’d suffered was more obvious.

He needed to take better care of himself. He couldn’t figure out why Cassie would even be attracted to him in his current state. But there was something about her. Whenever they were in the same room, he felt a pull in her direction.

There were some decisions that he needed to make. He didn’t like the person he was becoming. Now, if he could just figure out how to get back everything he’d lost in himself, he would have something to offer Cassie. He needed to be his own man again.

Determination pulsing inside him, he pushed away from his image and climbed into the shower. The almost scorching water pelted down on him and he sighed deeply as his muscles relaxed.

He grabbed the shower gel off the shelf and poured a good amount into his palm. With his other hand, he used a washcloth to scrub himself clean. He felt better and the fog from the nightmare lifted.

Max rolled his shoulders and rinsed the soap from his body before shampooing his hair. Keeping the buzz cut from his Navy days saved him time.

Body freshened up, he fisted his half-hard cock, sliding his hand slowly up and down. He’d been somewhat hard since he’d first laid eyes on Cassie. After he’d returned to the States, he’d had had his hand for company. And that was when he could even get it up. But all of that was changing.

He tightened his hold and, stroking himself faster, called up the memory of the kisses they’d shared the night before. Cassie’s soft lips beneath his played through his mind and the pressure of her body heightened his arousal.

He groaned and his cum squirted, painting the shower wall. It had been a long time since he’d gone over the edge so quickly. With a lighter air, he rinsed once more, making sure to clean the wall, then turned the water off. He grabbed one of the towels from the rod next to him and dried himself just as a knock came from the front of the house.

Max wrapped the cloth around his hips and rushed to his room. He pulled on a clean pair of jeans before grabbing a short-sleeved T-shirt. He dragged the top on as he headed toward the front entrance.

“Coming!” he called when the knock came again.

Just as he reached for the handle, he caught the scent of his Alpha outside. Max took a deep breath and opened the door. He’d been expecting his Alpha to show up at any time. In fact, Shawn had been too good at giving him space, so Max knew he’d been caught.

Alpha Shawn stood on the porch holding a takeout container with three cups and a bakery bag. He held them up in offering.

Max grinned and waved the man inside. “Hey.”

“Max, I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Of course not. Please come in.”

Alpha Shawn walked through the entry and into the kitchen. Max followed behind, both pleased to see his Alpha again and nervous at the same time. Alpha Shawn had a way of making Max confess things he would rather keep hidden. He’d been doing his best to avoid his Alpha since he’d returned home.

It figured that as soon as he was starting to pull his head out of his ass, he’d no longer be able to steer clear of Alpha Shawn. While his Alpha set the coffees on the island countertop between them, Max walked to the cabinet to pull out some plates.

“I don’t know if Cassie is awake yet, but I can check.”

Alpha Shawn shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I’d like a few minutes with you anyway.”

Max nodded. His Alpha didn’t just stop by for no reason. Everyone in the Pack knew that their leader was always looking out for them. Even Max knew that he could only hide for so long.

“So how are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” he assured his Alpha.

Shawn leaned against the counter and lifted an eyebrow. “You sleeping okay?”

“Sure,” he lied. Of course, his Alpha could smell the scent of deception so Max clarified his statement. “Some nights are better than others, but I’m handling everything.”

Instead of calling him on his lie, Shawn just shook his head. “I have no doubt that you’re handling everything, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help if you need it. It takes a strong man to lean on others.”

He sighed. “I know… I just need to figure things out.” There was no use pretending. His Alpha had that stoic look on his face whenever he was determined to get through to one of the Pack members. “I just need more time.”

“Okay.” Shawn smiled. “I won’t push right now. You know you can always talk to me, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“All right.” Shawn lifted the lid off one of the cups and Max followed suit. The smell of the fresh coffee was perfect and his stomach growled. “I brought some muffins, too.”

“Thanks.” He dug into the bag and chose one of the banana-nut muffins. He bit into it and moaned. God, these are so damn good.

“How are things going here?”

He chewed and took a long sip of his coffee. Alpha Shawn wouldn’t know what had taken place between him and Cassie the night before, but Max still found himself shifting his feet nervously. “I…uh…well…we…”

“Max?”

As he took another drink, he mentally cursed himself. “Everything is okay. I’ve only just really started. I have some ideas on how to increase security and add a few more cameras without being too intrusive.”

“Good, good. After this mess is over, I hope to talk to you about the rest of the Pack.”

That sounded like his Alpha wanted more than just a favor. “Well, you know that I’m happy to help in any way that I can, but I’m not a security expert or anything. Don’t you have people for that?”

“Yes, but they’re not Pack. I want someone who I can trust to oversee them. This incident has shown me that we’ve been lucky so far. A lot of other Packs have had direct attacks against them. I want to prepare before that happens here. That’s where you come in.”

“You want me to do it? To oversee security for the Pack?” Max asked in disbelief. That was a major responsibility. He wanted to contribute to his community, but he wasn’t sure he could handle such a large job.

“Absolutely.”

“I’m not sure I’m the right person,” he said honestly. He couldn’t even sleep all the way through the night. His Alpha didn’t know everything that was going on in his head. If he did, there was no way Shawn would want him.

“You’re the perfect person. You’re a strong leader, smart, dedicated, loyal and compassionate.”

He blushed at the compliments. Even though he knew he wasn’t those things, at least not anymore. “I’m not sure.”

“It’s something that I want you to think about. Take care of things here and see if you can find out who broke into Cassie’s studio, then make sure your sole focus is to protect her. The rest will work itself out.”

He sure as hell hoped so. He nodded.

“I knew I could depend on you.” Shawn patted his back as he passed Max. “I’ll show myself out. I want to stop by and have a quick word with Alex while I’m here.”

Max stood speechless as Shawn did, in fact, leave on his own. He wanted to be polite and at least walk the man to the door, but he couldn’t seem to make his feet work. His Alpha’s words were still bouncing around in his head. Shawn believed in him. He wished he was as sure as his Alpha. Before his last mission had gone to shit, he’d had the confidence that Shawn was showing in him. He’d even been a little bit cocky. It was weird how one day could change all of that.

All he’d ever wanted to do was make a difference. To help people. When he’d left Canyon, he’d been a young man determined to show the world what he’d been made of. He’d joined the Navy and had known just weeks into boot camp that he’d found the place he was meant to be at.

He thrived at the physical part of training. He enjoyed pushing his body to its limits. The brothers he’d connected with were like an extension of his Pack. He’d been overseas and still thought he would spend his entire life in the service.

Eight years after he’d first joined, he’d applied to the Special Forces Units. It had taken everything he had to make it mentally and physically. Even so, he had never felt better in his life. The first missions had been simple gathering of intel. He hadn’t really been in danger. Then he’d been transferred to his new team and everything had changed.

Under the cover of night, he’d found himself in some very fucked-up situations. Still, every time he’d made it back home, he’d been proud. When he’d been promoted and given his own squad, he’d vowed to bring each member home with him every time.

In the end, he hadn’t been able to keep that promise to his fellow soldiers. He might have brought Evan’s body back, but it had been under his command that the man had died.

He closed his eyes, fighting the memories, but they still bombarded him.

They’d dropped inside the enemy lines in the pitch blackness of night. The coordinates that they’d been given had just been a rough estimate. It hadn’t been known whether the hostages were dead or alive.

But they’d had to try. That’s what we did.

He’d led his small band of men deep into the jungle to complete their task.

It had been sickeningly hot, the air so thick it had been hard to breathe. Sounds they’d only heard a few times had followed them as they’d traveled farther and farther into danger.

Even when their boots had first hit the ground, he hadn’t felt good about the mission. Something, some small part of him, had known there was just something off. He’d ignored the feeling and followed orders. He would always regret that.

They’d walked for two hours before they’d started to hear signs of life from humans instead of just the jungle animals. Max had stopped his team’s forward movement with a fist in the air. He’d been well known for his above-average hearing. No one had known he was a shifter. They’d just teased him that it was his gut instinct, but they’d always followed him. Max had let them believe that.

* * * *

Max took point and methodically moved his men into position. They were just south of a small group of tents. One old, beat-up Jeep was parked to the side and it was filled with guns and ammo. They would need to secure that vehicle first. But that was a sure sign that the rebels were very well armed.

A few rough-looking men sat around a fire smoking and talking. He motioned to his team to drop and wait.

One by one their targets went into one of the sleeping areas. A large tent on the far side looked like their best bet for where to find the hostages.

He crawled over to Evan and the youngest member, Jon Banks. He gave the hand signal for them to approach and, after receiving nods of affirmation, he crept back, retaking his position.

Waiting until all was calm, he blew out a breath and sent his unit in.

Jose Sanchez guarded the vehicle while he and Matt Wallace covered Evan and Banks.

The shouts from the large tent alerted not only his team but also the enemy.

All hell broke loose, but Max had a clear view of the hostages running with Evan and Banks, so he motioned Sanchez to set the explosive and take out the extra guns and ammo. There wasn’t enough time to secure the weapons on the bodies, but they needed to ensure that they couldn’t be turned against them.

He and Wallace used their own rifles in the firefight and before he knew it, the huge explosion rocked the night.

“Move! Move!” he screamed. Max kept close, bringing up the rear as they disappeared into the darkness.

* * * *

If only things had ended there.

Max shook himself out of his thoughts. He knew he had to let go of what had happened. It wasn’t easy. He relived that day over and over. His stomach was in knots as he pushed himself away from the counter. The first part of their mission had been a success. The rest had been one fuck-up after another. He had to keep busy to prevent himself from thinking about where things had gone wrong.

He picked up the extra coffee Alpha Shawn had brought then started down the hall.

If Cassie was awake, he’d give it to her. If not, he would check to make sure everything was secure.

He tapped softly on her studio door, hoping if she wasn’t awake he wouldn’t bother her. He heard movement in the room and cracked the door.

The patio door was closed and the room was much the same as it had been the night before. Except for one thing.

Sitting in the middle of the room on the easel was a painting. It wasn’t one of the half-finished pieces he’d seen earlier. No, this was amazing…just amazing.

He pushed the door all the way open so he could get a better look.

He recognized the canyon cliffs of their home. The colors blended together so seamlessly it was almost like he could reach out and stroke the hard ridges.

Standing strong and powerful in the center of the canvas was a huge black wolf.

He nearly dropped the Styrofoam cup as he felt compelled to get closer.

It was the most astounding thing he’d ever seen. Inside his body, his wolf stretched in need. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told Cassie he sensed the animal inside. But it was like she’d been able to peer deep inside him and paint how he pictured his wolf.

“Do you like it?”

He heard Cassie behind him yet couldn’t look away from the wolf staring back at him. He even recognized the gaze that met his in the mirror. “Yes.”

She moved closer, bringing the heat from her body next to his.

“After you left, all I could think about was showing you my vision. It was like I could see him and I wanted you to be able view your wolf through my eyes,” she said quietly.

Max nodded. “It’s remarkable.” He turned suddenly and grabbed her to yank her forward. He slammed his mouth down on hers and kissed her hungrily.

Cassie had been so nervous about showing her newest piece to Max. She hadn’t expected such a passionate response when he did see it, even though she’d felt exactly the same way. Cassie found herself pressed to Max as he ravaged her mouth. God, it feels so freaking fantastic. She’d never experienced such an overwhelming need for another person as she did with Max.

She gripped his shirt with her fists to keep him from stopping. They’d touched on some sensitive subjects earlier, but she knew there was more going on with him than his non-shifter status. Cassie wanted to know everything that made him tick. She’d realized that the night before. Max was everything she had always desired in a mate. They weren’t ready to declare their love for each another, but she thought they might get there one day. There was a pull between them. And she needed him more every minute she spent with him.

He had one arm around her waist, anchoring her, but she wanted his full body, not just his mouth. She drew her lips back and looked down. His free hand still held a to-go cup.

He noticed her gaze. “Coffee.”

Nodding, she took the cup from him then placed it on the shelf behind her. “Now,” she said, framing his face with her hands. “Let’s do that again.”

She was the one to kiss him this time. He didn’t hesitate to get right back to where they’d left off. Their mouths were fused together as Cassie rubbed against him.

He moaned and she swallowed the sound. He tasted so damn wonderful. Like coffee and something banana with just a hint of a spice. She could lose herself in his flavor and wouldn’t regret it at all.

He pulled at the hem of her T-shirt until he managed to get it hiked up. At the first touch of his rough palms on her stomach, she began whimpering.

“Oh, hell,” he panted against her lips. “You feel so good.”

“Yeah.” She leaned harder into him.

The doorbell rang. They froze. She stared into his gaze as saw the same frustration at being interrupted.

“Maybe they’ll go away,” she said hopefully. She didn’t want to stop. Yes, they probably weren’t ready to just fall in bed together, but the attraction between the two of them sizzled.

Max started to step away from her and she tried to hide her disappointment.

“It’s probably for the best,” he replied. “I need to check in with Alex about the additional cameras and look for weak spots. There’s a lot of work to do.”

She understood that he had a job there. However, it didn’t stop her from almost obsessing about having his hands on her.

Cassie tugged her shirt back down then smoothed the material just as she heard the front door open.

“Cassie?”

“In the studio,” she called out. “That’s James, my assistant. He has a key,” she explained to Max.

He nodded. He turned to walk away but paused at the painting again. “That is truly beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

James knocked on the open door and stuck his head in. “Hey.”

“Hi.” She waved him forward. “James this is Max, who is here as security. Max, my assistant, James.”

“Security?” James looked between the two of them.

“After the break-in, Alex thought we needed to be more careful. Max is going to help get the house and studio better covered and is staying until the person is caught.”

“Wow!” James stuck his hands in his pockets.

He was young, and a very talented artist himself. They’d met at the gallery and she had been taken with his enthusiasm for art.

“I didn’t realize it was such a big deal.”

Cassie frowned. “Of course, it is. Someone broke into my home and the studio. Months of work was destroyed!”

James nodded. “Yeah, it’s just, no one was hurt and Canyon is usually such a safe place.”

“I’m here to make sure it stays that way,” Max said.

He was watching James closely. She knew that Max had to be suspicious of everyone who had access to the studio, but there was no way she would believe that James had been involved.

“I guess I was just hoping it was a mistake or something. It’s scary.”

“It’ll be okay, hon,” she assured him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

His bleached, spiked hair tickled her cheek when she embraced him.

“Wow!” James noticed the canvas of the black wolf and broke away. “This is so awesome!”

She met Max’s gaze and smiled. She thought the man was pretty awesome himself.

“I’m going to get started,” Max stated, “so don’t leave the house without letting me know.”

“No problem,” she assured Max. “We’re going to go through the inventory list from the gallery to see just how many more pieces I need. I don’t want Alex to cancel the show if he doesn’t have to.”

Max’s hand brushed against hers as he strolled from the room. The tingle that followed his touch gave Cassie something to look forward to.

“This is going to sell for sure,” James said.

“No!” she exclaimed, a little too loud. “I’m not selling that one.”

“What? Why not?” James asked. “It’s even better than what you had originally painted.”

The hours she’d spent didn’t matter. There was only one person who she wanted to get to see the canvas every single day. Her creation, was for Max. “I’m not selling it.”

“Okay,” James said with a long sigh. “What do we need to do?”

Cassie looked around. “Let’s decide how many more canvases we need.”

“So, the show must go on?” James said.

Cassie looked at the painting she’d spent the night doing. At least her muse had returned. Her fingers itched. She could feel the urge to keep going. There were times when she was so motivated that she didn’t do anything but work. It felt like this was one of those times.

Max turned the screw to secure the last additional camera Alex had purchased and sighed with relief. He’d been at it for hours. He was finally comfortable about the new security around the entire Wilson ranch. Cassie would be safe no matter what.

“Hey, man.”

Max looked over at Alex, who had joined him on the porch. The man held out a beer and Max almost moaned in gratitude. It was damn hot out today and he was tired. He climbed down from the stool he was using for mounting the camera above the front door and accepted the cold bottle.

He rubbed it over his forehead before taking a long pull. “Thanks, I needed that.”

Alex nodded as he glanced around. Max didn’t miss the relief in Alex’s eyes. Alex was really worried about his sister. “Looks like you got the last one up.”

“Yeah, I also put new locks on all the windows and installed a chain on the front door. Cassie seems to use the balcony doors a lot and I want to get some better locks for that.”

“Cassie likes to smell the fresh air,” Alex said. “It’s a habit I don’t see her breaking.”

Max noted that Alex seemed a little uneasy. He took another long drink and lifted an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

Alex shook his head. “Let’s sit.”

Max followed him to the wooden porch chairs then settled down with his beer. “What’s up?”

“You’ve heard about the Church for Humanity?”

Max didn’t even want to think about where this was going. “Sure, they’re the ones who’re trying to get the government to make shifters register.”

“They’re also the reason that the wolf Council worked so hard in setting up the new shifter Coalition. The main guy was arrested in Nevada for kidnapping and all sorts of other crimes against the wolves came out.”

“I remember reading about it right after I got home,” Max told him.

“I received another letter today at the gallery that they want the showing canceled due to the nature of the show pieces.”

“Cassie’s work?” Max guessed.

Alex leaned forward and rubbed his hand over his face. “Yeah. I called and left a message for Alpha Shawn, but he hasn’t gotten back to me yet. I’m worried. I know our Pack isn’t public, but the Church can cause us all kinds of trouble.”

“Do you think they might be responsible for the break-in?”

Alex blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I mean, how would they have known we weren’t home?”

“Someone was watching. Or it’s someone close to Cassie or even you.”

“And if someone is watching, what else have they seen? We shift all the time. Almost everyone around these parts does.”

Max could completely see why Alex was worried. The members of the Church had been getting more and more vocal about how unnatural the shifters were. After their leader had been convicted, it had seemed to spread, turning downright nasty between the Church and shifter communities. “We need to call the Council.”

“That’s why I wanted to talk to Shawn. He’ll be able to contact them and maybe even the Coalition.”

“Fuck!” Max muttered. This just got worse every minute. If they did have to bring the Coalition in, there was no way they would be able to remain hidden. “What are we going to tell Cassie?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure we should tell her anything right now. She needs to concentrate on the upcoming show and I don’t want her more worried than she already is.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t discuss it on my front porch.”

Max jerked his head to the side and saw Cassie standing in the doorway. Alex groaned and stood.

“I’m sorry, Cass, but I didn’t want to scare you.” Alex held out his hand.

Cassie moved to him and snuggled into his arms. “I’m a big girl, Alex. You can’t protect me from everything.” She looked over at Max. “Plus I’ve got a pretty good bodyguard.”

Max grinned, although he fought not to blush. He really admired how calmly Cassie seemed to be handling everything. Yes, she was struggling, but her natural instincts seemed to take over and she showed trust in the men around her.

Alex chuckled and patted her back. She stepped away then leaned against the rail while Alex retook his chair.

“You can’t keep things from me, Alex. If there is more going on than just a break-in, I need to know.”

Alex nodded. “I know, you’re right.”

“We’ll handle this,” she told him. “But what about the boys? Are they safe here?”

“I sure hope so,” Alex said just as his cell phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket. “That’s Shawn. I need to take this.”

Max waved him off and waited until he’d walked down the porch steps. He then turned his attention to Cassie. “You okay?”

“Yeah. No. I don’t know,” she said, sighing deeply. “I can’t help but wonder if I caused all this with my paintings? Is the Pack in danger because of me?” It was her eyes that drew him in. Cassie was more than worried—she was scared. Max didn’t know how to take the burden from her.

Max stood and encircled her in his arms. “No, I don’t believe so. These people are so hell-bent on causing trouble for us they could have found anything.” It was true. Max had always felt out of place. Like he didn’t belong with the shifters but wasn’t human, either. Now, seeing everything that had taken place while he’d been serving his country, Max questioned what he’d been protecting. Was it worth everything he’d sacrificed when humans were hell-bent on destroying his family? Max knew not all humans were hateful or dangerous, but he still wrestled with the decisions he’d made.

She laid her head against his chest. “I hate the idea of someone watching us. Planning ways to hurt us. I don’t understand why they can’t just let us be.”

Max buried his hand in her hair and tightened his embrace. “Ever since the beginning of time, people have feared what they don’t understand. This will pass. We have the Council and now the Coalition. It’s going to be okay.” He had to believe the words he spoke. He’d heard them time and again from his first Commander. Commander Gunther had been a shifter and had sniffed Max out during his first deployment. He was also the officer responsible for Max’s transfer to special units. There had been nights when Max hadn’t been able to sleep and he’d repeated the wise words that Commander Gunther had shared.

Max was proud he could talk about some of his time in the service with Cassie. He hoped the teaching could give her the comfort it had him on the many lonely nights out in the desert.

“I’m glad you’re here. Everything is crazy and happening fast, but I feel safe with you. Like I can get back to my art and not worry about what is going on around me.”

“I’m glad I can give you that kind of security,” he replied. It was funny that from the moment he’d set eyes on Cassie, he had felt something settle deep inside him. Like even his wolf was at home with this woman. “And we’ll figure out what to do about the Church.”

Her eyes sparkled as she gazed up at him. “Kiss me again?”

He cupped her cheek while he lowered his head. “Yes,” he whispered against her lips, brushing his over hers.

She pushed into the kiss eagerly and responded so beautifully that he had to draw back so he didn’t end up embarrassing them both. Her brother might return at any time.

“Be good,” he warned playfully when she tried to chase his mouth.

She lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, I can be so very good.”

He snorted, stepping back. “Not with your brother close by,” he teased, popping her on the ass with a light slap.

Her carefree laughter warmed his heart. They might have a lot of concerns, but they would get through them. He would make damn sure.

Max spotted Alex heading back toward them and retook his seat. Cassie smirked at him and returned to lean against the rail.

“Shawn is calling the Council right now. He and Chase will come over to the house as soon as they can,” Alex informed them as he stepped up to the porch. “I’m going to call Jacob and make sure he can make it, too. I thought we could have a barbecue. It’s a nice evening and we need some sort of routine.”

Max glanced at Cassie to make sure she was up to spending time with her family. He wanted her to return to a routine and he was certain he had her house covered with as much security as needed. No one would be getting inside without him knowing.

“Sounds good,” Cassie agreed. Max nodded. “I’ll make a few side dishes. The least we can do is feed everyone if we’re going to put them in danger,” Cassie said.

“Hey!” Alex strode up the steps and to his sister. “This is not your fault.”

“I know,” she said softly. “Really, I do, but I can’t help but… This sucks!”

Alex nodded as he chuckled. “It does. Just remember there are five artists in the showing. Four of them are shifters, and we don’t even know why this show is being targeted. We’ve had many over the years. Let us figure this out.”

She nodded. “I’m going to go start on some food.”

Max kept himself from reaching out to her as she passed. He wanted to comfort her, to take her back to the moment when she was laughing happily. As she stepped back inside, Alex growled. Max turned to him.

Alex stood, hands fisted at his side. “I want to kill whoever is doing this to her, to us all.”

Since Max felt the same way, he couldn’t really offer an argument.

“I’ve got to call Jacob. Stay close to her?”

“I will,” Max promised. He waited until Alex was stalking back to the main house, then turned and followed Cassie.

He found her at the kitchen sink, scrubbing potatoes. “You okay?”

“Fine,” she answered shortly.

He moved up behind her and placed his hands on her hips.

She sighed and leaned back into him. “I forgot for a minute outside. With you. How can I be happy and so scared at the same time?”

Max nuzzled her neck. “It’s natural. You’ve got a lot thrown at you right now. It’s okay to feel good while you’re still worried. It’s okay to feel pleasure.”

She faced him. “I just keep thinking, if all of this wasn’t happening, I wouldn’t have met you again. You wouldn’t be here with me.”

Max leaned closer and rubbed his nose against hers. “I think we would have. Somehow, we would have found each other. This, between us, is too good for us not to have found a way to each other. “

“Max,” she whispered. “Kiss me.”

Max did as she requested. He could spend forever kissing her. Sure, Max could be hiding in the back of his brother’s café, keeping himself from the Pack, but seeing Cassie would have pulled him out into the open. He believed that. The connection between them was just too strong for them to ignore it.

He wasn’t a catch. He had nothing to offer her. Hell, he didn’t even have his own place. But none of that seemed to matter when she fit so perfectly in his arms. When her body against his made him feel alive.

With Cassie, Max didn’t feel like a failure. He was invisible and anyone who wanted to hurt her would have to go through him.