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  Time to go see an old crusty bastard about some traps.

  ***

  What a nice spread.

  A good three hundred and twenty acres sat next to the Guardian’s land. Both chunks of land were far enough away from city limits to be considered extremely rural and isolated. The Guardians kept tabs on all the land owners around their acreage. There were just a few owners really, and only one wasn’t a shifter. The previous non-shifter owner was okay letting the land grow wild, snoring loudly all night while shifters freely ran his property, and heading into town to hit on the silver-haired ladies at the senior center all day. It was an ideal situation until the guy hadn’t shown up in town one day and the senior center ladies called the local police, concerned about him, and found he’d passed away quietly one night.

  The new owner might be an issue. Recently, shifters exercising their wolves in the woods had some near misses with steel traps. Concerning enough, until Kaitlyn came back from inspecting the traps claiming they were plentiful, covering the entirety of the property like land mines.

  Driving down the ambling, dusty road that served as a driveway, Bennett decided at the last minute not to pull too close to the house. If he was in his furry form, the fur would be standing up on the back of his neck. Instead, he parked on the circular drive so he was angled toward the exit and protected by the SUV when he stepped out.

  After he climbed out, he let his senses soak in the surroundings. Birds were singing, enjoying the sunny spring weather after a harsh winter. Two cows stood in a pasture, a good hundred yards from the main house. Who the fuck only had two cows?

  Bennett spun when he heard a screen door open and resisted the urge to transition when a large German shepherd slammed the door open the rest of the way. Growling and snarling, the beast roared toward him, fangs bared.

  Without hesitation, Bennett flung out a mental command. Halt!

  The beast stopped abruptly, already midway between the house and Bennett. He swung his furry head toward the house where a figure stood shadowed in the doorway, and then the dog made a lunge back toward Bennett.

  Mentally, Bennett held the large dog in place, grateful his erratic ability was steady today. He rarely used his gift. Seriously, who needed to talk to animals? And how long could one guy put up with Snow White references? All of his pack’s gifts had been increasingly unstable for the last century, so much so they’d become less and less dependent on them almost to the point of disuse. That is, until the last year, when some of them started finding mates. It seemed as if their powers became stronger and more grounded with each mating. Bennett thought that meant he was screwed.

  The German shepherd whined and sat with a huff on his haunches, then turned his head back to the house.

  Keeping his hold on the loyal dog, Bennett took in the figure that walked out.

  Shiiiit. His chest grew tight; his breathing became shallower. Not due to the shotgun emerging from the doorway, thankfully pointed downward, but it was the arm attached to it. Bennett ran his eyes up from where the tanned hand confidently gripped the shotgun barrel, up the delicately muscled arm encased in a red plaid shirt to where the rolled-up sleeve showed off a slight bulge of bicep. His eyes continued up the sun-kissed skin of a slender neck, bared by a clip holding up the sun-bleached, honey-brown hair, letting it cascade down from the clip like a waterfall of ripened wheat. Bennett took in the lash-lined hazel eyes and full, raspberry-hued lips and felt like he’d been punched in the gut.

  Because it wasn’t the stunning beauty, cautiously stepping off the porch, suspicion ripe in her bright, intelligent eyes that made Bennett feel like he was suffocating. It wasn’t the glinting steel weapon in her hand or the dog trained to attack.

  No. The bottom dropped out of Bennett’s world as soon as he caught the scent, drifting toward him on the gentle breeze. The scent of lavender and vanilla, the signature smell of this human female. The scent of his mate.

  Chapter Two

  No. No, no, no, no, no. Son of a dried up, moldy biscuit. This wasn’t good.

  Not only was there a towering male standing in her driveway, and her ferocious Cuddles was somehow rendered useless, but this wasn’t just any male. She knew immediately he was a shifter, one used to wielding power and authority, and he was her destined mate.

  Fudge.

  “Can I help you?” Spencer called, standing at the base of her porch steps. She whistled for Cuddles to come to her side and stared in astonishment as her dog swung his head toward the male, who gave an imperceptible nod of his head, warning in his deep, navy blue eyes. The movement would’ve been undetectable to most people, but she wasn’t most people.

  This male didn’t know she wasn’t an ordinary human female, and that’s the way it needed to stay. She stole another moment to size him up while Cuddles trotted to her side and took up a stance in front of her, facing the stranger.

  He was tall. Like, really tall. She was five-three and he had to be at least six-five. His white-blond hair had the I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-this-sexy look, but she was sure it was styled. The yuppie clothing confirmed her suspicion—leather loafers, sleek button-up shirt, and designer jeans. He gave the impression he was going out clubbing instead of taking a Sunday drive in the country.

  Spencer felt the male’s second sweep across her body like a burning brush fire. His expression, no doubt reflecting her own, with equal parts suspicion, dismay, and intrigue. Good, she could use that. She had no room in her life for a shifter mate, and if this male felt the same way, the sooner they parted, the better.

  Switching on obvious charm that didn’t reach his wary eyes, he smiled and the bottom plunged out of her stomach. Holy Smoky Bear, he was lethal. And that smile, directed her way, made it seem like he was attainable and willing, like he stepped out of a cologne ad just for her.

  “Howdy, ma’am. I just stopped by to introduce myself.”

  The male started forward, probably to shake hands. And as much as the thought of touching him skin-to-skin made her palms sweat in anticipation, she needed to make him stop.

  “You can make introductions from there.”

  He stopped abruptly, his eyebrows rising in surprise. Again with the devastating, but fake, smile.

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m Bennett Young. Pleasure to meet you, Miss…?”

  “Why are you here?”

  Again with the eyebrows rising. Maybe he was used to getting what he wanted, especially out of women.

  “We’re neighbors, ma’am. Just fixin’ to introduce myself.” Where before she thought she heard a hint of southern drawl, she was sure of it now. And sure that he was forcing it, authentic or not. Maybe that worked with most human women, heck, it probably worked with most species of female, but she wasn’t normal and as much as she wanted to roll in the syllables slipping off his tongue, she couldn’t afford any kind of weakness now.

  Wait, did he say neighbors? Aww, nuggets.

  She grudgingly gave in. “Spencer King.”

  There go those eyebrows again. She shocked him three times now and found she liked catching this male off guard.

  “You’re…? Miss King, it’s my pleasure.”

  Really? Because it didn’t look like it. It looked like she had kicked his puppy and told him the Tooth Fairy wasn’t real. He probably assumed the new owner was a guy and was expecting to bypass the difficult woman. People assumed Spencer was a guy’s name, that was exactly why her parents named her that. Usually she went by Sarah, but Spencer knew this male would keep pushing until he talked to the new owner.

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Young. Thanks for stopping by.” Spencer backed up to head back inside without taking her eyes off him.

  He made a move forward. “Please, call me Bennett. How are you liking it here?”

  A low rumble emanated from Cuddles and was cut off immediately. Brows drawn, she checked over her dog but nothing seemed amiss. Cuddles was shooting Bennett a look of consternation. Bennett himself was gazing innocently back at Spencer.
>
  “It’s fine,” was all she said.

  “My buddies and I live on the bordering property, to the south. We’re in real estate and finance. We like the privacy to work.”

  Suuure. “So you and a bunch of guys set up a commune for finance and sell real estate?” Oh, sugar. Even as she said it, the meaning dawned on her.

  A bunch of male shifters living far from town. If they all resounded with the same intensity and power this male did, she knew exactly what they were. Who they were. Guardians. Smooth move, Spencer. Way to fly low and innocuous. No wonder land records didn’t alert her when she researched this place. They probably bought it under a dummy name years ago.

  “No, not like that. We have women, too. I mean, shit…” He blew out a breath of frustration.

  “I’d appreciate it if you watched your mouth on my property, Mr. Young,” she said primly.

  Rising eyebrows and a slow blush almost made her smile. She was beyond a hat trick for shocking him, and moved on to embarrassment. Or pissed off, she wasn’t sure yet.

  “I apologize, ma’am. I was just trying to clarify our living situation so as not to alarm you.”

  “No need,” Spencer attempted to brush him off. “Thanks for the info. See ya around.” Attempt number two at getting up her porch steps to send a clear message to Bennett that the conversation was over.

  He took another few steps in her direction. Cuddles tried to growl again, only to get cut off, thumping his tail in frustration against the ground.

  “Miss King, I see you have cows. Are you turning this place into a hobby farm?”

  Spencer’s lungs froze. He was asking about her cows. Why did he need to know about her cows? Deciding a modicum of truth was the best policy, and maybe the fastest way to get him the heck gone since he was obviously searching for information, she quickly deliberated what to tell him.

  “Yes, Mr. Young, though Bessie and Tulip are more like pets.”

  The devastating smile flashed. “Bennett, please.”

  “Bennett.” Oh, that felt too good rolling off her tongue. Did his navy eyes just sparkle with satisfaction? “I plan to have a hobby farm of sorts, but also grow and sell for retail.”

  “Do you hire in help, or do you have a family out here to help?” Subtle. She didn’t miss the calculating look in those mesmerizing eyes.

  It didn’t take long for her to decide what to tell him. His heightened senses would know she was the only one out here. She could pretend to have a beau, but she had enough to hide without adding extra facets to her story.

  “I’m independent. Perhaps I’ll expand this operation eventually, but as you can see, I’m just in the beginning phases now that it’s spring.”

  “I’d love to hear more about your plans. Care to grab some coffee?”

  “I don’t drink coffee.”

  “A soda, then.”

  Scrambling mentally for a suitable excuse to avoid further alone time with the drool-worthy male in front of her, she glanced back at her rundown, shoddy house. When she turned back to Bennett, she released a small gasp. That brief second she took her eyes off him he used to cover the distance between them.

  Cuddles gave a small growl and Bennett looked at her protector sharply before holding out a strong, work-roughened hand. To her astonishment and utter dismay, Cuddles granted Bennett a little sniff before bumping his head under the hand. Before, her beloved dog may have been under some kind of compulsion, but now he was just a desperate softie.

  “What’s his name?” Bennett asked fondly, scratching the pooch behind the ears.

  “Cuddles.”

  Bennett blanched and gaped at her with alarm. “What? And he tolerates it?”

  “He should. He earned it,” Spencer said a bit defensively. Every time she ceased movement and so much as sat down, she was covered in a giant mound of panting fur. She even had to upgrade bed sizes so she at least had a little room to sleep around the massive German shepherd.

  “It should be, like, Maximus or Apollo, or something manly. Not fu-, ah, Cuddles.”

  It disconcerted her that she was pleased he cleaned up his language for her. “You can ask him what he prefers and call him that, but to me he’ll always be Cuddles.” His demeanor turned calculating and she realized her error. “I’m sure he’ll be full of suggestions, like most males.” She attempted to play it off as a joke, like she didn’t suspect he was controlling her dog. “I’m sorry, Bennett. I’ll have to take a rain check on the soda. The weather forecast is excellent today, and I need to get some work done.”

  Bennett scanned their surroundings and she knew what he saw. Old gardens, overrun with brown, dried weeds and brush and dilapidated fences that were missing entire sections. The previous owner let the surrounding woods encroach on the cleared acres that had once been used for farming and ranching. The house itself had been allowed to wither under age and weather, but was structurally sound, for the most part. Sometimes the amount of work was more mentally overwhelming than physically. But she had time.

  “Well,” Bennett drawled, putting Spencer back in his sights. “I’ll hold you to that rain check. How ’bout I lend a hand around here?”

  This close, she could see the flecks of lighter blue streaking through the navy in his eyes. Backed by the bright sky, he had an avenging angel beauty. The light of his hair reflected the sun’s rays, the shadows highlighted the masculine planes of his face.

  Tamping down the bloom of arousal that had been persistent since she met him, she again attempted to brush him off. Persistent Guardian. “What a thoughtful offer.” Good job, she kept the sarcasm out of her voice. “But your clothes would be trashed in two minutes. Don’t worry about it.” Spencer put her hands on her hips, a note of finality in her voice. “I’d better get back to work.”

  Refusing to squirm as her movements stretched her top tightly around her breasts, attracting his instant perusal. She was grateful the morning chill in the air made her throw on an over-shirt, but she’d only buttoned it halfway, and her white tank top had a low neckline allowing the top swells of her breasts to be on display.

  “Let me go change and I’ll be right back.” Before she could argue, he was heading back to his SUV.

  Uh, no. “No need, I’m fine.” She resisted the urge to run after him, feeling like she could finally take a full breath now that there was distance between them.

  “No trouble, Miss King. I’ll be back.” He hopped into his vehicle and pulled away.

  Fiddlesticks. Looking down at Cuddles, who was giving her a questioning look, and then at the shotgun in her hand, she realized her best defenses might well be useless against Mr. Bennett Young.

  Chapter Three

  “She’s my worst nightmare.”

  Bennett sat at the table in the lodge’s kitchen, elbows on the top, hands buried in his hair, while he slumped over trying not to hyperventilate.

  He’d held it together on the drive back. Even sent out a summons to meet with the commander and Mercury upon his return. He filled them in on everything, not that there was much, but there was certainly enough. Now both Commander Fitzsimmons and Mercury sat across the table from Bennett, dumbfounded.

  He knew the feeling. His own mind could barely process registering the sense of his mate after well over a hundred years, the drop-dead sexiness of the woman, and that she was human. The one thing it processed clearly was that she was hiding something, and he needed to find out what.

  “Dude, that’s fucked up. Another human mate?” Mercury was baby-free, taking advantage of naptime and leaving Dante with his mate in her office.

  “Thanks, Captain Obvious.” Bennett sat back in his chair with a huff.

  “Go help her out, see if you can get her to open up. Investigate what you can.” Commander Fitzsimmons was not the person to go to for sympathy. The male was much older than him, yet the score was two-to-zero for mates. The commander was the most intense, formidable male he knew, and Bennett hoped to see the day he found his mate, to see the
kind of female it would take to make the stolid Rhys Fitzsimmons beg for a belly rub. But…every so often, Bennett had a sneaking suspicion he knew why the commander wasn’t mated and it might not be because he hadn’t found her yet.

  “I can’t go back there,” Bennett admitted miserably.

  Both males sat across from him, silent. The commander raised an eyebrow expectantly.

  Bennett pushed away from the table. “I’ll go get changed and head over there.”

  “Watch yourself, bro. Check in every hour.” Mercury didn’t like the idea of Bennett going over there, either.

  “She’s just a human,” Bennett scowled.

  “So was Abigail and she almost killed all of us.”

  Fucking Mercury. He had a habit of saying what he shouldn’t, but sometimes, it was what needed to be said the most.

  ***

  Old t-shirt, check. Work jeans, check. Raging hard-on every time he pictured sparkling hazel eyes, unfortunately check.

  Pulling in the driveway at Spencer’s place for the second time that day, Bennett shut off the SUV and hopped out. Cuddles bounded up to him, tongue hanging out. He’d won the dog over, now for the owner.

  He pinned Cuddles with a sharp gaze. “Seriously, dude. Maximus or Apollo?”

  Deep brown eyes regarded him for a moment before Cuddles let out a short bark.

  “Apollo it is. Where is she?” Spencer. Hell of a name for a girl. What were her parents thinking?

  Apollo hesitated, giving him a soft whine, still loyal to his human.

  Bennett held his hands out to the side with a shrug. “I’m only here to help.”

  Apollo turned and loped off, Bennett followed.

  He saw a straw hat hovering above a particularly nasty set of dried out weeds. Spencer was pulling from the base, slowly clearing a patch of land for a nice sized garden.