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“Guess it’s a good thing I admire a man with flaws,” I countered, bumping his shoulder. “Domineering, opinionated, and don’t get me started on the shedding,” I continued, ticking them off as I said them.

He covered my hand as he leaned over and placed a soft kiss on my lips. He pulled back slightly, smiling, as I stared at him dazedly. He leaned in again, pressing more gentle kisses on my mouth and jaw before pulling away with a low groan.

A sigh gusted from me as he moved slightly, putting more space between us. “Good kisser,” I added thoughtfully and he glanced at me.

“Good?”

“Great?”

He raised an eyebrow and I grabbed his face, peppering him with kisses as I said, “Fantastic, magnificent, excellent, toe curling, forget where I am, amazing kisser.”

“Better,” he acknowledged, cupping my jaw as he held me back from continuing to kiss him. “But let’s not push my control past the breaking point today, okay?”

I eyed him for a moment before giving a casual shrug. “Fine by me.”

“Leah still asleep,” he asked, glancing up at the window we sat underneath and I nodded.

“She had questions,” I told him. “A lot of questions.”

“You told her about us,” he stated and I wiggled guiltily before nodding. “I’m not upset. She’s not the first human to know.”

“Like me,” I replied, and grew confused when he shook his head.

“Not like you,” he corrected. “She’s fully human. You have the shifter gene. The ability to bear shifter children. You were never normal.”

“It felt like I was,” I muttered.

“But you weren’t,” Dom pointed out. “She is and because she is, she has no vested interest in keeping our secret.”

“I don’t think she’ll tell anyone,” I offered, wanting to ease some of the stress emanating off him. “She was curious but not in a weird way,” I lifted my hands at my less than helpful explanation.

“I trust you, Jess,” he replied and warmth bloomed in my chest, making me forget for a second that we were sitting in the cold. “If you consider her trustworthy, then so do I.”

“I put her life at risk,” I confessed, the words barely a murmur in the crisp air. “I invited her. They would never even know she existed if I hadn’t brought her here.”

“You couldn’t have known the Hanleys would show up. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” I couldn’t meet his eyes and he tilted my chin up. “Don’t hold yourself responsible. They may not have even registered her presence.” He ducked his head, brushing his thumb over my bottom lip as he stared at me solemnly. “Besides, we have bigger concerns.”

I lifted my head at the worry in his voice and he sighed. “No one has seen or heard from Caleb since last night.” His jaw ticked and I smoothed my finger over the rock hard surface. “He said we’d talk later but I can’t even reach him through the mental link.”

“Is that normal?” I asked hesitantly.

“No,” he said shortly before easing his voice. “It’s not impossible, but he’s never done it to me,” Dom admitted.

“Maybe he just needs to think without interruption?” Dom shot me a glance and I shrugged, “We can hope, right?”

“We can, but he needs to get back online,” Dom grumbled, his expression serious.

“What’s going on?”

“Council meeting,” he answered flatly. “And Caleb has to be there.”

My forehead wrinkled at the news. I’d witnessed a meeting of the elders once before when I’d gone to their small community to warn Dom about the Hanleys, but I wouldn’t consider that a council meeting.

Dom recognized my confusion and explained, “The Pack as a whole will meet in the Pack House to discuss the challenge and how they want to proceed.”

“Caleb accepted the challenge,” I reiterated, my voice a tad desperate. “He’ll fight.”

Dom’s face tightened further if that was even possible and my heart dropped. “If Caleb loses,” he paused, fighting back some strong emotion, “The entire Pack is at risk.”

“Do you think he’ll fail?”

Dom’s eyes closed as he took a deep breath. “It’s a fight to the death, Jess.”

“If Caleb doesn’t fight, then who does?” I asked, trying and failing to keep my voice from trembling. His eyes popped open as he reached for my hands. I curled them into fists, but he just wrapped his palms around my clenched fists.

“That would be decided by the elders, but we both know,” he stopped, glancing down and I completed the sentence.

“It would be you.”

“I’m not going to die,” he promised and a humorless chuckle escaped me. “Jess, I’m a strong fighter.” I tugged my hand from his grip and placed my finger over his lips.

“I know you’re an amazing fighter, but do you think I want you to have to kill a man?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” he replied wearily, acknowledging the two Hanley men he’d killed protecting me.