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“Basically,” Jamie says as he leads me around the shelves, “you’ll keep the store clean. Customers can be sloppy, so if they don’t clean up after themselves, you’ll have to wipe down tables. At the end of the day, you’ll sweep and mop so everything is nice and clean for tomorrow.”

“Easy enough.” It is an honest job, if not the most exciting.

“You don’t sound very happy.”

“I’m not. Such menial tasks are the work of peasants. I am the son of a jarl.”

Jamie claps me on the back, making me grimace. “Time to get down and dirty with the rest of us working-class folk, puppy dog.”

As degrading as this work is, it sounds like child’s play to me. I’ve always excelled at everything I’ve done. This shall not be any different, no matter what time I am in. Jamie shows me where the cleaning supplies are, though the store was cleaned the night before.

Someone knocks on the door, making me growl at the unseen threat.

“Chill, Anders. It’s just Bailey.” Jamie jogs to let whoever this Bailey person is inside. “Morning!”

I peer around my mate at the woman. She has rich umber skin, a face that strikes a balance between masculine and feminine, a strong jaw, full lips, and a button nose.

A brimmed black hat sits atop a curly head of short black hair that is dyed pink at the tips.

A black dress, heeled boots, and a black-and-white striped sweater complete the outfit.

“Morning, love!” Bailey says, sweeping my mate into an embrace.

I freeze in place as dread sinks into my stomach like a rock.

A growl rumbles up my throat as Bailey leans in and presses her mouth to Jamie’s cheek.

Fury ignites within my soul.

Nobody is taking Jamie from me. I have never in my life had someone who was mine and mine alone.

Wulfric had our father’s adoration and then the love of his human mate, even though he deserved none of it.

Gunnar had Leif, his chosen mate, and their child.

Lyall had his mate for years, since boyhood.

I had convinced myself I was happy sharing my bed with whichever tavern wench or village lad would have me.

It was a lie.

I have finally found someone made just for me, and I am not losing him.

Jamie is mine. Fury courses through me as the berserker within roars to life. My muscles grow thicker. My shoes threaten to split. Fur grows thick on my arms, creeping up slowly toward my face.

“Hands off!” I roar, making them both jump. I yank Jamie against my chest and bare my teeth at this Bailey.

How dare this person touch my mate so intimately? True, I haven’t claimed him yet, but once I have, none would dare touch him!

Wait. What? I’m not here to claim Jamie. I’m here to charm him into giving me his necklace. Not to mate with him. By the gods, stick to the plan, Anders!

In a deepening voice, I snarl, “Touch him again, and I will cleave your arms from your body.”

“Anders, what the hell?” Jamie glares at me, and then shock erases his anger. “Holy shit. What is happening to you?” he hisses.

Fury makes me pant. My clothes tighten as my muscles swell. If I transform into my berserker form, I will be hunted. Fear twists like a knife in my chest. “Can’t… can’t hold back the rage.” Damn it! If I’d only claimed him that first night we were together, this wouldn’t be happening.

“What’s that, Anders? Oh, okay. Let me show you where we keep that!” Jamie whirls me around and shoves me toward his office. In seconds, he crams me in it and locks the door. “What is going on? Is this some weird ulfhednar thing?”

I pant through my fangs and make myself breathe in his scent. To my relief, the rage begins to fade. My claws become blunt, and so do my fangs. My muscles shrink back to their normal size. The fur growing across my body retracts below my skin.

“Anders,” Jamie snaps.

I growl at him. “All wolves from an Alpha bloodline tend to be stronger than regular wolves, but this power comes with a cost.”

“What is this cost? It had better not involve you ripping my employees’ limbs off.”

Collapsing into his desk chair, I glower at the floor. I don’t like his harsh tone, a reminder that I have disappointed and upset him. “We risk becoming berserkers. We’d lose control of ourselves and become beasts capable of great and terrible destruction.”

Jamie’s face pales. “Is there a cure?”

“The only thing that can cure a berserker’s rage for good is by claiming his fated, or chosen, mate. We would have to exchange bites.”

Jamie’s mouth falls open. “O-oh…” He rubs the back of his neck, his cheeks reddening. “So, if we, uh… bit each other, then you’d be okay?”

“Aye, but—”

“—but you’re not staying.” There’s no accusation in his voice, but his words hit me like one. “Because this is temporary, like we’ve agreed, and mating would complicate things.”

I hesitate for a moment, willing to say anything to save his feelings. “True.”

Jamie worries at his bottom lip. Have I hurt his feelings? Before I can sniff him to parse how he feels, Jamie asks, “So what can we do instead?”

I shrug. “Being around you is helpful. You’re my mate. Your scent is calming. For now, that could be enough.”

Jamie eyes me hopefully. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Unmated wolves are most at risk of going berserk when we’re overwhelmed or angry. We wolves are very possessive, and we do not take kindly to anyone touching what is ours.”

“So that’s what triggered you.” Jamie huffs a laugh. “Anders, Bailey is just a friend. They’re dating Jess. They aren’t interested in me. Honestly. So can you cool it and try to get along with my employees?”

“Aye.”

Jamie smiles. “Good.”

It seems I have convinced him I’m not a threat.

But I know better. Until we’re mated, which will never happen, my wolf will be close to the surface.

It would be so simple if I could just claim him.

My wolf craves to make him mine, to leave my mark upon his skin for all the world to see.

Proof he wants me and no one else. I can’t.

My only choice is to hurry and earn his necklace as fast as possible. Before I lose myself for good.

I follow Jamie from the office, vowing to keep my wolf on a tight leash.

“Anders, this is Bailey. They’re my barista. Bailey, this is Anders. He’s going to be working here. Hey, would you let go?” He wriggles, but I only crush him tighter to my body, glaring at this Bailey person.

Bailey cracks a grin. “Ooh. Mixing business with pleasure, Jamie?”

I growl.

Bailey snorts. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to steal your man. Nice to meet you, Anders. How’d you and Jamie meet?”

“We’re mates,” I declare.

Jamie coughs loudly and elbows my ribs, forcing me to let go. “He means roommates!”

“They were roommates!” Bailey gasps, then winks at Jamie and walks around him to the counter.

“Anders, what the hell?” Jamie glares at me. “You can’t just stake your claim on me in public like that!”

His words strike me in the chest. “Are you… ashamed of me?”

Jamie’s mouth falls open. “What? No, not at all.”

“Then why can’t I let others know? You’re mine, and I’m yours.”

Sighing, Jamie rubs the back of his neck again. “Bailey is a human. They won’t understand. Besides, we’re not…” Whatever he was going to say, he doesn’t finish. Good. I don’t wish to hear it.

“I do not like her.” I glare at Bailey.

“Them. Bailey’s a great person. Give them a chance.”

“Them?” As far as I can tell, there is only one of Bailey.

“Bailey isn’t a man or a woman. They’re nonbinary.”

I’ve never heard of such a term before. “So… in between?”

Jamie laughs softly. “No. Not in between. They exist outside the gender binary.”

I still don’t understand, not quite. “So instead of he or she, Bailey is they?”

“Yeah, exactly. So, you know you’re a man. Right? If someone called you her or she, that would feel wrong, wouldn’t it?”

I nod. “Aye.”

“Bailey has never felt like a man or a woman. So they identify as neither.”

I’m still not sure I understand. “That’s strange.”

“It’s different, but different doesn’t always mean bad.” Jamie frowns. “That’s not a problem, is it? Anders, I can’t let you work here if you’re going to harass Bailey.”

“Why would I harass her—them? I don’t mind if Bailey is a they. I was angry that they touched you. There’s nothing going on between you two?”

Jamie snorts. “Not at all. Like I said, Bailey’s got a girlfriend.”

Good. For a moment, I thought I was going to lose him to someone else.

“Are you okay?” Jamie asks, frowning up at me. “You took Bailey’s affection toward me pretty personally.”

“Hardly.” The feeling wasn’t only rage. It was dread, like nothing I’ve felt before. Jamie is mine from now until the moment we part ways.

“We’re open!” Jamie calls.

In a few moments, people enter the store.

They order drinks at the counter, and Bailey prepares them swiftly and with confidence.

They really are skilled. Jamie was right, customers are sloppy.

Not only do they leave crumbs all over the tables, but they also leave books lying around the shop, forcing me to gather them up and stuff them back on the shelf.

A plump woman with piercings in her nose and green highlights in her hair enters the shop.

She removes her sweater, revealing tattoos on her arms. Jamie and his friends are a colorful bunch.

“Hey! So you’re the new guy?” she asks, striding up to me.

“Aye,” I answer. “Uh. Are you a they as well?”

The woman laughs. “Nope. Boring old she/her right here. Name’s Jess.” She thrusts out her hand.

“Anders.” We shake.

“Nice to meet ya, Anders. Just a friendly critique, you’re stocking those books wrong.”

I grimace. “I am not.”

“You’re mixing the dark romance with the rom-coms.”

“So?” She’s the one who is wrong. I know exactly what I’m doing!

“Hey, no need to frown. We all were newbies once.” One by one, she removes the books and points down the aisle. “Dark romance goes over there.”