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“I think it’s ridiculous for you to sleep out on the dirt. I mean, you had Trent install that security system the other day. What’s that for, if not to keep us safe?”

“The idea of leaving you guys alone doesn’t sit well with me. Who gives a shit if I’m awake all night in the woods? I’ll be awake all night at home, anyway, worrying about you. At least out there, I can keep an eye on the place and know you’re safe. Please, Avery. Let me do this for you.”

She studied me and must have seen the fear in my eyes. I wasn’t trying to hide it, and I wanted her to see it. To know how much I cared about them.

She huffed and pointed toward the nearest window. “Fine, but you aren’t staying out there. You can stay inside.”

A tremor of fear hit me, worry that she might think I was trying to con my way into the house. That was the last thing I wanted her to think.

“No, it’s fine, Avery. I’ll stay outside. I don’t want to intrude on your evening.”

“Cole,” she groaned in exasperation. “I’m not letting you sleep outside. I have a guest room. It doesn’t have a bed because Grandma used it as a sewing room, but you can set up your sleeping bag. I’m a big girl. I know what I’m asking of you, okay?”

“Fair enough,” I said. “I’ll go grab my stuff.”

“I’ll even be nice and get you a pillow,” she said as I headed for the front door.

I chuckled and winked at her. “A real five-star hotel you’re running here.”

“We try.”

After dropping my stuff off in the guest room, I joined Ashton in the dining room.

“Hey, pal,” I said. “Since we canceled your training session today, do you want to go out in the backyard and work on some stuff before dinner?”

Ashton, mouth full of taco, jerked his head up in eagerness. “Hell, yeah.”

“Aves, is that okay with you?” I asked as she grabbed a taco.

“I’m okay with it. I’ll cook you guys a nice dinner for when you’re done.” She looked down at the soggy taco. “Something better than this, I mean.”

“Hey, this was delicious,” Ashton said as he crumpled the wrapper from what looked to be his tenth taco.

“Go on,” Avery said, waving at the back door. “Shoo-shoo. Go do big, bad boy stuff.”

I spent the next three hours working with Ashton.

I’d been in my fair share of scrapes, and Trent had taught me even more, though I was still far from the expert he was.

Most of what I showed Ashton was from a boxing class I’d taken not long after leaving Harbor Mills.

He took to it pretty easily. After that, I showed him some simple wrist locks and how to get out of them—simple stuff I’d learned from Trent.

When we were done, the sun was dipping low on the horizon, and we were tired and sweaty. Not only that, but my stomach was roaring for food. Even Ashton, who’d damn near eaten his weight in tacos earlier, was hungry.

“Really hope she made something good,” Ashton said as we trudged toward the back door. “She went to the grocery store yesterday. There’s tons of food, and I’m starving.”

I sniffed the air. “Whatever she made, it smells fantastic.”

As we stepped inside, Avery was putting plates on the table. She glanced up at us.

“Oh, good,” she said. “I was about to call you both inside. Hope you’re hungry.”

Before I’d managed to get more than a couple steps in, my mouth watered from the scent of the food.

Each plate held a massive ribeye steak cooked flatiron-style.

A thick baked potato, already split and heaped with butter, sour cream, bacon, and cheese, accompanied it.

In the center of the table sat a large bowl of salad and a plate of rolls and fresh butter.

“Holy shit, Avery,” I said. “This looks delicious.”

She looked at me with an apprehensive gleam in her eye. “Rare, right? Is that still how you like it?”

“Just enough to char the outside,” I said with a grin and sat down. “Bloody and breathing otherwise.”

“Glad I got it right. Dig in. Then you can both take a shower. No offense, but you guys stink.”

Unable to help myself, I stepped around the table and kissed her.

“Ugh. I’m never getting used to that,” Ashton moaned.

As we ate, most of the conversation was lost in moans of delight. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ashton wincing and adjusting himself in his chair every few minutes.

“You okay, Ash?” I asked.

He sighed and put his cutlery down. “Really uncomfortable. It gets worse when I’m tired. It’s hurting to chew right now, too, because of these.”

Pulling up his lip, he tilted his head to show me the long canines.

Avery gasped.

“They keep popping out like this,” Ashton said.

“That does get annoying,” I said. “It’ll all be over in a few more days. It’s going to happen any time now. If your canines are trying to pop out, that’s the first sign of a shift coming. The wolf within is trying to come out. Be strong, and it’ll all be okay.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his temples. “I hope so. I can’t wait until this is all over.”

“I remember that feeling,” I said with a chuckle.

After dinner, Avery served us ice cream for dessert, which was welcome after the sweaty fighting Ashton and I had done outside. Ashton finished and shuffled to the bathroom, dead on his feet.

“Is he going to be okay?” Avery asked as I helped her with dishes.

“Yeah. It’s all part of it. He had a rough day. Basketball with friends for three or four hours, then the stress of what happened at Farrah’s, followed by a few hours with me? On top of all that, he’s days away from his first shift. I’m surprised he didn’t fall asleep in the middle of dinner.”

“True,” she replied. “You go ahead and shower. I’ll finish the dishes.”

“You sure? I’m happy to help.”

“You’ve done enough for tonight. I promise.” Then she gave me a weird look, like she was worried or embarrassed about something.

‘What’s wrong?”

She shrugged, her focus on the pan she was scrubbing. “I’m just trying to think of how I can thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“No thanks necessary,” I said, kissing the side of her head. “I’m going to take that shower. You’re right. I do smell.”

“Told ya,” she said.

Digging in the gym bag I’d brought in from my truck, I found a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom. By the time I’d finished my shower and dressed in a T-shirt and boxers for bed, Ashton’s bedroom door was closed and the lights were off. Kid must have passed out already.

Avery’s bedroom door opened right when I was turning the knob.

“Goodnight, Cole,” she said, her voice low and quiet.

A shiver ran through me, and I turned around. She was in a silky set of pajamas that didn’t leave a lot to the imagination. At the sight of her, my canines tried to extend. My inner wolf was begging to claim her.

Turning from my door, I took a step toward hers. “Goodnight, Avery.”

The closer I got to her, the more delicious she looked. My willpower was pushed to its limit. All I wanted was to pounce on her and take her right there.

“Can I kiss you goodnight?” I whispered.

“You can,” she said, her voice even softer than mine.

I leaned forward, wrapping a hand around her back and pulling her into a kiss. My fingers traced the bare skin on her back beneath the skimpy top. Heat radiated from her skin into mine, and my cock twitched, hardening as her tongue flicked across my lips. It was too much.

Pulling back, I cleared my throat. “Send me away, Avery. Tell me to go to my room. Don’t know if I can control myself.”

Avery gave me a coquettish smile, but said nothing.

She turned around, leaving her door open as she walked toward her bed.

A sigh seeped out of my lungs. Fifteen years.

A decade and a half of dreaming of this moment, and here it was.

My mate, the woman I’d never stopped loving, and she wanted me to come into her room. How could I say no?

I stepped in, closed the door behind me, and prayed that Ashton was a very deep sleeper.