Page 23 of Marcus

The sound of his voice scatters my body with unpleasant goosebumps. Marcus steps around me, effectively shielding me from Rusty.

“I’m in charge,” he growls.

Rusty turns to face him.

“You came here for no reason. She doesn’t want you. Left Houston to get away from you,” Marcus says.

Rusty snarls. “It doesn’t matter if she wants me or not. She’s ripe for my seed. Once I mark her, the mating bond will kick in.” He tilts his face to the sky and inhales. “Since no one else here has marked her, I’m guessing she’s still up for grabs.”

chapter

twelve

Marcus

MINE!

My bear is ready to come out and eat this mousy motherfucker. I try to catch his scent to see what species he is, but feline is as close as I can get.

“Rusty, go home. I do not want to carry your seed or whatever,” Aspen says. She comes to stand next to me.

Everything inside me tells me to push her behind me. But hasn’t she proven to me time and time again that she has her own strength. She deserves to at least have her say in this matter.

“Here, kitty, kitty,” Ranger taunts.

Rusty snarls in his direction, but never takes his eyes off of me. “You’re wounded. Come at me, bear; I’ll fight you for her.”

“I’m willing to kick your ass even with a fucking hole in my leg and in the midst of a mating heat. So bring it.” I make come hither gestures with my hands.

“Okay, I get it,” Aspen says, stepping slightly in front of me. “You’re both very scary shifters. Whatever. But you’re also men; stop acting like a bunch of troglodytes. Because let me be clear about this: fated mate, mate material, whatever you want to call me, I’m still my own person and I get to have an opinion in this.”

She plants her hands on her hips, but I can clearly see her gun sticking out of the back of her leggings.

“I’m not going to just stand here and let you two club each other to death so the winner can drag me by my hair back to his cave.”

Rusty scents the air again. “She stinks of your come,” he says ignoring her words. “But you haven’t given her a claiming bite.”

“Only because you interrupted us,” I growl. Then I find Aspen’s gaze. “You were right, Sweetness. I’m the one who’s been living in fear. I pretended it was about humans being a weaker species, but in reality it was me being the weak one.

“Aspen is my fated mate. I don’t just want her because of her genetics and compatibility. I want her because she’s smart and funny and creative, and so damn brave. But she’s right, she gets a choice in the matter.” I lock eyes with Aspen. “I won’t complete the mating ritual until she agrees to be mine.”

She puts a hand on my chest. “I’m not afraid. I claim you as mine.” And then she bites me on the shoulder.

My dick pulses in reaction and my own canines tingle with the need to mark her. Her biting me was wholly unexpected and completely her. I fucking love it. I love her.

“Now,” I yell to my team. As one cohesive unit, they all shift so that we’re essentially surrounded by large growling bears.

I put Aspen in a fireman’s hold. She squeals and I smack her on the ass. “Take care of that house cat. My mate and I have unfinished business to tend to.” Then I rush back to the lab doors.

Once we’re inside, I lower her to the floor. I cup her face, staring into her beautiful eyes.

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a fool. I wanted you immediately. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were everything I’d ever looked for.” I kiss her forehead, her cheeks, then pull back to look at her beautiful face. “Forgive me for being a fucking coward.”

She smiles sweetly. “It’s okay to be scared. In fact, Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said ‘courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.’”

“You’re definitely more important. I’d rather live one minute with you as my mate than a million without you.”

“I feel exactly the same.” She takes my hand. “I believe we have a mating ritual to complete.” Then she drags me back into her lab.