didn’t lie to you, Sidney. I would never do that.”
“You just left out the bit about shifters,” she muttered.
Kayden grimaced. “It’s a bit difficult to explain, as you see. But everything else is true. The family I’m representing that’s looking for a new home—that’s my clan.”
“You’re all shifters then?” Sidney asked.
Kayden nodded. “We used to belong to the clan of Iron Fang. He was our alpha—the leader of our clan. He was strict, often cruel. He didn’t allow his clan to mingle with non-shifters. Under his rule, there were constant fights—aggression and violence were the only way to progress through his ranks. Once you made it to the top, you had more freedom. I made it to the top, Sidney. I became one of his enforcers. I thought it was the only choice I had: a life of constant suspicion. A life where I never knew if I’d survive the next day.”
“But you did survive,” she murmured, watching him attentively.
There was pain in Kayden’s voice as he continued. “I did. I’m not proud of that life. I never hurt an innocent, but there were constant fights with criminal werewolf packs. Iron Fang had his hands in a lot of illegal activities—basically everything that paid well. I got to leave the territory of our shifter clan. I got to see non-shifter lands. I got to see how other people lived: without violence. Without fear. They were free. And I wanted the same, for me and for everyone else who suffered under Iron Fang’s rule.”
“So all of you left?”
“We ran,” Kayden said. “It took a lot of planning. But we made it. We escaped. We kept running—until we came to this place. And I saw what I’d always wanted for my clan: happy people, a peaceful life, forests where our bears could run free and our cubs could play. And I found you. I found my mate.”
“Mate.” A thrill of recognition ran through Sidney “Is that what you call—”
“That’s what we call it when our bear has found its fated match. I knew it the moment I saw you.” Kayden’s voice was a low growl now. “One look at you and I was overwhelmed. I knew instantly that I wanted you more than freedom, more than I’ve ever wanted anything else. For you, I would have challenged Iron Fang himself.”
“When I woke up tonight,” Sidney began hesitantly, “I could feel... you . That’s why I ran into the forest. I’ve never felt anything like it. I couldn’t resist it, it was like a pull. Like a voice in my head that kept whispering your name.”
Kayden reached out to gently touch her cheek. “The mate bond. You feel it, too,” he said hoarsely. “I’d wondered—Iron Fang didn’t allow us to mate with non-shifters. But when I saw you, I knew that I would do anything for you. Leaving our old home was the right thing. This was fated to be, Sidney. I’m sorry you found out like this...”
With a small smile, Sidney turned her head so that she could press a kiss to his palm. “Well, I probably wouldn’t have believed a single word if you had tried to tell me earlier,” she murmured. “So I’ll give you that. But no more secrets from now on. And—”
“Yes?”
“And I want to know everything about you! Shifters! Who knew such a thing existed?” Sidney felt exhilarated. Perhaps she should feel scared or disbelieving—but it was as if suddenly a new world had opened up in front of her. And she’d walked right into it, her eyes wide open and her heart expanding.
All of a sudden, everything made sense. That attraction that she’d felt right from the start. The need to find him. The way she’d walked right into the dark forest with only a flashlight—it didn’t mean that she was clingy or desperate. And it didn’t mean that she was crazy, either.
It meant that she was irrevocably in love with this man who’d sworn to protect her with his life. And the warmth that filled her with every heartbeat was the bond between their souls that told her that he loved her just as
“You just left out the bit about shifters,” she muttered.
Kayden grimaced. “It’s a bit difficult to explain, as you see. But everything else is true. The family I’m representing that’s looking for a new home—that’s my clan.”
“You’re all shifters then?” Sidney asked.
Kayden nodded. “We used to belong to the clan of Iron Fang. He was our alpha—the leader of our clan. He was strict, often cruel. He didn’t allow his clan to mingle with non-shifters. Under his rule, there were constant fights—aggression and violence were the only way to progress through his ranks. Once you made it to the top, you had more freedom. I made it to the top, Sidney. I became one of his enforcers. I thought it was the only choice I had: a life of constant suspicion. A life where I never knew if I’d survive the next day.”
“But you did survive,” she murmured, watching him attentively.
There was pain in Kayden’s voice as he continued. “I did. I’m not proud of that life. I never hurt an innocent, but there were constant fights with criminal werewolf packs. Iron Fang had his hands in a lot of illegal activities—basically everything that paid well. I got to leave the territory of our shifter clan. I got to see non-shifter lands. I got to see how other people lived: without violence. Without fear. They were free. And I wanted the same, for me and for everyone else who suffered under Iron Fang’s rule.”
“So all of you left?”
“We ran,” Kayden said. “It took a lot of planning. But we made it. We escaped. We kept running—until we came to this place. And I saw what I’d always wanted for my clan: happy people, a peaceful life, forests where our bears could run free and our cubs could play. And I found you. I found my mate.”
“Mate.” A thrill of recognition ran through Sidney “Is that what you call—”
“That’s what we call it when our bear has found its fated match. I knew it the moment I saw you.” Kayden’s voice was a low growl now. “One look at you and I was overwhelmed. I knew instantly that I wanted you more than freedom, more than I’ve ever wanted anything else. For you, I would have challenged Iron Fang himself.”
“When I woke up tonight,” Sidney began hesitantly, “I could feel... you . That’s why I ran into the forest. I’ve never felt anything like it. I couldn’t resist it, it was like a pull. Like a voice in my head that kept whispering your name.”
Kayden reached out to gently touch her cheek. “The mate bond. You feel it, too,” he said hoarsely. “I’d wondered—Iron Fang didn’t allow us to mate with non-shifters. But when I saw you, I knew that I would do anything for you. Leaving our old home was the right thing. This was fated to be, Sidney. I’m sorry you found out like this...”
With a small smile, Sidney turned her head so that she could press a kiss to his palm. “Well, I probably wouldn’t have believed a single word if you had tried to tell me earlier,” she murmured. “So I’ll give you that. But no more secrets from now on. And—”
“Yes?”
“And I want to know everything about you! Shifters! Who knew such a thing existed?” Sidney felt exhilarated. Perhaps she should feel scared or disbelieving—but it was as if suddenly a new world had opened up in front of her. And she’d walked right into it, her eyes wide open and her heart expanding.
All of a sudden, everything made sense. That attraction that she’d felt right from the start. The need to find him. The way she’d walked right into the dark forest with only a flashlight—it didn’t mean that she was clingy or desperate. And it didn’t mean that she was crazy, either.
It meant that she was irrevocably in love with this man who’d sworn to protect her with his life. And the warmth that filled her with every heartbeat was the bond between their souls that told her that he loved her just as
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