Maverick growled slowly. It sounded like an animal, not human. I took a step back, alarmed by the sudden sound. I felt no pleasure in the pain I witnessed in him. He inhaled sharply, I saw him wrestle with knowledge that there had been others. His eyes darkened and I couldn’t look away.

“I won’t hurt you,” he whispered softly. “I would never hurt you.”

I swallowed. Despite his body language and stance I believed him.

Was I messing this up? Was I ruining something wonderful because I didn’t know how to handle my emotions or the fact that there was someone who wanted more than a temporary place in my life?

Amongst the jealousy I felt another emotion I rarely felt. Guilt. But I didn’t voice it. Instead I bit my lip and watched him, unsure of how to proceed.

His struggle continued and I found myself taking a tentative step toward him. Instinct took over. His chest heaved with each heavy breath, his eyes filled with anger. The pain I had tried to inflict before I wanted to take away.

I halted and slowly lifted my hand and touched his chest. Skin to skin. His eyes followed the action. The moment I touched him, his breathing slowed. The tension began to ease from his shoulders. Our eyes held. It was hard not to think about anything else but being close to him, like we had been before. His lips on mine, his body hard against mine. I swallowed when I remembered.

Even now, after everything that happened I still wanted him. The blonde forgotten as well as any guy I had momentarily lost myself in. There was only the two of us.

His features eased into desire. His eyes went to my lips and I knew he was thinking about the same thing I was. Remembering how his mouth had felt against mine, made me hot all over with want.

“So where do we go from here?” I whispered, wanting him to tell me that entailed going back to bed and picking up where we had left off.

There was no confusion when we touched and I needed that more than I needed anything else in that moment. I wanted him. There was no denying it.

“I want you,” Maverick breathed. “So damn much.”

His words inflated my heart, making me feel a strange warmth in the middle of my chest. He was making me feel so many things I had never experienced before and while it was exhilarating it was overwhelming. I had never been good with dealing with emotions.

We seem to gravitated closer. His lips just above mine. My hand still against his chest, I could feel his heart beat.

“Same.” I let out a shaky breath. “Is this what it’s supposed to feel like?”

I had no past or history to compare this to.

“They say it’s like nothing else matters.” He nodded. “I don’t know how you feel but that pretty much sums up what I’m feeling right now.”

It was intoxicating, pushing away all my doubts and making want all the things I had always told myself I hadn’t needed.

He leaned closer but instead of sealing his mouth over mine, his forehead touched mine closing his eyes briefly. “If I kiss you, we are going to end up in bed again.”

“Is that bad?” I wanted that, so what was the problem.

He opened his eyes and lifted his forehead from mine. “None of this has gone down the way I thought it would and I want to make up for it. Let me do this the right way. For you, for us.”

I didn’t want to leave this space where it was just the two of us. I had learned from a young age that the world was cruel and unfair. This new found thing I had found with Maverick I wanted to keep safe in the confines of his room, afraid it could not withstand the outside world.

“How is everyone one going to feel about me, being with you?” I asked, softly.

Their treatment of me when I had first arrived in town had been clear. Would the fact that I was his mate change any of it? Just thinking of it made me doubt everything that was unfolding between us.

“They will accept you as my mate.” He sounded so sure but I was less confident.

I knew what it felt like to be an outsider. Even if I was his mate and no longer considered a lone werewolf without a pack, a rogue, I would always be an outsider.

While I knew very little about werewolves, I wasn’t someone who tended to get on with other people. A werewolf was a pack animal but I couldn’t see myself fitting in and that made me anxious.

I lived my life moving from one place to another, never making permanent connections with anyone. I had never put anyone else before myself and the thought of changing that felt almost as unreal as any fairytale I had ever heard. It made me want to break out in a cold sweat.

“Are you sure?” I was more than skeptical.

He nodded. “Yes, without question. It is our tradition. No one would ever question it. Finding your mate is the most important thing in our world. It is fulfilling our destiny. Who would argue with that?”

There was a part of me that wanted to argue.

I wanted to believe him, but I couldn’t shake the doubt that this wouldn’t be the case. I bet they had never been faced with a rogue werewolf, who had no idea who she really was, who had not quite walked the right side of the law most of her life. The reality was, I was the girl no one wanted to take home to meet the parents, werewolf or not. I didn’t see this unfolding well.

“Do your parents live here?” I asked, hoping they didn’t so they wouldn’t push for him to cut me loose.

“No, they travel. Since I took over as Alpha when I turned eighteen.”

I felt physically relieved. While I did not have the same confidence in our union, I didn’t want to lose him.

My feelings were conflicted. I wanted him, there was no doubt about that. But being destined to be with someone in the way he believed went against everything I was.

Deep down, I knew I wouldn’t leave but I didn’t believe for a second that it would work out with Maverick. Time would be my enemy and he would figure out that I wasn’t relationship material. And where would that leave me?

I took a trembling breath.

“What’s wrong?” he frowned.

“Nothing…” How could I tell him I didn’t believe in fate or destiny or any of that type of thing? How did I tell him I didn’t believe any of this would last? And then I would be on my own again. Like I had been for most of my life.

“Talk to me Victoria.” He searched my features.

I shrugged. “It’s just a lot for someone who didn’t know any of this stuff.”

“I know it’s a lot to take in but there will be nothing more freeing than to be able to embrace who you are Victoria.” He lifted a hand to caress my cheek. The touch soothing the angst inside of me. “I don’t know how you’ve been able to do it.”

“Do what?” I asked, feeling curious.

“I’ve lived my whole life knowing exactly who I am. I couldn’t imagine not knowing, having no clue about my true identity.” He shook his head slightly. “Besides there are very prominent traits that we have to learn to deal with. Especially our tempers.”

I didn’t want to admit to him that I had never learnt to control my fiery temper and that it had gotten me into trouble countless times. I had a rap sheet to prove it. But I didn’t tell him any of it. I didn’t want him to think less of me.

It was bad enough I had no idea what I was doing. I held none of the confidence he did in what I was capable of. While he looked at me with awe, I felt anxious that I would fail him in some way and then he would realize the type of person I really was.

I was no innocent, I was hardened in a cruel world but with Maverick I felt a vulnerability I didn’t know how to handle.