Page 11 of August

“Don’t freak out,” a low, familiar voice said.

She barked out a laugh and rose up slowly onto her elbows. The male who spoke was familiar in a small way, mostly that her heart and jackal knew who he was—her soulmate.

She’d only seen him briefly as a human, and this time she wasn’t too freaked out to drink her fill of the sexy, sexy male.

He was a big guy, even seated on the far edge of the bed.

“Saying don’t freak out probably wouldn’t stop me from freaking out,” she said with a smile.

“I wasn’t sure what to say,” he said, shrugging. “I didn’t want to scare you and I wasn’t sure how much you’d remember since you fell asleep so fast.”

“And also, you were a gorilla when I saw you last.”

“There’s that too.” He smiled and she just about melted into the bed.

Dark hair, dark eyes, and she’d been right about his kissable lips because they were calling to her to try them out, again and again.

“How are you feeling?”

“Okay. How long was I asleep for?”

“A couple hours. You’re in my house under the park.”

She frowned. “Under it? Underground?”

He nodded. “Our people live underground. All the shifters live in their groups, so our private living area has our homes and is connected by a hallway to the other private living areas. There’s also a central marketplace with a store, cafeteria, and some other shops.”

“Damn. I had no idea. I figured since I didn’t hear anyone else in the apartments while I was there that no one else was living here, but I didn’t have any idea there were living areas under the park.”

“Well, it’s not really safe to live away from the park.”

That was for damn sure.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked.

“For coming for me and saving me. Did you… do you know what they were going to do to me?”

“I overheard that they were going to take you to your grandfather so he could kill you. Jupiter told me what you’d explained about your people, but I just don’t understand it.”

She sat up all the way and rolled her neck. “Which part?”

“All of it, I guess. If you don’t want to be alpha and you left the pack, why won’t he leave you alone?”

“That’s the million-dollar question.” She sighed. “The truth is I don’t know. I don’t think my brother really wanted to be alpha either, but he would have fought my grandfather to make him step down. He’d encouraged the males in the pack to be brutal and violent, and anyone who didn’t do what my grandfather wanted was killed or hurt badly.”

“I’m sorry you lost your family,” he said.

“Me too. I’m sorry that you had to fight for me and chase after me, and I’m sorry I stole the SUV. I should have stopped when I saw you in the lot.”

His brows rose.

“So you did recognize me?”

The unspoken word hung between them: soulmate.

She scooted toward him. When she was close enough to touch him, she reached for his hand and linked her fingers with his. A frisson of heat wove through her and she smiled.

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