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Her face blank, she stood there, silently looking at him. He scanned her face for any sign of emotion. Hell, even anger would be better thanthis.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, and thrust the roses at her. “I never meant—”
She took a quick step backwards, out of range.
“Who are you?” she asked in a colorless voice. “Is your name really even Lucas?”
Pain flooded through their mating bond. It had been numb for hours, ever since she arrested him. He had wondered if it had gone dormant. If he’d killed it.
The fact that it was still active filled him with cautious hope.
Her question told him that she’d figured out at least part of the truth.
“Yes, I’m really Lucas. Lucas Concolor,” he told her. “And I’m a Regional Investigator at Idaho Department of Fish and Game.” He took a deep breath. “Until this morning, I was working undercover with Gage Tringstad to track down the people who shot your brother.”
She nodded slowly. “So, where didIfit into your undercover operation?” Now he heard hurt.
“I wasn’t using you, if that’s what you’re asking,” he replied. “And I wasn’t lying when I told you that I fell in love with you the first time we met. I am so very sorry that I had to lie to you about some things, like my job and my last name, but I swear to you, everything aboutuswas one hundred percent real.” He took a deep, shuddering breath. He wanted so badly to reach for her. To take her in his arms and try to soothe away her pain. “You are my mate. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If you give me another chance, I’ll do my best to make you happy.”
“I want to believe that,” she whispered. “I want to believe that now that your work here is done, I’m not suddenly…inconvenient.” She spread her hands. “That you’re not trapped. That you really do want to move here, and that you won’t regret leaving your friends and family in Boise.”
Her gaze met his, and the agonized uncertainty in them prodded his cougar awake.Our mate doubts us. Reassure her.
Lucas set down the bag and the flowers and enfolded her in his embrace.
She stiffened for an instant, then her arms came around his waist and they clung to each other as if they feared being swept away in a storm.
“Never,” he said fiercely into her hair, breathing in her beloved fragrance. “You haveneverbeen inconvenient. And I will never regret moving here to live with you. I want to sleep by your side, and see your face across the table at breakfast. If anything,I’vebeen the inconvenience, the one who’s disrupted your life, created friction with your pack, and, dammit, I never wanted to make you cry, Malia. I hurt you, and I am so sorry for that.”
He did his best to push his sincerity through their bond.
“Please give me a second chance,” he begged.
“I wish you had trusted me enough to tell me the truth, especially after we mated,” she said. “I’m a police officer.”
“Believe me, I wanted to,” he told her. “But the rule for undercover work is that you can’t tell anyone. And with both Gage and Evan in the know, I was already more exposed than normal. Undercover game wardens have been killed in the line of duty, Malia.” He kissed her forehead. “I couldn’t risk my girls losing their father.”
“I understand,” she said.
“Look, if my undercover work is going to be an issue, I can transfer to a different job at Fish and Game. Maybe become a regular game warden again.” Inspiration struck him. “Or even an officer in the Bearpaw Ridge police department. Then we could work together, and I wouldn’t have to travel all over the state.”
“You’d do that? Give up your job for me?” She tilted her head back and looked up at him.
“In an instant,” he promised, though not without a pang. But giving up the job he loved would be a small price to pay if it helped to repair his relationship with his beautiful, perfect mate.
She went up on tiptoes and kissed him. He returned the kiss with desperate hunger. And dared to hope.
When their lips eventually parted, Malia gazed up at him. He was pleased to note that some color had returned to her cheeks.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” she said firmly. “As a fellow law enforcement professional, I know you’re doing invaluable work.” She hesitated. “As your mate, I need to know whether you like being a Regional Investigator.”
He couldn’t lie to her. “I love it,” he said. “But all the travel, the long hours, the time I spend out of touch because I’m undercover somewhere—those things already cost me my marriage to Emily. I don’t want it to come between us, Malia. You’ve already paid a heavy price to catch Bickham and Silvers.”
A slight smile curved her generous mouth. “It means a lot to me that you’re offering to put me first, ahead of your duty. But no. I love you, Lucas, and I want you to be happy. And for both of us, I think happiness includes pursuing our vocations as well as being together.”
He couldn’t deny the relief he felt, not only at hearing her say that she still loved him, but also that she didn’t want him to change jobs.
“So…does that mean you’re giving me that second chance?” he inquired cautiously. And held his breath as he waited for her reply.
