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  I jumped down out of the Jeep, reaching to get my bags, but Bane said, “I got ‘em,” so I sent him a grateful smile and walked closer to the house to take it all in.

  I looked around the yard, which had mature trees and flowering bushes, and was a bright green.

  “You must do a lot of work on your yard,” I said when Bane approached with my things.

  “Yeah, Sloane and I are usually out here every weekend,” he replied, then kept going toward the house.

  I followed him up the stairs, noting the porch swing, rocking chairs, and child-sized bench.

  “Come on in,” Bane said, holding the door open and stepping to the side so I could go in first.

  I walked straight into the open living space and looked around. It was neat, comfortable, and obviously the home of a family. Sloane’s toys were in a basket by in the corner, while a large screen TV adorned the wall, and a sectional sofa made the space feel welcoming.

  “I’ll show you to your room, then give you the tour.”

  “Okay,” I replied, my head swiveling around as I took everything in.

  He led me into a small bedroom with a full-sized bed, matching oak dresser, and a comfy looking chair in the corner.

  “It’s kind of small, but has its own bathroom. The drawers are empty, as is the closet… feel free to use whatever you want,” Bane said as he set my bags on the bed.

  “Thank you, it’s perfect,” I replied, pleasantly surprised to have my own space. I don’t know why, I’d just assumed I’d sleep on the couch until Bane and I were comfortable enough to share a room.

  “So, you can either put your stuff away and meet up after for the tour, or I can show you the rest of the house now, then leave you to it.”

  “I think I’ll get settled in first,” I said.

  Honestly, I really needed to shower and looked forward to getting cleaned up after my day of travel.

  “Sounds good, I’ll be in the kitchen,” Bane said, then turned and left, shutting my door behind him.

  I put most of my stuff in the drawers, hung up a couple dresses and blouses, and tucked my bags into the back of the closet, then went to go freshen up.

  Once I was scrubbed clean, I got dressed in shorts and a tank top and put hydrating cream in my curly hair, deciding to let it air dry. Since it was already getting late, I decided to forgo makeup.

  It was good for Bane to see me in my natural state, since that is how I spent most of my time.

  I opened my door and went toward the kitchen. I’d seen it off the living room when we came inside, so found it pretty easily. Bane’s back was to me as he seasoned whatever was in front of him.

  I didn’t want to startle him, so I softly cleared my throat.

  Bane paused, then looked over his shoulder at me. His gaze started at my face, then moved over my hair, down my body, and back to my face.

  By the time his eyes met mine my cheeks were aflame and my pulse was pounding.

  “Hey,” he said, his voice gruff.

  Damn, that voice…

  “Hey, whatchya doing? Can I help?” I managed, clenching my hands into fists as the urge to go to him and pull him to me overcame me.

  He turned sideways so I could see the steaks he’d been seasoning, and said, “Uh, just getting these ready to grill. I’ve got some store bought potato salad and one of those bag salad mixes, if that’s all right.”

  “Sounds great,” I replied, still unsure of what to do with my hands.

  Had he gotten hotter while I was in the shower?

  “Would you like a drink? I’ve got beer, wine, water… vodka.”

  I giggled, which I tended to do when I was nervous.

  I’d been fine before, and wasn’t sure if I was nervous now because we were in his home, or I’d already showered and done my nightly routine, or what… I guess things just felt more intimate.

  “A beer sounds good,” I replied, moving into the kitchen to open the refrigerator so he didn’t have to stop what he was doing. “Do you want one?”

  “Yeah, that’d be great, thanks,” he said, putting the steaks on a platter.

  I got out the beer, popped the caps off using the bottle opener that was stuck to the fridge with a magnet, then went to hand him one.

  “Here you go.”

  Bane turned and took the beer, then his eyes came to my face once more and he froze.

  My breath caught.

  We were standing close, and his gaze felt like a caress.

  “You have freckles,” he murmured, and I felt my cheeks flushing again.

  I’d always hated my freckles.

  “Gorgeous,” Bane said, then shook his head as if shaking himself out of a trance and picked up the platter. “I’ll go put these on the grill.”

  I watched as he walked through the kitchen and out the sliding glass door where I assumed the grill was. My hand came to my nose and brushed across my freckles.

  I smiled to myself, then dropped my hand and followed Bane outside.

  Eight

  Bane

  Good God, this woman was going to test all my strength. My resolve.

  I placed the seasoned steaks on the hot grill and took a deep breath as I looked out over my land. This had been my parents’ home, the home I grew up in, then, the home I’d brought my mate to after our claiming ceremony. It was the home I was raising my daughter in.

  Other women had been there, to watch Sloane, or bring me food to show I needed to be taken care of, but not like this. Never like this.

  No other woman had ever slept beneath my roof, and certainly not as a prospective new mate.

  I’d brought this on myself. Had weighed the pros and cons of finding a new mate, of utilizing the app, and had decided it was what was best for me and for Sloane. But, now that Katja was here, I was feeling torn.

  I hadn’t imagined there would be chemistry.

  That I would be tempted to touch her, kiss her, claim her.

  Certainly not so soon… being immediately after she arrived.

  I heard the sliding glass door open behind me and knew she’d followed me outside. That she’d be standing there in her tiny shorts and tank top, freshly scrubbed from the shower, her hair hanging in damp ringlets, and those damn freckles dancing across her nose.

  I took a deep breath and asked, “How do you like your steak?” without turning around.

  I needed another moment to compose myself.

  I was afraid if I saw her before I calmed down, I’d either tell her to leave, or take her right there on the picnic table.

  “Medium,” she replied, in that lilting voice of hers.

  I started counting in my head, tried to focus on the sound of the wind rustling the leaves, and calm my mind.

  I heard movement behind me, but didn’t turn around until I was positive I was in control of myself. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw Katja sitting on top of the picnic table, looking out into my yard.

  “Can you tell me more about the pack? You mentioned you were active when Sarah was alive, but haven’t been since she passed. Will that change?” she asked, still not looking at me, which actually made it easier for me to respond.

  Her eyes on me got me worked up.

  “Yeah, well, the pack governs the town and takes that role very seriously. Once you claim your mate, you’re expected to be active in the business and in taking care of the community. After Sarah died, it was not only awkward being the only single parent on the council, but I no longer had the desire to be an active member. I still go to the occasional meeting or get together, but it’s not the way it used to be.”

  “How so?” Katja asked softly.

  “A couple of the women have expressed interest in taking Sarah’s place. They flirt with me and try to cozy up to Sloane to get my attention.”

  “And, you’re not interested in them?”

  I shook my head and sighed.

  “No, I’m not interested. Plus, they knew Sarah, and knew me and Sarah, and Sarah knew them. It ju
st… doesn’t seem right…”

  “I understand.”

  “There’s actually a meeting followed by a barbecue on Friday night. If you’re interested, we could go. I think it’s good for you to see that part of my life as well, so you can make an informed decision.”

  “And, if we do decide to go forward with the claiming, would you join them again? Take a more active role?”

  “I hadn’t really thought about it, but it would be expected,” I admitted.

  I turned to flip the steaks.

  “These are almost done, if you want to get the sides out of the fridge. We can either eat out here or inside.”

  “Out here works. It’s a nice night,” Katja replied, and I heard her feet hit the deck as she jumped down. “And, yeah, Friday night sounds fun.”

  The door slid shut behind her, and I wondered what the pack would think when I showed up with a prospective mate.

  A few of them would probably think I was betraying Sarah, while the woman who’d been hoping to take her place may be disappointed, but as a whole, the pack was all about family, and I was sure they’d see that finding a female to help raise Sloane was the best thing for her.

  For us.

  In the end, that was all that mattered.

  Sure, my pack was important to me, but my daughter was my life, and I had to remember why I’d decided to do this in the first place.

  It wasn’t for myself, or to scratch some itch my libido seemed to have, it was to find the perfect person for Sloane. Someone who would teach her how to be a woman. Who was kind, patient, and capable of loving a child who wasn’t her own, as if she was.

  So far, Katja seemed like the perfect candidate.

  The way my body reacted to her was a distraction that I didn’t need right now. I needed to focus on why she was here and do what I needed to do to ascertain whether she was the role model I wanted for my daughter.

  I decided to sit down and make a list before bed. To figure out everything I wanted in a person who was going to be a mother to my daughter and spend the rest of this week determining if Katja fit the bill.

  After all, that’s what this trial was for.

  Not to explore the way she made me feel, or to appreciate the way she’d compliment me.

  I needed to make it all about Sloane.

  Nine

  Katja

  By the time I came back out with the paper plates and salads, I knew a change had been made.

  Gone were the heated looks and flirty smile, instead, Bane looked serious and more like the man who’d picked me up at the airport than the one I’d gotten to know over the course of the day.

  We ate dinner outside, enjoyed the beautiful night, and then cleaned up in relative silence.

  I went to bed soon after, exhausted from the long day, and eager for some alone time to collect my thoughts, process the day, and try to figure out how I felt about it all. I was attracted to Bane, there was no doubt about that, and I was excited and hopeful to meet Sloane.

  I hoped I’d make it that far, but we’d see.

  I opened the windows and slept peacefully to the sound of crickets chirping in the night, and the cool breeze coming into my room.

  I woke early, which was normal for me, and threw on clothes and running shoes. I fit my hair back into a small pony tail and headed downstairs to go outside and get some exercise. When I hit the landing, I was surprised to see Bane was already up and starting the coffee pot.

  “Hey, you’re up early,” he said, looking up, face still sleepy.

  “Yeah, I like to run in the mornings,” I replied as I started to stretch.

  “Oh, that’s cool, but maybe you can wait a minute and I’ll go with you. Since you’ve never been running here before, I could show you a good route, so you don’t get lost. I’d feel better if you at least went once with me, before going out on your own.”

  I wasn’t one to like it when other people told me what to do, but his suggestion made sense, and I wasn’t an idiot, so I nodded in agreement.

  “Great, I’ll only take a minute.”

  I finished stretching out while Bane went to go get ready.

  A few minutes later, we were in his driveway and taking off toward the street.

  “If you go down to the road, there’s a trail that most of us in the neighborhood have carved out. There are quite a few runners around here, and we look out for each other by making sure there’s no debris on the trail.”

  “You run a lot?” I asked as I hit my stride.

  “Not every day, but I get out when I can,” he said, breathing evenly.

  I tried not to notice how good his legs looked in his running shorts, but it was pretty hard when legs as good as his right next to you. Muscular, tanned, without an ounce of fat. Yeah, it was a struggle to keep my eyes straight ahead.

  The trail was in the grass a couple feet off the side of the road. The grass was depressed from use, and easy to follow.

  “How far does it go?” I asked, loving the burn.

  “It’s a five k one way, but there’s a place where you can turn off at the one mile and two-mile points, depending on how far you want to run. I’ve tracked them with GPS,” Bane replied, not even breathing hard.

  The man was in great shape.

  Although, I was sure being a wolf had something to do with his ability to run and stay in that shape.

  “Ten k works for me,” I said with a smile.

  “All righty then,” Bane replied, then kicked his pace up a notch.

  I met his stride easily, although he was quite a bit taller than me, and knew he was taking it easy on me.

  Hoping he wouldn’t think me rude, I took my wireless headphones out of my pocket and put them in my ears. I didn’t mind running with someone, but I couldn’t spend the time conversing or running in silence, especially if I was doing ten k. I needed the music to help me zone out and lose myself in the running.

  Once I had Pitbull playing in my ears, I concentrated on my breathing, and kept my eyes trained on the trail ahead.

  About an hour later, we were turning back down Bane’s driveway. We slowed to a stop, then walked around and stretched to cool down.

  “I’m gonna grab a shower, then make some breakfast. We’ll leave in about an hour for the hike, so pack your backpack if you have one. If you don’t I’ll get you one of mine. Make sure you have what you need to camp out and bring a bathing suit if you have one. We’ll head back tomorrow.”

  Oh God, I thought as I stretched out my legs. I’d totally spaced on the hike. Maybe running a ten k before completing a hike wasn’t the best idea.

  I went inside, took a shower, then started to pack. Knowing my legs would probably be screaming later, I threw some ointment in my toiletry bag.

  Once I was done, I put on my hiking boots, grabbed my stuff, and headed downstairs. Bane had scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit prepared and laid out on the counter, his hair still damp.

  “Wow, this all looks great,” I said, my stomach grumbling as the scent of bacon hit me.

  “We need to fuel up,” he said, crossing to the pantry and taking out some power bars, jerky, and trail mix. “I’ve already got food packed for lunch, dinner, and breakfast tomorrow, but we may need some of these to tide us over as well. I shouldn’t have pushed you this morning.”

  “You didn’t,” I assured him, taking a piece of bacon off the plate. “If anything, I’m the one who said we should do the ten k.”

  Bane tilted his head in acknowledgement, then handed me a plate and said, “Let’s dig in.”

  Ten

  Katja

  “There are a few different trails we could take, so I figured we’d incorporate a few. We’ll go along the river first, then up the mountain, and back down again, before heading out to Lake Michigan, where we’ll camp for the night. There are park rangers who offer guided tours here as well, so we’ll probably run into some other hikers, but they know me and are cool with me bringing out tours of my own. I told them we�
��d be coming.”

  I nodded, excited about seeing the National Forest, which was sure to be very different than the hikes I took in Florida.

  “There are public camping sites, but we’ll go a little further off the beaten path. I know being out is going to make my wolf eager for some freedom, so I need to be someplace I can let him roam tonight. It’ll be a good chance for you to meet him, too, if you’re comfortable with that.”

  My stomach dipped at the thought of meeting Bane’s wolf. I was a little nervous, but knew if I was going to be with Bane and Sloane, I needed to be comfortable with that side of him as well.

  “Okay, yeah, sounds good,” I replied, not sounding very convincing, even to my own ears.

  Bane chuckled.

  “It’ll be fine, really,” he assured me. “You have nothing to be worried about from me, or my wolf. He already likes you.”

  I turned to look at him.

  “Really? You can tell that?” I asked, curious.

  “Yeah, I mean, he’s a part of me... is me… and even though I’m a man, I can still feel and understand the wolf, and vice versa.”

  “Oh, that’s cool,” I said, even though I couldn’t even imagine what that must feel like.

  We pulled into the National Park, Bane paid the entrance fee, then drove in and parked in the lot.

  “Make sure to grab everything, because we won’t come back to the car until tomorrow,” Bane said as we got out of the Jeep.

  I made sure my hiking boots were tied tight, my backpack was secure, and sprayed sunscreen on my exposed flesh.

  Once I was done, we started off.

  I followed behind Bane, who pointed out different things as we walked.

  “That’s a blue heron, they are abundant in these woods, along with woodpeckers and kingfishers, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.”