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I didn't realise how much had been riding on his answer until he replied. I let out a breath of relief. I really thought he was either going to lie or keep me hanging.

"Look, I can't pretend to know what went on between you and Asper, but I'm going to be here for the foreseeable and Asper and I are getting to know one another. He tells me that you have been having the same dreams as us. Fate has decided that we are supposed to be together," I tell him.

He remains silent but watches me carefully. I laugh lightly without humour. "I never would have thought that I would date two guys, but then, I never thought I would turn into a wolf. You have no idea what the last few days have been like for me, it has been a learning curve to say the least. I would love for you to join us tonight. I want to get to know you."

I make myself vulnerable by putting myself out there. I'm hoping that, by offering myself up like this, he feels strong enough to reciprocate. Being this close to him confirms what I already know. Everything in me is wanting to reach out and touch him, my body is desperate for contact with his.

He looks torn and I'd give anything to know what is going on inside his head. His expression turns pained, and he gives me an apologetic look.

"I promised to make Mare my mate," he admits quietly. "I can't go back on my word. I'm sorry, but you and Asper need to be together without me."

He turns around and a sense of panic runs through me as he puts his hand on the door handle to go back inside. I reach out and grab his arm. He's wearing a t-shirt, which means our skin touches for the first time. The same feeling I felt with Asper rushes up my arm; a warm sense of comfort like someone wrapping a blanket around your shoulders. Altus tenses up and I know that he is feeling it, too.

"Doesn't she care that you already have a mate? Mates, even," I correct myself. "Surely she has a mate out there? Can't you see that you're both holding each other back from happiness?"

His expression turns angry, and he pulls his arm free from my hand. I let my arm fall to my side.

"Don't come back here, Felicitas," he says coldly and stomps inside.

The door slams behind him and I flinch. My heart feels heavy in my chest as I slowly walk back over to Asper's car. He reaches for me as soon as I sit down in the passenger seat. He hugs me over the console and rubs my back.

"You did it, I'm proud of you for trying," he says comfortingly.

I sigh and lean back in the chair when he ends the hug. "I really thought I could get through to him."

Asper smiles sadly. "So did I. I'm sorry for what he said, it really isn't you he's angry at."

"It's okay, I'm not taking it personally."

Am I?

"Good. Let's go to dinner and forget about him for now."

I like that suggestion. Asper takes my hand and lifts our joined hands up so that he can place a kiss on the back of mine. He goes to let go of my hand, but I like the feeling of our fingers being interlocked. He rests our joined hands on my thigh instead.

It's an intimate gesture for a couple of people who have only known each other a handful of days, but we both need the comforting right now, we're aching for the one that's meant to be with us.

Asper leads me into the restaurant that he has chosen for us. The place is filled with the delicious smell of pizza. There's lively chatter that quietens slightly at our entrance. I stand close to Asper, close enough that my shoulder is pressed against his chest, for support. He wraps his arm around my waist in return.

The waiter leads us to our table, and I can feel eyes on us the whole time. People physically stop eating to stare at us. Unlike before though, not everyone stares. Some barely notice us and don't stop their conversations.

Asper must sense my confusion because he answers my unspoken question when I sit down. "You're a shifter now, you don't have a human scent for them to pick up on. That's what was confusing them the most, how a human could be on their territory."

"So, now they're just staring because you and I are together?"

He smiles at me over his menu. "Pretty much, yeah. Not to sound big-headed or anything, but it was a big deal when I left so for me to come back and be dating a mystery woman, it's like breaking news."

"Can't someone have a baby or an engagement or something? Take the heat off of us."

"Actually, April had a baby recently."

"Oh, I know about this, I think Satura went to the hospital to bless the baby or something."

"It's a rite of passage to be blessed into the pack when you're born," Asper explains. "Kind of like being christened, I guess."

We order pizza and the food is amazing, I tell Asper that I would love to come here again. When we've paid the bill, we go out onto the street and we both turn at the sound of music a couple of blocks down.

"Want to check it out?" Asper asks.

"Yes!"

I take his offered hand and we walk down the street, the music getting louder with every step. The doors of a bar are open and letting the upbeat tango music spill onto the street. Inside, there is a fog of heat and intrigue. People are dancing close to one another to the thrumming vibrations of the live band. It reminds me of the party in Dirty Dancing where Baby arrives with a watermelon.

"Can you dance?" Asper asks me.

"Badly, but yes," I reply.

He takes my hand and pulls me into the bar. I hang my clutch on my shoulder to free my hands. Asper spins me with confidence, leading me in a twirl and stopping me when we're on the edge of the dance floor. He steps close to me, takes my right hand, and places his other hand on my lower back.

He leans in to me until his lips brush over my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine despite the heat coming from the couples around us.

"Follow my lead," he whispers into my ear.

With all the grace and suaveness of an Italian dance instructor, he leads me in a passionate tango. His hips press against mine, showing me the way. Soon, I've fallen into rhythm, and I'm caught somewhere between the beat and his body.

It's a seductive dance that involves us being pressed together for the majority of it. For the fleeting moments that our bodies part, I'm tugged sharply back into his arms seconds later.

A light sweat forms on my lower back, making my dress stick to my skin. The loose curls that frame my face plaster to my scalp, but I don't care. Asper is perspiring, too. I can see the shine on his forehead. I think everyone in this bar is sweating, but it's that kind of sensual, hot sweat that makes you want to rip your partner's clothes off.

The music ends in a crescendo and a brief silence descends on us before everyone bursts into enthusiastic applause. Asper and I reluctantly let go of each other to join in the praise for the band.

"Drink?" Asper offers as the next song starts.

"Please."

Neither of us drank alcoholic beverages with the meal, so we treat ourselves to a cocktail with a glass of water each at the bar. We get a good position at the end, which backs up to the open bi-fold doors onto the street. I stand facing the bar with the breeze at my back, cooling me down and drying out my sticky body.

Our drinks are made, and we cheers before taking eager sips. I wipe my forehead with a napkin and fan myself with my hand. After I have downed my water and drank half of the cocktail, I finally feel a normal temperature again.

Asper sits down on one of the stools and pulls me between his open legs. With him seated like this, we are finally at eye level. Although he is not as tall as Altus, he is still about three inches taller than me, so it is nice for our eyes to be level for once.

His brown eyes drop down to my lips and I can almost read the thoughts running through his mind. Just as I make up my mind to kiss him, he leans in and kisses me first. All of the passion that built up in our dance overspills into each other.

His hands bury themselves in the tight curls that I have pinned up on my head. He dislodges the clip, and it falls to the floor with a clatter. Neither of us pay any attention to it as my curls fall down my back to my ass.

He tastes like the yummy fruit juice in the cocktail. His tongue is cold like mine from the ice cubes and tangles with my own. Using my hair for grip, he angles my head to one side so that he can kiss me deeper. I press myself as close to him as possible and wrap my arms around his torso to keep myself even closer.

When he finally pulls back, I gasp, drawing air back into my lungs. His lips are swollen from our brutal kiss and parted as he sucks in breath, too. Our eyes lock in a heated exchange. If we were in my bed right now, I'd be tearing his clothes off.

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