Cliff was a few miles out of town when the wolf part of him raised his head. The connection, the longing, the wound that had never properly scabbed over since that disastrous day, ripped open afresh as he felt her for the first time in almost three years. He'd suspected it would hurt, and he was glad. Maybe he'd be able to fix one of his mistakes for once. The closer he got, the stronger the bond became and the more he allowed himself to hope.

He followed the bond past the university and all the way through town to a gravel road. After a couple of miles of mostly pastures and wheat fields, he saw a large white farmhouse surrounded by barns and sheds and a huge front yard that could serve as a small pasture filled with rows of cars. Smoke was billowing from three smokers in front of the house. He drove past the drive-way and through the wind-diluted smoke. The bond shifted like a compass point toward the house at the same time his mouth started watering from the smoke sweeping into the vents of his car. This must be where all the college wolves met each month. No wonder she hadn't been home - how could their home pack compete with a setup like this?

He found a place to park about a hundred yards from the driveway in the grassy, shallow ditch. A wolf in a police uniform stopped him at the beginning of the drive and took a long sniff.

"You're new here."

It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes."

"Are you a student?"

"Thinking about it."

"Is that why you're here?"

"No."

When Alpha Wayne had given him a signed note Cliff didn't think he'd actually have to use it. He pulled the crumpled paper from his jean pocket and handed it to the guard. "I'm on assignment."

The guard scanned the paper then handed it back to him. "Go speak to Alpha Miguel. He's the one in the red apron.

"The smell of the meat was enough to make his knees weak. Surely they'd let him have a taste. He waited patiently while the smiling Alpha scooped huge piles of tender meat onto three more plates. Normally his wolf side would be urging him to grab his share but right now all its attention was on the house behind the alpha and the female wolf he could feel inside. Maybe he should just go find her. What would she say? Would she refuse to talk to him? She had to know he was close, but she wasn't moving away. That was a good sign, right? Should he start with an apology or just play it by ear?

"Can I help you?" the man in the apron asked suddenly.

"Alpha Wayne sent me." He offered the paper.

The big man glanced at it briefly and nodded. "Do you know her?"

"Yes. We grew up together."

"Friends?"

He felt like he was being X-rayed by the Alpha's sharp gaze.

"I'm not her enemy."

The Alpha's eyebrows rose a fraction, then he pointed toward the house. "I saw her head that way."

Finally! He realized that strange sensation his face was experiencing was a grin as he pushed open the door and a pretty blond smiled back. Pretty but not his mate. He forgot the girl's face as soon as she passed.

Aiyana was so close. Did she want to see him? He took a few steps toward the large room ahead and immediately knew it was the wrong way. He backed up and tried the stairs. There were three steps, then a small landing. He turned to go up and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. She was there, only six steps above him. She was looking away toward the top of the stairs, but he recognized the set of her shoulders and her lithe form. Her dark, glossy hair cascaded down her back all the way to her waist.

"Aiyana?"

Her head spun around and it wasn't anger or sadness on her face, but surprise.

"Cliff. What are you doing here?"

She was prettier than he remembered, beautiful even. Her face and body had matured since he'd last seen her and the rest of her had finally caught up with her legs. A tall form blocked the light from the top of the stairs, but he couldn't take his eyes off Aiyana's face.

"I'm working for the pack. Alpha Wayne sent me to check on you."

She spread her arms. "As you can see, I'm fine. Thanks for stopping by. You can go now. Tell Alpha Wayne thank you."

"No!" both he and his wolf yelled inside his head. He pulled up a flirtatious grin. "You're not even going to ask me how I've been?"

She released a loud sigh. "How have you been Cliff?

"He smiled big enough to show his dimple. "I'm good."

He'd ignored the person running down the stairs, but he couldn't ignore the tall blond now. He was standing right next to his mate and daring to touch her. "Are you ready to go Aiyana?"

Aiyana turned to the blond bimbo and her face softened. Cliff's stomach and his fist clenched as his wolf growled. Why was she looking at another male like that?

"Who's this?" He asked, forcing the smile to remain on his face.

Aiyana turned back toward him. "Oh, this is..."

"I'm hers," the blond said, sliding his hand down her arm to take her hand.

She glanced up at the blond and smiled like she had once smiled at him. "And I'm his." She lifted her face and the blond pressed his lips against hers. Cliff growled. He couldn't have stopped it if he wanted to. Neither acted like they'd heard him. The kiss didn't last long, but they were both smiling and he could smell their happiness and their arousal - both of them. He was too late. She had replaced him the way he had replaced her except she'd chosen a wolf.

She trounced down the stairs toward him. "Excuse us please."

Numbly, he stepped to the side. This wasn't how he'd pictured their meeting going at all. He let her slip past him, but his wolf wouldn't let him let the blond by. Cliff blocked him with his arm.

"You know she's my bond-mate, right?"

"Did you even know or care where she was until today?"

"Doesn't matter."

"It does. You had your chance. She's my mate now."

"We'll see about that." He stepped in front of Nate. The bimbo wanted to steal his mate, he was going to have to fight for her.

Aiyana tugged on his arm from behind. "Cliff, don't be a jerk."

She was touching him. It wasn't what he'd hoped, but it was something. He would have looked at her, but it wasn't smart to turn away from someone right after a challenge. "I'm a jerk just because I'm trying to keep someone else from taking my mate?"

"You rejected me, remember. You have no claim."

"Well, maybe I realized what an idiot I was and came to apologize."

"After three years? And just when I found..."The blond in front of him raised his eyes to stare over Cliff's shoulder with such a look of hope that Cliff had to look too, although he only turned his head just enough to see her out of the corner of his eye.

"Just when you found what?" Cliff asked.

"Actually," she said in a soft voice, her eyes focused on the irritatingly good-looking man on the stairs, "he found me."

Anger and despair washed over Cliff and he pulled back his arm, complete with a fist, ready to smash the blond's overly perfect nose into a soggy, bleeding mass.

"Don't you touch him."

Aiyana's grip on his elbow was surprisingly strong, so strong, he found it was difficult to even lower his arm. He did though, and pulled his elbow from her grasp.

"Fine, I won't, but only because you asked, and if he endangers you in any way, I reserve my right to defend you."

"Nate's not going to endanger me and you have no rights when it comes to me."

Why was he being such an ass? Why did he do this to himself? He knew Aiyana wasn't one of those girls who enjoyed seeing men fight. She'd always run off when the boys started to fight when they were little.

"I'm sorry Aiyana. It's just, my wolf..."

"Did you know we are actually more human than wolf even in wolf form?" she interrupted. "Except for one chromosome, our DNA and proteins are human. The only things that change are the structures of our bones and tissues, so don't try blaming this on your poor wolf."

Man she was smart. She always had been. It was one of the things he admired about her.

"Did you learn that in college?"

"No, from a book I read. They don't teach classes on weres, but I've been working with Doc Brown. He's the pack doctor."

"Oh. What's your major?"

"Pre-vet. I start vet school next year."

"But you've only been in college three years."

"It's an accelerated program."

Of course it was. She was going to be a vet and he'd barely lasted a year in college. How was he going to win her back?

He turned his back on the blond and lowered his head to her, showing his submission. "I'm sorry Aiyana for what I did so stupidly back then and for just now."

She touched his shoulder and he looked up into a small smile, for him. His wolf wagged his tail.

"Thank you Cliff. I forgive you. I know Kyli was important to you and I, well, I was nobody."

"That's not true."

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It was a long time ago. It was nice seeing you again. Come on, Nate. Let's see if there is any food left."

She was dismissing him. He deserved no less, but he still had a job to do. Maybe he'd find a way to change her mind.

————————— Nate's POV

"You okay?" Nate asked as they left the house and Cliff behind.

"Yes. I'm just wondering what happened. He and Kyli must have broken up, but I don't know why he'd come to me."

"Maybe he finally came to his senses."

"Maybe."

The line still stretched at least twenty people deep. Nate headed for the end of it, but Alpha Miguel, who was still lording over the serving table, ordered them to the front with a wave of his tongs. A couple of the young men in line complained as he and Aiyana moved to obey.

"Ignore their grousing. They're already working on thirds," the big man chuckled as he heaped a big pile of tender meat on Nate's plate. "Everything okay?" he asked Aiyana as he put a pile almost as big in front of her.

"Very."

"Was Nate right then?"

"I definitely feel something for him."

"I'm glad to hear it. Whoever that other wolf was is a fool."

Nate's stomach clenched a little. Why didn't she admit they were mates?

The tables were beginning to clear. Nate led Aiyana to the end of an old wooden one where they would hopefully have some privacy. To his surprise, she sat down beside him instead of across from him. His puzzlement must have shown on his face because Aiyana looked up and smiled, then explained, "I like being close to you."

The euphoric feeling surged again. He touched his elbow against hers. "I like being close to you too." Hopefully whoever was after his mate wasn't watching, and if they were, maybe they'd just think they were friends. Right. He couldn't send her away though.

"I've been thinking." She popped a piece of the tender meat in her mouth and closed her eyes. "Oh, man, this is good. I haven't had anything to eat since before noon."

"That's what you've been thinking about?"

She elbowed him. "Yes, that's the only thing that's been on my mind all day - Alpha Miguel's cooking - no, about whoever tried to kill me. It's got to be someone who knows you which means they aren't from around here. We're probably safe here. I'm sure Alpha Miguel would notice if there were strangers, and his men know what the wolf smells like now. He always posts guards on full moon nights so the students can run without worrying about hunters."

"You should go run for a while then and enjoy the moonlight."

"I'd rather take a walk with you."

His wolf wanted to lick her. He settled for nudging his shoulder against hers. "I'd like that." Her little grin that she thought he couldn't see urged him to add, "maybe on a trail away from the others?" She smiled up at him and it took all he had not to kiss her again.

A plate plopped onto the table in front of them and Cliff slid onto the bench behind it, making the whole table rock.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

That was a blatant lie.

"Nope," Aiyana answered, turning to her food.

The dark-haired hunk across from them stuffed a huge bite into his mouth and barely chewed before he swallowed. The lump going down was so big it looked painful.

"So how long have you two been dating?"

"Long enough," Aiyana said before Nate could answer. She didn't seem mad or sad, in fact he couldn't really tell what she was feeling. Cold. That's what she was. Cold. She was protecting herself. That was his job.

"Look, Cliff, right? I know who you are and what you did. Even if Aiyana was just my friend, I'd still ask you this. Would you please leave? Go back to your life and leave Aiyana alone."

"You don't know nothin' about me."

"I know you were blessed with a beautiful, smart, tender-hearted mate and you turned your back on her and now you're pushing yourself on her like you expect her to jump at the chance to have you. That's all I need to know."

Cliff snorted. "You think that's what she is?"

He looked at the woman next to him with her head dipped so low he couldn't see her face for her hair. He forced himself not to push her hair aside. "I know that's what she is."

"Aiyana, do you want me to go?"

She looked up and Nate was glad to see a little smile on her face. "Cliff, I don't care what you do. You're going to get pretty bored hanging around Nate and I though. There are plenty of unmated females here tonight. I'm sure they'd appreciate your company."

"I'm not interested in other females."

"Since when? Don't tell me you're now attracted to males?"

"Aiyana."

Her eyes widened. "Oh. My. Gosh. You're kidding. How did Kyli take it?"

"Kyli? I haven't seen her in years."

"Do you have a boyfriend? I've heard there's a bar..."

"What? No. I'm not gay!"

All the wolves within twenty feet of them turned to look their way. Nate snorted.

"Still in denial huh? I know some people you could talk to."

Nate loved the way her eyes sparkled.

Cliff slammed his fist down on the table. "Enough." He leaned closer and lowered his voice. Nate was sure it wasn't low enough though "Look, I don't want to be here any more than you want me here, but Alpha Wayne sent me here to protect you and that's what I'm going to do."

"Protect me from who?"

"Whoever it was that tore up your Aunt's house."

"They tore up our house?"

"Someone tore up your Aunt's house?" Nate asked at the same time.

Her eyes were full of worry as they turned to him. "My aunt didn't say anything about that. She just said a couple of Scottish people came looking for something of my dad's." She turned back to Cliff, "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. We wolves heal quick, you know."

"They beat her?"

Aiyana's eyes were really wide now and he could smell her panic. Nate put his arm around her and pulled her close. "Your aunt has a working were-gland, right?"

Aiyana nodded.

"Then she's fine. Why don't you give her a call?"

"I already talked to her. She didn't tell me anything. Why wouldn't she tell me?"

"Probably because she didn't want you to worry. Did your alpha assign a guard to Aiyana's aunt too?" Nate asked Cliff.

"He tried to. That woman is as stubborn as she is short."

"Don't call my aunt short."

"You agree she's stubborn then," Cliff said, raising a dark eyebrow.

"Darn right."

"Speaking of short, did you grow? I don't remember you being so tall."

"When did you ever notice me at all?"

"We went to a small school, remember? It was hard not to notice you."

She snorted.

"He ignored you?" Nate asked. How was that possible? If she'd ever walked down the halls of his school he would have probably trailed her like a puppy.

She put her hand over the one he had dangling over her shoulder and smiled up at him. "We walked in different spheres. Actually, I seemed to have my own sphere in my class. I did have a couple of good friends in the class ahead of me and one in the class behind though."

"I would have been your friend."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Probably not. I was a skinny, un-athletic, book-loving nerd."

"Then we would have been best friends because I was the same way."

"Really?" She looked very doubtful.

"Really. I have pictures." He loved the way her face brightened.

"I want to see."

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." He took his arm down to reach for his phone, then remembered he'd lost it when he'd been shot. That was another mystery. Had the hunter taken the backpack after he'd shot him?

"That is the most over-used come-on lines in the history of lines," Cliff scoffed.

"You would know," Aiyana said. She sounded rather sad. "How long are you staying?"

"The rest of the week at least."

"There's no need for that. Don't you have finals?"

"Nope. College wasn't really my thing." He said it proudly, Nate thought.

"Oh."

"Not everyone has the brains you do, Aiyana."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. I can see it on your face."

"See what?"

"You think I'm stupid, that I'm beneath you."

She shook head. "That's not what I was thinking at all."

"What were you thinking then," Cliff challenged.

"That it's sad so many kids go off to college with grand plans only to fail, and I don't think that's necessarily their fault. Our schools don't do a good job preparing them and some people just aren't ready for college. How can you apply yourself if you really don't know what you want to do?"

"And that's what you think happened to me?"

"I don't know. Is it?"

He shrugged.

"Well, I'm not alone, as you can see. You don't need to stay here."

"You're not alone here, but what about in your classes and at night?"

"First of all, no one is going to attack me in class. It's exam week and the instructors aren't just going to let some stranger in. Second, I live in a dorm. No one can stay with me at night - its not allowed."

Cliff snorted. "Does anyone actually follow that rule?"

"Yes Cliff, they do."

Cliff was right, someone needed to watch over Aiyana, but it wasn't going to be Cliff. "Aiyana, considering everything, I think it is a good idea to have someone with you when you're out in public. I will stay with you if you don't mind," Nate said.

"Don't you have exams too, pretty boy?" Cliff asked.

"No, I've already got my degree. I came here to be with Aiyana."

"Came from where?" Cliff asked, suspicion lacing his voice

"Yellowstone. I could feel her all the way from there."

"You could feel her?" Cliff scoffed.

"Yep, from the moment you denied her."

"Bonds don't work that way."

"Mine does."

Cliff turned his dark eyes on Aiyana. "What about your bond, Aiyana? Do you have one back to him?"

Nate felt her hand slide onto the top of his upper leg. "What I feel for Nate is none of your business. Toward you I haven't felt anything but emptiness for the last three years."

"You don't feel a bond to him then," Cliff said triumphantly. Nate wanted to punch the stupid grin off his face.