It was five minutes before the start of her shift at the parts store when Tessa arrived. Tulley sat on a stool behind the counter, reading the local newspaper. The old man frowned as she rushed around, dropping her bag in the bottom drawer of his desk.

"You okay?" Tulley asked aloud, folding the paper and setting it on the desk. Her boss looked worried, but she waved away his concern with a flutter of her fingers.

"I'm fine, just running late," she huffed and sat heavily in the chair. "The diner was busy and I was late leaving."

"Did you eat lunch today at all?" he worried.

"A banana," she replied. "Gaia sent me off with a bowl of chicken pasta for my dinner. It's in my bag."

"Gaia is a good woman," he said with a smile, causing Tessa to feel a blush paint her cheeks at the way his face brightened when talking about the lady who owned the diner.

"Do you have the part for Mr. Morgan?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I sure do, but Drake called and asked if you could bring it later today." He nodded and pointed to the box at the end of the counter. "It's heavy. I'll load it in your car before you leave."

"What do you need me to work on today?"

"We had a shipment arrive earlier, and it needs to be entered into the computer," he said, ruffling through a stack of papers. He pulled three from the stack and handed them over. "I've already counted the parts and the paperwork matches up."

"I'll take care of this right now," she offered, and took a seat behind the desk. As she updated the inventory, Tessa watched the clock, wondering why Drake Morgan wanted her to wait to come to his home. The thought of going out there later in the day gave her pause, but she knew Tulley wouldn't send her anywhere that could be dangerous, no matter how much of an asshole the customer was to her.

"When you're done, you can take the part to the Morgan's farm," he explained. "Let me have your keys and I'll put the box in your trunk." She handed over the keys and left her boss to take the part to her car.

She'd become very fond of Tulley. He was always watching out for her, and she appreciated it. Having him there made being alone in a new city a little more bearable. The old man treated her like a daughter, and she felt more at ease at the parts store than anywhere else.

Movement outside made her look up from her work. Tulley was standing in the parking lot talking to one of the local deputies. His hands were tucked in his blue dress pants, and when he laughed, the wrinkles around his mouth deepened when he smiled.

The phone rang, but she didn't take her eyes off the deputy as she took the call from another farmer in the area looking for his own parts. Tessa knew she was being paranoid since the sheriff had come into the diner that morning.

She couldn't worry about her past. She'd left her last home in a hurry, and there was nothing tying her to Olive Branch. If her ex wanted to find her, she was sure he'd do it. Her only hope was that he would give up trying to get her to come back to him, and if she really analyzed the encounter with the sheriff, Tessa knew his inquiry into her personal information had nothing to do with the man she'd been running from for the last year and a half. He wouldn't let her be found, would he? Maybe she should've talked to him...to Tulley...hell, even Gaia.

"You ready to head to the Morgan's farm?" Tulley asked as he entered the building. Tessa typed the final numbers into the computer and initialed the corner of the packing slip, filing it away in the drawer above where she kept her purse.

"I'm ready," she said, then hesitated, biting her lip as she gathered her things. Tulley poured himself a cup of coffee even though it was nearing dinner time.

"Is everything okay?" Tulley asked. "You've been on edge since you arrived."

"What do you know about Drake Morgan?" she blurted, instantly regretting her question when Tulley narrowed his green eyes at her.

"He's an honest and fair man." Tulley defended the farmer. "His family has been the largest producer of corn in our community for generations."

"Okay," she blushed, feeling bad about her worry about the man. Maybe Drake just didn't like her? "He seemed a little angry when I disturbed him with the last delivery. Are you sure he knows I'm coming tonight?"

"I talked to him personally this morning," Tulley promised. "Why? Did he say anything to upset you?"

"No, not really," she scowled. "Maybe he was just in a bad mood because we didn't have all of his parts."

"Well, you don't worry about Drake Morgan," Tulley huffed. "He can be a bit grumpy, but he's nothing but a big ole teddy bear."

"Okay, sure," she mumbled and removed her keys from her purse. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Have a good day off Sunday," he said with a smile, changing the subject of the handsome farmer.

"I plan on it," she replied, and left the store. It was Thursday, and she only had the morning shift at the diner the next two mornings. Saturday afternoon through Monday morning was her only time off. Thirty-six hours to rest, do laundry, and go to the store was all the time she had to herself during the week.

As she drove, she imagined a day when she could work a normal nine to five job and have the weekends off. If she ever made friends, she could have a normal life again. She couldn't even remember the last time she went out to have a beer.

The drive to the Morgan farm took about thirty minutes from the town square where the parts store was located. Tessa leaned over the steering wheel and looked up at the still-barren trees. They'd soon start filling up with leaves again as the temperatures warmed with each passing day. She was happy to have a bit of warmth back into her life. The winter had been too much for her. While she loved the beauty of a freshly fallen snow, working in the mess made it unbearable.

Tessa turned onto the road leading to Drake's home, and she squared her shoulders. She wouldn't let that man intimidate her again, but she still hoped she could give him the parts with no problems this time.

As she pulled into his driveway and passed through the grove of trees that lined the property leading to where his house stood, she sighed heavily when she noticed all three of the Morgan men standing on their wrap around porch. One of them was holding a shotgun, but set it down as soon as her car came into view. That had to be a good thing, right?

From the last encounter, Tessa knew they were apprehensive about people they didn't know coming on their land. As far out in the country they lived, she guessed anyone who came onto their land would've been a friend. She felt sorry for anyone who stumbled upon this home with malicious intent on their mind. Drake alone could scare away the hardest of thieves. Now that she knew they carried weapons, she'd make sure she was in and out of there as soon as humanly possible.

She quickly pulled her long, blonde hair up into a ponytail and turned off the car, jumping out as Drake ambled down the stairs from his perch by the front door. "I'm here to drop off your part, then I will be on my way."

She wanted to make sure he knew she wasn't going to stay. As much as she loved his land and log cabin-style home, she knew she wasn't welcomed.

The box was heavy as she lifted it from her trunk with a soft grunt. Drake's eyebrows pushed forward and he took a step toward her but paused.

"Put the box down," he ordered, pointing to the ground at her feet. She refrained from rolling her eyes, but she didn't silence the huff of frustration that rolled from her lips. He'd made her do the same thing the last time she'd been at his house. Why did he do that?

"Umm, okay," she replied, and bent over at the waist to set the box down.

Yes, she was probably really stupid. Tessa found Drake very good looking, and even though she'd sworn off dating ever again, she would totally flirt with him if he wasn't such a jerk. This was the second time he'd grunted at her when he talked.

Screw this. Put the box down and go home, Tessa.

Tessa knew she was in trouble the moment she realized the box was too heavy and her body lurched forward. Her boot caught the back of her other foot as she stumbled to evenly distribute her weight and she fell toward Drake, but she didn't hit the ground.

Large hands wrapped around her arms and the scent of the forest reached her nose, but something was...off. Drake Morgan's touch sent her body into a hormone induced frenzy. When she looked up into his eyes, they'd changed color...to a bright, glowing gold.

"Oh, my..." she breathed out as he held her close, but she frowned when she saw his mouth open wide, revealing large fangs where his human teeth should've been. She tamped down the need to rub herself against him and just stared at his mouth.

"You're my mate," he snarled. Drake's voice echoed off the trees as the other two men came down the steps to stare at her in awe. "You're human, and you're my mate."

Tessa gasped, her hand covering her mouth. She didn't know he was a shifter. What was he? Was he like the others in town? Oh my god, was he a panther shifter?

"I'm no one's," she argued, shaking her head.

"That's where you're wrong." Drake stepped back to look her over. "You are mine, Tessa...all mine."