Drake shifted as soon as Tessa left his land. His beast trudged through the woods behind his home, looking for peace from the pain in his heart. Tessa was human, and that was a problem. He didn't trust them, and even though his bear had claimed her, he just couldn't get past the fact that her kind had taken his parents from him at the time he had needed his family the most. His bear snarled in agreement.

He couldn't get her scent out of his nose. As a bear, the scent of your mate would always be ingrained in your mind. How could he ever let her go after touching her? His bear brought up images of Drake's human hands on her, and they both remembered the softness of her skin and the velvety touch of her lips against his.

Why had he gotten angry with her and let her go?

He'd just sent his mate home, and he didn't even know where she lived. He didn't know if she would be safe alone. Fear raced up his beast's spine at the thought of her out there without him. What if a human male approached her?

Could she protect herself? His bear insisted she couldn't, and he believed his bear over the human side to his brain.

With a roar, he hurried back to his home and shifted as he climbed the stairs of his porch, walking through his home stark naked. When he entered his room, Drake reached for his phone as he pulled on his clothes. Rex answered on the second ring and Drake didn't even wait for a greeting. "We have to find Tessa."

"I thought she was with you?" Rex asked, the sound of music in the background confirming that he was probably at The Deuce.

"No, she left ten minutes ago," he snarled. "I told her to leave when she defended her kind. I was angry and shifted when she left. As soon as I made it to the woods, my bear wanted her here. We're worried for her safety against a human male...her ex-husband."

"Why the hell would you send her away?" Rex barked.

Drake wondered the same thing.

"I don't know where she lives," Drake cursed, ignoring his brother's question. "I have to find her, Rex. I've made a huge mistake."

"You are a fucking idiot," Gunner yelled through the phone.

"I know I am," he groaned, scooping up the keys to his truck as he rushed out the door. "I'm heading your way."

"Alright, big brother," Rex sighed. "You need to come to The Deuce. This time, don't screw it up."

"Thank you," Drake said as he slid into the seat and cranked the truck.

The drive to the bar took him less than ten minutes. His brothers met him in the parking lot and both of them were smiling from ear to ear, and that just pissed him off. "What the fuck are you smiling about?"

"Found your mate," Gunner shrugged, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. "She's inside having a beer."

"Are you kidding me?" Drake snarled. "You better not be joking, Gunner."

"I would never," he replied, narrowing his eyes. "She's your mate, even if you think she's just a measly human."

"Watch yourself," Drake warned and pushed past his little brother.

He didn't wait for them to follow and marched to the door, pulling it open wide. The first thing he saw as he entered was Tessa sitting at the bar. One of the werepanthers, Dane, was standing by the door, watching over the bar owned by his alpha's mate.

"Drake," Dane nodded. "Nice to see you again."

"Same," Drake said as he passed. It wasn't that he didn't like the cats, but he was more focused on Tessa, his mate.

A snarl caused his upper lip to vibrate when a human male slid onto the barstool next to Tessa. Her long hair floated around her head when she shook it after the male asked her a question. He willed her to send the male away and look up. He wanted her to see him standing there. He wanted her to know that no male would ever touch her again, because the little human was his.

Like she'd heard him, Tessa looked over the male's shoulder and her eyes widened when they connected with his. Drake heard her gasp from across the bar. His eyes narrowed and his beast roared in his mind. The push from his beast was so intense, he felt the skin on his arms bubble with an impending shift. The only thing that kept him from going furry was the fact that he was in public and he valued his secrecy.

The spurs on his boots clanged as he marched toward her. Noises in the bar subsided as Drake approached Tessa and the male suitor with his bear begging to unleash its claws on the male.

"Tessa." His voice held an air of authority, and he was surprised when her body relaxed just the smallest amount. His cock hardened at the idea of her accepting him and the dominance he kept leashed.

"Drake," she said, nervously looking at the male. She glanced at him again, and he knew she saw his eyes were golden. His female turned toward the human male. "You're in his seat."

"Oh, really?" the male said, cocking his head to the side as he turned around on the barstool. One look at Drake and the man hurried to his feet and scrambled away, his bravado deflating with the fear of a predator breathing down his neck. As soon as he was out the door, Drake pushed the stool out of the way and took Tessa's beer into his hands.

"He shouldn't have run," Drake snarled, turning up the beer and finishing off the liquid from the bottle.

"Why?" she asked.

"Bears like to chase their prey," he warned, and set the bottle down hard on the bar. He turned to go after the male, ignoring his brothers as they came to his side.

"Oh, no! Drake!" she gasped as he marched toward the exit.

His bear insisted on finding the male and tearing him to shreds for hitting on Tessa, but as soon as he made it to the parking lot, Rex and Gunner stepped in front of him.

"He's gone," Rex said.

"Drake!" Tessa gasped as she caught up to him. "You better not hurt that man!"

"He's not going to be a problem," Rex chuckled. "Never seen someone run so fast in my life."

"Damn it, Drake," she panted.

"You need to come home with me," he demanded.

"You actually think I'm going to come back to your place after you talked about humans as if they were scum?" Tessa placed her hands on her hips and leaned in to keep yelling at him. "You do realize I'm human, right? Why would I ever go back to your place?"

"Woman," he growled, releasing a heavy sigh.

"I'll be going back to my apartment," she informed him, jerking her arm out of the way when Drake reached for her. He was impressed. She was fast.

"I will be seeing you, my mate," he promised, and watched as she left the lot, turning north to head toward town.