The thought made Andrea want to hold him. She slid her hands up his arms, loving the feel of the firm biceps beneath his coat, and locked her fingers behind his neck. Such strength and such compassion rolled into one male.

“Then you’ve changed your mind about wanting me as your mate?” Andrea had the right to walk out of the mate claim, but then, so did Sean. But the thought of him turning away from her made her heart suddenly ache.

“I should. To save myself from the hurting.”

“Can we ever? Hurting is part of life, isn’t it? So is happiness.”

Sean caressed the small of her back. “When did you become the wise one?”

“The day I told my whole Shiftertown I wouldn’t mate with that sorry excuse for a Lupine, no matter how much he and his friends terrorized me.”

Sean’s touch became stronger, his mouth relaxing. “I’d have given a lot to see that. I bet some wolf jaws dropped.”

“They didn’t exactly applaud me.”

“And you knew they wouldn’t. But you did it anyway. That’s my girl.” He sounded proud, which warmed her.

“Scariest thing I’ve ever done.” Well, that and meeting Sean for the first time, but the fear had been markedly different.

Sean’s mouth softened even more. “But you being brave doesn’t mean you’re strong enough to take a bullet through your body. Liam’s determined to keep the bar open, but I don’t want you working there for a while. Not until we get this thing solved.”

Andrea stepped back. “Wait a minute. Not go to work? Screw that.”

Sean looked at her in surprise. What, he was expecting her to meekly say, “Yes, Sean,” and obey? Looking into his eyes, she saw that he did. Oh, he did, did he?

“Andy-love, if I hadn’t thrown you to the floor that night, you’d have been hit. You were right in the line of fire.”

Andrea planted her hands on her hips. “If Liam can hire more guards and keeps the damn door closed, we’ll be fine.”

“Right. You’ll be fine walking home alone at night from the place. Fine stepping out in the dark to empty the trash. You don’t need to work; you’re provided for. Dad made sure this Shiftertown was filthy rich. The jobs are to give the human social workers something to put in their reports.”

“I know that. It’s not the point.”

“Waiting tables at a bar isn’t freedom, love. It’s showing humans what they want to see.”

Just because Sean was sexy, and she hoped they could form the mate bond, didn’t mean he couldn’t drive her crazy. “No, it’s helping out Liam. It’s the side bet I have with Annie on who can get the best tips out of the humans. It’s me with a bit of money of my own so I can buy myself a car and not have to depend on Morrissey handouts. It is freedom. To me.”

“But it isn’t safe.” The growl came into Sean’s voice. “Let Liam and me find these bastards and stop them first.”

“You and Liam don’t know who these people are or what they want or what they’ll do to get it. You’ll run off after them and get yourselves shot. Me, I’m just waiting tables in a bar protected by some very tough Shifters.”

Sean’s growl grew more pronounced. “So, what, you got yourself away from a crazed gobshite just to let yourself get offed in a drive-by?”

“What do you expect me to do?” Andrea didn’t bother to keep her voice down. “Lock myself in the house and never leave it? Or maybe in your house?”

“At least there I could keep an eye on you.”

“No.” She poked Sean’s chest. “I just got away from a creep who wanted to lock me up until I gave in to his mate-claim, every wolf in my pack happy to let him. Do you think I came here to hide myself away, cringing from every sound? Well, forget it. I’ll take my chances with the trigger-happy humans.”

She wrenched her boot heel from the muddy soil and marched away, but Sean was beside her in an instant. “You’re brave, lass, but stupid.”

“Oh, thank you very much. I understand, all right? You don’t want me to die, and I appreciate that. I don’t want to either. But I need to live my life, make my own decisions, take my own risks.”

“Be a lone wolf?” Sean laughed, but the laugh held no warmth. “We couldn’t afford that in the wild, and we can’t now.”

“This isn’t the wild. This is Shiftertown, in the twenty-first century. And I’m tired of Shifter males trying to bully me.”

Andrea started stalking away again, and in her heels, she could work up a really good stalk. Sean, though, could stride along there with her.

“Not bully, love. Protect. Jared deserves to die for trying to keep you submissive, trapped, and vulnerable. That’s not how we cherish a mate.”

“You are the most idealistic male I’ve ever met.”

Sean slid his warm, strong hand into hers. “Someone has to be.”

“I’m not giving up my job, Sean.”

“Mmm.”

He stopped arguing but didn’t agree either. Andrea clenched her jaw even as she twined her fingers through his strong ones. They’d argue some more later, she knew that, but as long as they were fighting it out, that meant Sean hadn’t won yet.

That night Andrea had the dream again. The threads that sought to bind her glittered evilly, the metallic cords tightening to crush her.

Andrea.

It wasn’t Sean’s voice this time. She had no idea who it was, and terror kept her from placing it, kept her from thinking.

Fight it, Andrea. Get free.

“I’m trying!” she shouted.

The threads choked her, suffocated her. Incoherent screams left her throat, and then something else bound her, iron bands, bigger, stronger, thicker than the threads. She clawed at them, dove upward from a well of sleep to find Sean in bed with her, his strong arms hard around her.

“Hush now,” he murmured. “You’re all right. I’ve got you.”

Part of her wanted to struggle away, to yell at him. But terror drowned her, and she welcomed the warm, safe haven Sean offered.

Her body relaxed as he kissed her hair and drew her back against him. Andrea’s eyes closed as he continued to cradle her, and she drifted into exhausted slumber.

When morning light touched Andrea’s face, she sat up to find Sean out of bed and moving to the window, though the mattress still held his warmth. He wore only black briefs and a white T-shirt, the clothing molding to his body. A beautiful sight to wake up to.