“You’ll see.”

As he led her into the forest, she quickly realized they were headed in the direction of his lodge. But he didn’t take her inside. He led her deeper into Mercury territory. When they reached a small clearing, he urged her to squat beside him.

“Look.”

“What am I supposed to be looking at?” She didn’t see anything. She could smell plenty of wildlife, but she couldn’t see anything.

“See the small rock overhang over there? Watch closely.”

Moments went by, and she still didn’t see anything. “There’s nothing—”

“Shush. Give them a minute.”

Them? She went to question him again, and that was when she noticed a little movement. Something was crawling out from under the rock . . . something small with black fur. And then, with a brief struggle, it was out. Another one joined it. And another one. “How adorable are they,” she whispered with total awe. Ally guessed the little wolf pups were around four weeks old.

Moments later, a mature female wolf followed them out of the hole. Fuck, it was a wolf den. “Derren, we really shouldn’t be here.” Full-blooded wolves weren’t bothered much by shifters, but they didn’t like them around their pups.

“It’s okay,” he assured her.

No, it wasn’t—especially since four more adult wolves had approached the den. “We should go.” She exhaled a relieved sigh when Derren stood. But then the apparently suicidal shithead moved toward the wolves.

She grabbed his hand to stay him. “What are you doing?”

“Come on.”

“What?” Her voice was a strangled squeak.

“Don’t you want a closer look?”

“No. The adult wolves will totally freak out.” She didn’t relish the idea of scaring them. Or pissing them off and being attacked. Derren just gave her one of his silky smiles.

“Stop being a chickenshit.”

“I am not.”

“Then come on,” he dared. Although he knew never to expect anything when it came to Ally, Derren had come to learn that she always responded to a challenge. As he’d expected, she straightened her shoulders and stood.

“If I get pounced on by a pack of wolves, and you put me in a position where I have to hurt them to defend myself, I’ll slice your throat.”

His smile widened. “You might give it your best shot.”

Against her better judgment, Ally followed Derren out of the trees. The wolves looked up and extended their noses. Their nostrils flared as they took in the scents of the two shifters, and a large black male slowly padded to Derren. Instead of growling a warning, the male rubbed against Derren’s leg. “You’ve been around them before,” she realized.

Derren nodded. “They come to the river at a spot pretty close to my lodge. Hold out your hand.” Before she could hesitate, he took one of her hands and held it toward the Alpha male. The wolf took a long sniff before letting out a soft snort. “My scent is on you, so you have his stamp of approval.”

When Derren tugged her toward the pups, Ally dug in her heels. “That would be pushing the adults too hard.” He ignored her, yanking her to his side. To her total amazement, none of the wolves protested when Derren crouched a few feet away from the pups. She gaped at him. “They let you near their pups?”

“They see me as part of their pack. It’s why they keep pissing on my porch.” The pup in front sniffed the air and took a step toward Derren. Gradually, the pup moved closer and closer until he butted Derren’s hand. The other two pups followed their littermate’s lead, and soon they were all nibbling on Derren’s hand and pawing his thigh.

Unable to resist the cute little buggers, Ally squatted next to Derren. At first, the pups backed up a little—unnerved by the new presence. But, just as they had with Derren, they soon came close to investigate . . . looking up at her through blue eyes. They played with her, batting at her offered hand. “I want one.”

Derren chuckled quietly, happy to see Ally smile.

“Thank you for bringing me here.” She understood why he had. It was an apology, of sorts. His response was a short nod.

Despite her protests, Derren walked her back to her lodge. He’d be a damn liar if he claimed it was simply a protective act. The truth was that he was buying some time with her. He might have delayed having to leave her, but . . . “You look tired.” There were still dark smudges under her eyes, and her olive skin lacked its usual healthy glow.

“It’s been a long day. I’ll be fine by morning.”

“Good.” She turned to go inside, and Derren found that he couldn’t just let her go—not without tasting her just once. His hand shot out, grabbed her shoulder, and twirled her around. Then he was on her. His hands fisted in her hair as his mouth devoured hers. His tongue plundered her mouth, sweeping against her own. She tasted just as she smelled: exotic and sweet. And nothing had ever tasted better.

Shocked, Ally stiffened against him. A part of her—the part that was wounded by her experience with Zeke—wanted to push him away and maintain a distance between them. Another part of her wanted to thrust her fingers through his dark hair and meet his kiss.

The latter part won, and Ally’s body burst to life. A satisfied growl rumbled up Derren’s chest, vibrating against her nipples, as one strong hand collared her throat. Bristling at the possessive move, she scratched his scalp with her claws. Snarling, he tightened his hold and—