Her Falcon (Shifted Love 7)

“Rome left them on the porch about an hour after we fell asleep the first time. I brought everything inside and put the cold stuff in the fridge,” he reassured me as his thumb stroked across my hip.

My gaze darted toward the door only fifteen feet away from the bed. “Wow, I didn’t hear a thing. I really must’ve been conked out.”

“You’re still healing, and I didn’t take it easy on you.” His eyes flashed brown, and there was a hint of his falcon in his voice when he added, “Plus, you don’t feel threatened by the wolf. He’s earned your trust while you’ve been here.”

His possessiveness sent a thrill of desire racing down my spine, but I didn’t want him to feel threatened by Rome in any way. Pressing my body closer and flinging my leg over his waist, I whispered, “He’s a friend who understands what it’s like to be a loner. Nothing more.”

“I know, bright eyes.” His hands drifted down my spine to cup my butt. “I know I won’t be able to get it in the same way because I was a part of a tower before I joined the Timber Ridge Pack, but I’d like to know what happened to you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering the pain and betrayal I felt when I was banned from my tower. It was difficult to believe that he wouldn’t judge me harshly, but I had to trust in the strength of our mating bond. “I was in charge of a fundraiser for our school. The money turned up missing the night before I was supposed to turn it in to our alpha.”

“He blamed you?”

There was a thread of anger in his voice, but when I opened my eyes, I realized it wasn’t aimed at me. “Yes, the only explanation I had was that someone had snuck through the window of my bedroom and took it. But when I told him whose scent had been there when I woke up, he refused to believe me.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Who was it?”

“His son,” I whispered. “I heard a few years later that it had come out that he had a gambling problem. But it was too late for me to consider going back. I’d been on my own for too long for my falcon to move past the betrayal. My alpha wouldn’t even consider the possibility that his son was at fault, but he eventually paid for his mistake when his beta challenged him. He refused to back down and forced him to battle to the death.”

“The bastard lost?”

I nodded. “Yup.”

“Good, it’s no more than he deserved,” he grunted.

I smiled up at him. “I like your bloodthirsty side.”

“I wish I’d found you back then, right after you were banned.” He brushed his lips against my forehead. “My tower would have welcomed you with open arms, and the bastard who kept you in that damn basement never would’ve had the chance to take you because I would have been right by your side. Every day.”

“Your alpha might not have been okay with me joining your tower. Not if he believed the garbage mine would have told him,” I whispered.

“Then we would have struck out together, building our own little tower.”

His total acceptance of me soothed something deep inside me that had been broken when I was banned. “You would have made an excellent alpha.”

“I would’ve done whatever it took to keep you safe and happy.” He wrapped my hair in his fist and gently tilted my head to the side so he could lick over my mating mark. “I appreciate that Rome has been watching over you while I couldn’t, but I envy the time he’s gotten with you and wish it hadn’t been necessary.”

Thinking of the days we could have spent together if I hadn’t left Timber Ridge, tears welled in my eyes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t ready before.”

“Shh, bright eyes.” He brushed soft kisses against my cheeks until my sorrow passed. “I don’t blame you for coming here. You don’t owe me any apologies, remember? I will always want you to do what’s best for you. No matter what. You needed time to heal and had no way of knowing if Kace was right about me being your mate. Leaving was the right decision at the time.”

“Not anymore,” I rasped, pressing my cheek against his chest. “I’ll never leave you again.”

“Damn straight, you won’t,” he agreed, cradling me against his body. “I’ll never give you a reason to want to be away from me. You’re mine to look after now, and I’ll take such good care of you.”

“I’ll do the same for you,” I promised, loving the idea of having someone to care for after being alone for so long.

My stomach growled again. “It’s my turn first. I need to feed my woman.”