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everyone else had left, Derrick removed his clothes, lifted her frail body with great care, and carried her into the adjoining bathroom. He was mindful not to jar her as he stepped down into the sunken tub, settling into the healing warmth of the mineral waters.
    “Sweet Angelica,” he murmured against her ear. “What spell is this you have cast upon me?”
    There were legends that spoke of fated mates, of those who would be a male’s perfect complement in every way. Every shifter wished for such unions, but they were far too rare to be expected. Was it possible that this lovely creature was meant to be his? Is that why he had been so inexplicably drawn to her?
    It seemed highly unlikely. Nothing about this woman suggested she would make a good candidate for an Alpha’s mate. And yet everything about her called to him on a level so deep, he was at a loss to explain it any other way.
    As he held her against his body and gently cleaned away the blood and gore from her now-sealed wounds, the feeling that he had done the right thing continued to grow. He didn’t need to understand it for it to be true. As a shifter, he relied on his instincts as much as his intellect and those instincts were screaming to him now. Angelica was his. And she would survive this.
    He felt Silas’ presence as he wrapped Angelica in a fluffy robe and placed her back in his massive four-poster bed. With the strength of the pack running through her veins, her body was healing rapidly. Her mind would remain closed until the physical transformation was complete, but Derrick would use that time to build a bond with the primal beast now gathering purchase within her.
    “Have you secured her personal effects?” he asked. No matter what the outcome, she would not be returning to her suite. When she managed to make it through the transformation — he refused to accept any other possibility — he might never let her out of his sight again.
    “Yes.”
    Derrick’s head jerked up immediately, the single word response holding a note of unease. He re-opened the Were part of his brain, which he had closed while giving Angelica her bath, in an attempt to identify the source of Silas’ discomfort. He’d had no desire to share the experience with his pack mates through their shared bond.
    He clearly felt what could only be described as a mild form of shock. It came not only from Silas, but from the others as well. Neither bad nor good, it was more puzzling than anything.
    “Silas, what is it?”
    The sentinel’s face revealed nothing of the emotions Derrick sensed, remaining as composed and controlled as ever. “I think you need to see for yourself.”
    Derrick arched a perfect brow.
    “Come,” Silas said. “The boys will stay with her.” The three adolescents from the Northern Tier pack appeared in the doorway, sniffing the air with curiosity. Derrick was about to refuse, unwilling to leave Angelica even for a few moments, but Silas was insistent.
    “You need to see this, Derrick. We will just be in the next room. You will sense immediately if she needs you.”
    Whatever it was, it had to be important for Silas to be so adamant. Silas knew how strongly Derrick felt about remaining close to her in case things suddenly took a turn for the worst. They all did.
    It was Markus who spoke on behalf of the boys. “We will watch over her, sir.”
    Derrick nodded reluctantly and softly kissed Angelica’s forehead — a clear statement of possession in the presence of Silas and the boys. He murmured a few words in her ear before following Silas into the next room. The boys dutifully took their places beside the bed, watching over her with a protective air.
    Derrick then understood Silas’ request had a secondary purpose as well: to give the young ones a chance to feel useful and put that innate need to protect to good use when it had been so battered recently by the attack on their pack. It showed a measure of trust in them while posing no serious risk. He