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born shifters.”
    That had been his question, but he’d been unable to speak it.
    He nodded.
    She and Badger helped him back onto the stool. He watched as she gathered the rest of her clothes and carried them out to the garage. She left the door open and he saw her lay the pile of laundry on top of the washing machine. When she returned, Badger had set the now steaming potato in front of him, along with an assortment of butter, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
    She leaned on the counter, her arms crossed in front of her. “You’d better eat before it gets cold.”
    He couldn’t keep his eyes off her neckline, where he saw the plunge of her breasts, or from where her bare legs disappeared under the shirt’s long hem, which hung halfway down her thighs.
    “Lassie, he can’t eat with ye standing there half nekkid,” Badger chastised. “Poor boy’s panting after ye. Go put on a robe or something.” He set a glass of ice water in front of Ken.
    With a wink to him, she walked out of the kitchen. Ken almost fell off his stool as he leaned to try to follow her progress. It was only Badger’s strong hand grabbing his arm and hauling him upright that kept him from hitting the floor.
    Again.
    “Eat, lad. Ye sure I can’t fix ye something else?”
    “This’ll be fine, thank you,” he mumbled. He forced the potato down, barely tasting it as he tried to process what he’d just witnessed.
    Dewi returned a few moments later, wearing a man’s heavy, dark green velour robe that looked huge on her and nearly reached her ankles. She’d tamed her hair into a ponytail. “You look a little less pale,” she teased in a gentle tone.
    “I don’t believe this is happening.”
    “There’s nothing to believe. You saw.” She sat on the stool next to him. “And I am sorry for how all this happened. Under normal circumstances, I would have struck up a conversation with you first. By the time dinner ended, we probably would have been planning to have pups. I was on a hunt with a job to do. I couldn’t let my focus be stretched like that. Not without risking my life or yours. I needed to know I had you claimed, and I had to get you out of there safely.”
    His shoulder pleasantly throbbed where she’d bit him. “Claimed? What does that mean?”
    Propping one elbow on the counter, she rested her chin on her palm. “If I’d sat down at your table and started talking to you and invited you back to my place, would you have come? Honestly?”
    He stared at her and finally nodded. Hell, yes. He’d be a moron to refuse.
    His heart thumped as he stared at her. He loved her.
    Christ, what’s wrong with me?
    She smiled knowingly. “Nothing’s wrong with you. You’re my mate now. Believe me, the feeling’s mutual. And again I’m sorry I had to do it like that. That absolutely wasn’t my first choice.” She sat up and stuck her hand out. “Dewi Bleacke. Pleased to meet you. I’m twenty-five. Born in Idaho, but I’ve been here in Florida for thirteen years. Head Enforcer of the Targhee pack. Taurus.”
    “She’s bullheaded, all right,” Badger grumped.
    Ken wiped his sweaty palm on his slacks before taking her hand. “Heathcliff McKenzie Ethelbert.” He met her gaze as his grip tightened on her hand. He suspected she held back, that she could crush every bone in his body without breaking a sweat. “But you can call me Ken.”

    * * * *

    Except for the fainting, she had to admit her mate took the news pretty well. Other than being a Virgo, a vegetarian, and his goofy damn name—and he earned bonus points for being a good sport about that—he wasn’t a bad choice for a mate. Cute in a geeky, computer nerd kind of way. Totally apropos, considering he was a computer nerd and taught computer science over at USF.
    “So how old are you, and where are you from?” she asked.
    He finished his potato. “I’m twenty-seven. I was raised here in Tampa.”
    “Ever been to Idaho?”
    He shook his head. “Only been to Georgia.