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Ashlee cuddled, buck-naked and dozing, in his lap. He was naked as a baby himself, and the worn leather of the couch stuck to his ass, but he didn’t care. He wouldn’t have moved even if a dozen wild horses had stampeded through the place. Sitting there with an armful of warm, sleeping woman was the most content he’d been in years.
    Ashlee snored slightly. The cutest thing he’d ever heard. Gently, he shifted her to a more comfortable position and blood flowed back into his leg in a rush. The resulting feeling was like a centipede had decided to tap dance all over his leg in running spikes. For such a small thing, she could be a dead weight when she was asleep.
    Dropping a kiss on the top of her head, he leaned back again, making sure his hand brushed her back idly. Their session on the desk had blown his mind. Then on the couch…whoa. He’d have wet dreams about what they’d done on the couch for the rest of his life. He’d never had sex like it. Never felt that soul-deep connection with a woman before.
    Sex had always been a sword of Damocles. He’d always had to be careful and monitor his wolf carefully to ensure the beast didn’t decide to come out and play, or watch his strength in case he got carried away and hurt his partner. The only way for him to relax had been sex with a she-wolf or some other paranormal type creature as hardy as he was.
    Not with Ashlee. There was just something about her, something calming. Something that called to his wolf and calmed the creature, even though he’d been pissed as all hell at her comments about werewolves. He’d never had that before. All his life he’d had to watch his temper in case the beast used his anger to hijack his body and take control. Go on a little furry joy-ride in the middle of the city rather than the wilds on the outskirts where he usually allowed it to roam.
    He speared his hand through her hair and lifted, watching the strands trickle through his fingers. What was it about her? There was nothing special about her. She was human, just human.
    His human. Possessiveness hit him like a tidal wave. Took his breath away. He watched as his hand tightened in her hair. She was his. Yes, that felt right. His. His woman. His… mate?
    The words resounded in his skull like the clang of a bell, the sound echoed from within by the howl of his wolf. Yeah, yeah. He shot a thought to the creature, the dumb human finally gets it.
    Mate.
    For a man who’d spent most of his adult life avoiding even a mention of the word currently burrowing through his brain, it was a revelation. His eyes widened as he looked down at her, as if seeing every detail with fresh eyes. Mate, he had a mate.
    A scream ripped through the air, making him jump. In his lap, Ashlee shot bolt upright, pushing her hair back to look around with sleepy eyes. God, she looked fantastic. All warm and sleepy and sexy—
    Another scream brought him out of his amorous daydream. Shock coursed through his system as he recognised the voice.
    “Shit. That’s Destiny. Get dressed. Quick.”
    Dumping Ashlee on the couch, he shot to his feet and started to hunt down his clothes. If something could make the hard as nails Dryad scream, then the shit had hit the fan big time. Another scream ripped through the air, followed by a bellow of rage. Fuck. That was Trent. Further away, roars informed him that the dragon-boys had joined the party as well.
    Finding his pants under the desk, he hauled them on in savage jerks. Within, the wolf woke, pacing and ready for war. Not yet, he told it, jaw set in lines of grim determination. He needed to assess the situation as a human before he let the creature out to play.
    “Stay here and stay down,” he ordered over his shoulder and ran for the door.
    *
    Stay down? Fuck that!
    Ashlee didn’t know what werewolf women were like, but just because they’d just had the best sex since, well, ever, that didn’t mean she was going to roll over and play dead, or possum, on command.