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Maverick thought females liked it when men said they were theirs. When they wanted them forever. And besides, Maverick hadn’t chosen it. Fate had.
    He sighed as he moved to his dresser and pulled out some pants and a shirt and a heavy winter coat. Dressed in this, no one would see her delicious curves on the way back.
    Curves that were his, dammit, if only he could make her see that.
    He gave her the clothing and then leaned against the dresser, glowering as she changed.
    “So what do you want?” he asked. “The man you’ll take forever. What do you want?”
    “The opposite of you,” she spat, pulling the shirt over her head, the pants on, and then the coat over the top. “Someone respectful. Gentlemanly. Someone who knows how to use protection.”
    “I don’t have any diseases,” he said.
    “Good to know,” she deadpanned.
    He frowned. He liked that his mate was sassy, but at times like this, it was impossible to talk to her. “I can use condoms,” he said. “If you really want.”
    “You just want me for the ranch, though, right?” she asked.
    “If that was really my plan, why would I have mentioned it?” he asked, shaking his head. “No, I said it wasn’t because of the ranch. It’s because it’s fate.”
    She raised an unamused eyebrow. “You know, that isn’t much better.” When she was dressed, she stood to push past him, but he blocked her path.
    “What is it you want, Harmony?” he asked, his eyes going uncharacteristically serious. “Just tell me and I’ll give it to you.”
    Her eyes flashed at him as she pushed her curls back and sighed with impatience to get past him. “So many things, Mav,” she said, using the name everyone else did. For some reason, he didn’t like it.
    He wanted her to be different.
    “So many things that don’t involve you. My music, my life in New York.” She gestured to the cabin. “And I don’t want to live in a tiny cabin with a man who throws a tantrum over a haircut. No matter how good the sex is.”
    He moved out of the way slowly, letting her push past. He followed her out onto the dirty path in front of the cabin, watching her with narrowed eyes.
    She threw him an irritated glance over her shoulder but otherwise kept storming straight for the lodge.
    Maverick let out a deep sigh. She was his mate. That couldn’t be taken back. But he was going to have to rethink his plan for winning her.
    And he was maybe going to need some help.

----
    W yatt Reynolds couldn’t believe it.
    Maverick McAllister, shaved and with a haircut that actually looked decent, standing on his porch and asking for his help.
    With winning a chick.
    Wyatt looked the other man over. He supposed his old friend had grown to be handsome, in a rugged, dark sort of way. Nothing like Wyatt, who, with cat genes, had beautiful golden coloring and the highest quality genetics.
    But he wasn’t bad-looking for a bear shifter.
    “Come in,” Wyatt said, stepping aside so Maverick could enter his nicely appointed living room. Wyatt liked the nice things in life as much as he liked riding a stallion through the wild mountains, and he didn’t see why he should have to choose between one or the other.
    “Thanks,” Maverick muttered, stomping in and looking around. “Still fruity as ever.”
    Wyatt rolled his eyes. “And you came to ask my help why?”
    Maverick gestured, frustrated, at the luxurious surroundings, at Wyatt’s fitted, tailored shirt and clean jeans and designer shoes. “Because I think my female prefers things like this.” He looked down at himself. “And I need to do anything I can to win her.”
    Wyatt propped his chin on his hand while he circled his friend. Well, the man who had once been a childhood friend and whom he’d recently rekindled a friendship with during certain events.
    There was still an awkwardness between them, but that was slowly changing.
    “So you want me to dress you?” Wyatt asked. “Or what?”
    “I want to know who built this for