She choked on her own spit. "What? I was thinking, like, thirteen!"

"Well, he looks thirty," he offered with a grin.

She folded her lips. "Poor guy. So he can't..." She cut herself off, not sure what she was about to ask, or if she wanted the answer.

Kelvin smirked. "He can no' bed a woman. Not until he reaches maturity and finds his mate will the seal be broken. Until then, his body simply won't respond."

Her eyes went wide. "Poor guy."

"Do no' feel sorry for him. Keith is one of our fiercest warriors. He lives for battle and is content."

She hopped over an ant line. "What about his female? Isn't she out there, waiting for him or something?"

Kelvin's eyes stared down at her. "I do no' know. But I'm sure he will be the first ta find out."

Her brows drew together. "How?"

"Her scent. It's the first sign both our breeds recognize. We can scent our mate, but only the Bear's is strong enough ta know for certain."

She shook her head. "Riiiight. You have to 'attempt' a chick to know for certain."

He stopped, and Izel spun to face him. "Do ya know what happens when a Pookah finally does find his woman?" His sapphire eyes were searing, burning straight into her soul. She gulped and shook her head.

"She becomes his obsession. He can think of nothing and no one but her." He stalked closer. "A single taste of her remains on his tongue until he grows maddened." Another step. "He craves her like an addiction that can never be sated; will disregard logic and honor if it means getting ta be inside her." His jaw clenched. He was so close that she could feel the heat of his body.

She let out a shaky breath, whispering, "Because it's your nature."

His firm lips brushed over hers. "Aye. It's my nature."

It was nearly sundown when they reached one of the outer towers of Kerr territory. Circular in form, it was so high that it surpassed the tall forest trees by at least twenty feet. Surrounded by fruit trees, Izel inhaled the sweet scent of apples. Wait, apples in winter? She stared closer at the glittery fruit. Magic, of course!

"Sir!" A large man barreled through the tower door and greeted Kelvin with a salute, then the soldier's eyes quickly locked on Izel as he took a deep breath.

"Boy!" Kelvin snapped at him. The warrior straightened and reverted to speaking-Gaelic? Whatever he said seemed to piss Kelvin off, and she didn't need to understand the language to know her Pookah was telling this guy to shut up and eff off.

The warrior looked frazzled but stuttered, "Aye, s-sir." And took off running. Apparently Mr. Kerr didn't mess around. She grinned, thinking, Yeah, that's my man.

"Let's get you inside," he whispered in her ear, causing a shiver to roll down her spine. Kelvin led her up the narrow stairs of the tower. Halfway up, he opened a large wooden door and ushered her through. A bed covered with creamy silk lay in the middle of the cherry wooden floor. A light breeze blew through the open window, causing the hazelnut-scented candles to flicker. Simple, but so perfect. Through the sheer curtain, she saw the sun begin its descent over the green hills of Scotland.

"Sit, lass," Kelvin gestured to a small chair near the door. "We need ta talk." That didn't sound good, but she did as he asked and seated herself. He knelt in front of her, elbow on one knee, fist resting against his mouth.

"I do no' want ta leave you, but I see no other option." Her eyes went wide.

What? No!

"You will be safe here. I will return in the morning and escort you the rest of the way ta my castle."

Shock surged through her. How stupid she was. Had she really thought he was going to stay with her tonight? Of course he wouldn't. This was his "busiest" time of the year, after all. She choked back a sob. "You don't want me."

His large palms landed heavily on her knees. "That's no' it, lass."

Looking down at her lap, she shook her head.

"Izel, I've explained this... the darkness drives my animal instincts, and tonight I will be overcome by them."

She frowned. "So you're going to be with someone else?"

"No. It's no' like that. Not this time."

"This time?" She raised her head and glared. "You said that's what you did. 'It's me nature,' blah, blah, blah," she said, mocking his accent and hating how badly her heart hurt.

"That was before you." His ragged voice cut straight through her. "Lass." He crooked her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes. "You're the only one I want ta spend tonight with, but I do no' want ta hurt you." He glanced at the mark on his inner wrist.

Was that what this was about? "I release you from our contract," she blurted out.

"No!" Despite his protest, the mark faded from his skin instantly. His eyes were wild as he examined his skin. "You should no' have done that."

"But you said that-"

"It's no' just the pain, Izel. When the sun fades completely... if I am near you..." Running his hands up her thighs, he looked at her with more intensity than she'd ever seen. "I will no' be able ta let you go."

Her heart slammed in her chest. An immortal Pookah warrior knelt before her with a look of such raw heat it melted away all her inhibitions. He was warning her, trying to protect her from himself and the beast that lay beneath.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. There was no way she could let him walk out the door. It didn't matter what he was or what he turned into. She trusted him.

I'm all in.

"Kel, I want you to stay with me tonight."

His eyes searched her face, as if unsure he'd heard her correctly. "I will no' go to seek others. I just can no' be near you. I will-"

Placing her finger over his firm lips she said, "I trust you with my life, Pookah. Please, stay with me tonight."

His tongue darted out and he sucked her finger into his mouth. She shivered, and he released her with a groan. "Lass, I want nothing more." His expression turned anguished again. "But when the morning sun rises-"

"I know." This was a one-shot deal. Tomorrow everything would change; their lives would go in separate directions. She wasn't naive enough to believe she could be his mate, but she'd be lying if the thought didn't excite her.

"No, lass. My kind... if we..." He glanced around the room. His obvious tension shot a knot of fear into her gut. What wasn't he telling her?

"I told ya how Razorbacks find their fated female? How she will be the one we return ta in the light?" she nodded, the knot tightening. "I didn't tell you that once we find her... we are bound. Our lives. For eternity."

She sat silent, trying to process what he was saying. "I don't understand."

He huffed. "When I say our lives are bound, I mean literally. One mate dies, so does the other. Does no' matter how, when, or why. They go down, we go down. Our heart simply can no' beat without theirs."

Wow. That was quite a commitment. There seemed to be no in-between in the land of Pookah males. They either used you once or needed you forever. So where did that leave her?

"Do you think I'm your mate?"

His lips pressed together and he looked at the ground.

I see.

Earlier, she had been prepared for this to be a one-time thing. But with his admission, everything suddenly seemed so definite. He would make love to her tonight, but come breakfast, all desire he'd had for her would be gone. The other option was that if she was his mate, he'd be bound to her, a mortal, for life?

So when I grow old and die...

He would, too. Could she live with that? Could she live with either scenario? Watch him look upon her with absolutely zero desire. Never see his crystal eyes ignite with blue fire as he looked at her with lust. Or inadvertently sentence him to death, giving him only a few decades of life at best?

It was either that or nothing at all.

"The risk is too great, Kel," she whispered, relenting. "Unless you can tell me there's no way I'm your mate, then perhaps you should go."

Pain assailed her as she looked into his eyes. Her chest felt as though it was ripping in two. The last thing she wanted was for him to go. But if it meant he'd live another thousand years, she'd give up anything.

His face softened. "Lass, if you'll have me, I want ta stay with you tonight."

"What?"

She didn't know if she was overjoyed or saddened to her core. Too many emotions overtook her, and she couldn't make sense of them. She only wanted him. Now. Forever.

His brows drew together and he cupped her face in his calloused palms. Briefly closing her eyes, she reveled in the feel of his powerful touch. Her nails dug into his chest when she gripped his shirt.

She couldn't release him now even if she wanted to.

Chapter 20.

Izel watched as blackness seeped into the room. A few scattered candles glowed softly against the coming night.

"I'm... I'm losing my will. Sure you donna want ta back out o' this?" Kelvin's deep voice rasped with obvious strain. "Now, now is that time... ta go... if you're no'..."

She looked into his glacier eyes, wild and burning into her with their blue heat. Lifting to her toes, she twined her fingers into the hair at his nape. Against his mouth she whispered, "If this is to be my one chance, Pookah"-she pressed a soft kiss against the seam of his lips-"you better make it worth my while."

He seized her mouth with his, thrusting his tongue past her teeth, drinking her in with intensity. With a growl, his hands landed heavily on her ass, swooping her up, and she instantly wound her legs around his hips as he carried her to the bed.

He eased her to the mattress, following her down. His weight atop her felt not only right but necessary. "I've wanted this since the moment I saw you," he said between laps at her mouth.

Lost in his drugging kisses, she hardly noticed him removing her clothing.

Pulling back, he ran a shaky hand over his mouth as his raked his gaze over her. When he uttered the word "mine," she arched her back, beckoning. Never had she wanted anything more than for his claim to be true.

My God.

Kelvin looked down at his woman, awestruck. Dressed only in cobalt silk and lace, her olive skin glowed; the firelight reflected in her eyes. He was losing control. The truth had almost slipped from his lips. He simply couldn't live without experiencing her. Just for one night, he needed to know what it felt like to be inside his woman's body. He needed to know peace.

He'd let her think him a possessive male, uttering a word like "mine." Christ, he couldn't help declaring it. When she had asked him, point-blank, was she his mate, a better man would have lied. But Kelvin? He couldn't answer. Either response would have doomed them both.

To hell with that.

None of it mattered now. Ian, the clan, his instinct-it all fell away. All that was important lay before him, spread out like a feast, and he was eager to enjoy her.

He ran his hand down her throat, between her breasts, snagging the center of her bra, and tearing it clean from her. She gasped. He hadn't meant to yank it so hard, but control was slipping, the beast was rising with every pulse of the inky night blanketing his skin.

He removed his shirt and fell over her, his mouth latching on to her hard little nipple. She cried out. There was no teasing, no soft, lingering touches as he had planned. No; he was crazed. So much ferocity boiled inside him. He needed to claim his mate. If that meant binding himself to a human, then so be it. He'd search all the realms to immortalize her. He'd keep her healthy and breathing for as long as her body would allow. And if the time came-if nature prevailed and her mortality crept over her-he would be there, until the end.

Living in a world without her simply wasn't an option.

He had to have her. Keep her. Possess her. She was his.

Sliding his tongue down her stomach, he nipped and licked a trail to the edge of her panties. He scented her arousal. That was all it took to send him over the edge. He bit down on the blue silk that covered her sex and ripped it away with his teeth.

Breaths coming quicker, the beast within rose, screaming for its mate. His hand landed on his belt, but then he stilled, struck with horror, when looking upon her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut, brows drawn, and she bit her bottom lip while fisting the sheets.

Awaiting the pain.

He threw himself off her. Jesus Christ! He was about to yank off his pants and plunge into her like a wild, rutting boar!

She lifted herself up on her elbows. "Kel, it's okay. I understand." Her arms reached out for him. His heart twisted in his chest. Here she was, a mortal virgin, accepting not only him, but his inner instinct. She was gifting him with her body, trusting him.

Her green eyes gazed at him as she sat up, arms still outreached. "Come back to me."

She was a gift to be cherished, something so far beyond him, better than he could ever be. He stepped back and fell to his knees before her. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and clutched her to his body. Pressing the side of his face against her flat belly, he hugged her to him. Her fingers sifted through his hair, and she rained kisses over the top of his head. "It's okay," she whispered.

His head shook against her. "No. It is no'. But I can, I will, make this good for you, love. I will get control." He felt her smile against his hair. He kissed her stomach, her hips, her ribs. Sliding his palms up her smooth back, he traced his tongue up her body, circling the sensitive tips of her breasts. She gasped his name and arched her back. Although he wanted to close his lips around the pebbled peaks, he lovingly licked her, lapping at her soft skin. He forced himself to go slowly. Gently.

She panted. His gaze lifted to her face as he slid down on the bed with her. Cradling her cheeks in his palms, he took her bottom lip between his. Christ, she had the sweetest lips. He could chew on them, bite down and thrust his tongue inside.

He took a deep breath. Slow.

It was the hardest thing he'd ever done. His whole body shook from the effort of keeping his inner beast at bay. Still brushing kisses over her mouth, he gripped her knees, urging her thighs apart. She clung to his shoulders and obeyed.

Fingers dipping, he found her sleek folds. "More," she groaned against his mouth at the wispy grazes of his fingertips. Her nails dug into his back and she lifted her hips into his touch. He gritted his teeth. His shaft throbbed and his whole body burned to bury himself inside her wet quim.

"Kelvin." She reached down between them and clasped his hand. "I need you... Please, I feel it, too. You won't break me." She guided two of his fingers inside her. "Please," she pleaded as she began rocking on his hand, fucking herself with his fingers.

"Izel, I'm, I'm holdin' on by a thread." Her scent, the feel of her sleek flesh, her moans in his ears... these were triggers he couldn't deny.

"Then let go. I want all you have to give." When she unbuckled his belt and shoved down his pants, he kicked them off and thrust his tongue in time with his fingers. Her body tensed and she screamed out as her climax overtook her. He drank in her cries as she flooded his hand with her orgasm.

"Can no' wait any longer." He removed his fingers and cupped her wet sex. Taking his damp palm, he rubbed her honey all over his cock before positioning it at her entrance, the crown prodding at her heat.