"I dream of you," he whispered and her eyes widened. Shocked became stunned and confused. "But the dreams didn't prepare me for the reality of us."

She blinked, and then did the only thing she could think of.

Throwing her arms about his neck, she kissed him, releasing all the feelings she'd been holding inside and letting them flood her as she struggled to make sense of the world. Suddenly, she realised she didn't care.

She didn't understand how he'd made her feel him, or how she'd seen herself standing in front of the house. She didn't care about anything but feeling Erik's arms holding her tightly and his lips moving in a sweet, tender kiss against hers.

She frowned when he stopped her. She caught the look in his eyes. He was holding back again.

"I'm sorry," she said in a quiet voice and composed herself.

"It wasn't wrong." His fingers brushed against her cheek and she looked up at him.

"Do you really dream about me?" She loved the feeling of his touch-light and tender. He nodded. "I

dream about you ... before I met you."

He smiled, as though he already knew that.

"How?" she said.

He slid his arm around her, leading her down the steps towards the garden. He sighed and she looked

up at him as they walked.

"It happens sometimes. Don't question it." He was staring into the distance.

She decided he was right. It was best not to question some things. She glanced into the maze as they

passed it.

Was the panther in there now?

She looked at Erik.

Or was it out here?

Chapter 17.

This was nice.

And it was going better than he'd thought it would.

Erik smiled down at Kim. She was walking beside him, her eyes darting about as they took everything in. They were heading towards the woods, skirting the perimeter of the garden. His favourite spot to look at the house from was coming up. There was a wide rectangular pond with a tall fountain in the centre of it. It was a beautiful view in all directions from there, but it made the house in particular look stunning.

He wanted her to see it in its best light so she'd understand just why he was willing to sign that contract.

"So you get the house if you agree to his terms?" Her conversation had been all business since the revelation that they shared dreams about each other. He knew she was avoiding having to think about that, and how it was possible.

He looked over his shoulder at the house.

He didn't want to talk business. He wanted to find a way to make her understand the connection between them and everything that had happened. She'd seen through his eyes, and he'd seen through hers. The bonding between them had started, and they were beginning to run out of time to mate.

Brushing his hair back into place with his fingers, he remembered the feel of her hands in his fur. She'd been so brave, petrified at first, but then so relaxed around him in his panther form. He'd been surprised by how quickly she'd found the courage to stroke him, to rub him behind the ear, and he knew that there had been a moment of recognition within her. She had a suspicion now, brought about by the things that happened in their dreams and by the way he'd reacted when she'd tickled behind his ear in the shower. He never hid who he was. He couldn't.

If she tickled him behind the ear right now, he'd have a hard time stopping himself from purring.

It was one hell of a weak spot.

If she did stay with him, she'd have a power over him with that. Anything she wanted, she could get by tickling him there.

His senses pricked. He glanced across at Kim and found her looking at him. It was probably her stirring them. She always did when she was this close.

"I don't get the house exclusively," he said, answering her earlier question as they reached the fountain.

"You get a share?"

He nodded. "In exchange for half of my company."

Her eyes widened. "Is that wise? I mean, can't Alistair stage some kind of takeover if he owns more than half of it?"

"I'm the only shareholder. He couldn't own more than half. I'll have fifty-one percent of the company and he has fifty-one percent of the house. We're not splitting things equally. I wouldn't agree to that."

"But you would agree to a paragraph about blood?"

He sighed and cursed her inquisitive mind. It would be so easy to stop her right where she was now and tell her exactly what the paragraph meant. He would if he knew for sure that she wouldn't freak out.

"He would," someone said behind him.

He stopped, his fists clenching as he turned to face his brother. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same thing." Alistair stepped towards him and Erik moved so Kim was slightly behind him.

He could sense the anger coming off his brother and he knew what this was about.

"Shouldn't you be in London, in a meeting, with me and some stuffy lawyers?" Alistair leaned to one side and looked past him, his eyes narrowing into a dark look. "Although you seem to have brought a lawyer with you."

Alistair's eyes turned golden and he grinned.

Erik's heart began to pound, the hairs on the back of his neck rising as his instincts kicked in. He had to protect her.

"Kim, go back to the house." Erik looked at her. She was staring at Alistair, fear written clearly in her eyes. He could understand. Alistair wasn't exactly hiding his anger and it wasn't everyday you saw someone's eyes turn more yellow. She didn't move. "Kim, to the house, now."

She looked at him and he got the message loud and clear. She was too scared to move and she didn't understand why. It was a mind game and she didn't know the rules. Her instincts were telling her to stay with him, with her mate, where she would be safe, and he was telling her to leave. She was safer away from him right now.

His distraction in looking at her too long cost him dearly.

Before he could react, Alistair had grabbed her arm and was yanking her towards him. Erik growled and pulled her free, only for Alistair to try and take hold of her again.

"Don't you touch her!" Erik roared the words, pulling Kim close to his chest and wrapping an arm

around her. "Leave her alone."

She pressed herself against his body, her face buried into his neck and her palms against his chest.

Alistair growled and bared his teeth as they extended.

Erik growled back at him.

"I won't lose her now that I've found her." He held Kim closer.

A spark of recognition entered Alistair's eyes.

"She's your mate? This is a joke, right, brother? I thought you were just after her for that sweet body,

not something as ridiculous as this. A human mate?" Alistair laughed at him.

He shook his head. "Leave now and I'll come in tomorrow and sign everything ... if you'll just leave."

Alistair grinned, giving him the impression it wasn't going to be that simple now that he knew what Kim meant to him.

Erik stepped away from Kim. Looking into her eyes, he tried to silently reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

"Run," he whispered, his voice pleading her to listen this time.

Alistair growled again and he could sense the change as it began to run through him. There was no way he could stop it. He could almost feel his eyes as they began to yellow and the first sweep of tingles through his body. It was the precursor to the change, the warning sign. Kim didn't need to see this, not yet, not now.

Her eyes widened as they dropped to his hands. His claws pushed through, fur erupting in a wave along the back of his fingers as they shifted into their panther state.

"Run!" he shouted this time, pushing her as the pain turned his stomach. She stumbled forwards and began to run, but she was too slow, and so was he. Alistair lunged at her, and before he could tackle his brother, he'd knocked Kim off balance and she was falling.

Erik flinched when she cracked her head on the side of the pond and slumped to the ground. His senses immediately reached out and relief bloomed inside of him as he heard her heart beating strong.

He roared at his brother and ripped his shirt open as his bones shifted, cracking out of place and then back into the new position. Alistair changed at the same time as him and their clothing was left behind as they leapt at each other. Erik dug his claws into Alistair's back and rolled with him, his teeth sinking deep into his shoulder, hard enough that he tasted blood and faintly heard Alistair's cry of pain.

His brother deserved to pay for hurting her. He'd warned him. They clashed again in a fury of teeth and claws, of growls and cries as they struggled for dominance. He'd fought with his brother before, nothing more than play fights to hone their instincts. He wasn't playing any more. It was time Alistair realised which of them was strongest.

Leaping from his back, Erik ran, luring Alistair away from Kim. He panted hard as he came out into the open and then jumped over one of the low hedges as his brother pounced. Alistair growled in frustration as he disappeared from view. Erik wouldn't keep him waiting long. Saving his energy, he stalked around the side of the hedge, keeping his focus on Alistair.

He attacked the moment he saw that Alistair had his back to him. They rolled together, back legs kicking and scratching at each other's stomach and ribs. He dug his claws in deeper and released a feral growl as he bit down on Alistair's front leg.

Alistair sprung free, blood soaking into his pale golden fur. He bared his teeth and backed away when Erik moved towards him.

The acquiescence was there in the way that Alistair lowered himself submissively, but Erik knew it wasn't over. He roared at Alistair in a show of strength and power, letting him see that if he tried anything, he'd have more than a hurt arm and shoulder to show for it.

Alistair slinked off into the bushes, limping as he wound his way back towards the house.

Erik didn't move until he saw that Alistair was back in human form and heard a car leave.

Turning around, he went back to Kim, hoping to God that she was all right.

And knowing that she'd seen him start to change.