Snapping the lock was easy and he stepped into the bathroom. Leah was nowhere to be seen. Her clothes were on the floor, and he took a step toward the shower. She was standing beneath the water.

“Get out,” Leah said.

“You asked for the truth,” he said.

“And I got it, now get out.”

“You have to get your shit together.”

She turned her head and he tried not to look down the long length of her back, but it was so fucking hard. Especially as her ass looked so damn inviting. Plump and juicy, designed to sit within his palm and for him to hold her as he fucked her hard, fast, and deep. This is why he wanted to avoid being near her. She was temptation. And each minute he spent with her, the harder it was becoming for him to want to sever their bond.

Lucinda was right. For decades he’d been hoping, praying for his mate. Now that he had her, he was going to give her up for the safety of his pack.

“Get out,” Leah said.

He stepped into the shower stall, not caring that his clothes were getting wet.

“I know I’m hurting you, but you have to see that it’s for your own good,” he said.

“Rejecting me is for my own good. What kind of bullshit is that?”

He noticed when she was hurting, she swore a lot more. It sounded cute.

“I’m old, Leah. You’re still young and I know that wolves and witches only mix well in small doses. You and I would make each other unhappy in no time.”

“You don’t know that. There’s no way you could ever know that,” she said, sniffling. “You’ve not even given us a chance.”

He wrapped his arm around her after another ground-shaking rumble filled the air. The moment he touched her, he felt so fucking free. Pressing his face against her neck, he breathed her in. The wolf inside him calmed.

For three days his wolf refused to settle. Always tense, ready to strike. It was exhausting, and he knew it was part of his punishment for the journey they were taking.

“Why give us something we can’t have?” Killian said.

“Who says we can’t have it?” Leah asked. “Why not give us this chance?”

She spun around in his arms. Her tits pressed against his chest. His hands were now near the base of her back. A mere few inches would see him touching that precious ass, and he wanted to, so badly. He didn’t.

Cupping his face, she forced him to look at her.

He didn’t want to look away. Her eyes were red from crying and he hated himself for causing it. All he wanted to do was protect her and his pack. There was no way for him to have both.

“I don’t know how long we’re going to be on this mission but why not allow ourselves the luxury of being mates? You’re not around your pack. I’m not near my coven. It’s just the two of us, Killian. No one needs to know and when we’ve done what you need, we can go back to our lives. We would have at least given us a chance.”

Damn it, it was so tempting.

Her gaze went to his lips and he watched as she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip.

“Would it be so hard to think about?” she asked. “Tonight.”

She pulled away from him and stepped out of the shower. He didn’t turn but he knew she picked up a towel and left the bathroom.

He turned off the hot water and removed his clothes in the stall as they were now soaking wet. Stepping out of the stall, he tried not to think about her body against his, or the temptation she possessed.

Their journey had taken longer than he planned. He didn’t know how long they were going to be, finding what he was looking for. The details of the path were etched on his mind. The seer had given him a concoction to drink, and he alone had the directions to the witch that would help him.

He thought about Leah. Having her all to himself, making her his mate for this time only, and then, once he found the witch, severing the ties that bound them together. He could have the best of both worlds, even for a little while. Leah, his mate, as well as the safety of his pack. For however long it lasted, he would soak it up.

With a towel wrapped around his waist, he stepped into the main hotel room. Leah had a towel around her body, and she used another to dry her hair.

The thunder and lightning had stopped. All that remained was the smattering of rain, and it didn’t come down as ferocious as before.

“Has any man ever kissed you?” he asked.

Leah spun around, her mouth open slightly in surprise. “What?”

He took a step toward her. “Has anyone ever kissed you?” he asked.

She shook her head, licked her lips. “No.”

He closed the distance between them. They were close now, toe to toe. Leah didn’t try to escape. She tilted her head back to look at him and as she did, she nibbled the corner of her mouth.

He put one hand at her waist, the other at the back of her neck. “Then let’s rectify that.”

Killian didn’t give her a chance to argue. Drawing her close, he slammed his lips down on hers and took the kiss he’d been craving. Tracing his tongue across her lips, she moaned and gasped, and he plundered inside, swallowing down the pleasured sounds. He couldn’t get enough of them.

Moving the hand he held at her waist, around her back, he went down to her ass, gripping the full, plump flesh, and drew her close. This time, he didn’t hide his arousal. There was no point in doing so.