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hand through his hair without worry of what it’ll do to his perfectly combed locks, I’m gobsmacked. My brother is in love. I was sure that wasn’t possible, even with a true mate attraction. “That must have been some amazing sex you had his morning.” Mating brings the bond to the forefront, and when the bite happens, the couple’s fate is sealed. You didn’t! “Did you bite Annie?”
    Tristan sits on my bed and grabs a pair of my jeans. “I’m always amazing.” He zips them up and snaps the waistband shut. “But no, I didn’t bite her.” The denim snaps as he flicks them out in the air to release the wrinkles. “I can’t bite her. That would change everything, and I need to be in control.”
    I snort. “Really? Because the way you’re acting right now, I don’t think you are able to help yourself.”
    He glares at me, and I see the cold, calculating brother I’ve come to know. He sets down the pants, and the crease is razor sharp from his precision. Tristan says, “Make no mistake. Mating with Annie hasn’t changed anything.”
    “If you say so. But love wouldn’t be such a bad thing, you know.” I slide into loose jeans that hang low on my waist. “For either of us.”
    Tristan comes toward me and grips my arms. “Izzy, you are loved. By me.” He pulls me against his chest. “And I’m loved by you. That’s enough.”
    I used to believe that it was. But since we got here, he’s been pulling away. I’m watching my brother struggle with wanting the one thing all werebear want–a true mate. Even though he knows it can’t be. My heart aches in sympathy that the love Tristan and I crave is the very thing he must sacrifice.
    I step back before tears begin to burn in my eyes. Tristan has been strong for me all my life, and it’s time I returned the favor. “It’s not enough, and you know it.”
    He grabs my hand and grips it tight. “It needs to be.”
    I shake my head. “You do your part, and I’ll do mine.” I force a wink at him. “Because doing Luke Robichaux isn’t half bad.”
    Annie calls up to us from the kitchen to announce lunch. The silly grin of love returns to Tristan’s face. The familiar sense of dread is heavy in my gut when I remember the day we discovered he and Annie were true mates. I knew then it changed everything, no matter how insistent Tristan was that it wouldn’t.
    I watch my brother leave with a lightness in his step I didn’t know he possessed. I want to grab him and tell him to protect his heart. And I wonder how he’s going to manage when the love of his life discovers what we’ve done. Funny how a deal with the devil seems like a wise choice when faced with the threat of extinction. But it’s not so funny when the promises you make present you with a fresh new hell. I drag my hair up in a high ponytail, and the elastic snaps as I attach it. I gaze into the mirror at my high cheekbones and strong jaw. Izzy, find your strength, girl. Because Tristan’s days of protecting me are over. Now it’s my turn, because the future of the clan depends on me.

Chapter 15
    A nnie

    T he knife clinks against glass as I scoop out mustard for a sandwich. The scent of Tristan floats toward me, and a smile creeps on my face. Two large hands slap down on the counter as large arms trap me. I glance at the sleeves of his shirt that are rolled up on his muscular forearms. I recall how it was only a few days ago that the naked version of my mate did this, and I lean back to wiggle my butt in his groin.
    His voice rumbles in my ear. “I thought you had to work.”
    “I did. But I discovered they didn’t need me.” The girls who work for me in the retail shop are quite capable, and I couldn’t focus, so I decided to come back to my distraction.
    Tristan moves hair from my neck and places a kiss on it below my earlobe. “I do.” He nips at me, and the scrape of his teeth makes my spine tingle. I want his bite with an intensity that almost consumes me.
    I lean my head