Wild Invitation

your sleeve and hope she doesn’t crush the life out of it?”
    He met her gaze. “You got a streak of mean in you, Mercy.”
    “Thank you very much.” Finishing off the water, she threw him the bottle. “I’d better head off—have to meet Lucas.”
    He watched her climb back up into the trees, her words beating at him. Had he really been that much of an idiot, thinking he knew what was going on in Annie’s head while being so very wrong? More importantly, was he willing to swallow his need for dominance, for control, and put the most important decision of his life into her hands? What if she rejected him? The pain of the thought was paralyzing.
    •   •   •
    ANNIE finished putting away her things with eager hands. It was five on Friday, which meant she had the entire weekend to spend with Zach. He’d promised to show her some of the secret treasures of his forest, and she couldn’t wait. Of course, she thought with a smile, even if he’d told her he wanted to watch the entertainment network all weekend, she’d have had thesame reaction. She flat out adored being with him, wicked teasing and all. Especially since she’d gotten pretty good at teasing him back.
    “Hey, Teach.”
    “Zach!” She walked over to hug him. “What’re you doing here?”
    His expression was solemn. “I need to talk to you.”
    Her stomach knotted. “Oh.” She stepped back, trying to appear calm.
    “Mercy was right,” he said.
    Annie knew who Mercy was, having met the sentinel at the picnic. “About what?”
    “You’re waiting for me to leave you.”
    The world fell out from under her feet. She trembled, unable to move, as he closed the door and walked to her. “I will never leave you, Annie.” Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he bent so his forehead pressed against hers. “Not unless you ask me to.” He frowned. “Actually, I won’t leave you then, either. Just so you know.”
    “Wh-what?”
    “You’re my mate,” he said simply. “You’re in my blood, in my heart, in my soul. To walk away from you would cut me to pieces.”
    The room spun around her. “I need to sit down.”
    He let her go, let her lean against her desk.
    “Mate?” she whispered.
    “Yes.” His face grew bleak. “It’s a lifetime commitment. Mercy was right about one thing, but I’m right about this—you’re not too keen on that, are you?”
    She didn’t answer his question, her mind spinning. “Are you sure that I’m…?”
    “Baby, I was sure the first day we met. You fit me.”
    It brought tears to her eyes, because he fit her, too. Perfectly. “Zach, I…” She blinked, trying to think past the rushing thunder of emotion. “I never thought I’d marry,” she admitted. “But it’s not the commitment I have a problem with. It’s what comes after.” A confession made in a voice that threatened to break. “It’s this cold terror that the promise, the love, will one day turn into a trap.”
    “I know.”
    “She still waits,” Annie found herself saying. “For a Valentine or a birthday present or just a loving word.
She still waits.
”
    “Oh, sweetheart.” He tried to come closer, but she held up her hand, fighting to think, to understand.
    “I could survive you leaving me,” she said, “but I couldn’t survive you stopping to ‘see’ me.” And the mating bond would leave her with no way out. It truly was forever.
    “That’s something you never have to fear,” Zach said, the declaration resolute. “It’s not possible for mates to ignore each other.”
    “But—”
    “No buts,” he said, slashing out a hand. “I will never stop seeing you, never stop loving you. Mates
can’t
shut each other out.”
    Part of her wanted to grab that promise and never let go. But another part of her, the part that had been trapped first by injury, then a mother’s fear, was hesitant. Was she ready to take this chance on the faith of a man’s promise? Was she ready to give up the freedom she’d fought a lifetime to attain? “I’m so afraid, Zach.”
    “Ah, Annie. Don’t you know? My cat is devoted to you. If you asked me to crawl, I’d crawl.”
    It shattered her, the way he’d just ripped open his heart and laid it at her feet. Trembling, she placed two fingers against his lips. “I would never ask that.”
    “Neither would I.” His lips moved against her touch. “Trust me.”
    There it was, the crux of it. She adored him, loved him beyond reason, but trust…trust was a harder thing. Then she