“Hello, Darcy,” he said. “You and I both know why I am here.”

She tensed up. Last night had been so scary. She looked past his shoulder, but no one was waiting in the wings to laugh and mock her. Nibbling her lip, she didn’t know if she should try to avoid the truth or give him a chance.

“Come in,” she said.

Stepping away from the door, she moved to the kitchen, so that the island separated them. This was insane. Joe was younger than her.

He had his whole life ahead of him, and she had gotten used to being alone. She had gone on dates, but none of them had ended well. Some of the guys she dated only wanted to have meaningless sex, which she wasn’t interested in.

She heard Joe close her front door and seconds later, he stood in her kitchen. Her home was small and cozy, which was one of the many things she loved about it, but right now, it seemed a little too small with Joe in her kitchen.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes. They just looked at each other, and she didn’t know how to say what needed to be said.

“Did you have a good trip?” she asked.

“You’re my mate, Darcy.”

She pressed her lips together and looked at him. “I, er, I … do you want a drink?”

“You’re not denying it.”

She reached for the kettle but then stopped herself and turned toward him. Rubbing at her temple, she released a sigh. “I … ugh, I don’t know what to say, Joe.”

He put his hands on her countertop. “Tell me you feel it too?”

Darcy looked at him and she didn’t know what to do or say. What should she tell him?

The truth.

“Yes.” She hadn’t felt anything like this. Her heart raced, her nipples felt heavy, and her pussy was slick. Her wolf, which was quite happy to be calm and relaxed, wanted to go and rub herself all over Joe.

Joe went to round the counter but she held her hand out. “Stop.”

She moved away from him.

“What the fuck, Darcy?”

“I’m forty years old, Joe. I’m older than you. You’re the alpha’s son!” She couldn’t quite believe it. For as long as she could remember, she had wanted a mate, someone to call her own, and to be loved by another.

Not once had her dreams been given, and now, the man that was meant to be hers was fifteen years her junior. There was no way William Johnson would stand for it.

“I don’t give a flying fuck about that. I’m your mate, Darcy.”

“Maybe it is an error,” Darcy said. “You’re so young and you’ve just come back, and…”

“And what?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I’m kind of panicking right now. I don’t know if you can see that.”

“I can see that. Are you saying you’re rejecting me?” he asked.

She instantly recoiled at the dirty word. “No, I’m not rejecting you.”

He went to move closer to her, and she took another step, trying to keep a good distance between them.

She had no idea what her wolf was going to do. Darcy wasn’t used to feeling this unpredictable. She didn’t know how her body was going to react.

Staring at him, she felt her wolf wanting to get to him.

Mine.

Ours.

Mate.

Get him.

Keep him.