stole the breath from him, but it was the right thing to do. “Yes.” Blister’s voice was small and choked. “Bullshit,” Drake cursed. “Your wolf will never stand for it.” “My wolf is damaged. It won’t be easy, but I’ll control my animal. Whatever she needs. That’s what I’ll do.” Drake was quiet, staring out at the dirt covered oval. “And what if the thing she needs is her mate? Huh? What will you do then?” “Nothing good can come of it.” “You didn’t answer my question, Blister. What if what she needs is you?” Blister stared at the faint scars on his hands. “I’m the last fucking thing she needs and you know it.” “No. I don’t. Listen, don’t miss out on the best thing to come your way just because you have a few problems. I’m willing to bet she has a few of her own if you were to dig a little. Wouldn’t you like to help her fix them? Doesn’t the idea pull at that internal possessive instinct?” Blister lifted his head to look at his alpha. “She’d feel the same way. She’s as much for you as you are for her. You should give her a chance.” It wasn’t that simple. It really wasn’t. Even if Annie would be able to handle his shadows, he wasn’t ready to let anyone in there. It was a sad, shitty place full of pain and past mistakes. An internal scar nobody could begin to understand. Especially her. Her and her sunny disposition. Her and her sweet smiles. Her encouraging eyes. Her tender touch, which he’d only felt once. The idea that she might touch him again sometime was basically the only reason he wasn’t neck deep in a pit of despair over this whole thing. “I’m afraid of hurting her. Scaring her. I dunno. I’m afraid of changing her. Of fucking up so bad I can never come back from it. I can’t… you know, sleep in a bed. How can I have any kind of relationship with her when she’s so perfectly normal?” “Things aren’t always as they appear,” Drake muttered cryptically. Blister’s brow furled. “What does that mean?” Alpha pushed off the fence. “It means… get to know your mate, asshole. How can you figure this out if you don’t even know the first thing about her?” “I do know the first thing about her.” His tone was defensive, but he didn’t care. “Yeah?” “Yeah.” “Did you know her twin brother left her after their parents died, to run everything by herself. The family business. Their parent’s home. Bank accounts, etc. He just… left her on her own. Been gone five years and never looked back.” Shit. She’d mentioned her brother in the shelter. “How do you know this?” Drake shrugged. “Ella.” Blister squinted into the setting sun. “Fucker.” “Yeah.” “It explains some things.” Drake raised an eyebrow. “She’s probably lonely as hell now that her friends are busy.” “So be there for her. Now’s your chance.” “It’s not that easy. She has a business she needs to think about. Appearances to keep up.” “So?” Blister shrugged. “So. Away from the track, people don’t like me much. They find out she’s been talking to me, they might take it out on her business.” Drake shook his head. “What would people say about a pretty girl like her being with me, huh? You know this town would light up the gossip line. I just don’t want any of that for her. I want her to live a normal happy life like she deserves.” “You mean you don’t want any of that for you .” Blister kicked at the dirt with one booted foot. Damn it. “Yeah, okay? Is that so bad? I don’t want to hear what people will say about us. I don’t want to be the reason her business fails. I don’t want to be the one who brings bad things to her life. It’s real simple.” “Quit this. Stop trying to talk yourself out of happiness. It’s stupid and I’m not going to let you do it.” Blister shook his head. Drake didn’t understand. But one thing was true: Blister needed to know more