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Zack. In fact, I never once questioned his intentions
with me – I just automatically assumed my company was satisfactory,
but now I was starting to doubt everything. I paused.
    “ Zack?”
    “ Yes, Skylar?”
    “ Uh. I'm..." I didn't know how to
say it without sounding like an idiot.
    "You can tell me anything," he
said as he squeezed my hand.
    "...afraid.” Yeah, I did sound
like an idiot.
    “ Afraid of what?”
    “ You.”
    I expected him to be upset
or disappointed, perhaps even angry, but the features in his face
only softened further as his eyebrows drew together. He took both
of my hands in his and looked deep into my eyes. This wasn't the
same gaze from the club. This was much more intense than that
initial captivating glance. His eyes opened . His pupils blossomed
and expanded, and the blue surrounding them swirled into a paler shade.
Suddenly, I found myself inside a riptide, his eyes pulling me
deeper and deeper into their vast and expansive
waters.
    “ Skylar Jones, I
would never harm you – I absolutely promise you with every fiber of
my being. If you no longer feel safe, we can return to the car, and I'll
drive you home. I will not be angry at all.”
    His explanation was
surprising. Why was he
being so kind to me? I was of no real
significance in the world of Hollywood, and I certainly hadn't made
any huge impressions on anyone lately. So, what about me was
keeping Zack Rider interested? As if he could hear my thoughts, he
went on:
    “ I'll admit that
it's been torturous to keep my hands off you the entire evening, but
I will not press forward unless you give me permission to do so. I
don't want to alarm you, but wolf shifters like myself mate for
life, and our encounter is no coincidence. I believe we were meant
to meet.”
    The breeze picked up as he
went silent and I followed its path up towards the moon that was
glittering down upon the sand around us. Another wave crashed
nearby. My eyes traced our footprints up to where we were standing, and I
raised my eyes to meet his once more.
    “ I'm not sure I understand,” I
managed to say.
    He simply watched me silently, peering deeper into
my eyes. I hadn't felt this way about anyone in a long time. Ever,
really. And I had no way of justifying this to myself. I had strict
rules about what I let happen on first dates, and that was usually
just sex. This... this felt like more. I couldn't explain it, but
there was something about this man that just totally and completely
consumed me.
    "I believe we were meant to meet,"
he repeated, almost in a whisper.
    My chest nearly exploded as
realization crashed down on me. He thinks I'm his mate. That can't
possibly be right. He's Zack Rider, and I'm... well, I'm the
farthest thing from the women men like him typically date. Let
alone mate with.
I could feel my heart beating so loudly, and by the way he watched me, I
knew he could hear it, too.
    "Please say something," he said to
me, wrapping his hands around mine.
    "I know this will sound
ridiculous," I whispered to him, as he pulled me closer towards
him, "but I have never felt this way before. I don't really know
what to do."
    “ Nor do I,” he
laughed. His warm, boyish laugh loosened my nerves a little bit. He
pulled me in close, and I leaned into his chest, thankful for the excuse
not to speak for a moment.
    He kissed the top of my head, a
sweet and comforting gesture.
    “ I want to spend time with you.
Here. And I want to keep spending time with you,” I whispered into
his broad chest, taking in the smell of his expensive
cologne.
    I couldn't see, but I could feel
him smiling. I noticed that as I stood pressed up against him, I
could sense so much of what he was feeling. Was that a shifter
thing?
    “ That is by no means a promise to
be your mate,” I added quickly. “But I'm positive I don't want
tonight to end.”
    He traced my arms with his fingers
and didn't stop until his palms were gently cradling my
face.
    Someone once told me that
shifters can't