“What?”

“I know. It works like this. Werewolves mate for life. It’s a very long story but Lucas was my mate and I had an anchor bond, I still do so we don’t have to deal with that. But Lucas died and my anchor saved me from dying too. When Lucas died, I was able to mate again. But of course I was devastated and I haven’t dated or even had sex in the last four years.”

“My head hurts, Tegan. Anchors, mates? What the hell are you telling me?”

“Hey, don’t be an ass. I didn’t plan this but it sure explains why I was so damned attracted to you from the start.” She gave him a narrow-eyed look and he relaxed, putting a hand on her thigh. “So anyway, it works like this—there are genetically compatible people out there. Not like only one person on earth but it’s rare enough. Anyway, when the se**n of one of the genetically matched people enters the vagina of the other person it creates a, hell, I don’t know, it’s sort of magic. It changes the DNA of each party to something else entirely, something matched and coupled. It creates a bond between the two people. In my culture, it’s marriage. When you came inside me, you sealed the bond and Claimed me as it were.”

“Tegan, I won’t deny that I am really attracted to you and have been from the first moment I laid eyes on you. But I’m human.”

“Nina was too.” Tegan shrugged. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. I won’t force myself on you. You have to accept it in your own way.”

He stood and began to pace, alarmed at how much he wanted to get back in bed and roll around with her. “Why did you do this to me without telling me?”

“I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known. I’d have waited to get to know you better. I know you don’t know me very well, but I would not have done this without your consent if I’d known. I’m not like that.”

And instinctively he knew that was true. But he didn’t know anything else from there. He grabbed his clothes and began to get dressed. She watched him from the bed with sad eyes.

“I can’t handle this. I’ve got to go home and think.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

“What does this mean?”

Sighing, she stood and pulled on a robe. “What do you mean, what does this mean?

Do you want me to use the rope to keep you here? You’re freaked, you don’t trust what I’m saying and you’re overwhelmed.” She shrugged. “But, Ben? When I mated with Lucas, I wanted to be with him all the time. Wanted to touch him and be touched. When we were apart for any long period of time, like when he was in Ranger school and when he was shipped out to Afghanistan, it was incredibly difficult. I expect you’ll feel it too.

The need to be with me.”

She put her arms around herself. “I am sorry, Ben. I’ve chained you to me without your consent and I apologize for that. I didn’t know.”

“Is it reversible?”

She shook her head. “No.”

He felt the need to comfort her and reached out to caress her face. “I believe you didn’t know. I’m not angry. But I’m confused. I was ready for a regular sub and a girlfriend, I don’t know if I’m ready for a wife. I have to get out of here. I will call you. I promise.”

She stood in the doorway to her bedroom, watching him pull on his boots, grab his bag, and head for the door.

“Goodnight, Tegan.”

Even before he’d gone she felt him leave. Felt him pull himself away from her and the emptiness that had been her constant companion for the last four years suddenly consumed her again. Having that warmth of connection to a mate again after the aching hole inside herself, only to have it stolen again, left her bereft.

Lowering the hand she’d raised as he’d gone, she slid to the ground and began to weep.

Chapter Five

Tegan dragged her ass to the house, knowing there’d be a shitstorm once she got there and they scented that she’d been Claimed. But there was no way around it so she went, hoping Nina was there to get her back.

She called Layla on the drive over and, as always, Lay was calm and cool and said she’d head on over to the house as well.

It was seven thirty when Tegan rolled into the kitchen and thanked her lucky stars to see Nina at the sink and Megan sitting at the table. No Cade or Lex in sight.

Both women spun as Tegan entered the room, nostrils flared. Before they could exclaim, she put a finger to her lips to silence them both. Nina’s brow rose as she turned to pour a mug of coffee for Tegan and hand it her way.

“Sit. Lex and Cade are in the office so we don’t have a lot of time. What happened?”

She told them the whole story, glad she’d cried all her tears the night before.

Nina looked shocked and then shrugged. “Shit. Well, Ben is a great guy. He’ll come around. He was shocked. Hell, I remember. I was shocked too.”

“I hope so.” Tegan took a sip of her coffee, thankful for her very common sense sister-in-law.

“Don’t you need to take care of the tri-bond?” The tri-bond was a second male who had sex with the female and formed an anchor, like the third leg to a stool. The anchor kept the female alive should her mate die. In some cases, a mated female who refused the tri-bond went insane from the intensity of her feelings for her mate and without the stabilizing influence of the anchor. It was an accepted and honored position for males to hold in the lives of the mated couple.