Angela sat up quickly when she woke some time later. The first thing realized was that she was in her own room. The curtains were open and she could see that the sun was beginning to set. Slowly what had happened at the bookshop came back to her and she listened closely to see if anyone, (namely a dog-man named Jake), was in the house with her.

Angela heard the TV playing downstairs and then the sound of a crashing dish came to her ears.

"Oh my God, he's destroying my house," she said to herself. "Whoever he is," she added. She quickly left her room and was about to run downstairs when she caught a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror.

"Oh God.... I look horrible!" she gasped. She went to the bathroom and assessed herself more thoroughly. There was nothing she could do about the puffy, swollen eyes but she threw on some blush, mascara and lip gloss, smoothed out her floral knee length skirt and black tank top and then continued her walk downstairs.

Angela found Jake in the kitchen sweeping up the remains of one of her best antique china plates. He looked up at her and offered an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry." he said. "I'll replace it."

Angela reached out and took the dustpan from him before walking over and emptying it in the trash.She turned back around and had to fight to keep jaw from dropping.

Jake was standing now and his large frame seemed to take up her entire kitchen.

"Don't worry about it." she responded once she found her voice. "It was one of a kind so it can't be replaced."

Jake nodded and looked around the messy kitchen uncomfortably. "I was trying to cook dinner but it's not going very well,"

He looked toward the sink and Angela followed his gaze. She was fairly certain the charred remains in one of her best pans was supposed to be meatloaf.

"I appreciate the effort." she offered.

888

Jake could tell that Angela meant what she said and surprisingly he was filled with pride.

He hadn't been this nervous around a woman since the first girl he had ever courted and that had been over two hundred years ago.

He was so frightened that at any moment she would freak out and demand that he leave and Jake didn't know if he could survive that; or if he could actually leave if she wanted him to.

Every fiber of him, both man and wolf, were screaming to touch her, hold her, kiss her and spend every moment for the rest of his life with her.

He threw a smile, though it felt strange on his lips. Jake had not smiled much in his very long life. He saw her swallow hard and her legs seemed to shake before she crossed her arms over her chest and licked her full lips.

"I can solve the dinner problem." Angela said and quickly walked over to a drawer and pulled out several take out menus. "Pick something and go call and order it in the living room while I try to clean this kitchen." she said handing them all to him.

Jake didn't argue, simply walked into the living room leaving her alone in the messy kitchen. He quickly ordered something to be delivered and then walked back into the kitchen where Angela was standing in front of the sink full of hot soapy water with her back to him.

"I just ordered some pizza. They said they'd have it here in about a half hour." he stated.

Angela nodded and continued with the dishes.

"Angela, we need to talk." Jake urged.

Angela grabbed a dishtowel and dried her hands and then she whirled around toward him and threw her hands in the air. "Talk about what?" she demanded, her big brown eyes full of confusion. "Talk about the fact that just this morning I really think you were my dog? Or how about the fact that despite that I am unexplainably attracted to you? Or we could discuss that for some reason I can't even begin to understand you seem to be attracted to a woman like me...." Jake couldn't stop himself. One second he was listening to her rant and the next he had his hands on her cheeks and was pressing his lips to hers.

Angela stiffened at first but then she melted against him. Her body molded to his. Jake wasn't sure whose lips were hotter. Both of them seemed to be branding the other as their own. Angela tried to open her mouth wider to welcome him in but he growled low in his throat and forced himself away from her.

888

Angela looked up into Jake's eyes and they were glowing and seemed to be made of molten lava. Sparks flew in their golden depths.

She put her fingertips over her kiss swollen lips and stared up at him.

"I'm sorry." Jake said gruffly. "I need to explain some things to you before this goes any farther."

"Let's go to the living room and we can talk." Angela replied quickly. Somehow her trembling legs managed to carry her to the couch and sat down curling her legs beneath her. Jake turned off the TV and sat down beside her.

"What do you want to know first?' he asked.

"Were you my dog this morning." she asked looking down at the floor instead of at him.

"Well yes. But technically I was a wolf not a dog." he replied, staring down at his big hand as he rested his elbows on his knees.

"Oh ok." she mumbled quietly.

"I am an immortal. A werewolf."

"But the moon wasn't full...." Angela said trying to pretend this was a completely logical conversation.

Jake held up his hand. "Were creatures can turn whenever they want. The moon has no effect on us. You can't kill us with a silver bullet either."

"So for the last three days you've been in my home with me.." Realization dawned and Angela squeaked with embarrasment as her cheeks flamed red. "You've seen me naked and slept in my bed every night..." She buried her face in her hands, horror filling her.

"Well I only saw you naked that first night. I was careful to leave the room after that and you'll never know how hard that was for me." Jake admitted, sounding proud of himself. What did the man want? A medal? "And I was going to be good and sleep on the floor but I couldn't lay there and listen to you cry without trying to comfort you," he added.

"This conversation is insane." she said more to herself than to him. She peeked at him through her fingers and saw how nervous and scared he seemed to be. But she could also see something else. Some other kind of emotion in his eyes when he looked at her that no other man had ever looked at her with.

"Why?" she asked, lowering her hands. "What brought you here to me?"

"You're not going to scream and yell now that you know what I am? You're not going to call me a crazy freak and make me leave?" he ask with wide-eyed surprise.

"Why would I do that?" Angela asked. "Because of the whole immortal werewolf thing?"

Jake nodded as if the answer to that question should be obvious.

"Well, I mean yeah it's not something a woman hears every day but I can see myself that you're telling the truth so I know you're not crazy." Angela replied, carefully sorting through the fact and her own thoughts as she spoke. "You've been living here for three days doing nothing but comforting me and protecting me so I don't believe that you're a danger to me. I definitely don't think you're a freak--" Angela looked at his sculpted arms and large masculine hands that were lying nervously on his lap. "--so that leaves us with why are you here with me?" she finished.

Angela supposed most women would be frightened right now but there had always been a part of her that had found the paranormal and unexplainable to be romantic. She loved books about werewolf mates and vampires and true love so it was almost a dream come true to have a sexy werewolf like this in her living room now.

Jake stared at her his gold eyes wide. Angela wondered what he was thinking and wished he would speak.

"That's kind of hard to explain." he replied slowly, after a few long moments of quiet. Jake rose from the couch and Angela looked at him questioningly.

"Pizza's here." he informed her.

Angela pulled the curtain back and saw the delivery car turning onto the dirt road she lived on."How did you know?"

Jake pointed to his ear.

"Of course.. Super sensitive hearing" Angela said with a nod. Jake pointed to his nose as well. "Of course. Super sensitive scent ." she added. As he turned away and walked toward the door Angela quickly breathed into her hand to test the smell of her breath.

"Your breath is fine." he assured her as he opened the door.

Angela didn't ask how he'd known what she was doing. She had more important things to think about at that moment. She tried desperately to collect her thoughts. Did it bother her that Jake was a werewolf? The answer to that was no.. it was kind of sexy really. That thought scared the hell out of her. She should be scared of him but instead all she wanted to do was take him up to her bed!

She was shocked by her own thoughts. The only man she had ever been with was Tyler and that had always been less than fulfilling. She was not an impulsive person but even though she didn't even know Jake there was something about him that was drawing her to him.

He came back into the living room with the pizza box and two sodas from the fridge. He quickly grabbed a piece of pizza and stuffed nearly all of it into his mouth at once.

"Hungry?" Angela asked with amusement.

He took a drink and smiled at her. "I'm a big eater." he replied. "Plus I haven't had much to eat the last couple of days,"

Angela thought back to the bowls of dog kibble she had put out for who she thought was a dog and she grimaced. "Sorry." she said. "So now are you going to answer my question?"

"I suppose I don't really have a choice." he said. Angela waited for him to continue. "All immortals have a single mate. Once they find their one mate they are bound to them eternally. It's rare but sometimes an immortal will have a mortal mate..."

"What exactly are you telling me?"

"You are my mate."

"Mate?" Angela asked slowly. "Like soul mate?"

"Yes. Each immortal has one mate; one other being who was created only for them."

"It sounds beautiful." Angela said her head spinning. "But a little intimidating."

Jake looked at her and managed a small smile. "You think it's intimidating for you? At least you have a choice in all of this. Mortals get to choose whether they want to except their mate.. I am the one who has something to lose here."

Angela could not believe what she was hearing. This man, who looked like he had been pulled off of one of the covers of the romance novels she loved to read, was telling her that he was bound to her and wanted to be hers. He even acted scared at the thought of losing her.

"What would happen to you if I refused" Angela asked.

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Jake felt his heart fall into his stomach. He looked down at the floor as he answered her question. "I would leave," he said simply. "I wouldn't want to but I would leave."

Jake didn't tell her that he would never be the same again. He didn't tell her that he would always feel as if a piece of his very soul was missing. He didn't mention that he needed Angela around him. He needed her scent, her touch, her presence near him every day for the rest of his very long life. He didn't want her to feel like he was trying to pressure her even though he was a nervous wreck at the thought that she was going to turn him away.

Angela was quiet for a long time as she stared down at the polished wood of the floor. Jake wished he was a mind reader because his nerves were getting the best of him; which was saying something because at one time in his life Jake had possessed nerves of steel. Those were gone now it seemed. They had been done away with by this beautiful mortal woman with gentle eyes and a caring soul.

"You were wrong though, Jake." she finally whispered and Jake looked at her questioningly as she raised her gaze to meet his. "I don't have any more of a choice in this than you do... You are my soul mate. I don't know how I know that because I barely know you. I just feel it right here," she finished, laying a hand on her chest.

Angela leaned over and pressed her lips to his and he welcomed her eagerly. Jake pushed her gently down onto her back and moved his body over hers. He moved his lips down her neck and across her collarbone. Angela shivered beneath him and he moved his mouth back to hers.

She opened her lips to him and his tongue eagerly explored her mouth. She was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted and she felt so soft beneath him. He kissed her as if her very taste was all the nourishment he would ever need.

Angela sat up enough so that he could slip off her tank top and unfasten her bra. Her breasts fell heavy and free and Jake stared at them hungrily. He was caught up in the waves of passion coursing through him as he took in the beautiful sight of her body. It had been nearly an entire liftimes worth of decades since he had been with a woman and this was his soul mate. He could not have stopped himself from claiming her even if he had wanted to and Jake certainly didn't want to.

"I want you in a bed." Jake growled.

Angela nodded and bit her lip, staring into his eyes. Jake needed no further urging than that. He stood and picked her up cradling her in his arms.

888

As Jake carried her up the stairs Angela kept waiting for his face to turn red, sweat to start pouring or his breath to get ragged from the weight of her. But none of those things happened and as he lay her down on the bed he seemed turned on and wild, and not the least bit tired.

"You're strong." she whispered, the words coming out as a moan since Jake was already laying kisses along her neck. She felt him smile against her neck and she shivered with delight.

Jake moved to slide her skirt and panties down and Angela reached for the blanket to cover herself.

"What is wrong?" he ground out, his cheek carressing her bare breast and stealing her breath.

"Don't you want to turn the light off?" Angela asked.

Jake rose up and stood at the edge of the bed looking down at her. "Why?"

Angela felt herself turning red with embarrassment under his hungry gaze. This was a mistake. This was too soon. This sexy adonis of a man was going to take one good look at her completely naked and run screaming for his life.....

"I just thought you would like it better that way." she mumbled.

Jake growled low in his throat, sounding every bit the animal as he jerked the blanket away from her."Wouldn't make a difference, I can see in the dark." he assured her. Jake pulled her skirt and panties the rest of the way off, ignoring her protests. And those protests died on her lips when she saw the hunger and desire flashing in his golden eyes. She coudln't beleive it. The man wasn't disgusted at the sight of her.

"You are beautiful, Angela. I want to see all of you and I want you to see all of me." Jake assured her. He shed his clothes in a rush and then stood there before the bed as if eager to impress her.

And impress her he did. Every inch of his glorious body was tanned, lean muscle. His arms and legs were long and toned and black hair covered his sculpted chest. Her gaze fell lower and her jaw dropped. His was long, full and hard. She realized he was hard for her and felt her confidence rise.

Angela reached her arms out for him, wanting to feel his body against hers, and he came to her. He ran his hand along her leg while kissing her passionately. Angela nibbled his lip and then let out a whimper as Jake took his hand higher and slid his fingers along her inner thigh.

Angela had never had a man take his time wtih her. Never had a man who made sure that she found her own pleasure before he went after his. So it came as a complete, (and rather delicious), shock when Jake's thick finger slid inside of her as his lips tasted her aching breast.

She was unsure what to do and as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her Angela began to squirm beneath him and tried to pull his hand away, knowing the only way he would feel pleasure was once he was inside of her.

Jake raised his head and looked down at her with a frown. "Are you in a hurry?" he asked, a second finger joining the one already driving her crazy.

"It's just...well.. I've never..." Angela had no idea how to finish what she was trying to say.

Jake growled and captured her lips beneath his in a hot rush before pulling away again and staring intently into her eyes. "He was a selfish fool. I will not be. Lay back and enjoy, Angela. You are my mate, this is my job."

Angela bit her lip and did as she was told. Jake seemed like a man who was used to being obeyed and who was she to challenge him?

It did not take long before Angela was crying out his name, her nails digging into Jake's shoulders as she had the first orgasm she had ever experienced in her life.

It took several long minutes for her to come back down to earth and Jake was looking down at her with an emotion in his golden eyes that Angela was afraid to try to name.

""Make love to me, Jake." she practically purred beneath him and he happily obliged.

He positioned himself over her and Angela let out a cry as he entered her. Jake was still for several long moments and she found herself growing impatient.

She worked her hips beneath him and he began to move.

888

Angela moaned his name over and over and Jake felt his own pleasure building.

The wolf in him longed to bite her... It longed to sink its teeth into her tender skin and mark her permanently as his own. He felt his teeth sharpening but forced himself to fight the urge.Now was not the time for that.

Jake felt her stiffen and then begin to shudder beneath him as she cried out his name once again and he was grateful that she had no close neighbors to be concerned about.

Jake lost all ability to think then as he joined her and went over that pulse pounding edge.

He stayed on top of her and kissed her passionately as they both waited for the earth to begin spinning again.

Jake laid gentle kisses to both her eyelids. "Are you okay?" he asked as she lay there so still and quiet beneath him. "Did I hurt you? You're so fragile."

Angela began to laugh. "You are the first person to ever call me fragile."

"You are." he replied, wondering why she would be around anyone who treated her as less than perfect. "Are you okay?" he asked again.

"I'm fine." she assured him. "This is just all so sudden."

"Actually I've been searching for you for over two hundred years..." he said and stopped when he saw her eyes widen. "I know it's sudden for you, Angela, and I'm sorry. I wish I had had the strength to walk away when I first saw you but the pull was just too strong."

"I'm not sorry, Jake." she replied, laying her hand on his cheek and looking up into his eyes. "But what does all of this mean? Are we a couple or...."

"We are mates is what the wolf in me knows. The man in me is sure that he's meant to be with you too."

"Mates? But I'm not immortal like you so what happens as time goes on?" Angela asked.

Jake slid a stray lock of her dark hair behind her ear. He had hoped that this question would be asked a little further in the future but there was no dodging it now. "We can live out your life together happily. I will do everything I can to make you happy, Angela." he replied and he knew it was the truth. It was a new feeling for Jake to care about someone else so intensely. He loved his family but this was different. This was more. He would do anything just to make this woman smile.

Angela, however, didn't seem satisfied with his answer. "That's it?" she asked. "What happens to you after I'm gone?"

"Don't' worry about that." he said rolling off of her and laying on his back beside her. She rolled toward him and sat up so she was looking down at his face.

"Don't tell me what to do, Jake. You said you'd do everything you can to make me happy so answer my question."

"Nothing will happen to me. I will keep living on."

"Will you find another mate?" Angela asked.

Jake smiled at the jealousy he could hear in her tone. "No, Angela. You are my one and only. Once a werewolf has been with his mate he can never be with another woman. His wolf won't allow him to be unfaithful."

"That doesn't seem very fair for you." Angela said laying a gentle hand on his cheek. "Too bad there's not a way for me to become immortal."

Jake was tempted to tell her that there was but he didn't want her to have to make that choice for him. Not yet at least...

"You can still tell me to leave and never come back." he said, feeling his heart break a little at the thought.

"No I can't." Angela replied assuringly. Then her cheeks reddened with embarrassment when her stomach growled loudly.

"You're starving." Jake said. He stood and pulled on his jeans. "I'll go get the pizza and be right back."

888

Angela watched him leave and pulled the cover over herself. So much had happened today that none of it felt real but her body was still humming from love making so she knew it was all real.

Her boyfriend had left her for her best friend. She had found out that the dog that had been living with her for three days was really an insanely hot werewolf and that werewolf had turned out to be eternally bound to her because she was his soul mate.

It was crazy and it made no sense but she loved him already. How that was even possibly she had no clue. Angela had never felt anything like this feeling. It was like a force of nature and she had no say in the matter. She got lost in her thoughts, her body thoroughly relaxed, and drifted off to sleep.

888

Jake was on his way back up to Angela when his brother's voice yelled inside his head.

(Dammit Jake! I need your help! I screwed up and they're going to kill me!)

(Who the hell are you talking about?) Jake demanded.

(Lucas and his brother. I needed money and they loaned me some but I can't pay them back now and they said they'll kill me if I don't pay them back.)

(Where are you?) Jake asked knowing he couldn't turn his back on his brother.

(Jamaica.) Lane replied.

(Jamaica? Are you fucking kidding me? They have laws for us in Jamaica. I can't just dash there and back again, I have to travel the mortal way! It will take days!) Jake took a breath trying to calm himself. (Can you come to New York and get the money from me?)

(No. They have me locked up. I told them you would help me that's the only reason I'm still alive. They don't want to kill their cousin until they have to I guess.)

(How much money?) Jake asked rubbing the ache in his temple and sitting down on the stairs.

(Ten thousand dollars.) Lane said sheepishly.

(What the hell! I might kill you myself if they don't!)

(Are you coming?)

(Yes. It'll take me a day or two to get there. And Lane...)

(Yes, big brother?)

(This better be the last time.) Jake closed the link before his pain in the ass younger brother could respond.

(Lucas!) Jake waited several seconds before his cousin replied.

(Why so grumpy, Jake?) Lucas asked. (What can I do for you?)

(Don't kill my brother. I'm coming with your damn money.)

(You better hurry. He's getting on my damn nerves.)

(Join the club.) Jake said rubbing his aching temple yet again. (And it's your own damn fault anyway for lending him money that you knew he wouldn't pay back.)

(Yes but he has you to do that for him doesn't he?) Lucas asked with amusement. Jake didn't respond. He closed the link and stood up.

He walked the rest of the way back up the stairs and into Angela's bedroom. He found her fast asleep cuddled up to her pillow.

He smiled down at her and felt an ache in his chest at the thought of leaving her. He knew she couldn't come with him. He didn't think that Lucas would hurt him or Lane once he had his money but he would not risk her safety.

He listened to her steady breathing and sighed. He couldn't bring himself to wake her. He found some paper and a pen downstairs and wrote her a letter letting her know that he had to go and that he'd be back in a few days.

It was cowardly not to wake her and say goodbye but he did not think he could refuse her if she asked to come along. He went back upstairs and left the note on the bedside table where he knew she would see it.

He laid a gentle kiss to her temple and with the wolf and the man in him screaming at him to stay with her he walked down the stairs and out of the house.