Page 36 of Unforeseen Mate

“Be sure you share your feelings with Nora. The Ghost isn’t going to be inclined to think I have the better claim.”

“I need to see her,” she said quietly.

“It isn’t safe.”

“But if what you say about Strode is true…”

“It is.”

“Then he can strike at me here. I need to see Nora. I need to talk with her. Everyone keeps telling me my best friend is a killer, but that’s not the woman I know. I’m having trouble reconciling the two.”

“I can understand that, but part of what made her so effective as the Ghost was that killing was what she did, not who she was. I will warn you, she may have some very strong feelings about you being a hellhound.”

“Nora is the least prejudiced person I’ve ever known.”

“Maybe, but then you didn’t know she was a clouded leopard-shifter or an assassin.” He watched as a myriad of emotions played across her face. In addition to what he could see, he could feel her emotional chaos as it flowed down the link. “Would it be easier on you if I could arrange for you to meet with Nora in the Earth realm?”

“Why don’t you want her here?” she asked warily.

“Because the atmosphere in the In-Between and here in the Hollow is toxic to all living creatures except hellhounds.”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure I completely understood all the ramifications of agreeing to become your mate.”

“And I will admit I was fairly sure you didn’t, but I knew that the alternative was that I allow you to die…”

“Which you weren’t going to do.”

“Precisely.”

“Sneaky.”

“Hellhound.” He watched her struggle to contain her laughter and failed. “I need you to trust me.”

“That’s a big ask given that you and my best friend haven’t been exactly forthcoming with the unvarnished truth. But for now, I’m willing to go a bit further based on faith and the fact that you did save my life. Strode was never going to let me live. At some point I would have become inconvenient, so I do recognize that you rescued me.”

“I had ulterior motives.”

“You knew before you arrived that I was your fated mate,” she accused, softly.

“I don’t usually go around disturbing the peaceful sleep of women I’ve never met with erotic dreams.”

“So you had them too?” He nodded. “I wondered about that. The first time we were together, it was so easy and natural.”

“But it has always been that way with us. If you never believe anything else I say, believe this: from the first time I visited you, I have never so much as thought about another woman.”

“For what it’s worth, it was the same for me.”

Hayden believed they were making headway when there was a knock on the door. He glanced toward the door and then back at her. Another knock made him growl.

“I think you’d better see who that is. I don’t think they’re going away,” she said quietly.

“Come,” he bellowed.

He was in no mood to be polite. Fallon was about to see the worst of being a hellhound. The door opened and a small retinue of his warriors entered with his younger brother, Tanner, at the head.

“Tanner, how good of you to come greet my mate. Caye sends her regards.”

“You letting our sister join those mongrels in the world above was your worst mistake,” Tanner inclined his head toward Fallon, “until now.”

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