CHAPTER THREE: Merrick Blake 

There was something about Hazel Ellis’s scent that struck me unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Women generally have pleasant aromas, but hers was a unique blend of leather and citrus that made it impossible to control my instincts. It was as if the animal inside me—my bear—wanted to burst free.

The moment she pinned me to the ground and I inhaled her scent fully, I lost all control. My mind snapped into grizzly mode, and I could feel pheromones I’d never been able to control flooding out, designed specifically to draw her in. Hazel was my True Mate, and I hadn’t even realized it until that moment at Tommy’s bar.

For ruby shifters like me, meeting a True Mate is almost unheard of. Nature doesn’t care about fur color, and often pairs us with non-rubies, which makes it dangerous to try to turn them into one of us. So, when we find the person nature intends for us, most of us just walk away.

I never thought I’d find my True Mate, so stumbling upon Hazel felt like winning the lottery. To top it off, discovering she was a long-lost wolf shifter was just the cherry on top.

I collapsed into a booth, eyes glued to Hazel as she settled across from me. The way she moved—graceful and controlled—suggested a background in dance or acrobatics. She was as strong as she was agile, and that strength was reflected in the sharpness of her gaze.

She leaned forward slightly, and I couldn’t help but let my gaze drop to her chest. Her low-cut top practically dared me to look, and those curves? They were calling to me, and I intended to claim them.

“What do you want?” Her piercing blue eyes locked on mine, unflinching.

“You,” I growled, my bear pushing forward as the truth came out. The animal inside me wasn’t going to back down until she was mine—completely.

“I’m not a piece of meat,” she retorted, narrowing her eyes. “Can werewolves and shifters mate?”

The wolves had abandoned us long ago, but I didn’t expect them to be clueless about our existence. “Yes. I take it there’s no ruby wolf around, seeing as you don’t have a male protector with you.”

“There isn’t another ruby wolf, or we’d already be together. My friend’s going to become one, just so he can mate with me if I can’t find someone else. But this…” She gestured to me, looking both surprised and wary.

Tommy set down our food, but I had lost all interest in eating. The only thing I wanted was the woman sitting across from me.

As the noise of the bar buzzed around us, I knew people could smell the change in me. My scent was now unmistakably drawn to Hazel, and the True Mate pheromones were impossible to hide. It was obvious to anyone who knew what to look for—except, maybe, for Hazel, who seemed unaffected by it for now.

“You called me True Mate. Explain,” she demanded. The way she said it made me like her even more.

“When a shifter meets his True Mate, pheromones kick in and his scent changes. It’s like a hunting instinct that only ends when she’s with him or someone else,” I explained, my voice rough with the truth of it.

I didn’t mention that it was possible for a guy to silently reject his True Mate without her ever knowing. But Hazel didn’t need to hear that; I had no intention of walking away from her.

“Bullshit,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“It’s nature’s way of showing we’re made for each other,” I insisted, though my eyes were fixed on her. Her beauty, her strength—it was impossible to look away.

She snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Grizzly, you zoned out again.”

I inhaled deeply, drawn to the scent of her skin, and my chest let out a low rumble. She yanked her hand away, her expression wary.

“What the hell is that noise?” she demanded. “You sound like a motorcycle.”

I shrugged it off, unable to control the rumble that echoed in my chest.

“Okay, look.” She seemed to shake off her earlier question. “You’re right, I’m attracting. But I’ve been around a lot of wolves, and they’re going to start fighting if I don’t mate soon. I need to meet the ruby shifters. I have to pick someone, and fast.”

I could feel the tension building. If she thought I’d let her be courted by any of those other ruby assholes, she was out of her mind.

Grabbing her hand, I brought it to my nose, inhaling deeply. Leather, citrus, grapefruit—and something sweet, like honey?

My senses were sharp, and it took me a moment to focus, but I could feel the Alpha energy in her scent, mixing with her own.

“You’ve got about a week or two before things get dangerous,” I said, pulling away from her hand to focus on her eyes.

“You can smell that?” Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Yeah,” I replied, my tone calm but intense. “If you let me taste, I could get a better estimate.”

She hesitated, then finally nodded. “Fine, a tiny taste. But you start licking me like some kind of ice cream cone, and I’ll make you regret it.”

There was nothing she could do to make me regret tasting her. But I knew I had to take it slow—at least for now.

Still holding her wrist, I leaned in and ran my tongue along the center of her palm. The instant I tasted her, my entire body shuddered. She had this effect on me—powerful, intoxicating.

“Pay attention,” Hazel barked, snapping me out of my daze.

“Sorry,” I muttered, clearing my throat. “My senses are just… too strong around you. It’s like touching an electric fence.”

“An electric fence?”

“In a good way,” I added, shaking off the fog in my head. “In about seven and a half days, your attraction will be strong enough to push other wolves into fighting.”

Hazel pulled her hand back, running it through her hair. “Shit. Guess you’ll need to start introducing me to the other ruby shifters.”

The thought of letting her near any other male shifters made my blood boil. I opened my mouth to protest, but then I caught the unmistakable scent of someone I wasn’t about to let near my True Mate.

I stood abruptly, storming to the door just in time to shove the cat prince back before he could enter the bar.

“I hear we have a wolf princess in here,” the cat purred, clearly enjoying himself.

I didn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence. I threw a punch, but he dodged it, so I knocked him back with my shoulder. He staggered but recovered quickly.

“What the hell is going on?” Hazel’s eyes widened as she saw the cat.

The guy was a handsome bastard—golden skin, lean muscles—but he was no match for me.

He lifted his chin, prancing toward her. “Princess,” he said, clearly enjoying the attention.

I stepped between them, glaring at him.

“Are you talking to me?” Hazel asked, her hand on her hip.

“Of course, love,” the cat answered, his grin widening.

How many times was he going to call her “love”? I growled, but they both ignored me.

“You’re unmated,” Hazel noted, glancing at his hair. Most ruby shifters were referred to as ‘pink rubies’ before they mated, as their hair didn’t turn red until after.

“Only until I make you mine,” the cat responded with a smug look.

I couldn’t take it anymore. A roar ripped from me as I shifted fully into my beast form, charging toward the damn cat with every ounce of rage I could muster.