2. Ronan #3
Lightning shot through every nerve ending in Ronan's body, a jolt of electricity so intense it nearly brought him to his knees, and the mate bond slammed into place with the force of an avalanche.
His wolf roared in triumph, finally understanding why this woman had captured his attention so completely.
Mate. Ours. Protect. Claim.
The certainty hit him with devastating clarity.
This battered, dangerous, magnificent woman was his fated mate—the other half of his soul he'd never expected to find.
Every protective instinct he possessed focused on her with laser intensity, demanding he eliminate whatever threats had put that cut on her face and those bruises on her knuckles.
But even as his mind reeled from the mate bond's impact, he noticed Gerri watching their interaction with bright, knowing eyes that seemed to gleam with satisfaction.
"Oh, how fascinating," she murmured.
Before Ronan could process that cryptic comment, Gerri turned toward Kozue with deliberate purpose. "Why don't you help Sloane to her room?"
Kozue stepped forward to take the duffel bag from Sloane's hand, and the moment his fingers brushed hers, his entire body went rigid. His green eyes dilated with shock and recognition, the same expression of stunned realization that Ronan knew must be written across his own features.
No. Impossible.
But even as denial flooded his thoughts, Ronan recognized the truth. The mate bond he'd felt wasn't exclusive to him—it extended to Kozue as well. Sloane Carter was destined to be mated to both of them, bound in the rare triad mate bond that occurred perhaps once in a generation among shifter kind.
Kozue remained frozen as if he couldn't quite process what had just happened. But Gerri observed both men's reactions with undisguised delight, her smile growing broader with each passing second of shocked silence.
"Oh my, how unusual this situation appears to be," she said with the satisfied tone of someone whose carefully laid plans had come to perfect fruition.
The lobby felt too small suddenly, the walls pressing in as Ronan struggled to maintain his composure. His mate—their mate—stood between them, unaware that fate had just bound three lives together with invisible threads stronger than steel.
"Kozue, please help Sloane to her room now," he managed, his voice steady despite the chaos raging beneath the surface. "Then meet me in my suite later."
Kozue nodded with the mechanical precision of someone operating on autopilot, his usual warmth replaced by shell-shocked bewilderment. "Yes, of course."
As they moved toward the hallway leading to the guest rooms, Ronan turned his attention back to Gerri, whose knowing expression suggested she understood far more about tonight's events than she'd initially let on.
"Did you know Sloane was mine and Kozue's fated mate?" The question emerged with barely controlled intensity. "Is that why you brought her here? And why exactly does she need a safe place?"
Gerri's smile softened into something almost maternal, though her eyes still held that mysterious gleam. "Ronan, dear, just take a deep breath. Everything is going to be fine."
But she didn't answer his questions directly, deflecting with the practiced ease of someone accustomed to keeping secrets.
"I really don't have many details. I didn't want to pry into Sloane's business. The poor girl seemed to have enough on her plate already."
The non-answer frustrated him, but Ronan found himself nodding anyway. "At least you brought her to the right place. We'll do everything we can to keep her safe."
"Oh good, I was hoping you'd see it that way." Gerri reached into her pocket and produced an elegant business card. "And could you maybe give the girl a job here? She's the type who wants to earn her keep—doesn't accept handouts or help too easily."
"Of course. I think I can work something out."
"Perfect." Gerri pressed the business card into his palm, and he glanced down to read "Paranormal Dating Agency" printed in elegant script. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out."
Before Ronan could ask what a dating agency had to do with any of this, Gerri was already moving toward the front doors with surprising speed for someone wearing heels.
She paused at the threshold to offer one final, enigmatic smile. "Take care of each other," she said, then disappeared into the mountain night as if she'd never existed at all.
Ronan stood alone in the lobby, staring at the business card in his hand and trying to process everything that had just happened.
His fated mate—their fated mate—was upstairs settling into a guest room, carrying enough cash to suggest serious trouble and bearing the physical evidence of recent violence.
Kozue was probably having his own crisis of understanding in the hallway.
And somehow, a mysterious matchmaker had orchestrated the entire encounter.
Protecting the pack had always been his primary responsibility, but now that duty extended to a woman who was destined to be the most important person in both his and Kozue's lives. A woman who clearly needed sanctuary from whatever dangers had driven her to seek refuge in the middle of the night.
How the hell am I going to handle this?