“I’m going to set you down now,” Noah tells him. “And you’re going to walk away. And you aren’t even going to look at Mackenzie.”

Dennis says nothing, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“I said,” Noah repeats darkly, “do you understand?”

Dennis’s lips roll together. “Yes,” he says quietly. “I understand.”

“Good.” Noah smiles cheerfully, his entire demeanor changing in the blink of an eye. “You have a good meeting.”

Dennis turns on his heel quickly, like he’s afraid that Noah might come after him, and I can’t pretend it isn’t incredibly hot, seeing Noah turn on the alpha switch like that. I’m all for feminism . . . but hot damn.

“That was . . . intensely satisfying,” Noah says after a second, turning back to me.

“Mm.” I press my hands to his shoulders. “It would have been better if you’d hit him.”

Noah shakes his head, laughing under his breath. “I think the board is going to hurt him more than I ever could.”

“God, I wish we could be in there to see it. Do you think he’ll cry?”

“I am choosing to imagine that’s how it goes down, yes.”

I grin. “Still okay with giving up the Albuquerque job? It’s a good opportunity, you know.”

“Mackenzie . . .” He pulls me against him, his hand pressing against my spine. “You’re the best opportunity I could choose.”

I feel warmth flushing my cheeks down into my chest. “Wow, you’re getting downright sappy, aren’t you? What’s next, a sonnet? You know, you could—”

Noah’s mouth really is a very effective method of shutting me up.

I wind my arms around his neck as I sink deeper into his kiss, not caring in the slightest that we’re in a very public hallway of a very public hospital, which anyone could come strolling down. We are officially official now—nothing fake about it. They can just keep walking. I feel his hands curve around my waist to squeeze, and my head starts to dizzy with the potency of his scent, already thinking about how I might persuade him to get out of here with me and take me back home so we can resume his “groveling.”

Noah pulls away with a blissful look on his face, happier and lighter than I’ve ever seen him. And it’s for me. It makes my heart pound and my head spin, and all those notions about fate and destiny are still foreign to me, still a little outside of my wheelhouse—but looking at him now . . . it makes me feel things I never thought were possible.

Noah looks down the hall. “Should we get out of here? If we keep this up, I’m going to drag you into another clos—”

“I think I love you,” I blurt out, blandly, like I’m announcing the weather.

Noah looks at me like I’ve just told him the sky is made of cheese, blinking down at me dazedly as he processes what I’ve said. “You think you love me?”

I nod, feeling the words rising out of my throat before I can stop them. “I’m not totally sure, because I’ve never loved anybody before. Well, except for my grandparents. And Parker, obviously, but that’s just as a friend. I know it’s probably silly, because it hasn’t been that long, but someone said something to me not long ago, and it got me thinking, and I think there’s a good chance that I—”

He shuts me up with another kiss—he really is getting so good at that—and all the nerves that I’d just been experiencing melt away, my pulse thumping in my ears and under every inch of my skin as actual joy pumps through my blood. I relax with the pressure of his mouth, and he lets his lips linger for several seconds, as if he’s savoring this moment.

And when he breaks away, he’s actually beaming. “I love you,” he tells me. “I don’t care how long it’s been. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted, and you’re the only one I ever will want. I don’t care if it’s silly or crazy or whatever else—I love you, Mackenzie.”

“Oh, okay,” I answer airily, still processing everything myself. “Is it okay that I’m still only kind of sure that I love you? Because I don’t want to—”

“I will take”—he presses another heavy kiss to my lips—“whatever you have to give. I just want you. However I can have you.”

“I mean,” I say quietly. “I am pretty sure.”

He grins, lowering to let his lips brush against my cheek. “Pretty sure is good enough for me.”

The happiness I’m feeling is scary, but there is also a sweetness to it, a sense of satisfaction, almost like fitting the last piece of a puzzle to see the picture as a whole. I can’t say if it’s fate that I’m feeling, I don’t know if I’ll ever believe in that—but it’s something incredibly close.

We break apart when we hear more footsteps, Noah clearing his throat as a petite brunette clacks down the hallway, looking preoccupied. She stops short when she sees us, her eyes widening and her mouth parting in surprise. “Dr Taylor? Dr. Carter?”

I cock an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Sorry,” she offers. She points to herself. “I’m Jessica. From Radiology. It’s just, like, so awesome to see you together. You’re the talk of the hospital!”

My eyes widen, realization hitting me.

This is fucking Jessica.

“Yeah, well . . .” I shuffle awkwardly, looping my arm through Noah’s. “It’s been . . . a whirlwind.”

“Wow,” Jessica laughs. “This is just great. I’ve totally been rooting for you guys.”

“Thanks,” I tell her, willing this conversation to end. “Anyway . . .”

“You’ll have to excuse us,” Noah says, saving me. “We’ve got somewhere to be.”

“Oh, right, of course.” Jessica waves us off. “You two go on.” She looks positively ecstatic. “See you around!”

She waves good-bye before continuing on her way, and Noah waits until she’s out of earshot before leaning down toward me. “Why does she look so familiar?”

“Trust me,” I sigh. “You don’t want to know.” I let my hand slide down his arm to grasp his hand as I give it a tug, but he’s still got this scrunched look on his face.

“Jessica,” he mutters.

I arch a brow. “Know her?”

“She congratulated me on our mating the other day.”

“Apparently, we have our very own fan club.”

He narrows his eyes. “Is her mother’s name Regina?”

“I’m . . . not sure? Why?”

Noah mumbles something under his breath, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter.” He slips his hand into mine. “How do you feel about meeting my mother?”

“Wow, one ‘I love you’ and you’re dying for me to meet the folks.”

“No,” he scoffs. “This is self-preservation. My mother sniffs out gossip like a bloodhound on a trail. If she finds out from the rumor mill before I can tell her . . .”

“How romantic,” I coo. “ ‘Meet my mother, Mack, so she doesn’t murder me.’ ”

He rolls his eyes. “Might as well get it over with, since you’re going to be around for a very long time.”

“Oh?” My heart squeezes. “A long time, huh?”

“Forever, if I have anything to do with it,” he murmurs, leaning to brush his lips against my temple, and I have to fight not to become a puddle.

Fuck “pretty sure.” I love this guy.

My face splits into a wide grin. I’ll tell him later.

“Come on,” I urge, tugging at his hand. “If we wait outside the entrance, maybe we’ll get to see them escorting Dennis off the premises.”

Noah chuffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “You’re sort of terrifying, do you know that?”

“Maybe,” I answer as I pull him along. I look back to give him a wink. “I guess I’m braver with my alpha around.”

The look on his face says that I will most definitely be feeling the repercussions of that phrase later, in either his bed or mine, but that’s hardly bad news. I smile as Noah follows after me, unable to stop as the gravity of all that’s happened washes over me, marveling at how much of my life has changed in such a short time.

Because Noah Taylor might not be my fake mate, not anymore—but he is mine.

And that’s absolutely enough.