He never expected her...

Jaguar shifter Ren never thought he'd fall for anyone again—not after the last woman he opened his heart to tried to cut it out. Literally. But the moment he met Grace he fell hard and fast for the sweet human. Except she's made it clear she's only looking for friendship, and he wants it all.

But he'll do anything to claim her heart.

Grace officially has a crush on her friend—a quiet jaguar shifter with kind eyes and deadly skills. However, he hasn't given any indication he wants more than friendship. So she vows to move on—until they're given an assignment by their Alpha. When they're stuck together under the same roof, sharing one bed, it becomes impossible to hide her attraction. But then an unknown threat surfaces, putting Grace's life in danger, and Ren will stop at nothing to protect the woman he knows is his mate.

Length: novella

Author note: each book in the Ancients Rising series may be read as a stand-alone, complete with HEA and no cliffhangers.