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Like someone who had walked blind through worse places than this.

The fire crackled behind me, but I barely felt its warmth anymore. My body was wound tight, every muscle braced against the wrongness of what had just happened.

That scent. That voice. That fuckingsmirk.

She had gotten under my skin, set my instincts on edge in a way I didn’t like. And the worst part was that I hadn’t just scentedherarousal.

I had feltmy own.

My hands clenched into fists, jaw tightening as I forced my breathing to steady. I needed to get my shit together, push whatever this was out and deal with the problem the way I handled everything else—calmly, rationally.

She was an intruder, a possible spy, and that was it. I needed to keep calm and remain in control just like my pack expected me to.

I let Jax take her ahead, forcing myself to stay by the fire, listening as the camp slowly settled around me. My wolves still watched me from the edges, curious and waiting. They had felt it too, whatever had passed between us back there.

I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me shaken. As the Alpha, I couldn’t.

So I gave it a few minutes.

Long enough to regain control, to school my face back into an unreadable mask that hid the chaos swirling around in my head. Then, when I was certain no one would question me, I turned on my heel and followed.

Jax and two guards stood just outside my cabin, their stances tense. The moment I approached, Jax gave me a look.

“You sure about this?” he dared to ask.

I didn’t answer him. Just pushed past him, opening the door and stepping inside.

The girl stood near the fireplace, still blindfolded, her head cocked slightly, listening. Even without her sight, I could tell she was taking in every detail: measuring distances, noting exits.

Good.

That meant she knew exactly how fucked she was if she tried to run.

The guards stepped inside behind me, but I lifted a hand, stopping them at the threshold.

“I’ll handle this,” I said calmly.

They hesitated, but after a beat, Jax gave a curt nod. “We’ll be right outside.”

The door shut with a heavy thud, locking us inside. Still, she didn’t move.

I exhaled slowly, my fingers twitching at my sides.

I had been aroundfor a long time. Long enough to know that this intense reaction to a human woman wasn’t normal. I should be able to put her in her place, make her realize that I wasn’t a wolf to be trifled with. I wasn’t a pup, led by his instincts, or some green soldier, easy to manipulate.

I was an Alpha. A warrior. A survivor.

So why did she make me feel so unsteady?

I closed the distance between us in a few long strides until we were almost toe to toe. I caughtthescentof her arousalagain, stronger than it had been before. Her chest rose and fell a bit faster now, but her expression didn’t change.

I stared at her for a long moment, my heart slamming against my ribs, willing myself to say something, anything to cut through the tension that hovered between us.

But I didn’t speak.

I reached for her instead.

My fingers brushed the back of her neck, sliding under her hair. It was soft, fine, the strands silky against my skin. She froze the second I touched her, her body stiffening, but she didn’t move away.