Page 12

Maya's breath caught. "Was that a threat?"

"No. A reality." He uncrossed his arms, his posture still alert but less rigid. "I haven't decided what to do with you yet because there are no good options. The Council wants—" He stopped abruptly.

"Wants what?" Maya leaned forward, her scientific curiosity momentarily overwhelming her fear. "To silence me? To make sure I don't reveal your existence?"

"They have traditional methods for handling humans who discover us." His voice was flat now, emotionless.

"And those methods are?"

Kieran's silence was answer enough. The implications sent a chill through her that momentarily doused the inexplicable heat their proximity generated.

"So why am I still alive then?" she whispered. "Why bring me here instead of... whatever it is your Council wants?"

Something raw and conflicted passed across Kieran's face. "Because the moment I caught your scent, everything changed."

SIX

KIERAN

The small cabin suddenly felt like a cage—not for Maya, but for Kieran, as the weight of his father's expectations, shifter law, and this new, overwhelming instinct collided within him.

Maya stared back at him, her eyes wide with confusion and growing fear, her fingers tightening around her worn leather backpack. The copper highlights in her red hair caught the cabin's low light as it cascaded past her shoulders. She'd pushed herself further back on his bed, her thermal-clad shoulders pressed against the wall.

Kieran's wolf clawed at his insides, demanding he cross the room and claim what was his. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the seat of the wooden chair he was sitting on as he fought the urge.

Mate. Mine. Protect.

The primitive thoughts crashed against years of rigid training and traditional beliefs. His father would never accept this. A human mate for the future Alpha? Unthinkable. Alaric Silvercrest would sooner banish him from the Silvercrest pack—or worse, eliminate the "problem" his own way.

Damon's warning echoed in his mind. "Your father's patience is running out. He wants the human dealt with tonight. He's talking about sending enforcers if you don't report back with confirmation soon."

Kieran had barely contained his growl. "Tell Alpha Alaric I need more time. Tell him that she is proving difficult to find."

"He's not buying it, Kieran. You've never failed to track anything in your life."

"Just buy me time."

"What aren't you telling me, Kieran?"

Before Kieran could tell Damon the truth, that Maya was something more than just a human witness, Kieran had to end the call abruptly to stop Maya from escaping out the cabin's front door.

Now he watched Maya's pulse flutter at her throat, the rapid beat visible even across the room. Her scent—wildflowers, earth, and something uniquely hers—filled the cabin, driving him half-mad. When he'd pinned her against the door, their faces inches apart and her breath mingling with his, it had taken every ounce of control not to claim her mouth with his own.

"You're afraid," he said, tracing the contours of her face with his gaze. "But not of me."

Maya lifted her chin. "I'm afraid of whoever wants me dead." Her voice was steady despite her mounting fear. "And maybe a little afraid of whatever this is between us."

Kieran inhaled deeply, letting her scent settle in his lungs. "Smart woman."

"Are you going to explain what you meant? Why did everything change when you caught my scent?"

He considered his options. Truth would endanger them both further. Lies would erode any chance of trust. Half-truths might buy him time to figure out how to keep her alive.

"In my world," he began carefully, "there are connections that form sometimes. Rare, powerful connections that can't be denied or ignored."

Maya's analytical mind visibly engaged behind those striking green eyes. "Like mate selection in wolves?"

A humorless laugh escaped him. "Something like that."