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Maya's question hung in the air as he caged her against the living room wall. The heat of her body radiated through her thermal shirt, and her scent of wildflowers and vanilla wound through his senses, tangled with something else—something wild that called to the primal part of him. His wolf strained against his human skin, desperate to claim what it already recognized as theirs.

"What are you to me?" he repeated, his voice softening to a dangerous whisper.

Before he could tell her, the cabin door exploded inward. Splinters flew as three large men burst through, their eyes glowing amber in the dim light.

Kieran whirled, immediately pushing Maya behind him with one powerful arm. His muscles coiled tight, ready to spring.

"Silvercrest," the tallest intruder snarled, his broad shoulders nearly filling the doorframe. "You're trespassing on Granite Ridge territory."

"This cabin is mine," Kieran said, his voice deadly calm despite the rage building in him. These wolves had the audacityto invade his space and threaten what was his. "I built it during my exile years."

"With outdated permission." The second wolf, lean with short hair, circled to the right. "And harboring a human spy? That's a violation of shifter law."

"She's under my protection." The words came out as a growl, his eyes flashing silver.

The third shifter, stocky with a jagged scar across his throat, chuckled. "Your father's going to love hearing that his precious heir is harboring humans. Hand her over and nobody has to get hurt."

Kieran felt Maya's fingers dig into his back, her heartbeat thundering against him. She'd seen his journals and knew exactly what "handing her over" meant in their shifter world.

"Not happening," Kieran growled, his lips pulling back to reveal teeth that were already sharpening.

The stocky wolf smirked. "We've been watching you for an hour, Silvercrest. Saw your brother leave. It's three against one."

Kieran's mind raced, calculating angles, distances, and weaknesses. They'd been watching the cabin—waiting for Malcolm to leave. Smart. But not smart enough.

"Maya," he murmured, not taking his eyes off the intruders, "when I move, get behind the couch."

"What are you going to?—"

"Trust me." The plea in his voice surprised even him.

The leader stepped forward. "Last chance, Silvercrest. Give us the human. She's been snooping around our territory for weeks. The Council will want her silenced properly."

Kieran's wolf surged forward, riding a wave of protective fury. No one was taking her. No one was hurting her. She washis.

"You know what your problem is?" Kieran rolled his shoulders, feeling the shift beginning to ripple beneath his skin. "You think because I'm a Silvercrest, I play by the old rules."

With blinding speed, he lunged for the lamp on the end table and hurled it at the window. Glass shattered as thunder crashed overhead.

"Maya, now!"

The cabin erupted into chaos. Maya dove behind the couch as Kieran met the first attacker head-on. His black henley stretched across his shoulders as he drove his fist into the tall shifter's solar plexus, following with an uppercut that sent the man staggering back.

The lean wolf leaped over the coffee table, his fingers already extending into claws. Kieran caught his arm mid-swing, using the momentum to slam him into the wall with enough force to crack the wooden panels.

"You touch what's mine," Kieran snarled, his voice deepening as the shift crawled through him, "you die."

The stocky one circled behind, trying to reach Maya. Kieran whirled, his eyes blazing silver, and caught him by the throat. With a roar that shook the cabin, he hurled the shifter across the room, sending him crashing into his companions.

"She's just a human," the leader spat, blood trickling from his mouth as he struggled to his feet. "Since when does the Silvercrest heir care about them?"

"Since this one," Kieran growled, feeling his bones begin to crack and reform.

The three wolves exchanged glances, realizing too late what they were witnessing. The silver fire in Kieran's eyes, the protective stance, and the uncontrolled fury.

"By the moon," the lean one whispered. "She's his mate."

Kieran's lips pulled back in a snarl, revealing teeth that were now sharpened to deadly points. "And you're dead men."