Page 24

Kieran pushed himself up onto his elbows, ignoring the protest from his healing wounds. "Is that what your science tells you?"

"Yes." Her chin lifted defiantly, but her pulse jumped at her throat, betraying her.

"Your pulse says otherwise." He reached to brush his fingertips against the fluttering beat at her neck. "Your pupils dilate when I touch you. Your breath quickens. Your body leans toward mine without conscious thought."

Her eyes widened. "Heightened senses too?"

"Among other gifts." He let his eyes flare with the wolf's silver light, watching her breath catch.

"Simply fascinating," she whispered, leaning closer rather than away. "Do all your kind share these traits?"

Kieran gently grabbed her wrist, his patience fraying. "Maya."

"Yes?"

"Stop analyzing me for five seconds and answer my question from earlier. Why didn't you run away from here?"

The silence stretched between them, thick with possibility. Her scent changed subtly—fear giving way to something sweeter and headier. Desire.

"I couldn't," she finally admitted, her voice barely audible. "It felt... wrong. Like leaving part of myself behind."

His wolf howled in triumph. His mate recognized the bond, even if her human mind couldn't comprehend it yet.

"That's the first honest thing you've said since I woke up today."

"I'm always honest," she huffed. "Just not always... completely."

"Incomplete data leads to flawed conclusions, Dr. Collins." He grinned at the flash of irritation in her eyes. "For someone so devoted to scientific truth, you're working awfully hard to deny what's right in front of you."

Kieran's fingers remained wrapped around Maya's wrist, feeling her pulse flutter beneath his touch like a captured bird. The contact sent electricity crackling up his arm, his wolf pushing beneath his skin, demanding more.

"Fine. There's something between us," Maya finally admitted, her scientific resolve cracking. "Something I can't explain with any research methodology I've ever used."

He released her wrist only to trace his thumb along her jawline. "Not everything can be quantified, categorized, or documented in those journals of yours."

"That's not helpful," she said, but leaned into his touch. "I need to understand what this is. Why my body responds to you like?—"

"Like we're made from the same cosmic dust?" Kieran replied softly. "Like your cells recognize mine?"

Maya's breath hitched. "That's not scientifically sound."

"And yet, you didn't disagree." Kieran shifted and reached for her, ignoring the pull of his healing wounds. The pain was nothing compared to the need to be closer to her.

She laid beside him on the cabin floor, her body hesitantly aligning with his. "In wolf biology, there's no precedent for instant chemical bonding between different species."

"We're not different species. I'm both wolf and man." Kieran pulled her closer, his arm wrapping possessively around her waist. "And what's happening isn't just chemical."

"Then what would you call it?" Her green eyes challenged him, her scientific curiosity battling with something deeper and more primal.

He considered telling her everything—about mate bonds and about the biological imperative that had recognized her as his perfect counterpart from that first whiff of her scent. But something held him back.

"In my world, we have certain names for connections that transcend explanation," he said instead. "For bonds that form regardless of pack laws or logical reasoning."

"Like fairy tales?" A hint of skepticism colored her voice.

"Like ancient truths your science hasn't caught up with yet." He brushed her hair from her face. "You'll understand soon enough."

As moonlight filtered through the cabin's small window, which was now partially boarded up, Maya's body gradually relaxed against his. The tension between them transformed, no longer just electric but somehow deeper and more fundamental. Kieran felt his wounds knitting impossibly faster than normal—his shifter blood already worked miracles, but something about Maya's presence seemed to accelerate his healing.