Page 25

"You're recovering remarkably fast," she whispered, her fingers ghosting over the nearly closed wound on his shoulder. "Statistically impossible for normal human physiology."

"Good thing I'm not entirely human." His arm tightened around her waist. "Does it frighten you?"

"No," she answered immediately. "It... fascinates me."

His wolf preened at her acceptance, at the way she pressed closer against his side despite knowing what he was. The mate bond strengthened with each moment they spent together,weaving invisible threads between their souls. Kieran had heard stories of such bonds from elders, but nothing had prepared him for the reality—the visceral need to claim, protect, and cherish.

As Maya fell asleep against his chest, Kieran remained alert, his senses scanning the cabin and surroundings for any threat. His fingers traced idle patterns on her arm, memorizing every freckle and every curve.

"I'll keep you safe," he murmured into her hair. "Always."

The possessiveness of his thoughts should have alarmed him. He barely knew this woman, yet his wolf had already decided their shared fate. The rational part of him—the part trained to be Alpha—recognized the complications ahead. His father would never accept a human mate for his heir. The High Council would see her as a threat to their secrecy and way of life.

Yet holding her against him felt like finding a piece of himself he'd never known was missing. She fit perfectly in his arms, as if designed specifically to complement his strength with her brilliant mind.

He could mark her now, his wolf urged. A single bite at the junction of her neck and shoulder would complete the bond and tie her to him irrevocably. But Kieran reined in the instinct. She deserved to understand what she was agreeing to—deserved the freedom to choose him knowing all the consequences.

For now, he would savor this moment, when she'd chosen to stay rather than run, and to trust rather than fear. The rest would come in time.

Kieran woke up to the warm weight of Maya nestled against his chest, her copper hair spilling across his arm. Morning light filtered through the hastily boarded window, casting golden patterns across her freckled skin. His wolf purred with satisfaction at having her so close, her scent mingling with his own. For a moment, he simply breathed her in—wildflowers andvanilla and something uniquely Maya that called to both man and beast.

Three dead wolf shifters lay inside his cabin, and the High Council would inevitably demand answers. His father was still expecting him to eliminate the human witness. Yet in this moment, with Maya's steady heartbeat against his skin, Kieran had never felt more certain of anything in his life.

She's mine to protect. Mine to keep. My mate.

He brushed a strand of red hair from her delicate face, marveling at how quickly she'd become essential to him. The mate bond had taken root deeply, twining through his soul with an intensity that left no room for doubt.

Kieran shifted slightly, wincing as his healing wounds pulled. The injuries were nearly gone—far faster than normal, even for a shifter. Maya stirred against him, those intelligent green eyes fluttering open to meet his gaze.

"I'm still amazed you're still here," he murmured, a hint of wonder in his voice.

She stretched against him, seemingly unconcerned by their proximity or his nakedness beneath the woolen blanket. "Where else would I be? You're the most fascinating specimen I've ever encountered."

"Specimen?" Kieran raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a predatory smile. "Is that all I am to you, Dr. Collins? A research subject?"

A delicious blush colored her cheeks. "I didn't mean?—"

"I know exactly what you meant." He cut her off with a finger to her lips, savoring the way her pulse quickened at his touch. "And I think we both know now, I'm more than just data for your journals."

Maya sat up, tugging the blanket around herself. Her breath caught when she saw his nearly healed wounds. "Yourwounds look significantly better. The accelerated healing is so remarkable."

"I agree," Kieran said, stretching his powerful frame, unashamed of his nakedness as he stood. He felt her eyes tracking the movement of his muscles. "I need to make some calls. We need reinforcements."

She averted her gaze as he moved toward the small dresser. "Is that really necessary?"

"Three dead Granite Ridge wolf shifters in my cabin? Absolutely." He pulled on a pair of dark jeans, watching her from the corner of his eye. "I need people I can trust."

Maya hugged her knees to her chest, suddenly looking small and vulnerable. "More wolf shifters?"

"My brother and my Beta, maybe a few others," Kieran confirmed, noting how her shirt—what remained of it after she'd torn strips for his bandages—hung in tatters. "You need a new shirt. Here."

He tossed her one of his black t-shirts, watching with satisfaction as she caught it one-handed.

"Turn around," she instructed, her chin lifted in defiance.

Kieran's wolf bristled at the command, but he found himself complying, amused by her boldness. The rustle of fabric behind him sent his imagination into overdrive.

"I need to check your wounds before you get fully dressed," she said once she'd changed.