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Maya set her half-eaten toast down, her appetite gone. "What happens if he finds me?"

The silence that followed her question felt heavy enough to crush her.

"Nothing good," Malcolm finally said, giving her an apologetic look.

Kieran moved to Maya's side, his large hand finding her lower back in a gesture that was both protective and possessive. "I won't let that happen."

The certainty in his voice should have been comforting, but Maya felt a chill. How could he possibly stand against his father—the Alpha—and an entire pack, not to mention the High Council, that viewed humans as threats?

A sudden tension filled the room. Both Silvercrest brothers stiffened simultaneously, their heads turning toward the window with eerie synchronicity.

"Someone's out there," Kieran growled, his eyes flashing an unnatural blue. "In the woods."

Malcolm nodded, already moving toward the door. "I smell them too."

"Granite Ridge again?" Kieran's voice was tight with controlled fury.

"Can't tell." Malcolm's hand went to his waistband, where Maya glimpsed the handle of a knife. "But we should check."

Kieran turned to Maya, his expression intense. "Stay inside with Lena. Do not leave this cabin under any circumstances." His voice left no room for argument, the command of a future Alpha.

"But—" Maya started.

"Promise me," he insisted, gripping her shoulders gently but firmly.

Maya swallowed the protest that had risen to her lips. Part of her—the independent researcher who had survived alone in the wilderness for weeks—bristled at being ordered about. But another part—the part that had witnessed what these wolves were capable of—understood the danger.

"Fine," she conceded. "I promise."

Kieran's expression softened for just a moment. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, a fleeting touch that felt like a brand. Then he was gone, following Malcolm out the door into the surrounding forest.

Maya heaved the heavy wooden beam across the door, wincing at the strain on her pleasantly sore muscles from last night's activities. The solid thunk of wood against the frame echoed through the small cabin, sealing her and Lena inside while Kieran and Malcolm investigated whatever lurked in the forest.

"That should hold," Maya said, testing the beam with a firm shake before turning to face Lena.

The petite healer stood near the small fireplace, her violet eyes tracking Maya's movements with unsettling intensity. Something about those eyes made Maya feel exposed, as if Lena could see straight through to her core—to the place where Kieran had touched something primal and undiscovered.

"Why does the Silvercrest pack want me dead so badly?" Maya asked, sliding into one of the wooden chairs at the kitchen table. "I was just doing research. It seems extreme to execute someone just for witnessing your existence."

Lena's lips quirked in a sad smile as she settled into the chair across from Maya, her small hands folding neatly on the weathered table surface.

"Alpha Alaric and the High Council are... inflexible when it comes to secrecy," she said, her voice soft but clear. "But Alaric especially. He became Alpha at eighteen—youngest in pack history—after his father died unexpectedly. He's built the Silvercrest pack into what it is today through sheer force of will."

"And what is that exactly? A dictatorship?" Maya couldn't keep the edge from her voice, thinking of the journals she'd found documenting decades of abuses.

Lena sighed, tracing an absent pattern on the wooden tabletop. "He believes he's protecting his people. Preserving our way of life."

"By murdering innocent humans?" Maya challenged.

"There was a time when I thought there might be a softer side to Alaric," Lena continued, her violet gaze distant. "But lately... his actions have grown more extreme, almost impulsive. It's like he senses something coming—a storm—and he's battening down every hatch."

Maya shook her head, her red strands falling across her face. "And he tasks Kieran with the dirty work. Kill the human witness." She pushed her hair back with agitation. "It's barbaric. How could anyone expect their own son to commit murder just to uphold some outdated laws and traditions?"

"That's how Kieran was raised," Lena said, her eyes flickering to the mark on Maya's neck before quickly looking away. "From birth, he's been taught that protecting the pack comes before all else—before morality, and definitely before personal feelings."

"But he's questioning it now, isn't he?" Maya asked, her fingers unconsciously rising to touch the place where Kieran's teeth had grazed her skin.

"More than ever," Lena affirmed. "I've known Kieran since we were pups. He's always had doubts, but meeting you..." Her voice trailed off meaningfully.