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Her wolf—once dormant and now as much a part of her as her analytical mind—purred with contentment. The transformation came easily now, as natural as drawing breath. Sometimes at dawn, she and Kieran would race through the forest in their wolf forms, her reddish coat flashing beside his midnight black one.

"When you captured me in those woods," Maya said during her vows, feeling the ripple of amused recognition from their small audience, "I thought you were the most dangerously beautiful man I'd ever seen. I was right about the dangerous part."

"And the beautiful part?" he challenged, one dark eyebrow raised.

Maya felt her cheeks flush. "Still under scientific observation. I'll need several more decades of close study."

She watched his pupils dilate at her promise of forever.

As Elder Callum pronounced them married in the human tradition, Kieran's hand tightened on hers, his thumb brushing across her knuckles in a gesture both tender and possessive.

"Mine," he growled against her lips before kissing her with such thoroughness that Malcolm let out a low whistle.

"Save something for later," Damon muttered, his stoic face cracking with a rare smile.

When they broke apart, Maya felt dizzy with happiness. "I never expected any of this when I set up those motion-activated cameras," she said, leaning into Kieran's solid warmth.

"Best scientific discovery of your career." His eyes gleamed with mischief and heat. "Though I think we have many more discoveries ahead, Dr. Silvercrest."

The new name sent a thrill through her. Dr. Maya Silvercrest—wolf shifter, bridge-builder, mate to an Alpha, and still, at her core, a woman of science seeking truth.

"Speaking of discoveries," Lena said cryptically as she embraced Maya after the ceremony, "we should talk about the second part of the prophecy soon."

Maya pulled back. "What second part?"

Lena's violet eyes sparkled mysteriously. "Later. Today is for celebration, not prophecies."

The following morning, Maya sat at the kitchen table in their cabin, nursing a steaming mug of coffee when her phone buzzed. The screen displayed Lena's name, and Maya's stomach fluttered with anticipation. Just yesterday, Maya had become Mrs. Silvercrest in a ceremony that still felt like a beautiful dream. But Lena's cryptic words about "the second part of the prophecy" had lodged in her mind like a splinter.

"Lena?" Maya answered. "Tell me about this second?—"

"Portland. There's another hybrid." Lena's words came through breathless and urgent. "She's transitioning violently—uncontrolled shifts, blackouts, and attacking neighbors. Local police are calling it a mental health crisis, but we need to extract her before they realize what she really is."

Kieran appeared in the doorway, gloriously shirtless, his muscled torso gleaming in the morning light. His eyes narrowed at Maya's expression.

"Another hybrid?" he asked, their bond allowing him to sense the tenor of her thoughts.

Maya nodded, sliding off the chair to pace. "Just like me. Someone else with dormant wolf shifter genes." Her fingertips traced her mate mark absently. "Three months ago, I was setting up cameras to study wolves, completely unaware that I'd be studying myself. Now I'm married to an Alpha wolf and navigating a dual identity."

Kieran crossed the room in three swift strides, pressing his body against hers from behind, his heat enveloping her like a living blanket. "And doing a damn good job of it."

"This human hybrid needs our help." Maya turned in his arms. "She's experiencing what I did, but without anyone to guide her through it."

Kieran's jaw tightened, his protective instincts flaring. "I'll send Logan. He's discreet and efficient."

Maya arched an eyebrow. "Logan? The one who glares at me whenever I use scientific terminology?"

"He's cold and precise, and won't hesitate if trouble arises." Kieran's voice dropped to a growl that vibrated through her bones. "Those scientists who experimented on you are still trying to figure out hybrid DNA for some reason, and this woman is vulnerable."

Maya's fingers spread across Kieran's chest, feeling his heart pound beneath her palm. "We need to protect her—not just from exposure, but from herself. I remember that terrifying confusion, the feeling that your body is betraying you while your mind expands."

Kieran captured her mouth in a searing kiss. "This is why we need you, Dr. Silvercrest. Your perspective bridges both worlds." His thumb traced her lower lip. "My father never understood that strength could come from change, and from blending."

Maya's wolf stirred beneath her skin, responding to the intensity of his gaze. "These hybrids are the future—the literal embodiment of what harmony between our worlds could look like." She pressed closer to him, savoring his scent. "But not everyone will welcome us."

"Then we'll change their minds," Kieran said with Alpha certainty, his hands possessively settling on her hips. "One hybrid at a time."

Maya leaned into his touch, savoring the heat of his palms through her thin cotton pajamas. Her wolf stirred, responding to his nearness as it always did. But behind that instinctualreaction, her analytical mind was racing, evaluating the threats that surrounded them from all sides.