Page 15 of Anders (The Sunburst Pack #2)

A NDERS LED E TTA TO a small clearing on the outskirts of pack territory. He’d chosen this location carefully—secluded enough for privacy but open enough that she wouldn’t feel trapped.

This is far enough, he said, setting down the small pack he’d brought. No cameras, no surveillance. Just us and the desert.

Etta stood with her arms wrapped around herself, her white-blonde hair catching the fading light. Despite her obvious nervousness, she wasn’t running from what she was—she was facing it head-on.

His wolf approved. Thoroughly.

So, she said, her voice steady despite the anxiety rolling off her in waves, how do we do this? Do I need to…take off my clothes?

At the image her words conjured, Anders’s cock jerked.

Speaking of my wolf approving …

Anders cleared his throat, fighting back his physical response. Not for this first lesson. We’re not attempting a full shift yet—that would probably be too much too soon.

Relief flickered across her face, followed by what might have been disappointment. Then what are we doing?

Understanding pack bonds. Anders settled cross-legged on the ground and gestured for her to join him. Before you can reconnect with your wolf, you need to understand what it means to be part of a pack.

Etta sat opposite him, mirroring his posture. Like a family?

Similar, but more primal. Anders considered how to explain something that had been as natural as breathing to him since birth.

Pack bonds are connections that exist on multiple levels—emotional, psychological, even energetic.

They’re what allow us to sense each other, to communicate without words sometimes.

Like when Malcolm and Larissa seem to have entire conversations with just a look?

Exactly. Their mate bond enhances that connection, makes it stronger.

Mate bond? Etta leaned forward slightly, her scent shifting with curiosity. That’s different from pack bonds?

Anders swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of the pull between them—the one he’d been fighting since first catching her scent. Yes. Pack bonds connect all members of a pack, though with varying intensities based on relationship and proximity. Mate bonds are…more specialized.

Like marriage?

More permanent, Anders said carefully. Wolf shifters mate for life. The bond forms naturally between compatible pairs, though it can sometimes take time to recognize and acknowledge it.

Etta’s gaze turned thoughtful as she analyzed his words. So it’s biological? Instinctual?

Partly. But it’s also a choice. The bond presents itself, but both parties must accept it for it to fully form.

Like I’ve been refusing to do , he thought, though he kept that to himself.

How do you know when it’s happening?

Anders nearly choked at the innocence of the question when paired with the intensity of his own awareness.

He needed to redirect. This was dangerous territory.

Let’s focus on pack bonds for now, he said. Close your eyes and try to extend your senses. What do you feel?

Etta’s eyelids fluttered closed, her face relaxing slightly as she concentrated. I feel…warmth. The air on my skin, the ground beneath me.

Go deeper. Beyond physical sensations. Reach out with your wolf’s senses.

Her brow furrowed. I don’t know how.

Don’t try to control it, Anders said. Let it come naturally. Your wolf knows what to do, even if you don’t consciously remember.

Anders closed his own eyes, extending his awareness to help guide her.

He allowed his presence to expand, projecting calm and safety—the way older pack members did when teaching cubs to use their wolf senses.

The silence stretched between them, broken only by the occasional desert breeze and the distant call of a hunting hawk.

Oh, Etta breathed suddenly. I can feel you . Your presence. It’s like a warmth, a pressure against my mind.

Anders opened his eyes to find her staring at him in wonder. That’s it. That’s the beginning of pack awareness.

It’s incredible, she whispered. Like having another sense entirely.

Her excitement was contagious, and Anders grinned. That’s just the start. With practice, you’ll be able to sense everyone in the pack, though with different intensities.

And they can sense me too?

To varying degrees. Malcolm and Larissa, as alphas, have the strongest awareness. The others will pick up on your presence, your emotions sometimes, but not details.

Etta’s expression turned thoughtful again. Is that how you knew where to find me yesterday? In the basement?

The memory of her scream—of the terror and pain in her voice—made Anders’s chest tighten. Partly. But that was different. That was—

He cut himself off, unwilling to reveal too much too soon.

That was our mate bond beginning to form , his mind supplied.

That was my wolf recognizing its other half in danger .

Etta tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. That was what?

Anders sighed. She deserved honesty, especially after everything that had been hidden from her. Shifters have heightened protective instincts toward those we…care about.

It wasn’t a lie, just not the complete truth.

Care about, she repeated flatly. We barely knew each other.

Pack members look out for each other, Anders said, which was true but still an evasion. And you were in my territory, under my protection as head guardian.

Etta studied him for a long moment, her gaze penetrating. You’re not telling me everything.

Damn her perceptiveness. Even with her memories suppressed, her journalistic instincts were razor-sharp.

Anders stood abruptly, needing to put some distance between them. There are some things that are better experienced than explained.

What does that mean? Etta rose as well, following him as he moved toward the edge of the clearing.

The moon was rising now, nearly full, its silver light bathing the landscape. Anders could feel its pull, knew Etta must feel it too.

It means, he said, turning to face her, that your wolf is closer to the surface than you realize. We’re only a few days from the full moon. Whatever suppression you were given seems to be breaking down. I suspect that soon, you’ll shift whether you’re ready or not.

Then help me be ready. She stepped closer. Stop treating me like I’m fragile. I need to know everything if I’m going to face this.

The moon’s glow illuminated her face, catching in her hair and making her seem almost ethereal. But the determination in her eyes was entirely earthly, entirely real.

What do you want to know?

Everything you’re not telling me, she said immediately. Starting with why you’re so careful around me. Why you keep your distance even while teaching me about connections.

The irony wasn’t lost on him.

Because, Anders began, then stopped, searching for words that wouldn’t overwhelm her. Because your situation is complicated. You’re recovering memories, experiencing sensations you’ve been denied for years. Pushing too much too quickly could be traumatic.

It was true but still not the whole truth.

Etta stepped closer, her scent changing subtly. The anxiety was still there, but now it combined with something that made Anders’s wolf stir restlessly.

I think there’s more to it, she said. I think there’s something specific you’re not telling me about how we’re connected.

Anders swallowed hard. She was too close now, close enough that he could see the flecks of gold beginning to appear in her irises—a sign of her wolf rising with the moon’s pull.

Etta, he said, his voice rougher than he intended. This isn’t the time—

When is the time, then? After more of my memories return on their own? After I’ve pieced together what you already know? I’m tired of people making decisions about what I get to know about myself.

He practically flinched away from her words.

She was right, of course. After everything she’d been through—years of manipulation, her identity stolen from her—who was he to decide what truths she was ready to face?

You’re right. You deserve to know. Anders took a deep breath, steadying himself for what he was about to reveal. There’s a special kind of bond that can form between two shifters. It’s rare, but when it happens, it’s…profound.

Etta’s eyes widened slightly. The mate bond you mentioned.

Yes. Anders nodded, watching her carefully. Sometimes, shifters recognize their mate immediately. Other times, it takes longer—circumstances, timing, personal barriers can delay the recognition.

What does this have to do with us? Her voice was hushed now, as if she already knew where this was leading.

The moonlight seemed to intensify, casting them both in silver. Anders could hear her heartbeat quickening, smell the subtle changes in her scent as her body responded to his proximity.

From the moment I caught your scent, Anders said, my wolf recognized you. That’s why I’ve been keeping my distance—why I’ve been fighting my instincts to protect and claim.

You think I’m your mate.

I know you are. But you’ve had so much taken from you already. I didn’t want to add one more burden, one more thing you didn’t choose.

Etta was silent for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Anders braced himself for anger, rejection, perhaps even fear.

What he didn’t expect was for her to step closer, eliminating the careful distance he’d maintained between them.

That’s why it feels like this when you’re near, she said, more to herself than to him. Like my skin is too tight, like there’s something pulling me toward you.

Anders nodded, not trusting himself to speak. His wolf pushed forward now, urging him to touch her, to claim what was his.

Since that first day in my office, Etta continued, I’ve been drawn to you in a way I couldn’t explain. Even when I was afraid—even yesterday, when I saw you shift—a part of me recognized you as…safe. As mine.

The last word emerged as barely a whisper, but it resonated through Anders like a physical touch.

Her touch.

You feel it too, he said, his voice husky with restraint.