Page 14 of Craved by the Werewolf (Mystic Ridge Monster Mates #2)

THORNE

T he first thing I registered was her scent. Warm skin, the faint spice of her shampoo, and something uniquely Vala that had wound itself into my sheets overnight. My wolf stretched in satisfaction before I even opened my eyes.

She was curled against me, one leg hooked over mine, her hair spilling across my chest like a silken snare.

I let my gaze travel the length of her—bare shoulder, smooth skin kissed gold by the early light leaking through the curtains—and for the first time in longer than I could remember, I didn't feel like getting up.

She shifted in her sleep, pressing closer, and my arm tightened around her instinctively.

The protective urge was primal, as natural as breathing.

Last night had been... more than I'd intended.

I'd meant only to keep her safe. Instead, I'd given in to the pull I'd been fighting since the moment we met.

I brushed a strand of hair from her face, letting my fingers graze her cheek.

Mine.

Her breathing shifted, lighter, and then those sharp, dark eyes blinked open. For a second, she looked almost surprised to see me—like waking up here wasn't inevitable—then the corner of her mouth curved.

"Morning," she murmured, voice low and husky from sleep.

"Good afternoon." I kept my tone even, though my wolf was practically preening at the sight of her wrapped in my sheets.

"Afternoon? Finally back to my regular schedule." She stretched, and the movement slid the covers lower on her chest. My gaze followed without apology. Her lips twitched like she'd caught me looking—because she had—but instead of covering herself, she propped up on an elbow, studying me in return.

"I've never slept this late in my life. Always up before dawn."

"Good Goddess. I prefer the vampire way. Windows shuttered by sunrise." She rolled in the sheet. "Another form of beauty sleep."

"You are beautiful when you sleep."

"You always watch women sleep?" she asked, teasing but with a thread of genuine curiosity.

"Only the one I plan on keeping," I said, and meant it more than I should.

That earned me a raised brow, but no denial. "You're still in Alpha mode," she said. "All protective and possessive."

"That's not a mode, Vala. That's just me."

She didn't look away, but I could see her thoughts turning behind those eyes. A part of me wanted to press her for answers—to ask if she regretted last night, if she was thinking of leaving right now—but another part knew I'd get more truth by waiting.

Her phone shook on the nightstand. She glanced at the screen, thumb flicking across it before setting it back down face-down.

"Mika," she said when she caught me looking. "I'll call her back later."

So I leaned back against the headboard, close enough for our legs to brush, and let the silence stretch between us.

It was the kind of stillness that got under your skin—steady breathing, the faint rustle of sheets, the scent of her tangled up in mine. I could've stayed in that moment forever.

Then my phone buzzed. Once. Twice. Persistent.

"It's never quiet around here." I reached for it without thinking, scanning the screen.

Raina: East perimeter sensors tripped twice in five minutes. Nothing on the camera's. I'll monitor additional sensors. Kai will meet you.

My wolf bristled instantly, the hairs at the back of my neck lifting. I tapped out a quick reply:

On my way.

Sliding out of bed, I pulled on sweats, aware of Vala stirring behind me. "Something wrong?" she asked, voice still rough with sleep.

"Gate sensors," I said, keeping it short. "Could be nothing. Could be connected to last night."

She pushed up on one elbow again, the sheet slipping to reveal the smooth line of her shoulder. My focus snagged there a beat too long before I forced it back. "You're going to check it out," she said—not a question.

"Stay here," I told her, pulling a hoodie over my head. "Lock the door. I mean it, Vala."

Her lips curved in the faintest smile. "I'll be fine."

I stepped closer, my hand finding her jaw, thumb brushing her skin. "That's not the point."

For a second, neither of us moved. Then the phone buzzed again in my palm, urgency cutting the moment short. I tore myself away and left the room.

I hit the east gate in under two minutes, pulse keyed for trouble. Instead, I found three teenage wolves trying to slip through the service entrance like a trio of guilty shadows.

Kai was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, wearing the smug look of someone who'd been caught doing worse. "Your little prodigies are trying to sneak back in, I thought I'd watch the fireworks."

I stopped beside him, taking in the sheepish faces. "You guys called me for this?"

Kai shrugged. "Hey, figured you'd want to relive your glory days. You know... sneaking in at all hours, smelling like really bad things."

I shot him a look. "That was you, not me."

He grinned. "You were just better at not getting caught."

The tallest pup—Kellan—shifted his weight. "We were just?—"

"Don't finish that sentence," I cut in. "You think pack life means you run wild and answer to no one? Wrong. You answer to me. And if you pull this stunt again—" I let it hang, letting their imaginations fill in the rest.

"Yes, Alpha," Kellan muttered.

I jerked my head toward the compound. "Inside. And if you're smart, you'll find ways to make yourselves useful for the next week."

They slunk past.

Kai watched them go, smirking. "You know they'll try it again."

"And you'll be the one on gate duty when they do," I said, starting back toward my quarters.

"Harsh."

"Not really."

I was already counting the steps until I could crawl back into bed beside her.

But when I stepped into my quarters, the bed was empty.

For a moment, I stood there, waiting for the sound of water running in the shower or her voice drifting from the sitting room. Nothing.

A frown pulled at me as I moved through the space.

She was gone.

My chest tightened. She wouldn't just leave. Not without saying something. Not after last night.

I crossed into my office and pulled up the security feed, scanning each camera until the east drive came up.

There she was.

Sliding into Mika's car, moving quickly, her head down. The passenger door shut, the car rolled toward the gate.

She didn't look back.

I stayed there, staring at the screen long after the feed went blank. My mind kept replaying the curve of her smile that morning, the way she'd fit against me like she'd been made for it.

I didn't understand.

I'd kept her safe. I'd given her what she wanted—what we both wanted.

Why was she running?