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KINGSTON

The moment I stepped into the gym, I finally felt like I was home, unlike when I’d gotten to our pack lands or even our house. Crescent Kingdom had truly become my grounding place.

Six weeks away from it was way too fucking long. It didn’t matter if it was for a mission to bring justice to countless souls. Or that we’d walked away with a whole new pile of cash lining our pockets. I hated being away for so long. Especially in the mountains of Siberia. It might be spring in Colorado, but it was the dead of winter there. And I was pretty sure the cold still lived in my bones.

The sound of gloves hitting bags was less than I would’ve expected given the number of vehicles in the parking lot. But the moment I scanned the room, I saw why.

She was captivating.

Everything in me stilled as I took in the female. My wolf instantly rose, pressing against my skin, dying to break free. I took in a deep breath, letting her scent fill my lungs.

Human.

But somehow…different.

That second thought had my wolf going on high alert. There was something about it. A wrongness.

Was she sick? Injured?

As I watched the woman circle the ring, I knew neither of those could be true. She moved like a ballerina but her hits had the force of someone five times her size. Franco was one of our top human fighters, and she was giving him a run for his money.

I took a few steps deeper into the gym, coming to stand next to my manager, Clyde. “Who is she?”

His gaze flicked to me for a beat before returning to the ring. “Gets in an hour ago, and he’s already back at work.”

“You know I can’t stay away.”

Clyde chuckled. “You know what they say about all work and no play.”

“This is my play.” That much was true. Creating a safe space for people to learn how to protect themselves and work through the worst things they’d been through had given me a purpose in my darkest hour.

Clyde simply scoffed.

“So,” I pressed, feeling my wolf’s impatience. My human half felt the emotion, too, but my wolf was the part of me I needed to worry about.

One corner of Clyde’s mouth kicked up. “Got to town about a month ago. Name’s Wren. I have to admit, I didn’t think a little thing like her should even be in this gym. But damn if she didn’t prove me wrong.”

I watched her move, darting forward and sweeping Franco’s legs out from under him. It was a thing of beauty. But as he leapt back up, and they circled one another, I couldn’t help but notice that she was holding back .

“Can’t even have her truly sparring with any of our women. It’s too unfair. Hell, I wouldn’t even put her in the ring with half our men. She’d level them.”

I mulled over Clyde’s words as I moved closer to the ring as if the woman had cast some sort of spell over me.

Wren stiffened, something grabbing her attention just long enough for her gloves to drop. Franco hit her in the jaw—way too fucking hard for a sparring practice.

As the woman hit the mat, Franco cursed, already crouching down. “Shit, Wren. I’m sorry. Just got caught up in the moment.”

My strides ate up the distance in no time, and as I reached the edge of the practice ring, I leveled a glare at Franco. I knew my eyes had to be flashing, the silver that warned others I was a predator.

Franco stumbled back a few steps. “I didn’t mean to get her so hard. I thought she was gonna block me.”

Wren struggled to sit up, blinking away what I was sure was some blurriness in her vision. “I’m fine. I’m an idiot, but I’m fine.”

Seeing her like this made her name seem to fit. Wren. Delicate, just like the bird.

“Come on,” I said, my voice going gruff. “Let’s get some ice on that.”

“I’m okay,” she argued instantly. “Really.”

My wolf bristled. He was already on edge, wanting to rake his claws down the chest of the man who’d hurt his Little Warrior.

His?

Fuck. Was this a mating call? I’d felt them a time or two, the pull of attraction that meant someone could possibly be your mate. It wasn’t a guarantee, only a sign that you were compatible.

The only certainty came from a true mating bond—the kind that showed itself the second you had skin-to-skin contact. It was said the bond sang through every nerve ending, and images of your future would flash.

I reached for Wren’s elbow as she slid under the rope, trying to steady her. She stiffened instantly. I braced, waiting to feel the certainty, to see those images. But there was nothing.

My wolf growled at the lack of it all. He wanted her to be his. And I sure as hell understood the disappointment.

I shook it off, trying to pull myself together. “Come on. Let’s get you to my office.”

“I’m good. Really?—”

“Girlie, you don’t gotta listen to him, but you do gotta listen to me if you wanna keep fighting around here. His office so we can take a peek at you.”

Wren’s head lifted, revealing the full side of her face for the first time. I knew wounds. My brothers and I had received more than a few, so I knew how to recognize what had inflicted them. And this scar hadn’t been caused by shattered glass or some freak accident. It was from a blade.

My wolf went rabid.