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"Well, that was really thoughtful of him." Suddenly, a strange heat pooled low in her belly. She quickly cleared her throat. "So, all the people I've seen here..."

"Are employees. They live on the island—actually, they're the only people who live here permanently."

Chrissy tilted her head, considering this. "So that means they're all wolf shifters? Members of Zev's pack?"

Olivia hesitated, her expression cautious.

"I get it if you can't tell me," Chrissy added quickly.

"I understand the secrecy. A lot of the celebrities I've met this past year were shifters who keep it under wraps from the public.

I can relate to wanting parts of yourself protected and private—something I haven't been allowed to have for a year now.

" She gave a rueful smile. "I understand why Zev and his pack would think it's important to remain hidden. "

Relief softened Olivia's features. "Yes, all employees are residents, and all residents are pack members. Though not everyone is a wolf shifter. Some married into the pack—other animal shifters, and a very few humans."

The attendants finished applying the mud and discreetly stepped away, leaving them to soak in the mineral properties. Chrissy wiggled her toes, feeling oddly comfortable covered head-to-toe in clay.

"Did Gerri say anything else to you during your travels here?" Olivia asked casually. "About mates, perhaps?"

Chrissy shook her head. "No. Actually, that was the one thing that didn't add up. Her business card said 'Founder and Owner of the Paranormal Dating Agency,' but I was too focused on escaping Marty's clutches to really dig deeper."

"Gerri Wilder is a renowned paranormal matchmaker," Olivia said, watching Chrissy's face carefully. "She has a perfect track record matching shifters with their fated mates. Any time she brings someone new—especially a human—to a shifter pack, well..." She raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

"Wait, you think she brought me here because I'm someone's mate?" Chrissy laughed nervously, feeling heat climb her neck that had nothing to do with the mud. "I don't even know what being a fated mate means. I know nothing about shifter instincts or traditions."

"Well then, is there anyone in particular who's caught your eye since you've been here?" Olivia's lips quirked in a knowing smile. "Maybe someone who might possibly be your mate?"

Zev's intense blue eyes and powerful presence immediately flashed in Chrissy's mind, sending a shiver of awareness down her spine. The way he'd looked at her like she was the most fascinating creature he'd ever encountered.

"That's—there's no way," Chrissy stammered, trying to laugh it off. "Gerri didn't bring me here for that. It must be a coincidence. I'm only here to escape my situation..." she trailed off, not wanting to delve further into her problems.

"Well, whatever the reason," Chrissy added, changing the subject, "I really appreciate everything you and the others are doing for me."

"It's all Zev," Olivia corrected her. "You should really be thanking him."

Chrissy bit her lip, realizing she hadn't properly thanked her host. "I've barely seen him since I arrived. Just glimpses from across the resort."

"He's probably giving you space to decompress." Olivia's eyes lit up with an idea. "You should dine with him tonight. Thank him in person."

The thought of a private dinner with Zev sent Chrissy's pulse racing. She remembered the electricity that had sparked between them when their hands brushed—the way his jaw had tightened as if fighting some powerful instinct.

"Maybe I should," Chrissy agreed, surprised by how much she wanted to see him again. To understand the intensity she'd glimpsed beneath his controlled exterior.

"Perfect!" Olivia beamed. "I'll let him know. Eight o'clock at the Cliff House?"

Chrissy nodded, suddenly nervous and excited all at once. A dinner with the most magnetic man she'd ever met, on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean.

As the warm water sluiced away the last traces of clay from her skin, Chrissy leaned her forehead against the cool tile of the shower stall.

The tension in her shoulders had melted away during the spa treatments, replaced by a strange flutter of anticipation in her stomach.

She'd agreed to have dinner with Zev tonight. Alone.

"You doing okay in there?" Olivia called from the adjacent shower.

"Just enjoying having shower time without someone timing me with a stopwatch." Chrissy smiled to herself, remembering Leslie's shrill voice counting down the minutes before she was due on set.

But beneath her lighthearted response lay a deeper current of emotion. Zev had cleared an entire section of his resort just for her privacy. He'd made sure she had space to breathe and to decompress. The thought of seeing him tonight and properly thanking him sent a thrill racing through her veins.

Six hours later, Chrissy stood in her villa bedroom surrounded by clothing options spread across her king-sized bed. Nothing fancy like the couture gowns Leslie forced her into for industry events—just simple, comfortable pieces that actually felt like her.

"Why am I overthinking this?" she muttered, holding an emerald green sundress against her body. "It's just dinner."

Yet it didn't feel like "just dinner." She'd performed for stadiums filled with screaming fans without her heart racing like this. She'd done live television interviews watched by millions without breaking a sweat.

But one pair of intense blue eyes made her insides twist with a mixture of nervousness and excitement she couldn't explain.

She slipped the emerald dress over her head, the soft fabric caressing her curves. The color made her green eyes pop and complemented her fair skin. She applied minimal makeup—just enough to enhance her natural features without the heavy stage makeup she'd grown accustomed to.

"This is ridiculous," she told her reflection as she ran her fingers through her loose waves. "I've dealt with pushy executives and handsy producers. Why does the thought of sitting across a table from Zev make my knees weak?"

Because he looks at you like you're the only person in the room, a small voice whispered in her mind. Because he gave you space when everyone else took and took and took.

A gentle knock at Chrissy's door startled her from her thoughts. Olivia stood outside, looking flawless in a flowing maxi dress, her smile knowing.

"You look gorgeous," she said, eyeing Chrissy's emerald sundress appreciatively. "Perfect for dinner at the Cliff House."

The path to the restaurant wound through flowering tropical gardens, their sweet scent hanging heavy in the evening air. With each step closer, Chrissy's heart beat a little faster.

Just because he's drop-dead gorgeous and seems super nice doesn't mean you should trust him completely , she reminded herself. After all, Marty had seemed charming at first too.

But something about Zev felt different. There was an intensity to him, yes, but also a warmth. A genuineness that Marty had never possessed.

The Cliff House emerged before them—an open-air structure perched dramatically on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. Lanterns hung around the space, casting golden light across polished wooden floors. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks below provided a rhythmic backdrop.

And there he was.

Zev stood at a table near the terrace edge, his powerful frame outlined against the darkening sky.

His black button-down shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, the top buttons undone to reveal a teasing glimpse of tanned skin.

When he spotted her, his piercing blue eyes locked onto her green ones, and something primal and electric passed between them.

He straightened immediately, his posture shifting subtly—shoulders back and chin up, a stance that screamed authority and confidence. Yet as she drew closer, Chrissy noticed the slight fidget of his fingers against his leg and the barely perceptible bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed.

Was the Alpha actually nervous?

"Good luck," Olivia whispered with a wink before disappearing back down the path.

Chrissy approached the table, hyperaware of how Zev's gaze traveled briefly down her body before returning respectfully to her face—appreciative but not leering.

"You look stunning," he said, his deep voice sending a pleasant shiver through her. He pulled out her chair with effortless grace, his fingers brushing against her bare shoulder as he helped her sit.

That brief contact sent a jolt of electricity through her body. From the subtle tightening of his jaw, she suspected he felt it too.

Looking around, she realized they were completely alone in the restaurant. No other tables were occupied. No waitstaff hovered nearby. Just them, the candles, and the endless view of stars twinkling above the ocean.

"Did you clear out the restaurant for me too?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

A hint of color touched his cheekbones. "I thought you might appreciate a little privacy after being constantly in the public eye."

"Thank you." The words felt inadequate for everything he'd done the past two days. "Not just for tonight, but for all of this. The villa, the security, the space." She gestured around them. "I haven't felt this...free...in over a year."

Zev's expression softened, his intense gaze warming. "Everyone deserves freedom, Chrissy. Especially from people who want to cage your spirit."

The simple understanding in those words nearly brought tears to her eyes. Not pity, not judgment—just recognition of her struggle.

"How are you real?" The question slipped out before she could stop it, her natural impulsiveness breaking through her careful reserve.

Zev laughed, the sound rich and deep, reaching places inside her that had been cold for too long. "I assure you, I'm very real. Though perhaps not what you're used to."

"That's for sure." Chrissy's lips curved upward. "Most powerful men I've met usually want something from me."

"And you think I don't?" His question was gentle but direct, his blue eyes studying her with that unnerving intensity that made her feel seen down to her soul.

Chrissy considered him for a moment, her eyes meeting his steadily. There was something about this man that made her want to lower her defenses, even as her experience screamed caution.

"What I think," she said finally, "is that whatever you want from me, you'll actually ask for it rather than manipulate me or demand that I give it to you."