Page 33

TWENTY-SIX

MAYA

M aya stood at the edge of the clearing where, three months ago, she had become forever bonded to Kieran under a bright moon.

Today, the late afternoon sun filtered through autumn leaves, casting dappled golden light across her simple white dress.

Wild roses and mountain asters woven through her copper hair caught the breeze as she took in the circle of friends gathered to witness this more human celebration of their union.

"Nervous?" Lena whispered, adjusting the small bouquet in Maya's hands.

"Oddly, no." Maya's fingers traced the mate mark at her neck, now a silvery scar that tingled whenever Kieran was near. "I faced down crazed scientists, wolf shifter guards, and human hunters. This should be easy."

But her heart raced anyway as she spotted Kieran waiting by the natural stone altar, looking devastatingly attractive in a charcoal suit that emphasized the breadth of his shoulders.

His silver-blue eyes locked onto her green ones across the clearing, their piercing intensity making her breath catch.

Through their strong mate bond, she felt a wave of possession and pride that made her knees weak.

"He still looks at you like he might devour you at any moment," Malcolm commented, appearing at her side to walk her down the improvised aisle. "It's both sweet and slightly disturbing to witness as his brother."

Maya laughed, threading her arm through his. "Says the wolf who spent last week's full moon howling at Damon's cousin."

Malcolm's ears reddened. "Touché, sister of mine."

As they walked forward, Maya marveled at how drastically her life had transformed.

Three months ago, she'd been a solitary researcher tracking what she thought were unusual natural wolves.

Now she was a wolf herself, mate to an Alpha, and at the center of the most significant social evolution in wolf shifter history.

Elder Callum stood beside Kieran, his weathered face softened with unexpected approval. The patriarch had become their strongest ally in navigating pack politics, though Maya suspected it was less about progressive ideals and more about his deep-rooted belief in the prophecy.

"You look stunning," Kieran murmured when she reached him, his hand sliding possessively around her waist. The naked hunger in his eyes made her wolf stir just beneath her skin.

Elder Callum cleared his throat. "We gather today to honor the human tradition of marriage between Kieran Silvercrest, Acting Alpha of Silvercrest Territory, and Dr. Maya Collins, his fated mate and partner in leadership."

Maya listened to the elder's words about bridges between worlds, and about honoring both her human heritage and their shared wolf nature.

As Kieran recited vows that blended traditional wolf shifter promises with human sentiments, she found herself reflecting on how completely her scientific worldview had expanded.

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 instinctual reaction, her analytical mind was racing, evaluating the threats that surrounded them from all sides.

"You're thinking too loud," Kieran murmured, his full lips brushing against her temple. "I can practically hear the gears turning."

Maya tilted her head back, meeting his gaze. "Someone has to think while you're busy being all growly and Alpha-like." Her fingers traced the long scar on his jaw, a habit she'd developed in their months together.

"Three different groups have claimed responsibility for my father's disappearance," Kieran said, his jaw tightening beneath her touch. "The Council's refusal to investigate is suspicious at best."

"And treasonous at worst," Maya finished for him.

She moved toward the maps spread across their coffee table, red pins marking locations of alleged sightings.

"The Council might be behind it themselves.

Your father represented the old guard, but you—" she turned to face him, "you're something new.

Something they can't predict or control. "

Kieran stalked toward her, his movements fluid and predatory in a way that still made her pulse quicken. "I never wanted leadership this way. My father and I didn't agree on much, but he's still?—"

"Family," Maya completed softly. "I know. Despite everything he did to us."

"If he could see you now," Kieran said, tucking her copper hair behind her ear, "he might change his mind about you. About us."

Maya wasn't so sure, but she kept that doubt to herself. The complicated emotions Kieran harbored for his missing father—anger, disappointment, and lingering respect—were his to navigate.

Through their powerful mate bond, she felt the conflicting waves of his emotions. Frustration at the Council's indifference, determination to find his father, and a deeper current of protectiveness that was always present when it came to her.

"The rebellion is getting bolder these days," she said, changing the subject. Her fingers traced the eastern border of their territory where recent clashes had occurred. "With your father gone, they see an opportunity. And with us openly advocating for moderate reforms?—"

"We're caught between traditionalists who think we're too radical and revolutionaries who think we're not radical enough," Kieran concluded.

Maya gave a small nod, her thoughts turning back to the human hybrid in Portland. "She doesn't know what she is yet. But there's people who do. And they're coming for her." She swallowed hard, memories of her own captivity and experimentation rising unbidden. "We can't let them get to her first."

Kieran caught her chin between his fingers, tilting her face up to his. "We won't." The fierce certainty in his tone washed through her like a wave. "I'm dispatching Logan today."

Her wolf preened at his efficiency. Her human side worried about the logistics.

"What if she doesn't want to come?" Maya asked. "I didn't exactly welcome being kidnapped by a sexy, brooding Alpha, if you recall."

Kieran's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "Sexy?"

She rolled her eyes, though heat bloomed in her cheeks. "That's what you took from that?"

"Absolutely." He pulled her flush against his body. "I seem to remember you came around to the idea eventually."

His mouth descended on hers, stealing her clever retort with a kiss that sent fire racing through her veins.

When they broke apart, Maya rested her forehead against his chest, listening to the strong, steady rhythm of his heart. "I still believe we can change things—create a world where humans and wolf shifters exist together openly. Where hybrids aren't threats but bridges."

"If anyone can do it, it's you." His voice held that particular note of fierce pride that always made her inner wolf preen. "My brilliant, stubborn, rebellious mate."