Chapter 11
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The SUV’s leather seats creaked as my fingers curled around the steering wheel.
My heart slammed against my ribs like it wanted to escape my chest. My canines lengthened against my will, pricking my bottom lip.
The copper taste of my own blood filled my mouth as my wolf clawed beneath my skin, desperate for control.
I’d come closer to losing myself tonight than ever before.
One minute, I’d been human. The next… savage in a pre-feral rage. Gone.
Tabia Dhahabu. The name burned like acid in my mind.
Not just any threat, the pharmaceutical queen with resources that made even the wealthiest shifter packs look like street gangs.
She’d sent professional killers after her own granddaughter.
Vulture-shifters trained to hunt and kill without mercy.
And these two were just the beginning. I knew how people like Tabia operated.
The next wave would be better, deadlier, more prepared.
My jaw clenched so hard I heard my own teeth crack.
Nobody touched what was mine. Especially not some corporate tyrant who treated her own blood as disposable.
My mountaintop log cabin–style house had wide-angle panoramic views, complete privacy with security measures designed to counter professional assassins, motion sensors, tactical defenses, panic room, escape tunnels.
I was former military. I’d built it expecting the worst. Tonight proved I’d been right.
Rozi’s scent engulfed me, sweet jasmine and vanilla corrupted by the metallic tang of her blood.
Each breath I drew stoked the rage building inside my chest, a savage beast clawing to break free.
My fated mate was bleeding. My woman had been hurt.
The memory of that corporate thug slamming her skull against the asphalt replayed in violent flashes behind my eyes, each one sending tremors of barely controlled fury through me.
If she hadn’t reached out to me through the pre-feral rage, that terrifying limbo where man gave way to his inner beast, I might have been lost forever. That cold reality drenched me in icy sweat.
Our mate bleeds because we failed.
The accusation hit like a knife to the chest. He was right. I’d let them touch her. Let them hurt her.
Never again.
I glanced at Rozi, moonlight streaming through the windshield to illuminate her profile.
She sat ramrod straight, one hand pressed to the back of her skull, breathing shallow and controlled.
The scent of her injury mixed with something else, arousal she was trying to suppress, the mate bond vibrating between us despite everything.
Even wounded, she was fighting her body’s response to my proximity.
“How bad is it?” I asked, though I could already smell the answer.
She turned her eyes on me, fire blazing despite the pain. “Don’t even think about babying me, Thornbern. I’ve survived worse than a bump on the head.”
“That’s not what I asked.” I drove up to the gate, which was on an incline, pressed the button on my steering wheel to open it, and drove through, continuing up. Then the incline dropped until we were looking at the top of my house as we descended.
Her laugh rasped out, brittle enough to draw blood.
“The good news? My brain’s still functional.
” She shifted in her seat, one hand bracing against the dashboard as the movement clearly sent a wave of dizziness through her.
For a split second, her mask slipped, pupils dilating with pain before she forced them back to normal.
“The bad news? I’ll be dizzy for days instead of hours. ”
“Jesus, Rozi.” Fresh worry spiked through me. “You should have told me immediately. If you have a concussion…”
“I’m a doctor, Thornbern.” Her voice carried that professorial edge that made my cock twitch inappropriately. “I’m perfectly capable of assessing my own health needs.”
There she is. The stubborn woman who’d challenged me in that town hall meeting. Even injured, she was giving me attitude.
My wolf purred with satisfaction. Strong mate. Fierce even when wounded.
“Right,” I said, fighting a smile. “Because you’re known for asking for help when you need it.”
“Are you psychoanalyzing me, Thornbern?” She shifted in her seat, and the movement sent a fresh wave of her scent washing over me. “Because I should warn you. I don’t have patience for amateur therapy right now.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Dr. Dhahabu.” I turned onto the gravel road leading to my cabin, stones pinging off the undercarriage like bullets. “Though I have to say, for someone with a head injury, your razor tongue seems to be working just fine.”
“My tongue works perfectly, thank you very much.”
The words were loaded with unintentional innuendo that made my cock go hard against my jeans. Her eyes widened as she realized what she’d said, her breath catching as awareness sparked between us.
Fuck. Even flustered and injured, she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Good to know,” I said, my voice rougher than intended. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Damn, even the sound of fabric against her skin was driving me insane.
The security system’s soft chime broke the silence as invisible boundary lines registered our arrival.
My shoulders dropped an inch, the first muscles I’d relaxed since finding her bleeding on the pavement.
Home territory. I scanned the tree line out of habit, nostrils flaring to catch any foreign scent that might have breached my perimeter.
Nothing. Just pine, earth, and the distant scent of the waterfall. The knot in my gut loosened a fraction.
My wolf prowled closer to the surface, a rumble building in my chest that I barely managed to swallow back.
Her scent in my territory, in my den, felt right in a way that bypassed conscious thought.
My hands flexed on the steering wheel as primal instincts warred with human restraint.
Mark the perimeter. Guard the entrance. Keep her safe.
We pulled up to my cabin. The sight usually brought me peace.
Tonight all I could think about was getting her inside, where nothing could touch her. Where I could protect her from every threat, including the one I’d become when the feral rage took over.
I killed the engine, and sudden silence filled the space between us. Her scent intensified, injury and exhaustion layered over arousal and that wild, sweet essence that was purely her.
“Welcome to Thornbern territory,” I said, already moving to grab her luggage before she could protest. “Most secure location in the Ridge. Motion sensors, pressure plates, and enough firepower to stop a small army.”
“Planning to start a war?” she asked, following me up the stone path with careful steps.
“No, I’m planning to finish one,” I replied honestly. “Corporate mercenaries just made this personal.”
Her eyes darkened at my words. The scent hit me like a physical blow, sweet arousal cutting through lingering fear and adrenaline. My wolf surged forward, nearly breaking through my control. Mine, it growled.
“You really think they’ll come after us here?” she asked, trying to maintain her professional demeanor even as her body betrayed her reaction to me.
I moved closer, deliberately invading her space until her back pressed against the wall. I placed one hand beside her head, caging her with my body without actually touching her.
“Let them try,” I growled, my voice dropping to a dangerous rumble. “They won’t get within a hundred yards of you.”
Her breath hitched, her pupils dilating until only a thin ring of brown remained. I could hear her heartbeat accelerate, smell the sweet musk of desire that perfumed the air between us.
“That’s very… confident,” she managed, though her voice had gone husky.
“When it comes to protecting what’s mine?” I let my gaze drop deliberately to her mouth. “I don’t take chances.”
The biometric lock recognized my palm, and I pushed open the heavy oak door. Warm air rushed out to meet us, carrying scents of forest, cedar, and vanilla, and the faint hint of yesterday’s coffee. Home.
But everything looked different with her beside me.
“Jesus,” she breathed, stepping inside. “This is incredible.”
The open-plan great room had living and dining areas, a large stone fireplace, cathedral ceilings, herringbone-patterned floors, and floor-to-ceiling glass walls framing the waterfall that captured her attention, moonlight streaming through to paint everything silver.
“It’s very cabin-y, with lots of wood,” she said.
“Best view in Alaska,” I said, watching her instead of the scenery. “Though I’m starting to think the real view just walked through my door.”
She shot me a look that could have melted steel. “Smooth, Thornbern. Do lines like that usually work?”
“I wouldn’t know.” I set her luggage down, aware of how her scent was already beginning to permeate my space. “I’ve never brought a woman to my home.”
Her eyes widened a fraction, that sharp, analytical gaze sweeping the room before returning to my face. The slight tilt of her head, the momentary softening around her mouth, subtle tells I wouldn’t have caught if I hadn’t been watching her every breath.
“What about your books?” she asked, moving toward the wall of shelves that dominated the far wall. “Romance novels hidden behind the tactical manuals?”
“Military strategy and classic literature, mostly. Though I may have a few guilty pleasures tucked away.”
“Like what?” She traced the spines with one finger, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her fingers, mesmerized by her gentle touch.
“Horror thrillers. Postapocalyptic fiction. The occasional paranormal romance.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Paranormal romance?”
Heat crept up my neck. “Research. Understanding the competition.”
“Competition?” She turned to face me fully, amusement dancing in her dark eyes. “Are you planning to write your own supernatural love story?”
I’m living one, I thought but said, “Maybe. Brooding alpha wolf meets beautiful cheetah-shifter. Lots of sexual tension, minimal communication skills.”
“Sounds terrible,” she said, but she was fighting a smile. “Who would read that?”
My wolf preened at the hint of amusement in her voice. Years apart, and I could still make her smile. The beast inside me howled with satisfaction.
“You’d be surprised.” I moved closer, drawn by the spark in her eyes that had nothing to do with her injury. “Some people like the fantasy of finding their perfect match.”
“Fantasy being the operative word.” Her scent shifted, jasmine and vanilla turning sharp with sudden anxiety. I watched her walls slam back into place, armor clicking into position piece by piece. “Perfect matches don’t exist in the real world.”
“Don’t they?” I asked quietly, letting her see the truth I couldn’t hide anymore. “Because I’m looking at mine right now.”
A quarter century of suppressed longing crystallized into a single, devastating moment of honesty.
A catch in her breath. And for a heartbeat, I thought she might close the distance between us.
Instead, she stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself in a gesture I was beginning to recognize.
“I’m going to rest now,” she announced, chin lifted in challenge. “We have a long trek ahead of us tomorrow.”
I nodded, respecting her need for space even as everything in me ached to pull her close. Years of separation, and my body still recognized hers on a cellular level. My wolf whined in protest as I forced myself to maintain distance.
“Right.” I managed to keep my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “There are guest bedrooms on either side of the front door, and my room is upstairs and has a loft area with seating. Let me show you to your room.”
I led her across the open floor to the biggest guest room, acutely aware of her beside me. The room had a queen bed with soft linens, a private bathroom, and windows that framed the same waterfall view.
“This is beautiful,” she said, drifting toward the glass. “You can see everything from here.
“Everything that matters,” I agreed, though I wasn’t looking at the scenery.
Charged silence. Regret crackling between us like lightning. Her fragrance permeated the air, notes of injury and exhaustion mingling with arousal she couldn’t quite conceal.
Claim her, my wolf urged. She’s hurt, vulnerable, and needs our protection.
She needs rest, I said, though my body hardened painfully at her scent. Not more trauma. Not yet.
“I hate owing people favors,” she said finally. “But you saved my ass tonight.”
“Always,” I said, the word torn from somewhere deep inside. “I’ll always protect you, Rozi. Even when you don’t want me to.”
Something cracked in her expression, pain mixed with longing, walls beginning to crumble under the weight of shared danger.
Before I could stop myself, I reached out to brush a stray curl from her face.
My fingers grazed her cheek, and she leaned into the touch with a soft sigh that transformed into a low, involuntary purr.
The sound vibrated through the air between us, primitive and honest in a way words could never be. Her cheetah, calling to my wolf.
Time suspended. Her lips parted.
Then she stepped back, the moment shattered, shock and something like horror flashing across her face at her body’s betrayal.
“Good night.” I forced myself toward the door, though everything in me screamed to stay. “Sleep well. Tomorrow we go to the COL.”
I was almost to the threshold when her voice stopped me cold.
“Good night, Thornbern.”