A few more steps. That was all she needed. Pressing herself against the tent’s fabric, she crept forward, barely daring to breathe. She wanted only a brief look, enough to see their faces and hear what they had to say. She paused. Was speech even possible in their wolf form?
Before she could dwell on the thought, the blond shifted slightly, his head turning as if he sensed her. His smirk curled into something darker—cruel, and curious enough to jolt her.
She had made a mistake.
Kaldrek’s dark eyes locked onto hers, his lips pulling back in a silent snarl as fury radiated from him. She had disobeyed him, and he was livid, but it didn’t matter. The damage was done. She’d already been seen.
“Well, well,” the man in the center drawled. “Who isthat?”
A surge of fear climbed up her throat, threatening to choke her. But she forced herself to stand tall, lifting her chin to mask the nerves thrumming beneath her skin. The man’s striking hazel eyes gleamed as he studied her.
“I’ve never seen this beauty before.” He stepped closer and inhaled deeply. “And she’s… human.” He paused and turned to look at Kaldrek. “But with a hint of the alpha’s scent. How interesting.” His voice was a purr, smooth and dripping with intrigue.
Evelyne’s cheeks burned as she wondered if he was a wolf too. How else could he scent her? Damn wolves and their heightened senses. Now the whole pack would know that Kaldrek had been… Well, she wasn’t exactly sure what he’d been about to do, but it had come dangerously close to a kiss. Could they scent that, too?
In a flash, the Ironwolf pack shifted back into human form, the women quickly stepping in to drape cloaks over them. The two men standing beside the blond stranger said nothing, their faces unreadable, but Evelyne barely noticed them. Her attention was locked on the blond, who was still staring at her, his eyes following the way her damp leathers clung to her curves. She met his gaze head-on, refusing to look away. If he was trying to make her squirm, he’d have to do better than that.
His grin curled into something wicked as he turned to Kaldrek. “Come on, now. At least tell me her name before I start begging.”
He was clearly enjoying himself, but Kaldrek wasn’t laughing. Not even close. His black eyes burned with barely restrained fury that she could only guess came right before blood was spilled. Whatever patience he had left was hanging by a thread.
“She’s—” Kaldrek started, voice taut, but Evelyne stepped forward, cutting him off without hesitation.
“I’m Evelyne,” she said, voice smooth and cool. “And yes, I’m human. However, I find it difficult to understand why I apparently smell like the alpha. Maybe the rain makes everyone smell like wet dogs.” She folded her arms across her chest, masking the slight tremble in her fingers, and arched a brow at the stranger. “Andyouare?”
Her words seethed with intent, testing like a viper ready to strike. She might’ve been nervous, but she’d be damned if she let either of them see it.
The man’s eyes lit up, not with surprise, but with something darker, like her boldness was a gift he hadn’t expected but was more than willing to unwrap. “Evelyne,” he repeated, dragging out the word like it tasted good. “Lovely.”
Kaldrek snapped. “My tent. Now.”
The blond looked at him, clearly unfazed, and Kaldrek’s voice dropped lower.
“Obren.”
So that was his name.
The smug gleam in Obren’s eyes didn’t dim, but he inclined his head slightly, finally tearing his gaze away from Evelyne. Whatever business they had to discuss was significant enough that Kaldrek would let these men walk freely into his camp. They wouldn’t have made it this far if they posed an actual threat.
Evelyne said nothing, watching as Kaldrek led them away. Obren was the last to turn, his eyes resting on her for a moment longer before he followed.
***
The rain continued past midday, its steady rhythm drumming against the tents and pooling in muddy patches across the camp. The world outside was soaked and gray, but inside her tent, Evelyne felt oddly detached from it all. She had expected the pack to be traveling by now, but Kaldrek, Obren, and the other two men were still in his tent, locked in whatever conversation had stalled their plans.
Heidara had explained earlier that the men were from the Glaciermaw pack, a shifter group that usually kept to the north, just beyond the mountain range. According to her, they weren’t exactly well-liked by her people, which probably explained why Kaldrek and several of his men had shifted the moment they arrived.
The camp had grown restless, people lingering outside their tents, waiting. But Evelyne had stopped waiting. She knelt beside the washbasin and let the cool water rinse away the grime of the day. Mud and sweat ran from her skin, along with the warmth that still lingered from the touch of Kaldrek’s mouth on her neck.
She pressed her lips together, scrubbing her arms as if she could wash the memory away. But she didn’t want to. Not really. She hadn’t hated it. If anything, it had been the most intimate, electrifying moment of her life, and he hadn’t even kissed her.
He had grabbed her like something inside him had finally snapped. Like the war he fought within himself had spilled over. The thought of his mouth on her jaw, his breath at her ear, sent warmth curling low in her belly, and she shifted, thighs pressing together.
His tongue against her throat.
His hands gripping her waist.
His thumb brushing her bottom lip.
