Cora turned away, gripping the edge of the counter to steady herself. Her emotions churned in a confusing mix of anger, fear, and, God help her, longing.
A soft sigh filled the silence. “Get some rest. I’ll be back late, so I’m borrowing your key to get a spare made. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
She didn’t respond. She didn’t trust herself to. Instead, she kept her back to him until she heard the door close behind him. Only then did she let out a shaky breath.
She pressed her hand to her face, letting the cool of her palms seep into the heat on her cheeks. This wasn’t how her life was supposed to go. She was supposed to be free, in control, and untethered. But now, with Grayson in her orbit and the bond pulling at her in ways she didn’t understand, everything felt like it was slipping away.
Tomorrow, she thought grimly. Tomorrow, she’d figure out how to handle him—and herself.
Chapter 6 - Grayson
Grayson crouched in the shadow of the alley across from Cora’s building with his phone in hand and a pair of earbud wires trailing into his jacket. The camera feed from the tiny surveillance devices he’d placed around her apartment streamed onto the screen, showing the quiet street, her door, and the windows facing the alley. It wasn’t a perfect setup, but it was enough to give him some peace of mind.
Not that peace was a luxury he seemed capable of these days.
The wolf paced inside him, restless and growling with every second that passed without incident. Every car that slowed, every shadow that stretched too far, sent a jolt of tension down his spine. It was the bond. That much he knew. It heightened his instincts and turned his usual edge into something more primal, more demanding. And being this close to her? It was like standing at the edge of a cliff with the wind at his back, threatening to push him over.
Then there were the nights.
Grayson had claimed her couch as his spot. It was far from comfortable—too short for his frame and with cushions that had seen better days—but he endured it. He’d slept in worse places during missions. The issue wasn’t the couch; it was the bedroom a few steps away.
His wolf tugged at him every night. It was like a low, constant pull urging him toward Cora’s door. It was instinct, intrinsic, and frustratingly persistent. His body insisted that he needed to be close, to protect her, to ensure she was safe. He told himself it was just the bond. It had to be. Anything else was dangerous territory, and he wasn’t going there. Not when everyinch of her posture and every cutting remark made it clear she wanted him as far away as possible.
The worst part wasn’t even the couch itself. It was the moments just before sleep when the bond made its presence undeniable. The magic rushed through his veins, whispering insistently in the quiet.Protect. Stay close. Be hers. He ground his teeth every time, forcing himself to ignore it, to resist the pull. Cora deserved her space, and he wasn’t about to make things harder for her. But the strain was wearing on him, and his patience was already thin.
“You’ve got to stop hovering,” she’d said earlier that day. “It’s creepy.”
He didn’t hover. He protected. There was a difference. But there was no telling her that.
The phone vibrated in his hand, snapping him out of his thoughts. Ryder’s name flashed on the screen, and Grayson swiped to answer.
“Tell me you’ve got something,” Grayson said, keeping his voice low.
“Depends on what you mean bysomething,” Ryder replied. “Voss’ goons have been sniffing around the eastern edge of town. They haven’t crossed the line yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”
“And the rest of the pack?”
“Patrols are doubled. Zach’s leading the night shifts.”
“And Voss?”
“Laying low. For now.”
Grayson didn’t like that. Voss wasn’t the kind of man—or shifter—to retreat without a plan. If he wasn’t moving openly, itmeant he was working behind the scenes, pulling strings in ways they couldn’t see yet. And with Cora still in his crosshairs, the danger felt closer than ever.
“I’ll keep an eye on things here,” Grayson declared. “Let me know the second anything changes.”
“Will do. And Kane?”
“What?”
“Maybe take a break or something. You’re in this too deep.”
The line went dead before Grayson could reply, not that he would’ve bothered. Rest wasn’t exactly a priority right now. Not when every instinct screamed at him to stay alert.
He pocketed the phone and straightened, looking back over the street. Everything looked quiet. Normal. But he knew better than to trust appearances.
By the time he climbed the stairs to Cora’s apartment, his mood had soured further. He unlocked the door with the spare key he’d insisted on keeping and stepped inside, finding her at the small kitchen table, a cup of tea in her hands and her laptop open in front of her.
