Lightning shot up his arm, bypassing every rational thought and speaking directly to the most primitive part of his nature. His polar bear roared inside him, recognition blazing through every cell in his body with the force of absolute certainty. The scent that had been driving him to distraction suddenly made perfect sense—calling to everything wild and protective in his soul.
Shit. She’s my fated mate.
His knees nearly buckled under the weight of realization. Eighteen years of careful control, of building walls against exactly this kind of vulnerability, and Gerri Wilder had waltzed into his territory and demolished them within a single moment.
What is Gerri doing? I didn’t request her services. Certainly didn’t plan for my mate to be here now.
The denial rose swift and fierce, but the mate bond humming between them left no room for argument. His polar bear wantedto roar its claim to the frozen sky, to mark her as his and eliminate any threat that might dare approach. But his mind—the part that had kept him alive and his clan safe—rebelled against the very idea.
Mates were distractions. Liabilities. Vulnerabilities that enemies could exploit.
But he couldn’t ignore the way the air seemed to thrum with electricity, or the way his entire being had oriented itself around her presence like a compass finding true north. The internal battle between territorial duty and personal instinct twisted tight in his chest, leaving him feeling unmoored for the first time in years.
Winslet was staring at him with those sharp green eyes, and he realized he’d been holding her hand far longer than social convention dictated. A flush had crept across her cheekbones, and she seemed to be fighting her own reaction to whatever had just passed between them.
She felt it too.
“We should get inside,” he said, releasing her hand and stepping back to put distance between them. “Before you catch a cold.”
The words came out rougher than he intended, and he saw Winslet’s eyes widen slightly at his tone. But she nodded, gathering herself with the kind of composure that spoke of someone accustomed to adapting fast.
As they moved toward the door, Korrak found his gaze tracking her incessantly. Despite the approaching storm and unfamiliar environment, she moved with surprising competence, her steps careful and deliberate. But there was something else in her posture—a hypervigilance that suggested she was used to watching out for something or someone.
What is that all about?
Once inside the outpost, warmth enveloped them like a physical embrace. Korrak watched as Winslet began the process of settling in, noting the way she cataloged exits and sight lines with unconscious efficiency. She adjusted to the new environment with the precision of someone used to thinking on her feet.
She’s different,he thought, tension and unwilling admiration coiling together in his chest.A survivor.
The realization only made his situation more complicated. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by a mate, no matter how perfectly she seemed suited to adapting to the harsh realities of his world. But he also couldn’t deny the way every instinct he possessed had awakened at her presence.
“I need to get back to my cabin,” he announced, the words coming out more abrupt than intended. Distance. He needed distance to think, to process what had just happened without the intoxicating influence of her scent clouding his judgment.
But even as he spoke, he found himself adding, “Ellie, you should bring Miss Ward by for dinner later. She’ll need to understand how things work around here.”
Ellie looked up from where she was helping Winslet with her jacket. “I’ve got plans tonight, but I could drop her off.”
“Fine.” The word came out clipped and professional, giving away none of the turmoil raging beneath the surface.
He headed for the door, needing to escape before he did something foolish like demanding answers from Gerri about her machinations. But the matchmaker followed him outside, her boots clicking against the packed snow with determined precision.
“Korrak.” Her voice carried a note of gentle authority that made him pause despite his urgency to flee. “Please watch over Winslet.”
He turned to face Gerri, noting the way her expression had shifted from mischievous to something approaching maternal concern.
“The poor girl has been through a lot,” Gerri continued, her tone unusually serious. “She could really use a protective man like you in her corner.”
The words hit him unexpectedly hard, confirming his suspicions about Winslet’s behavior while simultaneously triggering every territorial instinct he possessed. Someone had hurt his mate—potential mate,he corrected himself fiercely—and the polar bear in him wanted blood.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, his voice carefully neutral.
Gerri’s eyes flashed gold for just a moment, and her smile returned with devastating effectiveness. “I knew you would, dear. You’re exactly what she needs, even if neither of you realizes it yet.”
With that comment, she turned and headed back inside, leaving Korrak alone with the storm clouds gathering overhead and the uncomfortable knowledge that his life had just changed irrevocably.
He set off toward his cabin with ground-eating strides, but no amount of distance could silence the voice in his head that whispered he was already playing a losing game.
THREE
