It’s not a question. His certainty scrapes against my nerves.
“I needed data first.”
“Bullshit.” Another step closer.
Rafe clears his throat. “I spotted movement near the creek.” He retreats down the ridge without waiting for permission, leaving us alone in the tense morning light.
I stand my ground as Dane moves into my space—close enough that I catch his scent. Pine. Earth. Alpha. The memory of his hands on my skin flickers unbidden.
The stone in my pocket pulses faster.
“You’re not doing this alone anymore,” he says. His voice drops lower, the kind of quiet that commands more attention than shouting ever could.
I narrow my eyes. “I work better alone.”
“Not an option.”
I step back. He steps forward.
“This isn’t a pack issue,” I say. “He’s tracking me specifically. My energy signature.”
“Then I’m with you specifically.”
His statement stops me cold.
“You don’t get it,” I push back, anger rising. “Your presence makes it worse. Any strong emotional connection amplifies the signature.”
Something shifts in his expression.
“So that’s why you keep walking away.” He closes the remaining distance, invading my space completely. “After every time we touch.”
Heat crawls up my neck. “I’m trying to protect you. Your pack.”
“I don’t need protection.” His hand comes up, fingers grazing my jaw with unexpected gentleness. “I need you to stop running.”
I jerk away from his touch. Not because it burns—because it doesn’t. Because every cell in my body wants to lean into it, and that’s exactly the problem.
“This isn’t about us.”
“It’s exactly about us.” He doesn’t reach for me again, but his stance blocks my retreat. “You’re not walking into this alone.”
“You don’t get to decide—“
“Already did.”
The air between us crackles with tension. His eyes never leave mine—challenging, demanding. This isn’t the controlled Alpha from the compound. This is pure dominance. Raw command.
I should step back. Create distance. Break whatever this is before it breaks me.
Instead, I surge forward.
The space between us evaporates. Heat radiates from his body, his scent wrapping around me like a drug, making my pulse stutter and race.
Every rational thought screams at me to stop, but my body moves on pure instinct. Hunger I’ve been fighting for days breaks free.
My mouth finds his with bruising force. I grab the front of his shirt, pulling him closer, teeth scraping against his lower lip.
He responds instantly. One hand tangles in my hair, gripping hard enough to sting. The other splays across my lower back, pressing me against him. His kiss is punishing—all teeth and possession.
