“Oh no,” he finally managed, running a hand through his dark hair. “Damn, Rune, this is?—“
“Catastrophic? Yeah, I’m aware.”
Forrest began his own restless movement, pacing a parallel path to Rune’s worn track. “How certain are you? Sometimes the mate bond can be confused with?—“
“I touched her hand,” Rune interjected, his voice low. “The recognition was instant. She’s mine, Forrest, whether I want her to be or not. And I’m guessing Gerri Wilder had something to do with this.”
“She was with this human woman?” Forrest let out a sharp laugh devoid of humor. “That woman has a reputation for meddling in these things.”
“I never asked for this,” Rune growled, the words carrying an edge of his wolf’s frustration. “I may be thirty-eight years old, but I’m not some desperate bachelor begging the universe for intervention.”
“But here you are anyway.” Forrest’s tone gentled. “How are you handling it?”
Rune gestured to the worn path in his floor, the evidence of hours spent fighting instincts that demanded action. “About as well as you’d expect.”
“The pack laws don’t exactly account for human mates,” Forrest said carefully. “It’s not impossible, but it’s rare enough to cause problems. Questions about leadership, about tradition?—“
“Birch will use this against me the moment he finds out. He’s been looking for a weakness to exploit for years. You know hewants to become the Alpha of the whole region.” Rune’s voice carried bitter understanding.
“Then we don’t let him find out. Not until you’ve figured out how to handle the situation.”
“And how exactly do I handle a mate bond with a human who doesn’t even know shifters exist?” The question erupted from him with volcanic force. “She writes about our kind like we’re fantasy creatures, Forrest. Fictional plot devices for her romance novels.”
“She writes about shifters?” Forrest’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s either incredibly ironic or incredibly convenient.”
“Definitely ironic.” Rune resumed his pacing, his energy too chaotic for stillness. “She has no idea what she’s walked into. No understanding of the danger she’s in.”
“So you protect her. Keep her safe while you figure out the rest.”
“She doesn’t know what I am,” Rune said quietly. “Doesn’t know what she is to me. For all she knows, I’m just the local sheriff who helped carry her bags.”
“Maybe that’s not a bad thing. Gives you time to approach this carefully, build trust before dropping the supernatural bomb on her.”
“Or gives me time to make mistakes that get her killed.” The words carried the weight of old trauma, memories of another woman he’d failed to protect.
Forrest’s expression softened with understanding. “This isn’t the same situation, Rune. You’re not eighteen anymore, and you’re not responsible for forces beyond your control.”
“Aren’t I? She’s in my territory, under my protection whether she knows it or not. If something happens to her because I was too cautious or too reckless?—“
“Nothing’s going to happen to her. We’ll make sure of that.”
The certainty in Forrest’s voice provided an anchor Rune hadn’t realized he needed. His Beta had never made promises he couldn’t keep, had never offered empty reassurance. If he said they’d protect her, he meant it.
“Keep this between us for now,” Rune said finally.
“My lips are sealed,” Forrest promised as he headed for the door.
The silence after Forrest’s departure felt suffocating. Rune’s cabin, normally a sanctuary of controlled order, now felt like a cage. The mate bond was already weaving invisible threads between him and Electra, pulling at his consciousness with relentless persistence.
This is madness.
But his wolf disagreed. The primal part of him that had recognized her instantly demanded action. The civilized sheriff might understand the need for patience and careful planning, but his wolf operated on more fundamental imperatives.
She’s alone. Unprotected. Mine.
Rune stepped onto his front porch, the cool mountain air carrying the familiar scents of pine and earth. But underneath it all, threading through the forest like a beacon, was her scent.
Just a patrol. Standard security sweep.
