And there, commanding the center of the group like a dark king among his subjects, was the massive black wolf she’d glimpsed from her window a week ago. Even among his packmates, he stood apart—larger, more imposing, moving with an authority that seemed to bend the very air around him.
Do I know you?
The thought whispered through her mind, unbidden and inexplicable. Which was ridiculous. But something about the way he held himself, the controlled power in every step, felt hauntingly familiar.
Her creative mind exploded with possibilities, plot threads weaving themselves together with an urgency that made her fingers itch for her laptop. This was it—the spark she’d been desperately seeking for days, served up by the universe on a silver platter. She needed to get back, and needed to capture this raw inspiration before it slipped away.
She turned to retreat, already composing lines in her head, when a shadow detached itself from the trees beside her.
The scream tore from her throat before she could stop it, primal and sharp in the expectant silence. Her heart thundered in her chest as a familiar figure stepped into the moonlight, and relief crashed over her in a dizzying wave.
“Rune.” His name escaped on a breathless whisper.
He moved with the same fluid precision she’d just witnessed in the wolves, positioning himself between her and the forest with protective instincts that seemed hardwired into his very DNA. The gray t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders did nothing to diminish the aura of barely contained power that radiated from him like heat.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.” His voice was low and controlled, but she caught the edge of something sharper beneath the calm surface. “Especially not at night. It’s not safe for humans.”
Humans.The word hit her like a slap, confirmation of suspicions she’d been trying to rationalize away for days. She straightened, refusing to let him tower over her despite the way his presence made her pulse race.
“I’m not afraid,” she said, lifting her chin with defiance she didn’t entirely feel. “But I’m done with the cryptic warnings and half-truths. The way people look at me in town, the synchronized wildlife, your emphasis on humans—there’s more to this place than you’re telling me, isn’t there?”
His jaw tightened. For a moment, she thought he might deny it and retreat behind that wall of professionalism he wielded like armor.
“I’ll explain everything,” he said finally, his gaze sweeping the treeline with predatory alertness. “But not here. Let’s get you back inside where it’s safe.”
The promise hung between them, electric with possibility and danger in equal measure.
They walked back through the forest in charged silence, the space between them crackling with unspoken tension. Every brush of his arm against hers sent sparks racing along her nerve endings, and she found herself hyperaware of the way he moved—like a predator comfortable in his domain.
Finally you’ll have answers.And him. In your space. With no barriers between you and whatever this is.
TEN
RUNE
The warm glow of Electra’s cabin should have been welcoming, but Rune felt like he was walking into an interrogation room. His pulse hammered against his throat as he followed her inside, every instinct urging him to turn around and retreat to the safety of distance he’d maintained for the past four torturous days.
You shouldn’t have revealed yourself.The thought circled his mind like a vulture.Should have let her wonder about the wolves and gone home.
But when he’d seen her standing there in the moonlight, vulnerable and alone while his pack patrolled nearby, every protective instinct had overridden logic. The sight of her so close to potential danger had sent his wolf into overdrive, demanding action regardless of consequences.
Now he was trapped in the intimate space of her home, surrounded by her scent—that intoxicating blend that had been driving him to distraction for over a week. The four days of deliberate avoidance had been torture, but necessary. His wolf had been growing hungrier for her after their tour, and he’d thought distance might cool the relentless pull of the mate bond.
Foolish.
Distance had only sharpened the craving.
She moved to the stone fireplace, the flames casting dancing shadows across her face as she turned to face him. The sight of her in the flickering light—hair loose around her shoulders, green eyes bright with curiosity rather than fear—made his chest tighten with want.
He forced himself to remain near the door, maintaining what little control he had left.
“Start talking,” she said, crossing her arms. Her tone should have made his wolf bristle but instead it made his wolf hungry all over again. “And don’t you dare give me another lecture about wildlife safety.”
She’s too intelligent and insistent to deceive any longer.
The realization settled over him like armor. Electra had been watching, analyzing, and connecting dots with the sharp mind that had made her a bestselling author. She deserved the truth, even if it changed everything.
“Wolf shifters run Blackpine,” he said, his voice steady despite the chaos in his chest. “Two packs maintain order in this territory—the Hale Pack and the Fen Pack. We govern according to pack law, with the human residents’ knowledge and cooperation.”
