Her eyebrows shot up, and he watched understanding dawn across her features.
“Hale,” she repeated slowly. “As in Rune Hale. So you’re not just the sheriff.”
“I’m also Alpha of the Hale Pack.” The words came out flat, matter-of-fact. No point in softening the blow. “I’ve held both positions for over twenty years.”
Watch her run now.
His wolf braced for rejection, for the fear that would send her fleeing back to the safety of her old life. Instead, she tiltedher head with the same analytical expression she’d worn when questioning his repeated visits.
“That explains so much about your behavior,” she said, a note of satisfaction creeping into her voice. “The way you move, the authority everyone defers to, that protective streak that borders on overbearing.”
Relief flooded through him so suddenly his knees nearly buckled.She’s not running.Yet.
“I write about shifters and mate bonds all the time,” she continued, her tone growing thoughtful. “Always assumed it was purely fictional. Just another plot device to create romantic tension.”
The mention of her books sparked a memory, and before he could stop himself, the words tumbled out.
“I know. I read one of your novels this week.Moon Claimed.Quite enlightening, though you got some details about shifter hierarchy wrong.”
Her laugh was rich and genuine, transforming her face into something luminous. “You read my work? You don’t exactly strike me as the type to read fantasy fiction, Sheriff.”
Heat crept up his neck, and he found himself fighting a smile. “It was research. I wanted to understand you better.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he’d revealed too much too fast. Her expression shifted, curiosity sharpening into something more intense.
“Understand me better?” She took a step closer, and his wolf perked up at the decreased distance. “Why would you need to research me unless?—“
Careful.
He held up a hand, needing to pace this revelation before he overwhelmed her completely.
“Mate bonds are very real, Electra.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “And you’ve unknowingly stepped into a situationthat mirrors your novels more closely than you could have imagined.”
The fire crackled in the silence that followed, and Rune watched her process the implications of his words. Her sharp mind was already working, fitting pieces together with the same precision that had made her stories so compelling.
She’s going to figure it out soon enough.The thought terrified and thrilled him in equal measure.I might as well tell her now.
The silence stretched between them like a taut wire, and Rune felt the weight of twenty years of careful control balanced on the edge of this moment.
She deserves to hear it from me. Not piece it together like some puzzle.
He closed the distance between them with deliberate steps, each movement calculated to project calm authority rather than predatory intent. The firelight caught the concern flickering across her features, and when he stopped mere inches away, her scent enveloped him completely.
“Electra.” Her name felt like a prayer on his lips. “You’re my fated mate.”
His words hung in the air, stark and irrevocable. His chest tightened as he braced for the inevitable reaction—laughter, denial, or the sharp sting of rejection that would send her running back to her safe, predictable life.
Instead, she went perfectly still, her green eyes widening with something that looked like recognition rather than shock.
“What?” The question came out breathless, but not dismissive. “Fated mates are... I mean, that’s just a romance trope. Something I use to create sexual tension and emotional stakes in my novels.”
“They’re very real.” He kept his voice steady despite the storm raging in his body. “The bond between us exists whetherwe acknowledge it or not. But the choice to accept it—to accept me—is entirely yours.”
Her lips parted slightly, and he watched understanding dawn across her face like sunrise breaking over the mountains.
“That’s why...” She trailed off, one hand rising unconsciously to touch her throat. “The attraction I felt the moment you pulled me over. The way my pulse races whenever you’re near. I thought I was just sexually frustrated after two years of celibacy.”
A laugh escaped him before he could stop it—rich and genuine and tinged with relief that she felt the bond too, even without the instinctive recognition his wolf possessed.
