Baylin had entered enemy territory before. He’d walked into ambushes, negotiated with warlords, tracked quarry through landscapes that wanted him dead. In all those situations, he’d known exactly what kind of danger he faced.
This was different.
When Liora had touched him, his beast had responded to that soft touch with a rush of possessive heat that had shocked him into stillness. She was tiny compared to the Vultor females he’d known, her delicate bones and soft curves making his hands itch to explore.
To protect,his beast growled.
He’d never felt such an instantaneous connection to anyone, and it made him wary. He hadn’t come here for this, whatever this was. He’d come to solve a mystery and report back to Rykan and Ember. That was all.
But with her intoxicating scent wrapping around him and the lingering warmth of her fingers on his skin, he knew it was nowhere near that simple.
Mate,his beast whispered, but he forced himself to ignore it.
“Ember Duvain found a record of this place in her father’s files,” he said carefully. “But it was only a single reference. We wanted to know what it was and why it existed.”
“Ember Duvain?”
“She inherited Duvain Enterprises from her father. I work for her,” he added, choosing not to think about why he felt the need to clarify their relationship.
She nodded, her teeth catching at her lower lip in a way that made his cock stir. “Are they the ones that send the supplies as well?”
“Yes. That’s the other reason we decided it was worth investigating.”
Her shoulders slumped slightly. “I wish I had some answers for you. All I know is that I was brought here as a baby. Then Susan took care of me until she died six years ago. Since then, it’s just been me and Pip and Ari.”
Pip chose that moment to abandon his perch on her shoulder and glide across the table to land on his knee. The little creature cocked his head, examining him with bright, curious eyes. All traces of his earlier hostility had vanished.
“I think he’s decided you’re not a threat,” she said, laughing.
He gave the small creature a bemused look. “That was fast.”
“Pip’s a good judge of character. He wouldn’t have approached you if he sensed anything wrong.”
“And what about you? Have you decided I’m not a threat?”
“Yes,” she said simply, and his chest tightened at her easy trust.
“I’m glad.”
She reached over to stroke Pip’s fur, her fingers brushing close to his leg, and he had to clench his fists to keep from reaching for her as his body reacted to her closeness.
“I have so many questions,” she repeated, her eyes lighting up with an enthusiasm that was almost childlike. “Hundreds of questions. Thousands, maybe. I’ve been reading about the outside world my whole life, but books can only tell you so much.”
“Ask me anything.”
“What’s it like out there?” Her gesture encompassed everything beyond the tower. “The world, I mean. I’ve read about it, of course, but it’s not the same as hearing it from someone who’s actually seen it.”
He considered how to answer. The world she knew from books would be sanitized, organized, and probably focused on the human experience. His life had been very different.
“It’s... complicated. Beautiful and terrible, sometimes at the same time. There are cities where thousands of people live together, and settlements that only hold a few families. Port Cantor has technology so advanced it seems like magic, but it’s rare on the rest of the planet. There are farms and homesteads, but there are still wild places like this jungle.”
“Have you traveled a lot?”
“Yes. I’ve been... restless for a long time, even before I left my pack. That’s one of the reasons I chose to come here. The chance to solve a mystery, to go somewhere new—that appealed to me.”
“But you haven’t solved it.”
“No, not yet.” The words hung in the air between them, and he intentionally changed the subject. ‘You said you had other questions?”
