Kael POV
Kael walks into the office building at midnight and nobody tries to stop him.
The security guard doesn't even look up. People never look up when Kael walks past them. It's like his presence alone makes them want to be invisible.
The elevator ride to her floor takes thirty seconds and feels like thirty hours.
His wolf is screaming inside him. Demanding. Clawing under his skin like it's trying to break free. Kael has spent four days hunting her. Four days of no sleep. Four days of frustration and obsession and pure need.
He's done waiting.
The elevator doors open and he walks out into the office space.
It's mostly dark. Emergency lights flicker in the hallway. There are only a handful of people working night shift. Data analysts. Night shift workers. People who exist in the spaces other people don't want to occupy.
Eira is at her desk in the far corner.
She looks up and her eyes go wide.
It's her. God, it's definitely her. He'd recognize her anywhere now. Those brown eyes. That face. That scent that's been driving him insane for days.
She's real.
Kael walks toward her. His heart is pounding. His body is vibrating with the need to touch her. To claim her. To make the entire paranormal world know that she belongs to him.
He doesn't smile. Doesn't say hello. Doesn't do any of the things normal people do when they meet someone.
Instead he says: "You're mine. I don't know how or why, but my wolf knows you're mine. So you're going to come with me and you're going to explain to me exactly what you are."
Eira's mouth opens. She looks like she's going to say no.
Then her phone buzzes.
She looks at it and her face goes pale.
Kael doesn't care what the message says. He doesn't care about anything except getting her out of this building and to somewhere safe. Somewhere he can keep her. Somewhere she can't run.
"No," Eira says. Her voice is small and shaking. "No, I'm not going anywhere with you. You need to leave. You need to leave right now."
Kael steps closer.
"I'm not leaving without you."
"I'm calling security. I'm calling the police. I'm—"
She reaches for the phone on her desk but Kael is faster. He grabs her wrist gently but firmly. The moment his skin touches hers, electricity shoots through him.
His wolf erupts.
MATE. MATE. OURS. CLAIM HER. NOW.
Eira tries to pull away but he's stronger. So much stronger. She's human and he's Alpha and there's no competition here.
"What are you," he demands. "Tell me what you are."
"I'm human," she says. "I'm just human. Let me go. Let me go right now."
He knows she's lying. His wolf knows the truth. She's something rare. Something the paranormal world has forgotten. Her scent is too intoxicating. Too ancient. Too powerful.
She's not human.
Kael makes a decision.
He can do this the easy way or the hard way. She's going to come with him either way. His wolf won't accept anything else.
He picks her up.
Not gently. Not carefully. He grabs her around the waist and lifts her off the ground. Then he throws her over his shoulder in one smooth motion.
Eira screams.
She fights him. Kicks. Claws. Hits his back with her fists. Her voice echoes through the office building.
"Let me go. Let me down. Someone help me. Help me please."
Nobody comes to help her.
The few people working night shift keep their heads down. They don't look up. They don't acknowledge what's happening. This is what being invisible means. Nobody sees you suffering. Nobody cares if you disappear.
Kael carries her toward the elevator with her screaming and fighting the entire way.
She's stronger than a normal human. Her hits actually hurt. Her kicks have real power. But she's still no match for an Alpha wolf.
He reaches the elevator and hits the button with one hand while holding her with the other.
"This is kidnapping," Eira screams. "This is illegal. I'll have you arrested. Let me down right now."
Kael doesn't respond. He just holds her and waits for the elevator doors to open.
When they do, he walks inside and hits the button for the ground floor.
Eira is still fighting. Still screaming. Still trying to hurt him.
"Shh," he says. His voice is low and calm. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just need you to come with me. Your life is about to change and you need to understand what you are. You need to understand why your mother kept you hidden."
Eira goes still for just a moment.
"You know about my mother."
"I know everything about you, Eira. I know you've been invisible your whole life. I know you've been alone. I know your mother died protecting a secret about what you are. And I know you're scared right now. But you don't have to be scared anymore."
The elevator reaches the ground floor and the doors open.
Kael carries her out through the lobby. The security guard finally looks up but when he sees Kael, his eyes go blank. He doesn't see anything. He doesn't acknowledge anything.
Kael carries Eira outside into the cold night air.
She's stopped fighting now. Just lies across his shoulder breathing hard. Processing what's happening.
His car is parked at the curb. Black. Expensive. Built for power and speed.
Kael opens the passenger door and sets her down in the seat. She immediately reaches for the door but he's faster. He locks it before she can open it.
She's trapped.
Kael walks around to the driver's side and gets in. He doesn't turn around to look at her. Doesn't acknowledge her panicked breathing or her shaking hands.
He just starts the car and drives.
"Where are you taking me," Eira demands. Her voice is getting stronger. Less scared. More angry. "Where are we going. You can't just take someone. This is insane. You're insane."
Kael drives through the city streets heading away from the human world. Heading toward the underground territories where wolves live openly.
"We're going to my home," he says. "My penthouse. My territory. Somewhere you'll be safe. Somewhere I can keep you safe."
"I don't want to be safe with you. I want to go home. I want my life back. I want—"
"That's not possible," Kael says quietly. "Your life ended the moment I caught your scent. Everything changes now. You change now. And there's no going back to who you were."
Eira is quiet for a moment.
Then she says: "My mother warned me about this. She said when the right wolf found me, everything would change. She said to be brave. She said to trust him. But you're terrifying. You're not a man. You're something else."
Kael drives deeper underground. The streets become less civilized. The buildings shift from human skyscrapers to paranormal compounds.
"I'm your mate," he says. "That's what I am. That's what you need to understand. My wolf chose you before we even met. Before you were born maybe. This isn't random. This isn't accident. This is destiny."
Eira laughs but it sounds broken.
"I don't believe in destiny. I believe in being invisible. I believe in being safe. I believe in surviving. And destiny is the opposite of all of that."
The car descends. Literally descends. A ramp leads down beneath the city. Stone walls become visible. Ancient stone. Beautiful stone. Paranormal architecture.
They're entering the underground world now.
Kael drives toward his penthouse. The most beautiful building in the underground territories. His territory. His home.
"When we get to my penthouse, you're going to answer every question I ask," Kael says. "You're going to tell me about your mother. About your bloodline. About why you have no scent. About what you really are."
"And if I don't."
"Then I'll spend the rest of my life figuring it out. And Eira, I'm very good at getting what I want."
They pull into the private garage beneath his penthouse.
Kael gets out and opens Eira's door before she can lock it again. He grabs her hand and pulls her out.
She doesn't fight this time. Just lets him lead her toward the elevator that will take them to his private rooms.
The elevator doors close and they ascend.
Eira leans against the wall looking exhausted. Terrified. Angry. Beautiful.
Kael can smell her fear. Her confusion. Her uncertainty.
But underneath all of that, he can smell something else.
Something ancient waking up inside her.
Something powerful.
Something that doesn't belong in this world.
His wolf goes wild.
WHAT IS SHE, it demands. WHAT ARE WE BONDED TO.
The elevator reaches the top floor and the doors open.
His penthouse is massive. Floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city above. The paranormal world below. A view of both worlds at once.
Eira steps out of the elevator and looks around with wide eyes.
Then her hands start to shake.
Not from fear. From something else.
Kael watches as her skin starts to glow faintly. Gold light radiating from her palms.
Her eyes meet his and they're glowing too.
"What's happening to me," she whispers.
Her voice is panicked. Confused. Desperate.
Kael steps toward her but before he can reach her, her entire body convulses.
She screams.
The scream is inhuman. Primal. Like something ancient is waking up inside her and tearing its way out.
Her eyes go completely gold.
Her hands are glowing so bright Kael has to shield his eyes.
And Kael realizes in that moment that he has no idea what he's brought into his world.
He has no idea what she is.
And neither does she.