The morning air was still thick with the lingering scent of pine and cinnamon rolls when Kristen knelt before me.

For a heartbeat, I thought I’d imagined it—the Alpha of our pack, my mate, my fated, bowing to me as though I was someone he needed to convince. The golden light of dawn poured through the glass windows, brushing over his features, softening the hard lines of his face. But nothing could soften the pleading look in his eyes.

“Eliana,” he began, voice steady but edged ...