Tomorrow, she would begin her surveillance of Sunburst territory.
Tonight, she needed rest.
But the mate bond tugged insistently, holding sleep at bay.Her wolf, growing stronger as the silver poison faded, whined at the separation from Conall.
You’re not in charge here, she told the animal side of herself.I am.
But it wasn’t hatred that rose up from her subconscious.
It was curiosity.
Why him?Why now?
The universe offered no answers, only the steady pulse of connection to a man she was determined to prove her enemy.
THE NEXT MORNING, NADINEperched in a juniper tree on a ridge overlooking Sunburst Pack territory.From this vantage point, she could observe the eastern approach to the pack’s main compound without being detected.
Her leg still ached, but the sharp pain had subsided to a dull throb.The wound itself was healing—slowly but healing nonetheless.Another week and she might be back to fighting form.
Through high-powered binoculars, she watched the comings and goings of pack members.Security patrols had indeed increased, moving in tighter patterns with more frequent check-ins.They were on alert.
Good.They should be scared.
By midmorning, she’d identified three patrol teams.The first two moved with military precision—Anders’s influence, no doubt.
The third team caught her attention.
The Stewart twins.Even at this distance, they were unmistakable.
Identical height and build, moving in that peculiar tandem that spoke of lifelong connection.They patrolled the eastern perimeter, precisely where she’d encountered Conall days earlier.
Hunting her.
Her wolf trembled, responding to his proximity despite the distance between them.The animal wanted to run to him, to complete the bond, to surrender to biology and instinct.
Not happening.
Nadine shifted position, easing the pressure on her injured leg.
The twins split up, each taking a different segment of the perimeter.An error.They were stronger together.
Or perhaps a deliberate strategy to cover more ground?
Either way, it gave her an opportunity to observe Conall alone.
She adjusted the binoculars, focusing on his solitary figure.Even from here, something seemed off about his movements.A subtle hesitation, an uncharacteristic uncertainty compared to the confident stride she’d witnessed in the ravine.
Was he injured from the tranquilizer dart?Or was it something else?
The mate bond thrummed as if in answer, reminding her that the connection affected both parties.
Was he fighting it too?Resisting the pull that had ambushed them both?
For a moment, sympathy flickered through her hatred.To be bound to someone you considered an enemy…
Yeah, she knew exactly how that felt.
Then she remembered her father.The blood.The tracks leading back to Sunburst territory.
