The discussion that followed felt almost normal, but Dom could sense the undercurrents of tension that hadn’t been resolved. His pack was rallying around the mission, but the questions about his mate remained unanswered. Sooner or later, he’d have to choose between protecting what he was building with Rookie Bear and maintaining the loyalty of the people who’d followed him this far.
Chapter
Six
The radio crackledto life as Valeria drove toward Steel Protection headquarters to resume her surveillance position. “All units, structure fire at 1226 Pine Ridge Road. Possible occupant inside. Fire department en route.”
Valeria’s bear snapped to attention as she flipped on her emergency lights and made a quick U-turn. The dreamy fog of mate bond anticipation evaporated, replaced by the sharp focus required for an emergency response. She pressed the accelerator, racing through the mountain roads. When she pulled onto Pine Ridge Road, she spotted the column of black smoke rising above the tree line.
The scent of burning wood hit her enhanced senses before she reached the address. Flames engulfed the single-story house, orange tongues licking through the broken windows while firefighters directed streams of water at the inferno. The Fate Mountain Fire Department had responded quickly, but the structure was already a total loss.
Valeria parked behind the fire trucks and stepped out, her training taking over.Secure the perimeter, control access,document everything.She pulled out her notepad and began recording the scene. A black motorcycle sat at the curb on the sidewalk in front of the burning house.
Her heart stuttered as she recognized it as one of the motorcycles parked outside Steel Protection yesterday. The rider stood with a cluster of neighbors, gesturing toward the flames with obvious concern. He was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing dark jeans and a leather jacket, radiating controlled danger.
Valeria moved closer, alarm bells going off in her head. Steel Protection showing up at another incident couldn’t be a coincidence. The neighbors were talking rapidly, their faces pale with shock.
“We called 911 the second we saw smoke,” an elderly woman was saying. “Poor Becca. I hope she got out in time.”
“Officer, this is just terrible,” the husband said, turning to Valeria. “Did Becca get out?”
“I just arrived on the scene. I’ll be taking statements from everyone.”
The Steel Protection rider turned toward her, and Valeria’s world exploded.
Mate. Mate. Mate.
Recognition of her inner grizzly hit her like a lightning bolt straight to the chest. Dark hair, serious eyes, strong jawline. The professional headshot from mate.com didn’t do justice to his physical presence, the way he commanded space without trying, the alpha energy that made her bear sit up and take notice.
Alpha Wolf. Her fated mate. Standing at a crime scene. Her knees went weak.
Mate. Mate. Mate.
Her bear roared, demanding she run to him, claim him, complete the bond that had been pulling at her since the night before last. Every cell in her body screamed that he was the missing part of her soul. But he was also a suspicious operative she’d been ordered to watch.
Alpha Wolf’s expression shifted from professional concern to wonder to something that looked like hunger. He took a step in her direction. “Rookie Bear?”
The neighbors turned to stare. Other officers were arriving at the scene. Valeria’s radio crackled with updates from dispatch. The entire world was watching, and she couldn’t breathe. Her training kicked in like a life preserver thrown to a drowning woman. Officer Reynolds. Professional duty. Crime scene protocol. She forced steel into her spine and ice into her voice.
“Sir, I need you to step back from the scene for safety.” Her voice came out steady and professional, giving no hint of the chaos erupting inside her chest.
“But you’re...”
“I’m Officer Reynolds.” She clutched her notepad with trembling hands. “You need to give a statement about why you’re here.”
Her bear whimpered, but Valeria forced herself to treat him like any other witness. She led him away from the cluster of neighbors, hyperaware of his presence, his scent, the way her body wanted to lean toward his.
“State your name and business here,” she said, pen poised over her notepad.
“Dominic Steel. I had a nine AM appointment with Rebecca Matthews about protection services.” His voice carried an edge of hurt that made her chest ache. “She called yesterday. She was concerned people might want to hurt her.”
Valeria wrote down his statement, fighting to keep her handwriting steady. The mate bond pulled at her with increasing intensity, but she couldn’t acknowledge it. Not when he might be connected to whatever had happened here.
“She was concerned people might want to hurt her? Who? Why?”
Dom’s tone became more professional, matching her distance. “She wouldn’t give details over the phone, insisted on meeting in person.”
“And you arrived to find the house on fire?”
