Chapter 2

2

"I've brought the designs for the new homes. I think you'll find them quite suitable."

Maize watched as Mr. Blackwood's eyes examined her instead of her meticulous drawings. The weight of his dark gaze unsettled her.

He wasn't leering at her. Maize had been leered at before. It was her number one red flag when going out with her friends. During her college years, most night clubs resembled a NASCAR race. In those races, a red flag meant the race was over or a serious accident had occurred on the dance floor. By the second time Maize had gotten her emotions bruised by ignoring those red flags, she had stopped going to clubs. Too many speed demons on those sticky floors.

She'd thought her time was better spent getting ahead in her career. Unfortunately, the offices of builders and architects were just filled with guys in slower cars waving even more flags. This time, those flags kept her out of boardrooms and corner offices.

Having quit both the dating scene and those corporate rooms, Maize hadn't been leered at a lot. Yet she still remembered what it felt like. And Mr. Blackwood's gaze wasn't it.

There was interest there, to be sure. But his gaze was more carnal, like he was sizing up which part of her he'd take a bite out of first. He was a werewolf, after all. She knew she couldn't show a shifter any sign of fear.

So ignoring the discomfort, she spread the blueprints across the table. Her fingers brushed over the crisp lines and detailed annotations she had spent countless hours perfecting. "These are the layouts for the new housing development. Each home is designed to blend seamlessly with the natural landscape, providing security and privacy for the pack while maintaining aesthetic appeal."

Mr. Blackwood leaned in, examining the blueprints. His expression was unreadable, which only fueled Maize's anxiety. He wasn't saying anything, just staring at the plans—and occasionally at her. His nostrils were flaring, like… like he was smelling her.

His posture was tense, his muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap. His nostrils flared again, inhaling deeply, and his head cocked in a way that was entirely animalistic. Maize watched him, holding entirely still. She felt as smart as a cockroach on the wall; if she didn't move, he couldn't see her.

He stepped closer, his gaze intense on her forearm, which was covered by a blouse and a jacket. Without a word, he dipped his head and nuzzled her forearm, right where the bruise was. Before the tip of his nose could meet the fabric of her jacket, Maize gasped and jerked away. But the almost-contact had already sent a shiver down her spine.

Gideon's eyes darkening with fury. "Who hurt you?"

It was a growl. His voice was a low rumble that vibrated through the air. It unfurled something in Maize's belly.

She immediately clamped down on it. She looked down at her arm. The skin there hadn't been broken. She had no idea how he'd… Oh, right. He was a wolf. He could probably smell the bruise.

"I bumped into a wall."

Gideon straightened up, his eyes narrowing slightly. The look on his face told her that he was on to her misdirection. She got the sense he was letting it slide, but only for now.

"If you're not happy with my work, say so. I can leave, but I expect to be paid for the designs I've already completed."

"Your work is impressive, Ms. Mercer. I'm just… surprised."

Maize folded her arms over her chest, her brows furrowing. "Surprised because I'm a woman?"

"No, I'm surprised because you're human."

She had expected sexism, not species-ism. "I assure you, my being human doesn't affect my capability as an architect."

"I didn't mean to offend. Your designs are exactly what we need."

"Great. Then I'm happy to get started in the morning."

"Work doesn't start until the holiday is over."

"Holiday?"

"It's the full moon festival."

Right. She bit down on her lower lip. Then realized she was doing it and let out a huff of air. It was a full moon festival that had gotten her family into a heap of trouble. It's why she'd packed up herself and her sister and moved out into the middle of nowhere mountains of Virginia.

"Fine, we'll head to the hotel."

"We?" Mr. Blackwood's brows creased.

"Me and my sister. She's my business partner. She does the interior design."

"Right. Originally, I thought you were her."

"Nope."

"Nope."

They stood there staring at each other. Maize didn't want to find him handsome. She didn't want to feel the flutter of attraction every time she caught him giving her another once-over. But there was no denying it: Gideon Blackwood was striking in a way that was impossible to ignore.

His face was all hard angles and rugged lines, the kind of face that belonged on the cover of a romance novel or a hero in an action movie. His jaw was strong and sharp, covered in a light stubble that added to his raw, untamed look. His eyes were a mesmerizing shade of amber that glowed with an inner fire. She could see the wolf in them.

That's what shut down her raging lady bits right there. Wolves were the ultimate of red flags.

If she had been into shifters, Gideon would have been the best specimen among them. He embodied everything that was powerful and primal about wolves. There was an undeniable magnetism in the way he moved, the way he carried himself. But Maize wasn't into shifters, she reminded herself firmly. She wasn't looking for a relationship, not after everything she and Liza had been through this past year.

"I'll see you in three days, then." Maize rolled up her designs and stuffed them into her bag.

"No," he said.

"No?"

Gideon swallowed hard. That Adam's apple working. Those broad shoulders bristling. "You'll stay on our land. We have a place for you."

"That's generous. I didn't know the job came with lodging."

"It does. One of the pack members has given up his cabin for you. I hope you'll find it to your liking."

Five minutes later, Maize was across the street and headed to her car. She had the directions to the cabin written on a piece of blueprint. Apparently, the place was so off grid that her GPS wouldn't have found it.

Maize's fingers trembled as she fumbled for her keys. She had worked hard to project confidence and professionalism, but the nagging fear that she and Liza were not truly safe here gnawed at her. As she reached her car, the festive sounds of the moon festival preparation drifted over—laughter, music, and the occasional howl from enthusiastic shifters celebrating early.

A yelp came from the passenger seat of the car when Maize opened the door. Liza jumped, her eyes wide with panic.

"It's just me," Maize whispered soothingly, sliding into the driver's seat.

She hated seeing her strong, vibrant sister reduced to this fearful shadow. Rob had done this—had turned Liza from a confident woman into a frightened mouse with his relentless threats and stalking.

"It's all going to be okay, Liza," Maize said, forcing a smile she didn't feel. She started the car, the engine's hum a small comfort in the night's uncertainty.

Liza's eyes darted around, her breathing shallow. "It's just… being here, at a full moon festival… it brings back everything. I was so stupid to believe him."

"You were not stupid. How were you to know? We're not wolves. We don't have big noses."

"Wolves don't have big noses, Maizey."

"Rob had a big nose."

"Yeah, he did." Liza giggled, then chuckled. Then snorted.

It was so good to hear the happy sound from her. But it was all too short-lived.

"Sometimes… I still think it might be true. What if I really am his fated mate?"

Maize's grip on the steering wheel tightened, her knuckles white. "He's a liar, Liza. A manipulative bastard who used those lies to control you. We came here to get away from him, and he won't dare come onto another pack's territory."

She glanced at her sister, seeing the fear etched into her features, and felt a surge of anger. Not at Liza, but at the situation that had brought them to this point. Maize despised wolves and their possessive natures. Wolves were all the same. And she couldn't afford to let her guard down, not even for a moment.