Chapter 6

6

Maize stood at the edge of the dance floor, her eyes never straying far from Liza. Her sister was laughing, her face alight with joy as she danced with the attractive shifter. Maize hadn't tried to gouge his eyes out for two reasons.

The first was that the man was related to Gideon Blackwood. She could tell by his looks as he'd approached her and Liza. And then he'd introduced himself as such.

But secondly, she had let the young wolf keep his vision because she could tell he wasn't interested in her sister. Elijah was a flirt, that much was evident by the charm that oozed out of his veins. Maize saw past that. Beneath that veneer, he'd given Liza the same look that his older brother had. Well, mostly the same look.

Elijah looked down at Liza with a bright smile, but not a leer. The fingertips of one hand rested lightly, respectfully on her hip. The other held her palm in his big paw with a loose grip. His gaze was friendly. Not proprietary. Not calculating. It was a look that said I'm safe, and I'll keep you safe .

White flag.

That was how Gideon had looked at Maize. Except there had been a light of interest in Gideon's eyes. As she looked up at him now, she could see that the light was flaring brighter.

"You don't need to worry about Elijah," Gideon said, his voice low and steady. "He's not interested in finding his fated mate. He enjoys being single too much. And he would never pretend a woman was his fated mate if she wasn't. That's deplorable behavior."

Maize's heart skipped a beat, suspicion creeping into her voice. "How do you know what happened to my sister?"

Gideon didn't flinch. "We looked you and Liza up. I needed to make sure my pack was protected. They're my family."

"So you spied on us?"

Gideon met her gaze without hesitation. "I did what I had to do to ensure everyone's safety. And I suspect you did the same. You chose this job not just for the project, but for the safety and protection of being on this land with my pack."

Maize didn't deny it. She had researched Moonridge Mountain and the Ironwood wolf pack extensively, hoping it would be a sanctuary for her and Liza. She looked into Gideon's eyes, searching for any sign of deceit. Instead, she found sincerity and a quiet strength that made her heart ache with longing. Why couldn't Liza have fallen for this wolf instead of Rob? But then the thought of Liza with Gideon made her teeth clench.

"Rob won't get to you here." There was a promise in Gideon's voice. "You're safe on this land. I'll make sure of it."

Green flag.

As she gazed into his eyes, Maize felt a surge of emotions—relief, gratitude, and an unsettling sense of attraction. Despite her fears and doubts, Gideon made her feel protected in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.

For a brief instant, Maize allowed herself to believe in the possibility of fated mates, in the idea that maybe, just maybe, Gideon could be the one to stand by her side. But the scars of the past year ran deep. Trust was something that had to be earned.

She turned from Gideon, her gaze searching for Liza among the dancers. Before she could spot her sister, her view was obstructed by two children—a boy and a girl—running and playing with their friends. They were shifter children, adolescents really, their laughter ringing out like bells in the night. As Maize watched, the children caught sight of each other and suddenly stopped. Their playful expressions turned serious as they stared at each other.

A strange sensation washed over Maize, a feeling of warmth and joy that emanated from the children. It was almost as if she could feel the power of their connection, a bond that transcended the physical and reached into the very essence of their beings. The boy and girl grinned at each other shyly, their eyes alight with an unspoken understanding.

Maize turned to Gideon, her heart pounding. "Did I just witness a fated mate bond?"

Gideon nodded, his gaze still fixed on the children. "Yes, you did."

Maize's eyes widened. "I felt it. I didn't know humans could feel it."

Gideon looked at her, his expression gentle. "When the moon is full, humans can feel it if they're open to it. When they accept the bond, they will feel that connection for the rest of their lives."

Maize's breath caught in her throat as she met Gideon's gaze. The intensity of his amber eyes was like a fire, warm and consuming. Once again, she felt something stir deep within her. What she'd felt from the kids had been akin to a contact high. This feeling was a direct hit. It was a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before, a pull that reached into the very core of her being, whispering promises she wasn't ready to believe.

She could see it reflected back at her in Gideon's eyes. It was more than a desire to protect and keep safe. It was a raw depth of emotion she'd never seen before. It was as if he had stripped away every barrier, every defense, leaving only the truth of his feelings between them. A truth she wasn't sure she could face.

Like a shadow creeping over the light, fear moved in. It was cold and relentless, wrapping around her heart and squeezing tight. The memories of her past, of betrayal and pain, surged forward, drowning out the warmth with icy dread. She shook her head, trying to dispel the feelings that threatened to overwhelm her, to protect herself from the hope that was beginning to take root.

There's no way she was his fated mate.

Was there?

"Is that why you're here tonight? Are you looking for your fated mate?"

"I've found her."

The way he looked at her, it was as if he could see straight into her soul, as if he was holding the pieces of her heart in his hands. The intensity of his emotions was unmistakable, a force that made her chest tighten with the weight of it. It felt like a green flag being waved in the air.

Maize's mind raced, torn between the fear that gripped her and the warmth that continued to spread, a warmth that whispered of something real, something true.

She wanted to deny it, to push it away and retreat behind the walls she had built so carefully around her heart. But she couldn't ignore the way her body responded to him, the way her heart recognized something in him that her mind refused to accept.

"It's not… I'm not…"

Gideon reached out, gently taking her hand in his. His touch was warm, grounding her in the moment. "You're afraid. But what you felt just now, that connection—it's real. I could not fake it. And I would never lie to you."

"No." Maize shook her head. It couldn't be real. It just couldn't.

Gideon let her go. "Are you rejecting me?"

"I need…" She looked around, trying to find an escape. But they were outside. "I need to think."

"Okay," he agreed. "Just don't?—"

Maize turned and walked a few steps. Then, feeling the air constrict in her lungs, she ran. Distantly, she heard the last word Gideon said, what he warned her not to do. He'd told her not to run.