Chapter Nine
914 Words
**Thessara's POV**
"You must be Claire." I looked up from my chart, a man with kind brown eyes smiled at me. He had an easy, warm face.
"I'm Simon, Dr. Simon Barrett. I just moved here from Seattle." He stuck out his hand. "Heard great things about your work."
His handshake was firm, it felt normal, it wasn't like the shock I got when Kieran touched me.
"Nice to meet you," I said in a low tone, though I don't know if I would have reacted back to him.
"Want to grab coffee later? I'd love to hear about your recovery. From the accident, I mean."
I blinked. "You don't have to—"
"I want to. New place and all. Could use a friendly face."
Simon showed up everywhere that morning. He helped me start an IV on a tough patient. He took over when Mrs. Peterson got cranky about her medications. He even brought me coffee. Good coffee.
"You really don't need to do this," I told him.
"I know. But you look tired. Let someone help."
It was nice. Simon gave me everything I wanted from Kieran. Attention. Kindness. Someone who cared.
But it felt wrong. Like I was cheating on someone I wasn't even dating.
The mate bond. That's what this was.
I could feel Kieran somewhere in the hospital. Always watching. It's always cold.
"Dr. Reynolds looks pissed," Simon whispered as we walked past the break room.
I glanced inside. Kieran sat alone. His jaw was tight. His dark eyes followed us.
"He's protective of his staff," I lied.
"That's not protective. That's jealousy."
A staff meeting came at noon. We all crowded into the conference room. Marissa stood at the front like she owned the place.
"Dr. Reynolds needs someone at his level," she announced. Her voice carried across the room. "Someone who matches his brilliance."
She looked right at me when she said it. The message was clear.
Simon leaned close to my ear. "She's not exactly subtle, is she?"
I couldn't help but smile.
"But you and Dr. Reynolds," Simon continued. "There's something there. I can see it."
My chest got tight. "It's complicated."
"Doesn't have to be. You deserve someone who shows you matter."
After the meeting, I walked past Kieran's office. The door cracked open. Papers covered his desk. Medical journals. Research articles.
I stepped closer and my blood went cold.
The headlines jumped out at me. "Animal Attacks in the Pacific Northwest." "Creatures with Glowing Eyes." "Unknown Predator Kills Multiple Victims."
He was hunting them. The things that killed my pack.
But he didn't know what they really were. He thought they were just monsters.
My hands shook. I backed away from his door.
What if he found other wolves? What if he thought we were the killers?
"Claire? You okay?" Simon appeared next to me. "You look sick."
"I'm fine." But I wasn't. Nothing was fine.
The charity gala started at eight. The hospital ballroom looked pretty with lights and flowers. Everyone wore fancy clothes and held drinks.
"You look amazing," Simon said. He wore a perfect black tux. It made his brown eyes warmer.
I picked a simple navy dress. Nothing special. But Simon stared like I was a movie star.
"Dance with me?"
The music started slow and soft. I should have said no. Everything inside me screamed this was wrong.
But Simon had been so kind. I owed him this much.
His hand was gentle on my waist. He was a good dancer. Better than I expected.
"I'm glad you came," he said. "Wasn't sure you would."
"Why not?"
"Because of him." Simon's eyes moved across the room.
I looked where he was staring. Kieran stood by the bar. His black suit fit him perfectly. His dark hair was styled back. He looked incredible.
And he was watching us.
"He's been staring all night," Simon said. "Like he wants to kill me."
The mate bond tugged at me. I wanted to go to Kieran. To ask about his research. To understand why he kept pushing me away.
But I stayed with Simon. Let him spin me around. Let him tell funny stories that made me laugh.
"I love your laugh," Simon whispered in my ear. "I could listen to it forever."
I smiled. For a second, I forgot about mate bonds. About creatures with glowing eyes. About the mess we were all in.
Then the glass shattered.
Everyone turned toward the bar. Kieran stood frozen. Blood dripped from his hand. He'd crushed his champagne glass.
His eyes weren't the cool gray I knew. They were black. Dark with something wild. Something that made my wolf stir inside me.
"Jesus," Simon breathed. "What the hell?"
People started whispering. Some looked worried. Others looked scared. Marissa rushed to Kieran but he pushed her away.
His eyes found mine across the room. The look in them made my knees weak. Made my heart pound. Made every part of me ache.
This wasn't just jealousy. This was bigger than attraction.
This was the mate bond. Raw and real.
And everyone saw it.
"Claire?" Simon's voice sounded far away. "You alright?"
I couldn't speak. Couldn't look away as Kieran walked out. He left drops of blood on the white marble floor.
The love triangle was real now. Everyone knew something was happening.
But as I watched Kieran disappear, one question burned in my mind.
What happens when the supernatural world crashes into human hearts?
- Writer
