Chase
The moment Clara's small, uncertain voice filtered through the phone—
"Am I in trouble?"
Something inside me cracked.
I stood at the head of a long cedar table inside a neutral mountain lodge, surrounded by three other pack alphas mid-negotiation. Territory disputes. Border tensions. Vampire movements.
None of that mattered in that second.
Because the girl that showed up in my territory—confused, frightened, powerful beyond reason--had asked if she was in trouble.
My wolf surged forward violently.
Mate.
The word wasn't a thought. It was a claim.
My jaw tightened, fingers digging into the table's edge hard enough to splinter the wood beneath my grip.
At the other end of the line, I keep my voice level. Controlled. Alpha.
But inside? My heart had melted.
She didn
