The warehouse on the edge of neutral territory smelled of damp concrete, motor oil, and blood.

Elena moved silently through the shadows, her black hooded coat blending with the night. Two days had passed since the disastrous alliance dinner, and the ache in her chest had only sharpened. Nikolai’s cold dismissal still echoed in her mind, but she refused to let it break her. If she couldn’t reach him as his betrothed, she would at least do what she was born to do—help those who needed her.

A low groan echoed from the far corner. One of the Volkov pack’s younger wolves, a scout named Caleb, had been brought here after a skirmish with Silverfang remnants. His friends had begged Elena in secret, knowing her reputation for healing without asking questions.

She knelt beside the injured man. Caleb was barely conscious, his leg torn open by silver-laced claws. Fever burned through him, sweat beading on his pale forehead.

“Easy,” Elena whispered, her voice soft as silk. “I’m here to help.”

Caleb’s eyes fluttered open, widening with recognition. “Miss Voss… you shouldn’t be here. If the Alpha finds out—”

“Hush.” She placed gentle fingers over his lips. “No one needs to know.”

She peeled back the makeshift bandage, her stomach tightening at the sight of the angry, infected wound. Silver poisoning was spreading fast. Without intervention, he would lose the leg—or worse.

Elena removed her gloves and pressed both palms directly against the torn flesh. Golden light bloomed instantly beneath her skin, warm and radiant in the darkness of the warehouse. She closed her eyes, channeling her gift with practiced control. The familiar echo of pain slammed into her—sharp, burning agony that made her breath hitch—but she breathed through it, pouring healing energy into Caleb’s body.

The young wolf gasped as the light worked its magic. Torn muscle knit together. Poisoned tissue flushed clean. His breathing eased almost immediately.

“You’re… incredible,” he murmured, awe in his voice. “They say your gift is rare. That only true healers can handle silver like this.”

Elena offered him a small, tired smile, sweat dotting her own brow. “Just stay still a little longer.”

She didn’t notice the figure watching from the upper catwalk.

---

Nikolai had come alone.

After hearing reports of one of his wolves being moved to this location in secret, suspicion had gnawed at him. He moved like a ghost along the metal walkway, his powerful frame hidden in shadow. His wolf had been restless for days—ever since the dinner where Elena Voss’s scent had nearly driven him to his knees.

Now, as he looked down at the scene below, that same scent hit him like a drug.

Vanilla. Jasmine. Warm sunlight.

His entire body locked up. The wolf inside him lunged forward with such violence that Nikolai had to grip the railing until the metal groaned. Below him, Elena knelt in the dim light, her hands glowing gold as she healed one of *his* wolves.

She looked ethereal. Chestnut hair falling in soft waves around her face, cheeks flushed with effort, that elegant profile illuminated by her own healing light. The midnight blue gown from dinner had been replaced by simple dark clothes, yet she still looked every inch the untouchable heiress.

And she was healing his pack member in secret.

Nikolai’s jaw clenched. Gratitude and suspicion warred inside him. Lana had saved *him*. This woman—this betrothed he wanted nothing to do with—was playing games. Trying to worm her way into his pack through kindness. Or so he told himself.

He descended the stairs silently, his heavy footsteps finally announcing his presence.

Elena’s head snapped up. The golden light in her hands flickered but didn’t fade. Their eyes met across the distance, and the fated mate bond exploded between them like lightning.

Nikolai felt it in his bones. His wolf howled in triumph, demanding he close the gap, pin her against the wall, and finally taste the scent that had been tormenting him for days.

He forced himself to stop ten feet away, arms crossed over his broad chest, ice-grey eyes blazing with silver fire.

“Elena Voss,” he said, voice dangerously low. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Elena slowly withdrew her hands from Caleb’s leg. The wound was mostly closed now, angry red lines the only evidence left. She rose gracefully, wiping her hands on her coat, refusing to show fear even as her heart raced.

“Helping one of your pack members, Alpha,” she replied quietly, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. “He would have lost his leg by morning.”

Caleb tried to sit up. “Alpha, she—”

“Quiet,” Nikolai snapped. His gaze never left Elena. He stepped closer, towering over her. The air between them thickened, charged with primal tension. Her scent wrapped around him, sweet and intoxicating, making his body react against his will—blood heating, muscles tightening, wolf clawing to get closer.

“You were not invited onto Volkov territory,” he growled. “Nor were you invited to interfere with my pack.”

Elena lifted her chin, meeting his hostile stare with quiet dignity. Even exhausted from healing, she radiated grace. “This is neutral ground. And I don’t need an invitation to help someone who is suffering.”

Nikolai’s eyes narrowed. “Is this your new strategy? Play the selfless healer while your family tries to maintain control through our old contract?”

Elena’s hazel-green eyes flashed with hurt, but she kept her voice calm. “I have no strategy, Alpha Volkov. I heal because I can. Because it’s the right thing to do. Unlike some, I don’t need public declarations or stolen tokens to prove my worth.”

The subtle jab landed. Nikolai’s jaw tightened. He stepped even closer until they were mere inches apart. Heat rolled off his powerful body. His wolf was going feral—urging him to grab her, kiss her, mark her neck until she smelled only of him.

“You speak boldly for a woman whose family is losing influence by the day,” he said, voice rough. “Tell me, Elena. Do you enjoy watching me honor the woman who actually saved my life?”

Elena’s breath caught. Pain flickered across her face before she could hide it. The fated mate bond screamed at the cruelty of his words. She could feel his wolf reaching for her, desperate and hungry, even as his mind pushed her away.

“I take no pleasure in watching you make a mistake,” she whispered, voice trembling only slightly. “But I will not beg for recognition I earned in the dark.”

For one suspended moment, Nikolai almost broke. His hand twitched at his side, aching to touch her. The pull was unbearable. Her scent, her warmth, the golden light still faintly glowing on her fingertips—it all called to something deep and primal inside him.

Then he forced himself to step back, expression hardening into ice once more.

“Stay away from my pack, Miss Voss. Your interference is not welcome.” His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “And stop looking at me like that. Whatever you think happened between us… it was nothing.”

Elena’s heart cracked, but she held his gaze with quiet strength.

“As you wish, Alpha.”

She turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing softly in the warehouse. Nikolai watched her go, fists clenched at his sides, his wolf raging violently against the chains he had wrapped around it.

He didn’t understand why the sight of her leaving felt like losing something vital.

And he hated how badly he wanted to chase after her.

---