Chapter 2

New Territory

Maya Sterling kept her eyes down as she fumbled with her clinic keys, trying to ignore the curious stares from passing locals. After three days in Iron Valley, she still wasn't used to being the subject of so much attention. Back in her small mountain practice, she could go days without seeing another soul besides her patients and their owners. She felt comfortable there but she needed to move on.

"You've got this," she whispered to herself, finally getting the stubborn lock to turn. The scent of antiseptic and animal greeted her as she stepped into her new veterinary clinic, and her wolf immediately settled. This was her territory, her purpose. She felt at peace here.

The morning sun streamed through dusty windows, catching on her dark honey-colored hair. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear, making a mental note to braid it better tomorrow. Being pristine wasn't high on her priority list – not when there were animals to heal. She loved helping animals they were better than humans.

Her fingers traced the newly hung license on the wall, *Dr. Maya Sterling, DVM*, the elegant script a stark contrast to the building's worn interior. The previous vet had retired suddenly, leaving the supernatural community without anyone qualified to treat their more unusual pets and companions. Maya had jumped at the chance, even if it meant leaving her comfort zone. She was doing what she loved and it was all her own choice.

What she hadn't expected was the overwhelming presence of the local MC. Their scent was everywhere in Iron Valley, marking territory in a way that made her wolf both curious and cautious. She'd grown up in neutral territory, away from pack politics and power plays. She never had to answer to an alpha as long as she kept her head down and worked. Animal care was her dream.

The bell above the door chimed, making her jump. "We're not quite open—" she started to say, turning around.

The words died in her throat. She froze her eyes going huge.

A massive wolf hybrid stood in her waiting room, blood matting its silver-grey fur. Behind it, supporting its weight, was the largest man Maya had ever seen. His muscles strained against a leather cut bearing the Iron Fangs MC patch she'd been seeing all over town. She didn't know whether to be fearful or curious.

"Doc," the man's voice was gruff but tinged with worry. "Found him on our border run. Something got to him good."

Maya's shyness evaporated as professional instincts took over. "Exam room two," she directed, already pulling on gloves. "Was he conscious when you found him?"

"In and out." The biker helped guide the hybrid – though Maya's wolf knew instantly this was no hybrid, but one of their kind – onto her exam table. "Name's Ghost. I'm the club's enforcer."

She nodded, hands already gentle but firm as she assessed the wounds. "These aren't random," she murmured, more to herself than Ghost. The cuts followed a pattern, one that tugged at her memory from her grandmother's teachings about supernatural warfare. Good thing she paid close attention to her grandmother's teachings.

"You can tell?" Ghost's tone sharpened with interest.

Maya flushed, realizing she'd revealed more knowledge than perhaps she should have. "I... I've seen similar cases," she deflected, focusing on cleaning the wounds. Her grandmother had warned her about showing too much of her hand too quickly in new territory.

The bell chimed again. This time, the energy in the room physically shifted. Maya's wolf surged forward so violently she had to grip the exam table to stay upright. A scent like midnight desert wind and leather and something wild wrapped around her, making her dizzy.

"How is he?" The new voice was deep, authoritative, and seemed to bypass her ears entirely to resonate in her chest.

Ghost straightened. "Boss, this is the new vet. Doc, this is—"

"Blaze Carson," the voice said, closer now. "President of the Iron Fangs."

Maya forced herself to turn around, to look up – and up – into eyes that burned like banked amber flames. Her heart stumbled in her chest. He was beautiful in the way apex predators were beautiful, all controlled power and lethal grace. Dark hair swept back from a face that looked like it had been carved from granite by an artist with a weakness for dangerous men. His cut bore patches she didn't recognize, but the power rolling off him told her everything she needed to know.

Alpha.

*Mate*.

The recognition slammed into her like a physical blow. Her wolf howled in triumph, in joy, in terror.

Maya did the only thing she could think of.

She turned back to her patient and said, very quietly, very professionally, "The wounds need cleaning and stitching. He'll need antibiotics and monitoring for at least twenty-four hours."

Behind her, she heard a sharp intake of breath. The tension in the room ratcheted up another notch.

"I'll leave Ghost with him," Blaze said after a long moment, his voice tight with something Maya refused to analyze. "The club will cover all expenses."

She nodded, not trusting herself to look at him again. The door chimed one final time, and the overwhelming presence receded, leaving Maya trembling.

Ghost let out a low whistle. "Well, damn."

Maya's hands shook as she threaded her needle. "I don't know what you mean," she lied, knowing her racing heart would betray her to any wolf's ears. "Now, please hold him still. This first stitch needs to be perfect."

Perfect, like the mate bond singing in her blood, trying to pull her toward a man who had looked at her with recognition and something that looked terrifyingly like regret.

Maya pushed it all down, focused on her patient. She was good at that – at being small, at being quiet, at doing her job and staying out of the way.

She just had to keep doing it, even if every instinct she possessed was screaming at her to run after her mate and never let him go.