Chapter 5

I felt tears starting to burn behind my eyes because this was too much information to process all at once and I couldn’t figure out if I was more upset about the fact that Killian had been lying to me this whole time or about the revelation that supernatural creatures apparently existed in the real world.

Tyler was watching our interaction with an expression that seemed almost sympathetic now, but he still hadn’t moved from his position near the door like he was guarding it to make sure I couldn’t escape.

“I need to get out of here,” I said as I started backing toward the exit even though Tyler was blocking my path, “I need to go home and forget that any of this ever happened.”

Killian moved quickly to intercept me and grabbed both of my arms to stop me from going anywhere as he said urgently, “You can’t leave yet, we need to figure out what to do about this situation, and if you go running off in a panic you could end up putting yourself in even more danger.”

I tried to pull away from his grip but he was much stronger than me and I couldn’t break free no matter how hard I struggled, and the panic was rising in my chest like a tide that was threatening to drown me.

Tyler stepped forward and said in a calmer voice than before, “Look I know this is a lot to take in all at once, but you need to understand that now that you know about us there are only a few options for how this can play out.”

“What options?” I asked even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer, and Tyler exchanged a look with Killian before responding.

“Option one is that we take you to meet the Alpha and he decides what to do with you which could be anything from erasing your memories to keeping you under constant surveillance to make sure you don’t tell anyone about what you’ve learned,” Tyler explained and each word made my blood run colder, “Option two is that Killian claims you as his mate which would make you part of the pack and bound to our laws, but that option is complicated because you’re his stepsister and it would cause all kinds of political problems within the pack hierarchy.”

I looked at Killian with wide eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and the idea of being claimed as anyone’s mate sounded both terrifying and strangely appealing in a way that I didn’t want to examine too closely.

Killian was staring at Tyler with an expression of pure fury and I could see that his eyes had changed somehow and now had flecks of gold in them that definitely hadn’t been there before.

“There is a third option,” Killian said through clenched teeth, “Which is that I tell the Alpha that I’ve already started the mating bond with her and that she’s under my protection, which means that no one including him can touch her or interfere with our relationship.”

Tyler raised his eyebrows and said, “You haven’t actually started the mating bond though. If you had I would be able to smell it on both of you, so that would be a lie and you know what happens to pack members who lie to the Alpha.”

The tension in the room had reached a breaking point and I felt like I was watching two wolves circling each other waiting to see who would attack first, and I had no idea how to stop whatever was about to happen.

Killian’s breathing had become heavier and I could see his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to maintain control, and when he spoke again his voice had taken on that inhuman quality that I had noticed earlier.

“Then I’ll make it true right now,” Killian said as he suddenly turned to face me fully and his hands moved to cup my face with a gentleness that seemed at odds with the dangerous energy radiating from his body, “Adele I need you to trust me and let me do something that’s going to change everything between us. I know you’re scared and confused but this is the only way I can keep you safe.”

Before I could ask him what he meant or tell him that I needed more time to think about all of this, Killian leaned down and kissed me with an intensity that was completely different from any of our previous kisses.

This kiss felt like it was burning through me and changing something fundamental in my body, and I could feel heat spreading from where our lips were connected down through my chest and into my limbs until my entire body felt like it was on fire.

When he finally pulled back I saw that his eyes had changed completely and were now glowing gold like an animal’s, and I could feel something inside me responding to that glow in a way that was both frightening and exhilarating.

Tyler let out a low whistle and said, “Well I guess that settles it then. I can definitely smell the beginnings of a mate bond now, which means this just became a lot more complicated for everyone involved.”

I couldn’t focus on what Tyler was saying, I was too busy trying to understand what had just happened to my body and why I suddenly felt connected to Killian in a way that went beyond anything physical or emotional.

Killian was still holding my face and looking at me with an expression that was filled with possession and something that might have been love, and he whispered so quietly that only I could hear, “I’m sorry for doing this without your full permission, but I promise I will spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret becoming mine.”

The sound of footsteps outside the warehouse made all three of us freeze, and Tyler turned toward the door with his body tensed like he was preparing for a fight as he said in a low voice, “Someone else is coming and based on the scent I’m picking up I think it might be the Alpha himself, which means we’re all about to have a very difficult conversation.“