Page 24 of Alien Huntsman

The heat of his skin against hers sent a shiver up her arm. There was something undeniably thrilling about the way he’d reacted to Edgar’s treatment of her—not just protective anger, but something deeper, as though the very idea of another man claiming her was unthinkable.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said, though his thumb was now tracing circles on her palm, seemingly unconsciously.

“You didn’t,” she whispered, mesmerized by the gentle movement. “It’s just… no one’s ever been angry on my behalf before. Thank you.”

CHAPTER 10

Korrin stalked the edges of the clearing in front of the cabin as dawn broke over the mountains, his eyes scanning the treeline. The morning air carried a thousand scents—evergreens, soil, small game moving through the underbrush—but his attention kept returning to the cabin where Tessa slept.

He’d risen before first light, restless and agitated. The possessive growl that had escaped him last night still echoed in his mind. The way her eyes had widened, not with fear but with something that looked like… interest.

Dangerous. This was all dangerous.

A twig snapped beneath his boot as he completed another circuit. He’d told himself a hundred times he would leave once she was settled. The supplies were stocked, the cabin secure. There was no reason to stay.

Yet here he was, guarding the perimeter like a territorial male.

One of the pups tumbled out the half-open door, followed by its siblings. They spotted him and raced over, yipping andstumbling on oversized paws. Despite himself, he crouched down, letting them climb over his boots and nip at his fingers.

“You’re getting bolder,” he muttered, scratching behind a grey pup’s ears. “Going to be trouble soon.”

Movement at the doorway caught his eye. Tessa stood there, hair loose around her shoulders, watching him with the pups. His chest tightened at the sight of her.

She belonged here. The thought ambushed him, powerful and certain. Not just in the cabin or the clearing, but with him. The realization should have sent him running in the opposite direction. Instead, he found himself rising to his feet, drawn towards her like iron to a lodestone.

“You’re up early,” she said, smiling as he approached.

“Someone has to keep watch.”

“From what?” She gestured to the peaceful forest. “Deadly berry bushes?”

His lips twitched. “Funny.”

Her teasing smile was doing things to him he couldn’t explain. He’d spent years alone, convinced he preferred it that way. Now the thought of returning to that solitude felt hollow.

“I should check the fish trap,” he said, though he’d already done so at first light.

“I’ll come with you.” She stepped closer, and the morning sunlight caught in her dark curls. “Unless you’d rather be alone?”

He should say yes. Push her away. Remember what humans had done to his mother, to his kind.

“No,” he said instead. “I don’t want to be alone.”

She started to herd the pups back towards the cabin when the air shifted. His nostrils flared, catching an unfamiliar scent that hadn’t been there moments before.

Vultor. Male. In beast form.

The pups whimpered, pressing against her legs. Their instincts were sharper than any human’s—they’d sensed the threat as well.

“Get inside,” he growled, his voice dropping an octave as his beast rose to the surface.

She gave him a startled look, confusion crossing her face. “What’s wrong?”

The wind shifted again, carrying the scent stronger now. Too close. Too deliberate in its approach. This wasn’t a random encounter—the stranger was tracking something. Or someone.

He didn’t wait to explain. His protective instincts exploded through him, overwhelming all rational thought.

Protect her.

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