Page 12 of Pack to the Wall

"Then help her understand," Ewan pressed. "Time might be working against us. Marty won't sit idle while his star asset is missing. He's coming for her—we both know it."

Zev turned, his eyes darkening as his wolf surged closer to the surface. "Let him try."

The low, dangerous quality in Zev's voice made even Ewan straighten slightly. The bond between them ran deep, but at this moment, Ewan was facing his Alpha in full protective mode.

"A mate is protective and possessive because it's about love and connection," Ewan said more softly. "That manager of hers is possessive because she's a commodity to him. There's a world of difference there, Zev."

Zev stalked closer, radiating authority with every step. The scent of Chrissy still lingered on his skin from their brief touch, inflaming his territorial instincts.

"My pack will protect her," Zev stated, each word precise and final. "Because I, their Alpha, command it. My order is law on this island."

The air between them crackled with tension as Zev's dominance filled the room. His voice dropped an octave lower. "Isle Luna is not a democracy. I don't need to explain myself to anyone."

Ewan held his ground for a long moment, then inclined his head in submission, acknowledging the command of his Alpha.

"As you wish," he conceded. "But don't wait too long to tell her, Zev. She deserves to know why she feels drawn to you—why her body responds to you even if her human senses can't identify the mate bond."

The truth of Ewan's words hit Zev hard. Already he could sense it—the invisible thread connecting him to Chrissy, pulling tighter with every passing minute they were on the same island.

"I'll tell her when she's ready," Zev said finally. "When she feels safe. When she trusts me enough to hear it."

Ewan nodded once, then left Zev alone with the tumult of his thoughts.

Zev braced his large hand against his desk, his powerful body humming with restless energy. His wolf paced, impatient to claim what was his by ancient right. The primal urge to mark her and to show the world she belonged to him was nearly overwhelming.

"Soon," he promised his wolf, his voice a rough whisper in the empty room. "She'll be ours."

FIVE

CHRISSY

Chrissy stretched languidly across the king-sized bed in her private villa that morning. Her body sank into Egyptian cotton sheets so soft they felt like sleeping on a cloud. The sunlight streamed through the open balcony doors, painting golden patterns across the polished hardwood floor. The gentle Caribbean breeze carried the scent of salt water and tropical flowers into the Orchid villa.

"Two days of absolute freedom," she whispered to herself, wiggling her unpainted toes. No Leslie hovering with a designer outfit. No Marty barking orders through her earpiece. No cameras documenting her every move.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling fan spinning lazily above her. The strange disappointment at Gerri's abrupt departure still lingered. The matchmaker had vanished while Chrissy was settling into the Orchid villa, leaving a constellation of unanswered questions in her wake.

"How are you exactly keeping Marty away? Is my dad safe? Am I stuck here forever?" Chrissy murmured the questions to the empty room. "A goodbye would've been nice."

She pushed herself up and padded to the balcony, letting the warm tropical air envelop her body clad only in silk shorts and athin camisole. The sea stretched to the horizon, impossibly blue and inviting.

"I could get used to this," she admitted, feeling a twinge of guilt. Her album had just dropped. Her fans were probably wondering where she'd disappeared to. But right now, in this moment, she realized her shoulders weren't bunched up around her ears and she could actually breathe again.

The villa's landline rang, startling her from her reverie.

"Hello?" she answered cautiously.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Olivia's cheerful voice came through. "Ready for our spa date today? I'll be at your door in fifteen minutes."

"Perfect timing. I'll be ready."

Chrissy moved to the closet filled with clothes Olivia had provided—casual, comfortable pieces that made her feel like herself again. She selected a simple yellow sundress, the fabric light and airy against her skin.

As she dressed, her thoughts drifted to Zev. Those intense blue eyes that seemed to see right through her. The way his jaw had tightened when their hands brushed. The subtle woodsy scent of him that had haunted her dreams for two nights straight.

Unlike the entertainment industry men who saw her as a product to be packaged and sold, Zev gazed at her like she was a rare discovery. Like meeting her had shifted something monumental in his world.

"Get it together, Chrissy," she scolded her reflection as she ran a brush through her long brown hair. "Just because he isn't immediately trying to profit off you doesn't mean he doesn't want something."

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