Page 38 of Anders
Anders drove on through the desert night, back toward his home, where security feeds waited to be analyzed and dangers lurked on all sides.
But for the first time since accepting the role of head guardian, his thoughts weren’t consumed by tactical assessments and threat analyses.
Instead, he found himself wondering what color Etta’s wolf would be when she finally shifted—and how it would feel to run beside her under the full moon.
In trying to protect Etta, had he found the one person who could protect the parts of himself he’d locked away for far too long?
The possibility was both terrifying and strangely freeing.
The moon rose higher, casting silver light across the dashboard, and Anders finally said to himself what terrified him most: not that he might fail to protect Etta, but that she might see him—truly see him—and find him wanting.
CHAPTER 9
ETTA WOKE THE NEXTmorning, momentarily disoriented until the events of the previous night rushed back.
The desert clearing.Anders explaining pack bonds.
The kiss that had changed everything.
Her fingertips drifted to her lips as she remembered the electric connection that had surged between them.Not just attraction—though there was certainly that—but a deeper connection.
Mate bond, she reminded herself.
The term still felt foreign.
But it also felt right.
Stretching, Etta noticed something different about her body—a new fluidity to her movements, as if her joints had somehow reconfigured overnight.She felt more comfortable in her skin than she could ever remember.
A soft knock at the door drew her attention.
You awake?Anders called.At the sound of his deep voice, her nipples tightened.
I want him so much.
Come in,she answered, quickly running fingers through her tangled hair.
Anders entered carrying a mug of coffee, his expression carefully neutral despite the way his scent shifted subtly upon seeing her—a change she could now detect with her increasingly sensitive nose.
How are you feeling?he asked, keeping a careful distance as he handed her the coffee.
Etta took a measured sip, buying time to catalog her physical and emotional state.Different,she finally said.Like something that was tightly wound has started to uncoil.
Anders nodded.Your movements are changing—more wolflike.
Is that good?
It’s natural,he said, settling into the chair across from her bed.Your body is remembering what it was designed to do.
Etta studied him over the rim of her mug, noting how he maintained that careful professional distance despite the intensity of their connection the night before.
Part of her appreciated his restraint; another part—a wilder part—wanted to close that distance immediately.
So what’s the plan for today?she asked instead, keeping her tone deliberately light.
I thought we’d continue your education,Anders said.There’s a lot to learn about pack culture and history.The more you understand, the more context you’ll have for any returning memories.
The mention of memories sobered Etta immediately.Last night, when we… When I kissed you, something broke through.More than just sensations or flashes—actual coherent memories.
