I walked into the restaurant with an easy, confident stride, scanning the room for my friend. She was seated at a table in the far corner—with her Alpha. I had to admit, Maya was glowing. I hadn’t seen that kind of sparkle in her eyes in a long time. She was completely captivated. And the man beside her looked just as taken. His gaze drifted away from his mate and settled on us.
Max guided me to their table and took a seat across from Maya. We exchanged polite greetings before falling into a strained silence. Kirill shot me a displeased look—apparently, he still hadn’t forgiven me for the incident with the spray. Then he drew Maya closer, resting a possessive hand on her shoulder, and glanced at me again, almost as if issuing a challenge.
I rolled my eyes with a quiet sigh. Relax. I’m not stealing her from you, I thought. Especially not when I can see how genuinely happy she is.
The chair beside me scraped loudly against the parquet floor, and I turned sharply. Max had shifted closer, as though nothing were out of the ordinary, his hand slowly drifting behind my chair.
“What the hell,” I muttered under my breath. “Don’t even think about it.”
To my surprise, he understood immediately and withdrew his hand.
The tension eased when the waiter arrived with a stack of menus.
“We’ll step out for ten minutes,” Kirill said, rising to his feet. “You two can discuss your little secrets—but keep in mind, I’ll be watching.”
He shot me a dark, warning look before he and Max headed toward the terrace.
Maya and I watched them go. When they disappeared from view, she finally spoke, her voice soft.
“Vera, did I do something to upset you last time?”
“It wasn’t you,” I sighed. “It’s hard to explain. I’m sorry I left so suddenly.”
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” she admitted quietly. “It took some convincing to get Kirill to agree to meet you.”
“How have you been?” I asked gently.
“Isn’t it obvious?” She smiled shyly. “I’m head over heels in love—like a schoolgirl. But… there’s something.”
“What is it?” I froze, anxiety prickling in my chest.
“I’ve learned a little more about this whole werewolf world,” she said, hesitating before meeting my eyes. “By the way, Kirill told me you already knew about them when I was taken.”
“Yes, I did. And I hope you understand why I kept it from you. But that’s not what we’re talking about. What’s bothering you?”
She hesitated again, clearly struggling to put it into words.
“Well… I told him directly that I don’t mind being with him. But he keeps saying the same thing: ‘I don’t want to scare you. You need time to get used to me. Let’s not rush.’”
“So what’s the problem?” I frowned. “That sounds like a good thing. He’s not pressuring you.”
“I want more,” she admitted, blushing. “It’s awkward to say, but I don’t just want to sleep next to him.”
I stared at her, stunned. “You mean… you two haven’t been intimate yet?”
She shook her head.
That was unexpected. If I didn’t understand how werewolves worked, I might have assumed he was simply being considerate. But I’d seen how wolves behaved when they found their mate—it was explosive, overwhelming, sometimes even violent in its intensity. Something here was definitely wrong. I wanted to warn her—but of course, that was the exact moment the men returned.
“Missed us already?” Max teased with an overly sweet smile.
“Not quite,” I replied.
“Of course not,” Maya added at the same time.
Kirill immediately pulled his treasure into his arms, whispering something in her ear. I lowered my gaze to the menu, pretending to study it while my thoughts spiraled elsewhere. When the waiter came to take our orders, I pointed at something at random.
The conversation stayed light—weather, movies, meaningless chatter. Kirill carefully avoided any mention of relationships. Something was definitely off. And there was still no mating mark on Maya’s neck, which was deeply unsettling. I needed to figure out what was going on.
Lost in thought, I didn’t hear Maya address me. I looked up to find all three of them staring at me, waiting.
“Sorry,” I said awkwardly. “What did you ask?”
Maya gave me a crooked smile that clearly said, same old you.
“Max suggested that instead of meeting at the café next Saturday, we could all get together at our estate for a barbecue. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a great idea,” I said with a smile.
The perfect opportunity to dig into whatever was happening between those two. A little reconnaissance mission, perhaps.
“Maya said you work on Saturdays?” Max asked.
“Yeah, but only until noon. I’m free in the evening.”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up,” he said with a dazzling smile—the kind that makes you smile back no matter how hard you try not to. His eyes glinted with mischief, and I had to look away, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. One glance at Maya told me she had already drawn her own conclusions. So be it.
Without warning, Kirill stood so abruptly his chair nearly tipped over.
“The evening’s over,” he said sharply. “Maya, we’re leaving.”
Startled, she rose and slipped her hand into his.
“Vera,” Max said, offering me his hand, “let’s go.”
I took it, and we headed toward the exit. Kirill lingered to pay the bill while Maya and I exchanged a quick hug. Moments later, he reappeared, helped her into the car, then circled around and barked, “Max. Home. Thirty minutes.”
“But I was planning to—” Max began, then immediately lowered his head. “Fine.”
The Alpha’s dominance was unmistakable. Even I felt a chill crawl down my spine.
Max drove me home and walked me to my door.
“Thanks for tonight,” I said sincerely.
I was about to slip inside when his hand caught my wrist, gently pulling me back.
“How about a goodnight kiss?” he murmured.
“I hope you understand there can’t be anything between us,” I said quietly. “You’re a werewolf, and I’m…” I hesitated. “Human. I’m not your mate, and there’s no point pretending otherwise. If you’re looking for a one-night thing, find someone else.”
He pressed me lightly against the door, and I gasped. The strength in his body was unmistakably animal—raw, untamed. Target locked. Obstacles irrelevant.
“How about something more than one night?” he whispered.
What a bold idiot. He buried his face in my hair, inhaling deeply like a wolf scenting prey. Wonderful. Any second now, he’d start marking territory.
“I don’t like dogs,” I muttered. “They need too much walking. That’s why I never got one.”
He chuckled softly near my ear, the sound low and rough, his nose brushing my cheek as he leaned closer.
“You’re such a brat,” he murmured.
Then his lips brushed mine—just a fleeting, featherlight kiss, but enough to send my heart racing.
Max pulled away and descended the stairs, offering a casual wave over his shoulder.
“Good night, beautiful.”
