I was finally released and allowed to go home.

As it turned out, my friend's belongings had already been removed from the apartment - and, to my great disappointment, some of mine had disappeared along with them. It seemed I would have to speak to Maya about getting back what rightfully belonged to me. They had taken mostly the clothes I wore most often.

The apartment felt painfully empty without her. I sank onto the couch and let the wave of melancholy wash over me.

I had truly enjoyed her company. I was usually too afraid to let people into my life, but Maya had been the first real friend in all my darkness. I suppose I would simply have to get used to it. Sooner or later, she would have found her mate and moved away. I had no such plans. Once, I had considered binding myself to someone in an ordinary human marriage, but my family had disapproved - and it had ended in tragedy.

The ringing of my phone pulled me from my thoughts. I picked it up and froze when I heard the voice on the other end.

"Beautiful, how could you leave without saying goodbye?" The tone was teasing.

Oh, wonderful. Just as I was beginning to settle back into something resembling normal life, the world of werewolves pushed its way in again.

"Hi," I said uncertainly. "I think your brother was more than ready to get rid of me by any means necessary. I doubt he would have tolerated me under his roof a moment longer than required."

A quiet chuckle came through the line.

"Yes, he can be a little too direct. It runs in the family." He paused. "Are you free tonight?"

"No. I'm busy," I replied curtly.

I knew exactly where conversations like this tended to lead, and it was better to stop it before it even began.

"That's strange. I thought you'd want to see your friend. You did say that was one of your conditions."

Damn it. That had been a mistake.

"I'll make time for my friend. When and where?"

"And there's no time for me at all?" he asked in a mock-wounded voice. "I heard my brother was planning to take Maya to a café, but I convinced him to move it to a restaurant instead. Naturally, I'll be there as well - I wouldn't want you to feel like a third wheel."

"There's no need to worry," I replied coolly. "It takes a lot to make me feel out of place. What time, and which restaurant?"

"You're such a grump," he complained lightly. "Seven o'clock. I'll pick you up."

The line went dead before I could respond. Well, for Maya's sake, I could endure a small inconvenience.

Before dinner, I decided to stop by work. My boss should have been there, and I needed to smooth over the mess my two-day absence had likely caused.

"Mr. Victor, may I come in?" I asked, knocking on the office door.

He lifted a tired, displeased gaze toward me and motioned to the chair. He was clearly in a foul mood. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation. Perhaps I would have to start looking for a new job after all.

"Vera, in the future," he began slowly, his tone sharp enough to send a chill down my spine, "if you intend to take a vacation, you need to inform me first."

"Vacation?" I repeated, confused.

"First, the head chef quits, and now I find your resignation letter on my desk this morning. Have some mercy - I'm not getting any younger! When exactly were you planning to return from this unexpected unpaid leave? I need to find a replacement for Maya immediately."

I froze, bewildered - I had left no letter. Then understanding dawned. The wolves.

"I apologize for my... impulsive decision," I said carefully. "I would like to return to work tomorrow."

After leaving his office, I felt somewhat better and decided to go shopping. The wolves had taken my favorite pajamas, so I needed new ones.

I had always enjoyed wandering through the mall, though doing it alone still felt strange.

I bought a few things, picked up some groceries for dinner, and headed home to get ready for the evening.

Halfway there, I noticed a black car that seemed to be following me. The hairs at the back of my neck prickled. Not again... I quickened my pace and slipped through a narrow passage into the inner courtyards - no car could follow me there. Perhaps I was simply becoming paranoid after everything that had happened.

Once inside my apartment, I locked the door - every single lock.

By the appointed time, I was ready. I had repaired a couple of broken nails from my earlier attempt at climbing over a fence, and I pinned my chestnut hair into a loose bun with a delicate clip. My dress was knee-length - a soft cherry red, light and elegant. Black heels completed the look.

Right at seven, the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, I drew in a quiet breath. He must have spent considerable time preparing - Max looked striking in his dark suit. His gaze swept over me, and a radiant smile curved his lips.

"You look incredible. Ready to go?"

"Yes," I replied simply.

I locked the door and stepped ahead of him. He opened the car door for me, helping me into the front seat before taking his place behind the wheel.

To be honest, I had expected the same arrangement as before - a driver, perhaps a couple of guards. But no. Just the two of us. The awkwardness was almost palpable. I wanted to ask whether his tail was all right after my less-than-gentle attack, but I held my tongue. He clearly had no intention of bringing it up either - which was probably for the best.

The silence stretched too long, and I finally broke it.

"How is my friend?"

"You can ask her yourself," he replied lightly. "Why don't we talk about something more pleasant?"

"Like what?"

"Like you. How long have you lived in this city? Where is your family? Is there anyone special in your life?"

"I thought wolves were capable of uncovering that kind of information on their own," I shot back.

"Oh, we are. But not this time. It turns out your documents are fake."

My heart began to pound. My palms grew damp. Max noticed my tension and tried to reassure me.

"Relax," he said calmly. "Everyone has secrets. You simply weren't of interest to us, so no one bothered digging deeper. Trust me, if we truly wanted to know, we would already know. But we're not going to. I would rather hear your story from you."

A flicker of irritation surprised me. Was I actually offended that I hadn't been interesting to them? Ridiculous. I should have felt relieved.

"I don't like revisiting my past," I said coolly. "And I certainly don't share it with strangers."

He smiled, casting me a sideways glance.

"That's all right. Soon we'll be closer - and then I'll hear it."

"That's not going to happen," I snapped.

I had no desire to continue arguing. So when the car finally pulled up to an upscale restaurant, I exhaled in relief. Soon, I would see Maya again. Last time, I had run away foolishly, leaving too much unsaid.

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.”