He was assigned to keep her safe. He never said from what.

Wildlife biologist Sera Calloway didn't come to Ashveil for a research contract — she came to find out what really killed her brother eight years ago on the Thornridge Mountains, no matter what the official report claimed. What she finds instead is a wolf pack that shouldn't exist: too large, too disciplined, too aware — and eyes that glow gold in a way no textbook can explain.

Then Caius Voss shows up at her trailhead, all quiet menace and unreadable calm, claiming to be her county-appointed safety contact. He follows at exactly twenty feet. He never smiles. And every instinct Sera has — the scientific ones and the ones she can't name — tells her he's the reason the mountain has been keeping its secrets.

The closer she gets to the truth about Danny's death, the closer Caius pulls her into a world of pack law, blood bonds, and a claim older than either of them chose. He isn't just protecting her territory. He's protecting her — and the bond between them won't let either of them walk away.

Some truths live in the wild places. Some mates are found, not chosen. And some promises are written in fur, gold eyes, and old-growth dark.

Fated mates. Possessive alpha. Forbidden human/shifter romance. Small-town secrets. A slow-burn bond that turns feral.