Lucas strides into the room from behind the wearied nurse. His presence is much as I remember—like a lion surveying his territory, confident in his domination over everything in his sight.

This is the Alpha.

Even after everything that''s happened, the sight of him still sends a ripple of attraction and unease through me, a reminder of our complicated history.

But this time, there''s a huge part of me that wants to dash over and lift my head, baring my neck to him. To roll and rub against him with whimpers of submission.

I shove that part deep into a dark hole inside of me and close the fucking door.

Lucas moves with such fluid grace, despite his towering height—he''s at least six-three, rivaling Alpha Renard''s imposing ability to loom.

His hair is tousled, falling into a loose mess around his face and shoulders, and judging by the dark circles beneath his amber eyes, he''s been up all night.

And speaking of his eyes...

I try to avoid them, but it''s like there''s a force that pulls me into his gaze. It''s different from any time before. At the Gala, they''d burned with desire and curiosity. In Cedarwood, there was always an aching longing in their depths. Today?

They''re intense, smoldering with rage that wars with relief. His jaw is clenched, his face set in a way that I''d have expected him to be a grim reaper instead of a visitor. But his brow settles out of its deep furrow and relaxes a little when he sees me, and the wrinkles around his eyes relax.

As he approaches my bedside, I can''t help but lean toward him, into the scent of campfire smoke and something smooth and sensual beneath. A dizzying fragrance that has my heart yearning toward him. It should be comforting, but it sets me on edge as I try to pull myself back, waking myself from the brief intoxication with the man that the fates have deigned to mate me to.

It''s startling to realize I''m not angry with him anymore. I guess that''s what happens when you get rescued before you''re wiped from the world''s history book.

"Hi," I say, because he''s too busy staring at me to talk.

"Are you okay?" Some of the stress fades from his face as he grabs the doctor''s stool and takes a seat next to my bed. His gaze lingers on the bandages on my face and neck, before sliding down to my abdomen. His fingers twitch, and he links his hands in his lap.

A real smile is always seen in the eyes.

My breath catches in my throat as I take in the rugged angles of his face, the way his dark hair falls in tousled waves around those high cheekbones. Even bruised and bandaged as I am, something in his gaze makes me feel beautiful in a way I''ve never experienced before.

Not even with Clayton—but I shove that guilt down, not ready to deal with those thoughts right now.

Heat blooms in my cheeks and I lower my gaze, fiddling with the blanket again. "You don''t have to say that."

"I''m not just saying it," Lucas counters, his deep voice tinged with gentle amusement. "I mean it, Ava. You''re the most beautiful woman I''ve ever laid eyes on."

Even knowing that it''s just the mate bond talking, it warms my body from inside out, like a heating pad against the wounds of my heart.

A faint smile is desperate to curve my lips, and I struggle against it. Be cool, Ava. Calm. Detached. Professional. You are not going to sit here and flirt with the man who rejected you.

You''re strong and independent, and you can stand on your own two feet.

I take a deep breath at my pep talk and look at Lucas, repeating my mantra to myself in my head. Too bad Selene isn''t here. She''d help with that.

"How did you find me?"

His expression sobers, the lightness in his eyes dimming. He still has a hand over mine, and he links our fingers together in an absent gesture as he talks. "It wasn''t easy," he admits. "After you disappeared from Cedarwood, I tried everything to track you down. But it was like you''d vanished into thin air." His jaw tightens, a muscle ticking with repressed emotion.

"I knew it had to be the work of your pack, but I couldn''t prove it. Not at first."

I swallow hard.

Shit.

I should probably explain what really happened. But how will he respond when he learns about Clayton?