It wasn't entirely false—the council situation alone would consume most of his attention. But the real reason was standing three feet away, her scent driving him slowly insane while she waited for answers he couldn't give.
Jade nodded, accepting his explanation with the pragmatic grace of someone accustomed to military hierarchies. "I was hoping to train with you at some point, but whenever you have time works for me."
The casual acceptance in her voice pleased him more than it should have. She wanted to work with him, to learn from him. That desire would serve him well when the time came to reveal the truth about their connection.
"What will I be doing once my training is complete?"
Another question he hadn't fully considered. Raikar's mind scrambled to construct a plausible mission structure that would keep her integrated into his forces without raising suspicions about his true motives.
"You'll work with Talia and Brenn on their daily patrols. If any other missions come up, I'll see if we can use you at that point."
The plan formed as he spoke, and he found himself satisfied with the framework. It would keep her close, allow her to prove herself to his warriors, and give him time to figure out how to navigate the growing pressure from the council. Most importantly, it would let him maintain some distance until he could get his panther under better control—though he suspected that might prove impossible.
Jade's posture relaxed slightly, her shoulders losing some of their rigid tension. "That sounds like a solid plan."
Relief flooded through him. She was satisfied with the direction, and he'd managed to create a path forward without revealing the deeper truth. Now he just needed to get her settled before his control snapped entirely.
"Let's go find Talia and Brenn and get you settled."
He rose from his chair with controlled movements, every muscle coiled tight with the effort of maintaining his composure. Jade stood as well, hefting her duffel bag over her shoulder with practiced ease. The casual display of strength sent another wave of possessive satisfaction through him.
She's strong enough to be ours.
"Let me carry that for you."
He stepped around the desk, closing the distance between them before she could protest. Her eyes flashed with annoyance but he was already reaching for the bag.
"I can handle?—"
Their hands brushed as he grasped the strap, and heat flooded his body, every nerve ending igniting with need. His fingers tightened involuntarily around both the bag and her hand, holding her trapped in the electric connection.
But Jade stepped back instinctively, her pupils dilating as the same need slammed into her. Her breath caught, and for a moment, the careful control she wore like armor cracked, revealing the confusion and desire beneath.
She knows something is happening between us.
The knowledge sent savage satisfaction coursing through him even as it complicated everything.
How were they supposed to navigate the mate bond's pull professionally when they both clearly felt it tugging at them?
This was going to prove the biggest challenge of his life—managing a mate bond with a woman who didn't know she was his mate, while keeping the council at bay and his own beast under control.
"Follow me." His voice came out rough as he turned toward the door, her bag slung over his shoulder.
The scent of her confusion and arousal followed him like a shadow, making every step away from her feel like fighting against gravity itself.
FIVE
JADE
Jade followed Raikar through the command center's polished corridors, her hand still tingling from where his fingers had brushed hers when he'd claimed her duffel bag. The sensation refused to fade. She flexed her hand unconsciously, trying to shake off the lingering heat that seemed to pulse in rhythm with her heartbeat.
What the hell?
The handshake in his office had been even worse—or better, depending on how she looked at it. When their palms had connected across his desk, recognition had crashed through her entire nervous system like a tidal wave. Not the casual acknowledgment of meeting someone new, but something deeper, more primal. Her soul had clearly recognized his with an intensity that defied logic.
But she didn't believe in soulmates. Love at first sight was a fairy tale construct designed to sell romance novels. Yet something undeniable was happening between them, something that made her skin feel too hot and her pulse race every time she looked at him.
Raikar's broad shoulders filled the space ahead of her, his stride controlled and purposeful. But she'd been studyinghim carefully since their introduction, and beneath that commanding exterior, she sensed coiled tension. He held himself with the rigid control of a man who didn't trust himself to relax, as if one moment of weakness might shatter his carefully maintained composure.
