The fluorescent lights above seemed too bright, the walls too close, everything amplified by the overwhelming awareness of her presence just ahead. When he finally reached Bram's office, he didn't bother with the courtesy of knocking. His hand closed around the door handle, and he pushed inside with the controlled violence of a predator entering enemy territory.
He almost wished he'd never opened that door.
Standing there in dark jeans that hugged her lean frame and a cream sweater that brought out the warm undertones in her skin was his fated mate. She looked like everything he'd never allowed himself to want—intelligent green eyes that held depths he could spend centuries exploring, dark hair pulled back in a way that revealed the elegant line of her neck, and an aura of quiet competence that spoke to something primal in him. Her scent enveloped him completely now, wrapping around him like a warm embrace that made his chest tighten with longing he refused to acknowledge.
But more startling was the realization that she was human. That's why she hadn't come to him immediately last night, why she hadn't shifted into dragon form and flown across his territory following the irresistible pull of the mate bond.
How did she find the claim marker then?
The question flickered through his mind even as he took in her appearance more fully. She looked frazzled, confused, almost frightened by whatever was happening to her. Dark circles under her eyes suggested she'd slept as poorly as he had,and there was a tension in her shoulders that spoke of someone trying to maintain control in a situation that made no sense.
She doesn't know what it is. Doesn't know what this means.
The thoughts should have been a relief—if she didn't understand the mate bond, he could send her away without having to explain anything about fated mates or ancient dragon magic. This was the best-case scenario, the clean exit he desperately needed.
But his dragon had other plans entirely.
Claim her. Make her understand what she is to us. Don't let her leave.
The internal battle raged so fiercely that Rune barely registered Bram rising from behind his desk, the elder's weathered face creased with what looked suspiciously like satisfaction.
"Alpha, we have a bit of a situation here, as I mentioned on the phone."
Rune's gaze swept the room, taking in the petite older woman seated near the window. Recognition hit him like ice water—Gerri Wilder, the legendary matchmaker whose reputation preceded her throughout the supernatural community. His stomach dropped as the implications crashed over him.
What is she doing here with my mate? Did she tell her everything?
"Well," Rune managed, his voice rougher than he'd intended, "start explaining what's going on here and what you told these women."
Bram's eyes practically sparkled with delight as he gestured toward Rune's mate. "It appears this young woman, Maple, trespassed on our territory yesterday and discovered your claim marker."
The elder's tone carried the weight of centuries of tradition, and Rune could practically see the wheels turning in the old dragon's mind. This was everything Bram had wanted—proof that fate would eventually force Rune into the mate bond he'd been avoiding.
Not happening.
Rune turned his attention to the woman—his beautiful mate, the traitorous voice in his head whispered—and fought to maintain his composure. "You trespassed on my land, and I'll be pressing charges for the violation. You also excavated without permission and stole an artifact from my property."
His words came out harsher than he'd intended, but he was drowning in her scent and the overwhelming urge to cross the room and gather her into his arms. She looked almost horrified at his threat, her green eyes widening before she turned to Gerri with something that looked like pleading.
Gerri rose from her chair with the fluid grace of someone far younger than her apparent years, her bright eyes flashing with what might have been amusement.
"Rune, dear, clearly that's not necessary. Maple has taken full responsibility for the trespassing—she's an archaeologist, and a very good one at that. She was simply trying to find something special, and she clearly did." The matchmaker's voice carried a knowing quality that made Rune's skin crawl. "She doesn't want any trouble. She just wants to unbind herself from the artifact if possible. She's becoming quite upset by how it keeps reacting to her, and she just wants it to stop."
She can't be unbound.
The knowledge sat like lead in Rune's stomach. Once a claim marker activated for someone's true mate, the ancient magic was irreversible. But maybe if he destroyed the marker itself…
"I'm afraid I don't know if she can be unbound from the object," Rune said carefully, "but if she surrenders it to me and I destroy it, maybe that will do the trick."
For the first time since he'd entered the room, the woman—Maple—spoke, and her voice sent electricity racing down his spine.
"No. I'm not giving it back, and you will not destroy this." Her chin lifted with a defiance that made his dragon stir with approval. "Bram said it's mine now, mine alone, and I can keep it."
The challenge in her voice, the absolute refusal to back down in the face of his authority, sent heat flooding through his system for entirely different reasons. His dragon was practically preening at her fierce response.
Our mate is strong. Perfect for us.
Rune fought to ignore the beast's satisfaction, his frustration mounting as his carefully planned approach crumbled around him. "Well, if you keep the artifact, I'll have no choice but to press charges."
