The silence in the ballroom stretched like a taut wire ready to snap. Marcus stood between Kai and me, his pale eyes moving from my face to Kai's and back again. The candlelight cast moving shadows across his features, making him look more predator than man.
"Well?" he said finally. "I'm waiting."
I could feel Kai's tension beside me like heat radiating from a fire. My wrist still throbbed where he'd cut it, and every few seconds I caught the faint glow of our matching marks in my peripheral vision. Whatever had happened during the ritual, it wasn't over.
"The bond," Kai said carefully, "isn't something either of us expected."
"No," Marcus agreed, walking slowly around us like we were specimens in a lab. "It isn't. Mate bonds are rare even among our kind. Between a werewolf and..." He paused, studying my face. "What did you call yourself? A fighter?"
The question hung in the air like smoke. I kept my expression neutral, even though my heart was hammering against my ribs.
"I don't know what I am," I said, which was becoming more true by the minute. "Before tonight, I thought I was just human."
"Humans don't manifest mate bonds," Marcus said softly. "Humans don't survive the blood ritual. And they certainly don't produce light shows that can be seen from space."
He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could smell his cologne—something expensive with notes of cedar and danger.
"So I'll ask again, Ruby Martinez. What are you?"
I met his gaze directly. "I guess we're about to find out."
It wasn't an answer, but it wasn't a lie either. After tonight, I honestly had no idea what I was anymore.
Marcus stared at me for a long moment, then threw back his head and laughed. The sound echoed off the high ceiling, rich and genuinely amused.
"Brilliant," he said, wiping his eyes. "Absolutely brilliant. You know, in three centuries of existence, very few people have managed to surprise me twice in one week."
Three centuries. The casual admission sent a chill down my spine. Marcus wasn't just old—he was ancient. Which meant he'd seen things, knew things, had experience with supernatural phenomena that I couldn't even imagine.
"The blood ritual," he continued, beginning to pace again, "has a fatality rate of approximately thirty percent. The human nervous system isn't designed to process werewolf blood. Most people who attempt it die within minutes—convulsions, organ failure, brain hemorrhaging. Quite messy."
I swallowed hard. "And the other seventy percent?"
"Become something else. Enhanced humans, you might say. Stronger, faster, more resilient. But nothing like what happened to you tonight."
Marcus walked over to the ritual table and picked up the silver chalice, examining it in the candlelight. "This cup has been used for blood rituals for over two hundred years. I've seen dozens of people drink from it. None of them ever glowed like a fucking Christmas tree."
Kai shifted beside me, and I caught a whiff of that forest scent that seemed to follow him everywhere. It was stronger now, more complex—pine and earth and something wild that made my mouth water.
"What exactly are you implying?" Kai asked.
"I'm not implying anything," Marcus replied, setting down the chalice. "I'm stating facts. Ruby here just survived a ritual that should have killed her, bonded with a werewolf in a way that's supposed to be impossible, and displayed abilities that I've never seen before." He smiled, showing teeth that looked slightly too sharp. "That suggests she's something rather special."
Special. The word made my skin crawl. In my experience, being special usually meant being dead.
"So what happens now?" I asked.
"Now," Marcus said, "we keep you safe while we figure out exactly what you are and what you're capable of."
Keep me safe. That sounded a lot like keep me prisoner.
"I have an apartment," I said. "A job. People who will notice if I disappear."
"What kind of job?" Marcus asked with mild interest.
Shit. I couldn't exactly tell him I was an FBI agent. "Security work. Private contractor stuff."
"Ah. Well, I'm sure your former employer will understand when you don't show up. These things happen in our line of work."
Former employer. He was talking like my old life was already over.
"You're moving into the compound," Marcus continued, like the decision had already been made. "Tonight. Kai will help you collect your things and get you settled."
"Is that a request or an order?" I asked.
Marcus's smile was all predator now. "What do you think?"
I looked around the empty ballroom, noting the exits, calculating distances. There were three ways out that I could see, but Marcus was between me and all of them. And even if I could get past him, there were probably guards outside.
"How long am I expected to stay?"
"Until we determine whether you're an asset or a threat," Marcus said simply. "The blood bond with Kai suggests the former, but..." He shrugged. "These things require careful evaluation."
Evaluation. Like I was a piece of equipment being tested for defects.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you leave. Tonight. And you never come back." Marcus's voice went soft and deadly. "But if you choose that path, understand that anyone who's witnessed what happened here tonight becomes a security risk. And we deal with security risks very thoroughly."
The threat was clear. Leave and die, or stay and maybe live long enough to figure out what the hell was happening to me.
"I'll stay," I said.
"Excellent. Kai, you'll be her guide and protector. Make sure she understands our rules and customs. And keep her safe."
Kai nodded stiffly. "Of course."
"One more thing," Marcus said, walking toward the door. "The bond between you two is... unprecedented. I'll need to research what it means, what it might develop into. In the meantime, I suggest you both be very careful about testing its limits."
He paused in the doorway, silhouetted against the hallway light.
"Oh, and Ruby? The compound has excellent security, but it works both ways. Things that aren't supposed to get in... also have trouble getting out."
Then he was gone, leaving Kai and me alone in the candlelit ballroom.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The silence was thick with tension and unasked questions. I could feel the bond between us like a low hum in my blood, and every time I looked at Kai, my wrist pulsed with warm light.
"So," I said finally. "That went well."
Kai ran a hand through his dark hair, and I noticed it was shaking slightly. "Emma—"
"Ruby," I corrected quickly, glancing around the room. "Walls have ears in places like this."
"Right. Ruby." He took a deep breath. "We need to talk. But not here."
"Where?"
"Your new room. It's the only place in the compound that's not under constant surveillance."
That got my attention. "How do you know?"
"Because it's my room. Was my room. Marcus is moving me to guest quarters."
So we'd be sharing living space. That was either very good or very bad for my mission. Probably both.
"Come on," Kai said, walking toward a door I hadn't noticed before. "Let's get you settled before Marcus changes his mind about keeping you alive."
The compound's living quarters were on the third floor, accessible by a private elevator that required a keycard to operate. Kai's card worked, but I noticed his hand was still shaking as he swiped it.
"Are you okay?" I asked as the elevator rose.
"No," he said simply. "Are you?"
"Also no."
The elevator opened into a hallway that looked like an expensive hotel. Thick carpet, elegant lighting, artwork on the walls. Whatever else Marcus was, he believed in comfortable accommodations for his people.
Kai's room—my room now—was at the end of the hall. He unlocked the door with another keycard and gestured for me to go first.
The space beyond was larger than my entire apartment. A living area with leather furniture and a flat-screen TV, a kitchenette with granite counters, and through an open doorway, a bedroom with a king-size bed.
"Nice digs," I said, trying to keep my voice light.
"Marcus takes care of his people." Kai closed the door behind us and leaned against it. "When they're useful to him."
"And when they're not?"
"They tend to disappear."
That was comforting.
I walked over to the windows, noting they were reinforced and didn't open. The view showed the compound's courtyard three floors below, surrounded by high walls topped with razor wire. Security cameras swept the perimeter in regular patterns.
"Prison with a nice view," I observed.
"More like protective custody," Kai said, but he didn't sound entirely convinced.
I turned around to face him, and our eyes met for the first time since the ritual. The bond flared to life instantly, sending warmth racing through my veins. Kai's pupils dilated, and I saw his mark glow gold beneath his shirt.
He looked away quickly, focusing on something over my shoulder.
"We should... we should establish some ground rules," he said.
"Such as?"
"Separate beds. No unnecessary physical contact. And we avoid looking directly at each other when possible."
"Why?"
"Because every time we make eye contact, the bond gets stronger. And neither of us can afford to lose control right now."
He was right. I could feel it myself—the pull between us, the urge to move closer, to touch him and see what would happen. It was like being hungry and standing next to a banquet you weren't allowed to eat.
"Fine," I said. "Separate beds. I'll take the couch."
"No, you take the bedroom. I'll sleep out here."
"Kai, this is your room. I'm not kicking you out of your own bed."
"It's not my room anymore. Marcus made that clear." There was bitterness in his voice that surprised me. "Besides, werewolves don't need as much sleep as humans. The couch will be fine."
I wanted to argue, but something in his expression warned me off. Instead, I walked over to the kitchenette and opened the refrigerator. It was well-stocked with bottled water, energy drinks, and what looked like very expensive beer.
"Can I ask you something?" I said, taking out a water bottle.
"Shoot."
"The bond. What exactly does it mean? What's it going to do to us?"
Kai was quiet for a long moment. "I don't know," he said finally. "Mate bonds aren't common, and they're never between..." He trailed off.
"Between what? Natural enemies?"
"Between different species entirely." He sat down heavily in one of the leather chairs, careful not to look directly at me. "In werewolf culture, mate bonds are sacred. They're supposed to be permanent, unbreakable. When two wolves bond, they literally become two halves of the same soul."
"And between a werewolf and whatever I am?"
"Unknown territory."
I twisted the cap off my water bottle, using the motion to study Kai's profile. He was beautiful in the way that dangerous things often were—sharp edges and hidden strength. But there was something else there, something that looked like pain.
"You're scared," I realized.
"Terrified," he admitted. "The bond... it's already changing how I think, how I feel. Every instinct I have is telling me to protect you, to claim you, to never let you out of my sight. But I know that's not what you want."
"How do you know what I want?"
The question slipped out before I could stop it. Kai's head snapped up, and our eyes met again. The bond flared to life, sending heat racing through both our marks.
For a moment, neither of us moved. The air between us felt charged, like the seconds before lightning strikes. I could see my own desire reflected in his green eyes, could feel the pull of whatever was connecting us.
Then Kai looked away, breaking the spell.
"Because you're FBI," he said quietly. "And I'm everything you were trained to hunt."
The words hit me like a slap. He was right, of course. I was here to infiltrate his organization, to gather intelligence that would help bring down people like him. The fact that I was starting to feel something for him was a complication I couldn't afford.
But the bond didn't care about my mission or his nature. It only cared about bringing us together.
"We should get some sleep," I said, finishing my water. "Tomorrow's going to be complicated enough without us being exhausted."
"Agreed." Kai stood up, still careful not to look at me directly. "There are spare blankets in the bedroom closet. And if you need anything..."
"I'll figure it out."
He nodded and headed for the couch. I watched him go, noting the tension in his shoulders, the careful way he moved to avoid getting too close to me.
In the bedroom, I found a set of pajamas that must have belonged to him—soft cotton pants and a t-shirt that smelled like that forest scent. I changed quickly and climbed into bed, but sleep was the last thing on my mind.
Through the open doorway, I could see Kai settling onto the couch. He was too tall for it, his feet hanging over the armrest, but he didn't complain.
"Kai?" I said into the darkness.
"Yeah?"
"What happens if Marcus figures out what I really am?"
There was a long pause before he answered.
"Then we run," he said quietly. "And we hope we're fast enough."
I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but my mind was spinning with questions. How long could I maintain my cover? What would happen when the FBI realized I'd gone dark? And most importantly, what was this bond going to do to both of us?
Outside, I could hear the sounds of the compound settling in for the night. Footsteps in the hallway, the distant hum of security systems, the soft whoosh of climate control.
But louder than all of that was the sound of Kai's breathing from the next room, steady and reassuring in the darkness.
Whatever happened next, I wasn't facing it alone anymore.
The question was whether that would save us or damn us both.
End of Chapter 6