James Underhill's wolf snaps at the leash when Petra Rowland steps onto the mountain ridge with the orphaned cub in her arms. The pack enforcer has buried his fear of abandonment beneath layers of dominance, yet her scent calls for him to mount her, sink his marking bite into her skin, and breed the bond that neither wants to need.

Neither of them steps back when instinct names what they are to each other. Petra's fierce independence hides her terror of unworthiness, and surrendering to his knotting claim could cost them the guardianship they fight to protect. He tells her to decide before the cub loses them both.