After Kai left, Maxime stood in the quiet of his private quarters, staring at the sleeping form of Cara, actually Kaia. She lay on the couch, her chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm. Her transformation had brought with it a tumult of emotions, both for her and for him. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him.
"Damn," he muttered to himself. "What a troubling being."
He had been successful in avoiding her for more than eighteen years, but fate had other plans. The mate bond they shared now was unbreakable, pulling him toward her with an intensity that was both thrilling and terrifying. He could feel her desires, her tumultuous thoughts, and her internal struggles as if they were his own. It was overwhelming, but also strangely exhi
