Leon had killed for less.
He sat in his chair, elbows braced on the armrests, fingers steepled, watching the girl across from him with a patience he did not possess. Rogues did not belong in his pack. They did not get second chances.
Yet here she was.
She smelled like Midnight Crest, but not like its warriors. That pack reeked of blood and arrogance—this girl smelled like frost and something softer beneath it. Something delicate.
Lies. Lies always smelled sweet.
“I ran away,” she said. Her voice didn’t shake. If she was afraid, she hid it well. “From my family. From my mate.”
Leon’s wolf prowled inside him, unsettled. Hungry.
The idea of some male rejecting her—his wolf bristled at it. He forced the reaction down, keeping his voice bored. “Abuse, rejection, and now, trespassing. What a tragic little story.”
Her silver eyes flickered—a flash of something sharp. “You don’t believe me.”
He smirked. “No.”
She straightened her spine. Didn’t cower.
He hated that it impressed him.
Leon rose, stalking toward her, slow, deliberate. She tensed, but didn’t step back. That, too, irritated him.
“I kill rogues,” he murmured. “Did no one warn you about that before you wandered onto my land?”
“I had no choice,” she said.
“Everyone has a choice.”
She tilted her chin. “Then kill me.”
His wolf snapped.
It was instinct, the way his hand shot out, the way he gripped her jaw—gentle, but firm enough to make her pulse stutter beneath his fingers.
He felt her breath hitch. Felt how soft her skin was, how fragile her bones were compared to his. She smelled like something he couldn’t place, something that made him want to lean in, to inhale.
A mistake. A distraction.
Leon let go. He turned away before he did something stupid.
"You want to live?" His voice was rougher than he wanted. "Then prove it."
Her brows furrowed.
"You'll stay," he said, not looking at her. "You'll work. If I catch you lying to me, if I suspect you're here for anything other than survival—I'll kill you myself."
She hesitated for only a second, then she nodded.
Leon stalked toward the door. Before he left, he glanced over his shoulder.
Her silver eyes were still on him. Assessing. Guarded. A mystery he didn't have time to unravel. His wolf disagreed. And that alone was reason enough to keep his distance.