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Kai turned his attention to Finn. “The Task Force needs to be on high alert for this entity. If anyone sees anything, then it needs to be reported. And keep it discreet. We don’t need everyone in Rose Valley panicking.”
“I’m on it,” Finn said dutifully, already reaching for his cell to send out some messages to the higher-ups.
Rowan looked at Kai with persistence, seemingly unwilling to simply exist on the sidelines while everyone else worked to get to the bottom of things.
“My men could be on some sort of patrol in the meantime,” he began, pushing with determination. “Please, let us help. We want to prove we’re here to make things right.”
Before Kai could say anything, Finn’s burning stare was on him. “The townsfolk are leery of your men as is. They don’t trust you, and frankly, I don’t blame them. Seeing them roaming around town might cause an uproar.”
Irritation sparked beneath my skin, annoyed by how Finn viewed him as nothing but a nuisance. He only wanted to help, yet he was being treated like he had no skin in the game himself.
I had to force back my angered bond to stop myself from lashing out at him.
Regardless of Finn’s constant push-back, Rowan added calmly, “If it makes everyone feel better, we can monitor the city limits so that we don’t need to linger in the streets. Maybe then the people can be more at ease.”
While his tone was level and calm, I could feel how he asserted himself and how he wouldn’t back down to Finn.
Something about it instilled in me a sense of pride.
While Finn looked prepared to get into something with Rowan, Kai nodded.
“Fine. You’re correct. You and your men have a right to want to help in the meantime. You can start a watch in the woods and inform us if anything looks amiss.”
Rowan relaxed, and he gave Kai a grateful look for the compromise.
My heart swelled, glad that I extended the invitation for him to join the meeting and to know that he could have a sense of purpose in Rose Valley.
“We’ll be on our best behavior,” Rowan said, to which Kai nodded.
But Finn scoffed and turned away, shaking his head.
“If that’s everything, then you’re all good to go,” Kai said, dismissing everyone, likely hoping to avoid any blow-ups from Finn, who seemed to have a short fuse as of late. Meeting my gaze again, he continued, “Let’s hope you can find something out soon.”
As everyone began to leave again, I couldn’t ignore the persistent alarm in the pit of my stomach. Even if things seemed to be getting better between me and Rowan, it still couldn’t shield us from this dark entity we had no leads on.
None of us knew what to expect or what was to come, and it worried me to no end.
Chapter 15 - Rowan
The woods were quiet as I took up my watch, overlooking a small valley that continued into a large stretch of trees.
It was so still, and not much was amiss, which gave me the opportunity to let my mind wander. From the possibility of Willow’s premonition being a warning for whatever that figure had in store for us, to the renewed feeling of my wolf existing within me, and the progress I had made with the woman I thought I had hurt forever.
While we weren’t explicitly mates yet, the sex we had was enough to awaken the other half of me and to prove that fixing the bond I shattered was possible. There was still a chance for us, and even if I still needed to prove myself to her, I would do it again and again until she couldn’t find it within herself to question it anymore.
I wasn’t sure when I decided to devote myself to our connection, but it felt right. It seemed like the right thing to do after causing her so much pain, and the constant longing I felt for her was something I couldn’t ignore.
Not only did my bond want her, but I found myself thinking about her more and more.
The regret I felt for how I handled things was immeasurable, but all I could do was show her I meant everything I said and that I had no intentions of hurting her again.
Since our time together after the bar, I hadn’t seen much of Willow, and I was itching to feel her again. To run to her and get as much of her time as I greedily could.
The rational side of my brain knew I couldn’t smother her with my presence. I didn’t want to push her away by being too persistent, and I needed those urges to simmer down to a manageable level.
A stick cracking behind me forced me to whirl around, senses higher than they had been in months. My defensiveness fell the moment I spotted Griffin approaching.
“Your relief is here,” he announced, clapping a hand against my shoulder as he walked past and leaned against a boulder.
