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Well, Ryker. You said to take off the necklace and see what happens, I think to myself as I jump down from the last stop on the fire escape. So what now?
Honestly, I didn’t expect anything to come of it except for missing the reassuring weight of Aleks’s fang against my chest. But, right when I’m about to scoff and maybe take a trip to Charlie’s even though tonight’s my regularly scheduled day off, something happens.
My hands flex, claws shooting out. I feel my canines lengthen, the muscles in my forearms, my calves, my thighs bulging for a moment until I can force back the partial shift. My wolf wants out. Not only that, but she wants to chase.
To follow.
To run.
Where? I’m not so sure, and that denial lasts for maybe five seconds before I realize she wants me to find Ryker.
And, holy shit, if I give her control, she can. She’s caught his scent, and she can follow the imaginary thread that ties us together. For the first time in almost a year, our bond is pulsing, Ryker calling me to him.
You know what? I’ve spent so long denying the call of the wolf that I just don’t want to anymore. Ryker wants me to come to him? He might not like the alpha who answers his call, but okay.
Let’s go, girl.
Somehow, I’m not surprised when my wolf brings me back to the park where I left Ryker. Even though my whole world seemed to shift since I turned away from him, it’s probably only been about twenty minutes since I was sitting on the bench that I just passed.
He’s not sitting there anymore, but he didn’t go too far from where I left him. Instead of resting against the bench, he’s sitting in a patch of grass with his legs stretched in front of him, ankles crossed, head hanging back as he looks up at the sky.
“Full moon’s coming.”
Thanks, Ryker. As if I need the reminder.
I follow his stare. He doesn’t say hi, I notice. Doesn’t rub it in that I’d come and look for him, especially since I really wasn’t gone long at all. Still, even though I’m looking up at the blue sky—no sign of the moon, but I know instinctively where she’ll be later tonight—I can see him out of the corner of my eye. His gaze dips to my chest, and as much as I’d like to think he’s checking out my boobs, I know better.
He’s looking for Aleks’s necklace, humming to himself when he can tell that I left it behind.
I stiffen. Okay. Now he’s going to say something. No way he’s going to let that slip by without making some kind of comment, right?
Wrong.
I brace myself when he opens his mouth, absolutely stunned when all he says is, “You want go for a run with me? My wolf’s getting antsy with the full moon coming soon.”
It’s a shifter thing. We have so much excess energy that one of the best ways is physical activity. Fighting, fucking… running. I guess I should be happy he picks that over the others. But the way he asks? It’s so casual. No dares. No challenges. Just a simple offer.
And I want to say yes more than I probably should.
“What, now?”
“Tonight. Tomorrow.” Another gaze skyward. “There’s time.”
Not much, but there is some time.
“Maybe later,” I tell him.
He looks back at me. He can tell from something in my expression that, while he’s happy not to mention our earlier discussion, I’m not willing to just drop it. I should. Rehashing it is only going to be a strain on me, but that doesn’t stop me. He had some kind of point to prove, telling me about the meaning behind Aleks’s fang. Well, he made it.
Let’s see what happens now.
His eyes dip to my chest again. “I take it you believe me now?”
“You kinda left me with no choice there, Ryker.”
He shrugs, then slowly climbs to his feet. His movements are still careful, as if he’s trying not to trigger me into bolting or something—or like he’s still treating me like an omega. “Hey. All’s fair in love and war.”
“Yeah?” I snap. I have this irrational urge to prove to him that I’m as much of an alpha as he is. It’s the damn challenge, I know it is, but I fall for it every fucking time. “Which one is this?”
