AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The haunting urge to compare Cole to Wyatt hovered at the edge of my subconscious, but I forced myself not to give in to it. It used to be a comfort, a way I could normalize how things were and internalize the belief that I deserved better than what I used to have. What I was so convinced was the only thing I could expect in life.
Now, as much as I was relieved to never have to think about Wyatt darkening my doorstep ever again, it felt almost…uncouth to think about a dead man that way.
Cole and I rolled out of bed together and hopped into the oversized shower to freshen up and look somewhat presentable at the dinner his grandfather, Victor, had arranged for us. I dressed in layers like Cole suggested—jeans, a nice blouse, and a flannel shirt tied around my hips for cooler weather later. I also opted for a cute, slouchy beanie over some loose waves and minimal makeup.
Cole dressed in a similarly casual manner, and then it was time to get going. We were lounging around in the kitchen area when a knock sounded at the door. I followed Cole to find Eugenio smiling warmly at us.
“You guys ready to walk over? It’s not far,” Eugenio said.
“Yeah,” Cole said, subtly positioning himself between me and the teenager. “Lead the way.”
“Great. We’ll just drop by to pick up your friends real quick before we go.”
Cole nodded, and Eugenio headed over to the townhouse next to ours. Once he was gone, Cole tugged me closer, putting his arm around my shoulders and tucking me firmly against his side like a bird taking me under its wing to protect me.
I smiled up at him, and he winked at me. “Moment of truth,” he said.
“Moment of truth,” I agreed.
Before long, the five of us—me, Cole, Jack, Travis, and Eugenio—were all walking down the very same streets we’d driven on earlier, getting an even better chance to see how things were done in the Silver Moon pack. People seemed generally happy, which was a nice change from what I was used to. It was good to see shifters living in relative comfort, especially after the recent tension back in New Middle Bluff with Lanyon Clover and Wyatt. It felt, strangely enough, like I could breathe a little easier, knowing there was less chance of Cole being harassed while we were together.
Though a few passersby ogled us as we walked, no one stopped us or said anything rude or hateful.
After a few blocks, we reached a large building called The Annex. It was like a high school gymnasium on the outside: warm tan bricks with red shingles and wide glass doors like the ones at Shift into Fitness back home. The inside, however, didn’t look much like a gymnasium at all. It was wide open with plenty of room to mingle, its fixtures modern and classy. Not quite as fancy as some of the parties I used to attend with Wyatt when I was with him, but nice enough to make it feel like a proper event. There were lounging areas, a PA system, and a bunch of tables set up like the building was a restaurant.
Jack and Travis parted from us as we came to a stop inside, citing the desire to rub elbows with some of the other people in the building. There was already quite a large crowd gathered, everyone chatting and smiling. For the most part, everyone looked normal, like any parent I’d see at Polar Shift Academy or anyone at the coffee shop.
As I looked around, I felt a little silly for being surprised by this. I’d heard so many things about Cole’s grandfather, especially how controlling he could be, that I’d just assumed it would be miserable to spend time with any of the shifters in his pack. Then again, we were just blending into the crowd for now. There was no telling what would happen later as the night went on.
“What do you think?” I asked Cole.
“Seems nice,” Cole said. “Wonder where Gramps is, though.”
“Is that any way to refer to your grandfather?” a deep baritone said behind us.
We turned to a man roughly the same height as Cole with white cropped hair. His stubbly, salt-and-pepper beard matched his heavy eyebrows. Most striking was the quirk of his smile, almost an exact duplicate of Cole’s.
He looked younger than I’d expected. I’d heard somewhere that shifters had higher life expectancies than humans. Did they also age slower because of that?
Either way, Cole’s grandpa?
He was kind of hot.
I felt a little jostle from Cole and looked up at him to find him quirking a single eyebrow at me. Did he—no way had he smelled that thought on me. I wasn’t aroused, just observing! Oh, God, if Cole knew, then Victor probably did, too. Mortified, I looked at the older man and made to apologize, but he wasn’t even looking at me.
“It’s nice to see you, son,” Victor said, holding his arms open for him. “C’mere and give this old man a hug.”
Cole stepped forward while I stayed frozen in mortification, still not entirely convinced I was off the hook quite yet. Cole hugged his grandfather, and the men clapped each other’s backs in the same way. When they parted, Victor held Cole out at arm’s length and smiled. “God, look at you. You’re a full-grown man, aren’t you?”
Cole chuckled. “I try to be. It’s good to finally meet you.”
“Good to meet you, too,” he said. “And who is your little friend here?”
He glanced over at me, and Cole gazed at me. “This is Marley Cage, my mate.”
“N-nice to meet you, Mr. Lucas,” I said, stammering more than I would have liked.
“Just call me Vic. Everyone does,” Victor said, nodding once at me before looking back at Cole. “You didn’t bring my great-grandson?”
