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Behind her, she heard angry voices and a scuffle—between who, she didn’t know, and she didn’t care. They could all fuck off.
The semi-finished shopping area was well lit, with lots of people strolling around talking, so she shied away from there. She knew Ava had left long ago, so she thought about calling Cassie. She could blink her out of here, but honestly, she didn’t want to see her right now either.
Instead, she stumbled into the darkness on the other side of the convention center. This was going to be an extensive park and a northern area zoned for a neighborhood housing community. The further she ran, there was more and moreconstruction equipment, orange plastic fencing, and unfinished dirt areas. When she turned her ankle on a rock, almost tumbling to the ground in her heels again, she slowed, carefully picking her way towards the shoreline.
Occasionally, she heard a giggle in the dark from couples finding hidden spots, but she wasn’t surprised. The one thing about pack life was that there weren’t single apartments or houses. You stayed home until you found your mate. No such thing as a lone wolf here.
But that’s what she wanted. What she craved. Someone who didn’t tell her what she should be doing. Opposite of a clingy-ass man whose instincts told him she was the one.
Ugh. And she’d rather eat glass than be forced to be with the same man for the rest of her life. What if he wasn’t good in bed? What if he didn’t want her?She knew who she was, and she was fine with it, but what if he wasn’t?
Past all the excuses and reasons to reject him based on her future, she knew that thought was lurking in her mind. She had a reputation, and while she had never cared before and still didn’t, she couldn’t help the nagging fear he wouldn’t want someone like her. Someone who didn’t care, someone who did what they wanted, someone who had slept with most of their inner circle.
Once she reached the path to the beach, it was easier to see. The moon reflected off the white sand brightly, but she hesitated. She could hear the faint sounds of partygoers down there as well, so instead of heading down to the sand, she moved up to the cliff Ava pushed together with her magic. They had talked about this spot before, about how she always wanted a gazebo on a cliff overlooking the ocean.
It wasn’t finished, but the lattice work was up, and the bench was there. The greenery and stonework were still underway, so once she found it, she stepped carefully. Plopping down on thebench, numbness came more easily now as she stared out into the ocean. The crashing waves lulled her into the disassociation she craved.
It had only been a few minutes, and she had hoped putting distance between them would lessen this overwhelming pull, the clawing inside her chest. But she still felt him, and when the wind drifted her way, she could scent him.
He had to be nearby. Fuck. Had he followed her?
She tensed in anticipation, but then nothing. He didn’t come closer, didn’t speak, and she could only scent him in the wind occasionally. He was keeping his distance. Did he feel it too?
She touched the stone in the necklace she wore, rubbing the delicate surface. Ava had strengthened the spell this morning, so she knew her scent was still disguised.
Then the voices came…people were looking for her. Men stumbled around in the dark, calling her name loudly and trying to bring her back to the party. But the conversations were mostly inaudible to her and didn’t last long before they faded away. That happened several times, and then when she strained to hear the voices, she heard Nassau’s distinctive drawl telling people to leave.Then Keoni’s voice rose above the others, and she could hear a disagreement until Keoni came closer, calling out her name.
“Bailey? It’s Keoni. You okay? You’re not answering your phone.”
She forgot she had texted him for help, then left. But Nassau wasn’t letting him near her. Everything was so confusing, but she couldn’t keep acting like a child.She stepped out from behind the lattice work, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness behind the gazebo. Keoni and Nassau stood about fifty feet away, but she could only see the outline of their bodies in the dark. Keoni was easy. He was already a huge shifter at 6’4, thick, muscular and barrel-chested like all the alphas in his family.Similar in build, Nassau was almost as tall, but his frame was leaner, narrower but still strong as he grasped Keoni’s forearm, holding him back.
She called out without moving closer.
“Sorry. I…I forgot I texted you for help. I needed to get away. You can go back now. Both of you. I’m okay.”
She could see his hesitation as he looked from her to Nassau. “Have you two met? What’s going on?”
“Not yet. I…you can go, Keoni. I want to be alone for a second, then I’ll head home.”
“You shouldn’t be alone with your stalker running free. Even here, you cannot let your guard down.”
Just the sound of Nassau’s voice, carrying across the distance, urged her to move towards him, to fling herself at him, but she stayed frozen, not allowing herself to move.
“I’m not a child. I’ll be fine. Go enjoy the party.” When neither of them moved, she sighed. “Stubborn ass men. Keoni, go away. Nassau can stay.”
Turning back, she stomped over to the cliff edge and waited, secretly hoping he would come closer. She felt Keoni leave, but Nassau didn’t move, and reminding herself who she was, she called out to him. She couldn’t breathe with or without him here either way.
“Nassau. Might as well come closer. You can’t protect me from that far away anyway.”
At first, he didn’t move, but when he finally stalked forward, he stopped at the gazebo, leaning against it, and watching her. Without turning around, she felt his eyes on her as tangibly as she felt the wind. Every move he made seared into her skin, lingering, reminding her that only his touch could relieve the ache.
Gingerly, she pressed the toe of her heels into the ground at the edge of the cliff, making sure it wouldn’t give way beforesitting down and dangling her feet over the side. It wasn’t a long drop or even steep since it was mainly dunes over here, but she wasn’t trying to slide down the sand in this lace and silk bodysuit.
For a long moment, she closed her eyes, trying to calm her wolf, to keep her beast from clawing at the edge of her mind and forcing a shift. She kept expecting Nassau to speak to her, to ask her questions, or hit on her. He had to be feeling something.
She thought back to the few minutes before she scented him for the first time. How restlessness and need had filled her in the minutes prior, and she had sought out its source. She had been drawn to the Suburban as it had pulled up in front of the house that day, but she had no clue why. It had been like a sixth sense.
Did he feel the same thing?
