Mia didn't move
She stood immobile on the corner, her heart pounding like a war drum. The man on the opposite sidewalk had not yet glanced at her straight on, but his stance—too rigid, too angular—put all her senses on high alert.
He didn't possess a human odor.
And that was all Mia needed to know.
She turned and hastily walked in the direction of the bookstore, fighting the temptation to run. Panicking would only draw attention to herself. The minute she pushed through the glass door, she locked it and pulled the curtain down over the front window.
The owner, Mr. Henley, looked up from his desk with mild surprise. "Is everything okay, dear?"
"Just… a cold morning," she said in a hurry, trying a feeble smile. "Wanted to keep the cold away."
He nodded in acceptance and returned to arranging a pile of dusty old first editions.
Mia's wolf paced within her chest
There was a rogue in the area. She was sure about that.
And not only was he a rogue — he had authority. It radiated from him in spurts, piercing and buzzing just beneath the surface.
Why was he spying on her?
Was it a coincidence? Had she been spotted because she was different, or had he somehow figured out who she was?
Or worse still, had anyone sent him?
She moved to the back room and made a pretense of organizing inventory while her mind raced. She had fled from Silverpine to be free from the politics, the intrigue, the threat. She had not expected that it would follow her into the human world.
Across town, Lucas was already in motion.
The minute he felt that spark—flash of fear running through the torn mate link, he had moved.
His wolf ran through the woods, thin and silvery-gray, steam curling from his breath in the chill air. The connection was weak, but there, a thread tugging him to the east.
He had vowed to himself not to tail her.
The lie was ruined the moment he felt threatened.
Mia was in trouble.
And regardless of what he had said during the Ceremony, Lucas couldn't overlook her hurt. Not then. Not now.
He stepped back from the edge of town when he came in, his breath coming in gasps, his body dripping with sweat. He donned a set of extra clothes he had stashed in his pack among the roots and walked into town with his senses sharpened to a knife-edge.
It was not long before he caught the scent
Rogue
Male. Close to Mia and strong.
His wolf growled deep inside him with frustration that another predator had come near her.
Lucas followed the trail
Mia stayed in the bookstore until the end of her workday, keeping an eye on the window from time to time. The man had disappeared shortly after she had arrived, but she didn't relax either. Predators didn't always stay in plain view.
When the time arrived to leave, Mr. Henley offered to take her home, but she politely declined. If trouble was closing in on her, she didn't want to bring anyone else into it.
However, her movements were cautious. Her senses were heightened.
She had walked half the alleyway to her tiny apartment when a low growl traveled on the wind.
Her breath hitched.
A figure emerged from the darkness — a thin and tall one, his eyes glowing softly gold in the darkness.
Not the man from before. He was younger. A wolf.
She took a step back. "Who are you?" The rogue smiled, teeth and threat. "The girl they talk about. The rejected Luna."
Her blood ran ice-cold.
He stepped closer to her. "Did you expect that news would not spread beyond Silverpine?"
"What do you need?"
I would love to know what compels an Alpha to gamble everything for an omega. You must be very special.
He lunged.
Mia tried to shift — too abruptly, too suddenly. Her wolf clawed its way to the surface mid-way through the shift when claws scraped towards her.
And then
A flash of silver struck the rogue in mid-air and sent him crashing into the wall.
Lucas
Bared fangs and seething with each movement, the Alpha stood between Mia and the intruder, his body bristling with anger.
The rogue jumped back to his feet, snarling. "So the connection is not so broken after all."
Lucas remained silent.
He assaulted
Their bodies met in a frenzied whirlwind of snarl and claw. Mia backed away, half-shifted in shock and fear. Lucas moved like liquid fire, his strikes swift and lethal. The rogue didn't have a chance.
The intruder was limping into the darkness in seconds, his path smeared with blood.
Lucas didn't pursue.
He turned to Mia, his chest heaving, his silver eyes glinting.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice strained.
Mia glared at him. "Why have you come here?"
His teeth were clenched. "You were in harm's way. I sensed it."
"You rejected me," she breathed quietly.
I had to
"Did you?" she snapped back at him sharply, her voice trembling. "Or did you go the easy way?"
Lucas stepped closer. "Mia
I'm not yours anymore," she said to him, though her heart ached. "You released me."
He resembled having been hit by her.
I'll go," he spoke softly. "If that's what you want. But I'm not going to stop taking care of you. Regardless." And he turned and walked away from her in the alleyway, leaving her alone with the blood on the pavement and the storm in her heart.