Chapter 4 

 Caspian

It had only been a few days since Austin advised Caspian to take a luna, but the rest of the pack wasn’t letting their alpha forget it.

As Caspian wandered through Black Diamond, minding his own business, he was stopped at every corner—asked how he was doing, what his plans were, and when he would choose a luna.

All he had wanted was a quick trip to the grocery store, something he’d done a thousand times before. But ever since becoming alpha, even that had become impossible.

There was always someone needing his attention, seeking his advice, or offering their services.

He wished they would just leave him alone.

Not for the first time, he considered giving up his claim to the alphaship, but guilt gnawed at him every time the thought crossed his mind.

What would his father think?

Caspian had spent his life in his father’s shadow, striving to be the perfect heir. But now that he had taken over, he realized he had never truly considered what it would mean.

He had also never anticipated that he would be alpha quite so soon. By werewolf standards, both he and his father were relatively young when taking on the alpha role. Furthermore, the change in leadership had been just as much of a shock to the pack as the death of Caspian’s father.

But what was most shocking was the woman he came upon as he finally reached the door of the grocery store. Gerry's General Store was the only grocery store in town, and had she been a resident these past ten years, Caspian might not have been so shocked to see her.

 But the moment the woman with strawberry-blond hair practically walked right into his arms, too focused on the change in her palm to notice him, Caspian's mouth fell open in astonishment.

"Ahh!"

Her startled cry caused Caspian to move instinctively. He grabbed Grace by the forearms and braced her, unwilling to let her fall.

"I am so sor—" she began, but the second her gaze met his, the words seemed to dry out in her throat.

Caspian couldn't say he blamed her. His own throat had become so dry, he felt like he had swallowed a mouthful of sand.

The change dropped from Grace's palm, clattering onto the sidewalk, but neither of them reacted to it. Instead, they stared at each other, and Caspian watched the color drain from Grace's face. He opened his mouth to speak, perhaps even to say something cocky, but she yanked herself free of his grip.

Turning on her heels, she ran. She didn't just walk; she physically ran away from him. Pain lanced through Caspian's chest, but instinctively, he gave chase. The wolf in him would not allow her to go without questioning.

She was fast, but he was faster, making Caspian suspect that Grace still hadn’t connected with her wolf after all these years.

Grabbing her wrist, he yanked her around to face him and growled deep in his throat. "What the fuck are you doing in my territory?"

He hadn't meant to be so aggressive, but just the sight of her after all these years had made his hackles rise. His nostrils flared to draw in her familiar scent. Save for a new, subtle perfume, her scent hadn't changed one bit.

Grace's gaze met his, defiant but with a hint of fear. If she was afraid of him, she did not let it enter her tone as she snarled, "Take your hands off me."

There it was, that bold spark within her that had always so enraged his wolf. He felt sensations he had long since thought were gone for good. Instead of releasing her, he tightened his grip. It wasn't just aggression and dominance that made him do it, but fear.

"Grace, I…" he began, meaning to apologize, but then just as quickly, he remembered what had happened between them all those years ago and how she had left without so much as a goodbye, leaving her entire family heartbroken and him utterly confused.

"Where the fuck have you been?" he demanded.

"I said take your hand off me, dammit!" Grace snapped. Taking him off-guard, she lashed out with her free arm. Unprepared for the blow to his wrist, Caspian released her.

"Fuck!" he snarled, grabbing his wrist as it throbbed with pain. That was one hell of a hit for a woman who was practically human.

"Don't you dare run away from me!" Caspian barked as Grace turned and ran once more. The plastic bag wrapped around her elbow bounced against her curvaceous hip as she raced across the street. "Grace, you get back here!"

Again, he raced after her, unfazed by the people on the sidewalk staring at him like he had lost his mind. One sniff told him they weren’t a threat—just unsuspecting humans passing through or the few allowed to live on the outskirts. Better to let a handful stay than risk too many learning the secrets of a town built by werewolves when America was lawless and unsettled.

No, Caspian’s focus was entirely on Grace. So much so that he barely noticed the speeding car until it was almost too late.

"Hey, watch out!" the driver shouted, swerving just before hitting him.

The car blocked his path, forcing him to watch Grace disappear. Pain lanced through his chest when she didn’t even glance back.

All these years, and she still held a grudge. All these years, and she still couldn’t look him in the eye.

Why the hell hadn’t Austin told him she was in town? His beta should have alerted him the second another werewolf arrived.

But then, she wasn’t a werewolf.

Grace might have been born to two werewolves of Black Diamond, but she had never accessed her wolf. Her scent wasn’t entirely human, yet her wolf scent was so faint that, had he not known her bloodline, he might have missed it.

But it was there. And it called to him.

His rage flared again—no one respected him enough to notify him when something happened in his own damn territory.

"Watch where you’re going!" the driver snapped.

Caspian barely spared him a glance. Human. Unimportant. His wolf stirred, irritated, and before he could stop himself, Caspian flashed his wolf eyes and fangs. It was brief, but enough. The man recoiled and sped away.

‘You fucking fool.’

He stepped back onto the sidewalk, blinking hard. He had been going to the store—at least, he thought he had been. But now, all he could think about was Grace. Had he imagined her? Was he losing his damn mind?

She hadn’t set foot in Black Diamond for a decade. Why now? And why had she run from him like he’d rip her throat out for stepping onto his land?

‘I would never do that.’

The thought tightened his chest.

He remembered their last encounter too well. There were many things he’d wanted to do to her pale throat—ripping it out had never been one of them.

Closing his eyes, he still saw that night. The way his fangs grazed her throat. The way her moans filled the air. The way her body quivered beneath his.

Heat coiled low in his stomach, and he clenched his jaw. Thank fuck for baggy jeans.

She had always been infuriating. But more than that, she had always been his.

Years of forcing himself to forget her had been wasted. Standing here, his hand still tingling from gripping her wrist, the dull ache from where she’d struck him… he knew she had been real.

He let out a low growl. No one struck him without consequences. Even in combat training, he had always landed the last blow. And no she-wolf had ever dared raise a hand to him.

For Grace to do it—when she was no better than a human—twisted something deep inside him.

He should’ve wanted to put her in her place. But all he truly wanted… was to pin her against a refrigerator, just as he once had.

Only this time, he’d show her who the true alpha was.

And this time, he wouldn’t let her get away.