52

Tim soon catches up, whistling and shaking his head.

“Damn, that was intense. You okay?” he asks.

I roll my eyes, taking a swig from my bottle, not in the mood to talk. When he reaches for my hand, I snap it away, glaring at him.

He hesitates, eyes narrowing slightly. “Yeah, but let’s make one thing crystal clear—we are friends. That’s all we ever will be.”

He frowns, slowing his pace as May and Micky pass by, lost in their usual world of gossip.

“Are they making you say that?” he snaps suddenly, eyes locking onto mine.

I furrow my brows. “Excuse me? Who the hell are they?”

“Your parents. That asshole, Caden.” He jerks his chin toward the packhouse.

I growl and shove him in the chest, warning him.

“Don’t call him that! Don’t even speak his fucking name without permission!”

He rolls his eyes. “Is this a joke? You’re seriously standing there acting like he’s the better option? We all heard what he did to you, Baylee. We all know what he drove you to do!”

The bile rises in my throat.

Nobody—nobody outside of my family gets to talk about Caden. Not like that. Not ever. Anger surges through me like a wildfire, and I feel my control snap, the fine thread to my sanity unraveling fast.

“Don’t talk about him like that. It’s none of your fucking business, Tim! You have no idea what you’re talking about!”

I’m barely holding it together. He’s underage, and I can’t kill him without permission—but every cell in my body is screaming to break his neck.

“My business?” he spits. “You are my business! You like me—I know you do! You wouldn’t have agreed to this date otherwise!”

It’s like a bucket of ice water hits me.

My head snaps up, eyes locking with his as Ailm rises within me, snarling at the disrespectful little shit.

Every part of me screams—kill him.

My aura flares out, thick and suffocating as I step back and begin to circle him. I am no longer the girl he once knew. I’m the woman who’s taken thousands of lives, who’s tasted souls like they were her addiction. And he—he’s no longer some harmless pack boy. He’s a pest begging to be put down.

“Submit, boy!” I snarl, releasing my full power.

He crumples to his knees, forehead pressed to the ground, unable to lift his head. My aura pulses in violent waves. Nothing—no one—could withstand it.

It doesn’t matter how mad or heartbroken I am over Caden. He is my blood bond. The soul I’m tied to in every possible way. Talking bad about him is like attacking the other half of my being.

They may fear us. They may hide. But they will respect us—and everything we do to love and protect them.

I hear the packhouse doors slam open. Feet thunder across the ground toward me. My family. They feel my power. They know I’m calling Caden to my side.

“You’re talking about the ranked members of this pack,” I hiss, ignoring them as they approach.

“They spend their lives protecting you. Shielding your pathetic little mind from the truth of this world,” I growl, stepping closer. “If it looks easy, it’s only because they’re that good. That doesn’t give you the right to talk about them—or the future Alpha—that way!”

My eyes lock onto Caden’s wide, shocked stare, and I snarl, my voice cutting through the air like a whip. “MY FUTURE ALPHA!” I slam a hand to my chest.

“If I ever—and I mean ever—hear you disrespecting my family or my mate again, I will kill you,” I growl, no longer yelling. I’m calm now. Which somehow makes me more terrifying.

“I’ll kill you slowly. I’ll make an example of you. Do. You. Understand. Boy?”

“Y-yes, Bay—”

Caden’s growl shakes the earth. It brings life into my soul—and terror into Tim’s. His body jerks in fear, the stench of it making me sick.

“Yes, future Luna!” he gasps.

I nod, lifting my chin and stepping toward my family. Caden. I smile, letting Ailm settle into the background again.

“Good. Go, before I change my mind.” I release my aura, letting him go.

He runs. Fast. Like the coward he is. Doesn’t look back. Doesn’t speak.

I yank my shoes off and hand them to Mum, who’s still frozen in shock. She glances around like she’s double-checking that everything really just happened.

“I need to shift. I need to calm down. I’ll be back later.” I down the last of the tequila, toss the bottle to Dad, and shift—ripping the stupid dress in the process. Good. I never wanted to see that reminder of tonight again.

On four legs, Ailm instantly noses Caden’s hand. He smirks down at us. We want to run. No fighting. No tension. Just us. Like before the pain.

“Fine. Since you asked so nicely.”

We lick his fingers in excitement. He rolls his eyes, pulling off his boots and shirt. I sit, admiring the view—until Dad jolts out of his stupor and blocks the show.

Ailm whines.

“Tongue back in your mouth!” he scolds. “You’re not seventeen for two more days!”

I grunt, glaring. It’s not like I was licking his abs, damn it.

Then Caden shifts. Cain immediately joins us, nosing Ailm playfully. She chirps, digging at the ground in excitement. He licks our ear, nudges us, then runs into the woods.

We chase him, Mum waving behind us as we disappear into the forest.

We spend an hour just being—running, tumbling, laughing, racing to the lake. We wash off in the cold water, then head to the lakehouse to warm up.

I run to the garage, shift back, grab a robe from the pile, and head inside. Caden shifts behind me. I dress quickly—shorts, vest top, robe—and light the fire, sinking into the warmth.

The cold night air lingers, but the run cleared my head. For the first time in days, I feel grounded.

When Caden walks in, shirtless and damp in low-slung shorts, my mouth goes dry.

I awkwardly clear my throat and flop onto the sofa. He yanks me close, wrapping his heated body around mine. I sigh, basking in his warmth, his comfort.

“So… are you going to tell me what that was all about?” he asks.

I shrug, picking at a thread on my robe. “He was being an asshat. I didn’t even want to go to that stupid dance.”

He lifts my chin. “After that performance, you might want to be a little more direct. You did threaten to kill him.”

I blush, shrugging again. “He called you an asshole. Nobody gets to do that but me. And he thought I liked him. When I heard that, I snapped. I don’t ever want anyone thinking I like someone else. You’re my other half. I wanted that to be crystal clear.”

He drops my chin, smiling softly, still watching me.

“Thank you.”

I frown. “For what?”

“For everything. For not letting him think that. For reacting so strongly. And mostly… for telling the pack you belong to me—and I belong to you.”

He hugs me, kissing my head.

“Wanna watch something?” he asks.

I nod, laying my head on his knee. He scrolls through horror movies, picks a random one, and drops the remote beside me. Then he grabs my hand, playing with my fingers.

I melt.

The movie fades into background noise. I glance up and realize he’s been watching me the entire time.

Electricity crackles between us, so intense it makes every hair on my body stand on end. His gaze feels like a livewire—pouring love and desire into my soul.

My core tightens. My cheeks flush. And before long, the scent of my arousal fills the room.

Caden stiffens. Eyes wide in panic.

I don’t care. I can’t care.

“Baylee…” he warns, voice tight. “I can’t stay here if you can’t control yourself. It’s too hard.”

The words only fuel the fire.

I climb into his lap, straddling his knee. Slowly. Cautiously. I don’t want to scare him—but every cell in my body is screaming for more.

“Don’t leave me again,” I whisper. “Please. I can’t take it anymore.”

Tears well up, thick with fear and need. “I need you, Caden. I want you. I love you.”

He touches my cheek, wiping a tear away, heart pounding. “I know this is hard, Baylee… but we can’t. Not until you’re older.”

Ailm growls with me.

“Stop saying that!” I snap, tugging at my hair. “Please! Just kiss me. Hold me. I need you.”

I’m crying harder now. Desperate. Begging. “It doesn’t have to go further. Just kiss me.”

He closes his eyes, fighting it.

“When you opened that door, I lost the ability to fight this,” he growls.

“Then don’t!” I shout. “I’m tired of feeling like crap. Tired of being rejected. I don’t want to feel like this for another year, Caden!”

He grabs my arms, stunned. “What does that mean? Do you need more wolves to—”

“I don’t want to need anyone to stop the pain!” I scream. “You’re doing this now—hurting me—on purpose!”

All the buried feelings rise to the surface and drown me. I stand, wiping my tears.

“Don’t push me out, Baylee,” he pleads, grabbing for me.

I shake him off.

“I’m not going to hurt myself. But if you want to wait a year—you’ll have to do it without me by your side. I won’t take this rejection every damn day.” I point to the door. “LEAVE. NOW.”

He links someone. Steps back. His face full of heartbreak.

Good. Let him taste it.

“I’m not leaving. We can make this work.”

“NO!” I shout. “You want a relationship without the relationship. I’m tired of it. So go. I’ll be fine—just like I have been for a year.”

I storm into the kitchen, ignoring his broken face. Grab food. A drink. Slam the fridge.

He growls as I walk away. A moment later, the door slams, and a bike roars to life.

I toss everything on the couch, curl up, and eat like a queen. And for once, the food tastes fucking incredible.