~Nathan~Reaching the area where I was supposed to meet Oliver- or whoever it really was- I felt the unease deeper into my chest. I still wasn't sure this was a good idea, but I took a steadying breath and stepped out of my car. The fighters my father had sent were already waiting, their expressions unreadable, but alert. We silently moved together toward the meeting point, every sense on high alert. I knew this area well- every rock, tree, and place a man could hide. I gave a brief nod, and the other's broke off, moving silently to their positions, each one ready in case this turned out to be an ambush. Footsteps approached behind me- slow, steady. Koa bristled inside me, ready to protect us. "Hello, Nathan." That voice. Familiar. Rougher than I remembered, but unmistakably his. I turned, breath catching in my throat. "Oliver?" There he was, standing a few feet away, his eyes scanning the area like he expected someone to leap out of the trees at any moment. The scent of fear c
~Nathan~I leaned against the driver's side of my car, arms crossed, watching Jane make her way up the front steps of the school. The early morning light caught in her hair, giving it a soft golden hue. She glanced back once, her gaze meeting mine, and even from here I could feel the hesitation in her steps. That familiar ache settled in my chest again. Even after everything- after we said I love you, after I held her through the nightmare, after I told her she was mine no matter what- she still carried that fear. The fear that I might one day leave... if fate gave me someone else. But she was my fate. She always had been. It didn't matter how many times I whispered I wasn't going anywhere. That she was the one. That what we had was more than any bond the moon could force on me. She still looked at me sometimes like she was waiting for the ground to crack open beneath her. And I hated that. I hated that I couldn't reach inside and pull those fears out of her- couldn't tear down ev
~Jane~As Nathan pulled into a parking spot in the school lot and shifted the car into park, I glanced out the window. Clusters of students standing in groups, laughing and chatting with their friends. My eyes scanned the crowd until I spotted Riley nearby with her group, just across the lot. Unfastening our seat-belts, Nathan got out and came around to open my door. He held out his hand. I placed mine in his and stepped out of the car, grabbing my bag in the process. As I closed the door behind me, Nathan wrapped his arms around my waist and stepped in closer, pressing my back against the car. There was no space left between us. My heart raced, the effect he had on me nearly taking my breath away. "Nathan," I breathed, looking up into his eyes. "I feel it too, Jane. There's nothing like the way I feel about you," he said softly. "I never want these feelings to fade," I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. There was no one else I'd ever want to feel this way
~Jane~With the sound of the alarm off and sunlight shinning through the window, I opened my eyes. Turning my head, I saw the empty space beside me- Nathan wasn't in bed. The warmth from last night still clung to the sheets, even though Nathan was no longer there. I lay still for a moment, listening to the quiet, my heart thudding gently against my ribs. A strange ache settled in my chest. The comfort of waking up in his arms was gone, replaced with the hollow feeling of absence. I reached over and touched the space where he'd been. The sheets were cool. I inhaled softly, catching the faint scent of him still clinging to the pillow. It was warm and earthy- comforting. But with it came the pang of longing. I already missed him. He must have been called into another meeting with Alpha Alec. I lay there a little longer, unable to stop the memories of last night from flooding my mind. It was the most amazing night of my life, and I spent it with the man I love. After our dessert on t
~Jane~"Oh, Nathan," I breathed, trying to hold back the tears welling in my eyes as the flickering glow ahead came into focus. My heart swelled with surprise. I didn't know what to say- what could I say?Candlelight danced along the sand, forming a glowing pathway that led us toward a soft blanket nestled between pools of gold flame. More candles surrounding the blanket their gentle light flickering like stars grounding the earth. It was beautiful. Magical. He did this.. for me. I was overwhelmed, wrapped in a warmth that had nothing to do with the summer night. Nathan had created something so perfect, so intimate, that it made my chest ache. I felt loved- completely, impossibly, utterly loved. Maybe he was right. Maybe we really were meant for each other. Maybe I could finally accept that. Accept that Nathan was my future... that this connection between us wasn't just coincidence or fleeting desire. Maybe I was the one he had been waiting for all along. Maybe he's always known- s
~Jane~After we got in the car, Nathan started it up and we pulled out onto the road. As he drove, I couldn't stop thinking about everything we'd said to each other. But then the doubt crept in again. Are we moving too fast? We barely know each other, and yet we talk like we're choosing to be together no mater what the future holds. Don't get wrong- it makes me feel loved. I believe Nathan when he says those things to me. But that doesn't stop the fear. What if he leaves me the moment he finds his mate?The way continues to linger, even as something in me- stronger- believes we're meant to be. It's a strange pull I can't fully explain, as if our soul already know something we don't. I still remember what my wolf said that night after I was pulled into the darkness. She mentioned Nathan... but I was ripped away before I could ask her what she meant. What was she trying to tell me? Is it possible that we really are meant to be? Nathan makes me feel everything I always imagined I wou