All I want to say is, I really hope you readers really enjoy my book.
~Jane~We had just returned home. The ride from school had been quite- not uncomfortably so, just... calm. Nathan had held my hand the entire time, his thumb moving slowly across my skin like he was trying to anchor both of us to something solid. I'd spent the entire day aching to be near him again, and now that we were finally home, all I wanted was to melt into his presence and forget the world existed. But the moment we stepped through the door, that quiet shattered. Alpha Alec stood in the entryway, waiting. His presence alone carried weight- calm, sharp, unreadable. The kind of gaze that could make even the strongest warrior feel like being dissected. His arms were crossed, expression unreadable. Nathan slowed beside me. "What's going on?" he asked, voice steady but tense. Alpha Alec didn't look at me. His eyes stayed on his son. "We have some matters that need to be taken care of. Join me in the office, please." I didn't know what he meant, but the way he said it- it soun
~Jane~Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, warming the edge of my face and rousing me from sleep. I blinked slowly, letting the light settle on my eyes, then turned my head just enough to take in the room. I was still in Nathan's bed, still in his arms. His strong, protective arm draped securely around my waist, his chest pressed to my back. I stayed there for a moment, no moving, taking in the feeling of being safe, of being home. Slowly and carefully, I rolled to my other side, trying not to wake him. I faced him now. He was still asleep, his breathing even and peaceful. I studied his face- his dark lashes, the softness of his expression, the warmth in every detail. My heart ached with how much I loved him. He had saved me again. Yesterday, when I collapsed at school, when I was swallowed back into that same dark void that had haunted me before- he was there. But this tie, it was different. I didn't hear Aleu. I didn't feel her like before. There was something strange
~Jane~The soft feel of fingers wrapped gently around mine was the first thing I noticed before I opened my eyes. Warm. Steady. Comforting. Then came the scent of cedar and something familiar- something that made my chest ache and my heart calm all at once. Nathan. I blinked, the world swimming into view. The ceiling above me wasn't the one from the school, and the sterile, sharp scent of the classroom was replaced with the warm, woodsy notes of his room. My heart stuttered. Where...? "Jane?" Nathan's voice was soft but thick with concern. I turned my head. He was right beside me, seated in the chair, leaning forward. His hand held mine like it was the only thing anchoring him to this world. His eyes met mine, worried and searching. "You're awake," he breathed out like a prayer. I nodded faintly, but confusion churned in my chest. My throat felt dry. "What happened?" Nathan hesitated, his thumb brushing gently over the back of my hand. "You passed out. In class. Koa felt it.
~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