DEAMy fingers were curled firmly around the handle of the baseball bat I kept in my room. I hadn't played any baseball growing up but I knew my dad had and this one of his bats. It was something I kept to feel close to him but when I left, I wanted to leave this whole life behind me, so it remained in my childhood home where my brother now stayed. Another loud clank echoed in the kitchen, forcing me to raise the bat higher. The reservation was safe from what I could remember. Not once did we ever have a problem with a break in but I guess things changed since I left. My heart leaped in my throat, beating furiously when another loud clatter echoed through the dark, empty house. My brother wasn't home so it left me on edge. What if it was that handsome, shape-shifting, silent stranger? What if he found me and decided he wanted to take me away because he felt he had some sort of sordid claim on me?I was aware that the bat wouldn't cause him much harm but maybe it would distract him f

DEAI leaned my weight against the thick, scaly trunk of a nearby tree as I attempted to catch my breath—I was basically heaving and gaping for air like a fish out of water. For some reason, I thought going for a walk through the woods this morning would be an excellent idea. So, I grabbed a backpack, added a first aid kit, a few bottles of water, and some snacks inside, and got myself ready for a hike. When we were younger, mom would take Sam and me on hikes through the woods. But then she got sick and couldn't do things we once used to so it all just faded away. I hadn't been on a hike since and this was a clear sign that I needed to get myself a gym membership because I was severely out of shape. Shrugging off the bag, I pulled out my last bottle of water. It had been three hours since I left and if Sam had gotten home in that time he must have been worried about me. I did leave a vague note saying I'd be out but I knew he wouldn't have agreed to let me wander the woods on my own.

DEAI dropped the duffle I had clasped in my hands and silently stalked into the kitchen. It was then I truly understood the meaning of the phrase 'ignorance is bliss' to its full extent. When I left the reservation this morning, I expected Jason to already be at work. I wasn't sure why I hadn't informed him that I was on my way home. Maybe fate deemed it was time I found out the truth about Jason—that was if I believed in fate to begin with. It was just a coincidence. A case of the wrong place, and the wrong time for him and it was the opposite for me. The puzzle pieces were snapping into place with every footfall. It made sense why he was so eager to let me go back home. It made sense why he hadn't called or texted and why it didn't seem like he missed me. And for the glaringly obvious, it made sense why he was so evasive when it came to marrying me, why he sometimes downright refused it. Jason followed me from the bedroom, wrapping a sheet around his waist as he begged, "Dea wait

DEAI couldn't believe this was where I had ended up, especially after everything I had told Victor. Here he was, rescuing me yet again and I didn't hate the idea as much as I was meant to. I dreaded going back to my apartment though. Eventually, I would have to but for now, I'd just avoid it like the plague. If I could, I'd avoid Jason, too. Every time I thought about him all I felt was resentment, rage, and bitterness. I wasn't the kind of person to hate someone. They had to offend me or do something despicable for me to hate them. But Jason surpassed hate. What I felt for him didn't have a word. It was malevolent, toxic, and dangerous. I had curled up under the blankets after using Saint's bathroom, snuggling the pillow while inhaling Victor's scent deeply. It was manly and woodsy and brought me a sort of comfort I couldn't turn away right now. I chose not to let the guilt of practically salivating over his scent worm its way into my mind. If Jason could fuck someone in the bed we

DEAI was putting together my presentation for the seminar for more than half the day, distracting myself from my real problems. When I opened the email last night, I was excited but it was short-lived when I read the names of the other scientists that were going to be there as well. Dr. Jason Yates stood out to me and all of a sudden I was a sobbing mess yet again but I found my happy place as I buried my head in Victor's pillow and inhaled a scent I could only relate to him. There would be many talks going on that weekend, most of them overlapping. Whoever attended the seminar would need to pick which talk they were most interested in. I was lucky that Jason and I had the same time slot on the same day. Because he was in cancer research and I was a theoretical physicist, it just made sense to overlap both presentations. I couldn't imagine someone being interested in both fields. A soft knock sounded at the door and, before I could even permit entrance, Erica sauntered in with a s