I hugged myself without realizing while watching the world outside. As different as it was in some ways, this place was pulling me in already. Wolfcreek had that ability to sway people into never wanting to leave.
Peace, love, respect, and harmony were what this place had in abundance.
Marian and I sat together for over an hour, and I listened while she filled me in on everything I’d missed. She told me about old friends who moved away and those still in town. She talked about newcomers and everything in-between.
There were even hybrids born in the town, human and werewolf, Kitsune and werewolf, and several others, and they were the joy of the entire town. What was shocking to know was that some of those hybrids were a part of Silverdawn Pack.
I’d smiled at that.
Kaleem had always been opened minded to the idea of love without the boundary of race or species. By the time Marian and I ordered a second round of drinks, we were laughing together as if no time had passed.
“I still think I dodged a bullet with that Vincent,” Marian shook her head before finishing her drink. “You knew he was an ass, and I didn’t see it until it was too late.”
“Until I had to punch him for putting his hands on you,” I growled, and Marian laughed, almost choking.
“Now that had been satisfying to watch. Diana, you’ve always had my back,” her smile was wiped away. “It’s weighed on me for years that I didn’t get to have your back when you needed me the most.”
I waved my hand dismissively. “I wish you hadn’t carried that weight. I knew if given the option to, you would have helped.”
Despite absolving her of such a burden, Marian still looked regretful and ashamed. I reached across the table and held her hand, and she nodded slowly. When a familiar scent crawled up my nostrils, my face fell, and my wolf awoke.
When the restaurant’s door opened and I pulled away, Marian frowned.
Several members from Silverdawn walked in, and thenheentered. I leaned back in my chair when Kaleem looked in my direction. Like I’d smelt him, he’d surely smelt me, and my chat with Marian ended.
I took a breath and held it, but that only trapped his scent inside me. My wolf howled with joy, and I broke our eye contact because I was—happy to see him?
No, this wasn’t right, I told myself. I couldn’t allow myself to feel like this.
Remember your anger.
“Marian,” I said, and she looked over her shoulder at Kaleem, who had yet to walk away. She didn’t know about my true history with him because I’d kept it a secret even from her. “I have to run, but maybe we can do this again sometime?”
She nodded, looking concerned. “Sure, of course.”
I forced the best smile I could muster while she entered her number into my phone, then I stood up. Kaleem and his pack members had made their way to two joined tables, and I quickly hugged Marian.
“It was great seeing you, Marian. I’ll call you soon, okay?”
We parted ways, and I was out the door with Kaleem’s scent following me like a tail. Forget Colin, I said to myself. I wasn’t going to subject myself to torture for him. I wasn’t ready to forgive Kaleem. I just couldn’t.
I’d spent so many years with this anger. Letting go of it was like letting go of a part of myself. I knew I needed to play nice for my pack’s sake, but this wasn’t easy.
“Diana, wait!” I froze when Kaleem called out to me, and the cold air grew colder while I listened to his steps approaching. “You didn’t have to leave.”
“I have somewhere to be,” I replied when he stepped around me, and I looked up. “That’s all.”
He shook his head, clearly not believing me, and I didn’t blame him. I’d made it too obvious that I was running. Neither of us spoke for a second, uncaring that people were forced to walk around us.
No matter how much I tried to detest Kaleem’s existence the moment our eyes met, it was like magnets were pulling us towards each other.
I stepped back, and he stepped forward seemingly without meaning to because when he noticed what he’d done, he frowned and pulled back.
“Have a drink with me,” he said, and I laughed while shaking my head. “You want to return home—your pack wants to return home, and that means you’ll be in town. We should take care of what’s between us before it gets to that, Diana, or living together will be an issue.”
So Colin was right then, I thought to myself. Kaleem had already made his decision but looking at him now, listening to how he was speaking, had he made the decision because of me? He’d saidIwanted to return home.
I looked away.