Page 27 of Howl You Doin'

"The balloon arch goes over there," Fiona pointed, completely ignoring his protest.

Sarah laughed. "I like her already."

"You would,"Caleb muttered, watching as his sister dragged Fiona off to chat. The two women fell into easy conversation as they discussed festival plans. He couldn't help noticing how Fiona's eyes crinkled when she laughed at something Sarah said.

"Your sister's wonderful," Fiona said later as they reviewed the booth layout. "Though she did share some interesting stories about you."

"Whatever she told you was a lie."

The next morning, Caleb watched Fiona arrange centerpieces on a table. Her fingers danced through the air as she adjusted each element with precise movements. He found himself mesmerized by the way she worked, her determination evident in every gesture.

"The flowers need to be red and gold," he said, clearing his throat. "Pack colors."

"Blue and silver would complement the evening lighting better." Fiona didn't look up from her work. "Besides, we want this to feel welcoming, not territorial."

"It's a pack event-"

"It's a community event," she corrected, finally meeting his gaze. "To show unity and strength, remember?"

The wolf in him bristled at being challenged, but something else - something deeper - recognized the wisdom in her words. "Fine. Blue and silver. But the banners stay red and gold."

"Deal." Her smile did strange things to his chest. "See? We can compromise."

"Don't get used to it," he muttered, but found himself fighting back a grin.

Over the next few days, their disagreements became less frequent, morphing into something unfamiliar to him. She'd challenge his ideas, he'd growl his protests, but somehow they'd end up meeting in the middle. It was... unsettling. He wasn't used to giving ground so easily.

"You're doing it again," Fiona said, breaking into his thoughts.

"Doing what?"

"That brooding alpha thing." She waved her hand at his face. "Your forehead gets all scrunchy when you're overthinking."

"I do not get scrunchy."

He caught himself rubbing his forehead and dropped his hand. "Shouldn't you be coordinating something?"

"Already done. The booth layout is set, the entertainment schedule is locked in, and I've got three different contingency plans for bad weather." She perched on the edge of her desk. "Face it, alpha. I'm good at what I do."

The proximity of her sent his wolf into a confusing spiral of instincts - guard, protect, claim. He pushed the thoughts away. "You're adequate."

"High praise indeed." She rolled her eyes, but her smile held genuine warmth. "Coming from you, that's practically a marriage proposal."

The joke hit too close to something he wasn't ready to examine. He stood abruptly, needing space. "I should check the security arrangements."

"Again? That's the third time today."

"Better safe than sorry."

"Mm-hmm." She gave him a knowing look that suggested she saw right through him. "Whatever you say."

Caleb leaned against the doorframe of the community center's main hall, watching Fiona and Sarah sort through talent show applications. The late afternoon sun streaming through the windows caught Fiona's hair again. It created a halo of copper and gold that made his fingers itch to touch it.

"No way arewe letting Tommy do his howling impression," Sarah said, waving a paper. "Remember last year at the winter carnival?"

"What happened last year?" Fiona looked up, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"He broke three windows." Caleb pushed off the wall and joined them. "The vibrations were that bad."

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