Page 32 of Fetch Me A Mate
They knew about Diana. Somehow, they'd connected her to him.
The inn was dark when he arrived. Diana slept upstairs, safe, unaware of the danger circling her new life. His wolf paced beneath his skin, torn between the urge to run and the deeper need to guard what was his.
From his truck, he retrieved hardware and went to work on the back door. Heavy-duty deadbolts, reinforced strike plates, a security bar. When he finished, the entrance could withstand a coordinated assault.
His phone buzzed again.
Alpha's patience has limits. Don't make this harder than it needs to be.
Rowan typed back:Tell the alpha I'm not his problem anymore.
You'll always be pack, Rowan. Blood doesn't lie. Neither do bonds.
Some bonds break.
Not these ones. We'll be in touch.
Rowan deleted the conversation and settled into his truck with clear view of both entrances. His wolf remained close to the surface, silver eyes scanning darkness for threats.
The pack wouldn't move during daylight, but they were patient hunters when they wanted something.
Dawn was still hours away. He couldn't risk leaving Diana unprotected, not when his former pack knew she mattered to him. The less she knew, the safer she'd be. They wanted him, not her. But if they discovered the true depth of the bond, if they learned she was his mate, Diana would become a weapon they'd use without hesitation.
Around four AM, a raccoon triggered the motion light by the dumpster. Rowan's hand was on his door handle before he recognized the harmless intruder.
His phone stayed silent, but the scents on the wind carried promises of confrontation to come. The pack was patient, but not infinitely so.
As the first pale light touched the eastern sky, Rowan realized he'd already made his choice. He'd chosen the moment he'd kissed Diana by firelight, the moment he'd claimed her as his own.
Now he just had to find a way to keep her.
The pack knew about Diana. They'd use that knowledge like a blade, applying pressure exactly where it would hurt most. His only advantage was that they didn't understand the bond's true nature yet. Didn't know she was his mate, chosen by fate and sealed in passion.
Rowan checked his watch. Two hours until his usual arrival time. Two hours to think of a way to protect her without destroying her trust.
His former pack was closing in, and soon he'd have to choose between the life he'd built in Hollow Oak and the past that refused to let him go.
But sitting in the pre-dawn cold, watching over the woman who'd claimed his heart without trying, Rowan knew the choice was already made.
17
DIANA
Diana spent the morning polishing everything that could be polished. The inn gleamed with fresh paint and community effort, but she wanted perfection for tomorrow night's Autumn Hearth Gathering. The event would either cement her place in Hollow Oak or reveal just how far she still had to go.
"Stop fussing," Miriam said from her perch in the parlor chair. "The place looks beautiful."
"The parlor rug has a stain."
"The parlor rug has character. There's a difference." Miriam set down her knitting. "Come here, child. You're making me nervous with all that pacing."
Diana approached, still holding the beeswax tin she'd been using on the banister. Her hands smelled of lemon oil and determination.
"Tomorrow night isn't a test," Miriam said gently. "It's a celebration. The town coming together in their inn again."
"Their inn that I'm responsible for now."
"Their inn that you've restored beautifully." Miriam reached into her cardigan pocket and pulled out a small silver locket,tarnished with age. "This was my mother's. She wore it the night she met my father at a harvest dance."
