Page 41 of Fetch Me A Mate
"For staying. For being here when I needed someone to share this with."
Rowan helped her carry dishes to the kitchen, their movements synchronized like they'd been doing this together for years instead of hours. When the last glass was rinsed and the last lantern extinguished, they stood in the darkened lobby surrounded by the lingering warmth of a successful evening.
"I should go," he said, not moving.
"You should." She didn't move either.
"You'll want to rest."
"Probably." Diana stepped closer, her hand finding his chest. "But I'm not tired."
Neither was he. The wine had worn off, but the sense of rightness hadn't. Being here with her felt like the most natural thing in the world. Like he'd finally found where he was supposed to be.
They continued talking until the fire burned to ash, but as dawn light began creeping through the windows, his phone buzzed against the coffee table. Then again. Then a third time in rapid succession.
Rowan glanced at the screen and his blood turned to ice. Messages from Kael, each one more threatening than the last.
You missed your appointment.
We're already here.
Coming to you.
They were here. In Hollow Oak. And they knew exactly where to find him.
"Rowan?" Diana's voice seemed to come from very far away. "What is it?"
He looked at her face, at the trust and affection written in every line, and felt something break inside his chest. She deserved better than being dragged into pack politics. Better than having her perfect evening destroyed by his past.
"I have to go." The words tasted like ash. "Right now."
"What? Why?"
"I just do." He headed for the door, not trusting himself to look back. "Lock up behind me."
"Rowan, you're scaring me."
Good. Scared would keep her inside, keep her safe when they came looking for him.
"Just do what I said, Diana. Please."
But she followed him. Of course she did. Diana wasn't the type to hide inside while someone she cared about faced trouble alone. She stepped onto the front porch behind him just as the black SUV pulled up to the curb.
Three figures emerged, moving with the predatory grace of apex predators who'd never learned to hide what they were.
Kael led the way, his smile sharp as broken glass in the morning light. Behind him came Max, the pack's enforcer, all muscle and barely contained violence. And bringing up the rear, the one face Rowan had hoped never to see again.
"Hello, brother," said his replacement. The wolf who'd taken his place when he'd walked away from pack leadership. The constant reminder of every choice he'd regretted for three years.
"Danarius."
"Miss us?" Danarius's voice carried the easy confidence of someone who'd never doubted his place in the hierarchy. "You certainly missed our appointment."
"I was busy."
"So we noticed. Charming little gathering. We watched from across the square." Danarius's eyes flicked toward Diana standing behind Rowan. "Your human looked very... domestic. Very settled."
The possessive emphasis on 'your' made Rowan's wolf snarl. "She's not part of this."
