Page 4 of Echoes of Us
“Seems like it.” Talon scooted his chair back a little just in case there was trouble. He had other Shifters from different packs come and challenge him. Being here wouldn’t matter to them. His eyes did a quick scan, seeing a few people he didn’t know, but the rest were familiar or part of his pack.
Lois set the tray on an empty table and headed their way. “Hey, guys,” she said, avoiding direct eye contact. “Sorry, we’re a little busy tonight. What can I get you to drink, or are you ready to order?”
“Did you find someone to help out until Beth comes back?” Cory asked, then caught the pencil that flew out of her fingers.
“Ah, sorry.” She said nervously. “And, yeah...I did.”
Talon noticed she hadn’t looked at him at all and only glanced at Cory. Usually, when they came in to eat, she talked their ears off, but not tonight. She was very nervous, which set his senses on high alert. He noticed Cory tensing up also.
“Lois,” Talon said, his voice concerned as he stared at her. “Are you okay?”
“Hmmm, yeah, I’m good. Just busy.” She laughed, but it was the fakest laugh he’d ever heard. “Now, what can I get you two?”
Movement from the kitchen caught his attention, and for a moment, Talon forgot how to breathe.
Willow stepped into the dining area, balancing a tray of drinks with practiced ease, her soft laugh carrying through the room as she passed a couple who were getting up to leave. His entire body went rigid. It had been a year since he’d seen her, but in that instant, it felt like no time had passed.
His eyes tracked her every move, drinking her in like a man starving for the sight of her. Her silky blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail, but loose strands had escaped, framing her face in delicate wisps. His gaze moved from her face down the slender column of her neck and lower.
Fuck…
Talon clenched his fists on the table, his breath locking in his chest. She lookedgood. Too damn good. His wolf growled, restless and demanding, clawing at him from the inside.Mine.The possessive thought slammed into him with the force of a freight train.
She had always been beautiful, but now… now she was something else entirely. Time had softened her in ways thatmade his body tighten with need. Her curves were fuller, and her body was more confident in the way she moved. Her uniform clung in all the right places, and his eyes betrayed him, tracing the swell of her hips, the dip of her waist, and the way her shirt stretched just enough across her chest, making his fingers twitch with the need to touch.
He forced himself to look away before he did something reckless—like stalk across the room, pull her into his arms, and remind her exactly who she belonged to.
But it was too late.
He and his wolf had already decided that it didn’t matter how much time had passed or how much hurt lingered between them. She was back, close enough to reach, and Talon wasn’t sure he had the strength to let her walk away again.
“I guess that answers the question about whether you found someone to fill in for Beth,” Cory said with a low whistle. His gaze followed Willow as she moved through the diner, completely oblivious to the havoc she had just unleashed. “Talk about a blast from the past. Damn... Willow is looking real good.”
Fuck this.
Talon shoved back his chair, the legs scraping against the worn floor as he stood abruptly. Every muscle in his body was wound tight, his wolf snarling inside him, demanding action. Now, he knew precisely what the hushed whispers and stolen glances had been about.
Lois slapped a hand against his chest, trying to shove him back into his seat. It was a useless attempt because he didn’t budge.The fire in her eyes made him hesitate. Sheneverlooked at him like that. He was her Alpha.
“Don’t you dare walk out,” she hissed, her voice low. “Talk to her. There are things you don’t... know.” She bit her lip as if she had already said too much.
Talon’s jaw tightened. “I don’t have time for games, Lois.” His voice was cold, barely controlled. “She walked out on me. That’s what I know.”
Lois let out a sharp breath, shaking her head like he was the biggest idiot she’d ever met. “You know what? If you don’t want to know the reason why, then you don’t deserve her.” She dropped her hand from his chest, stepping back as if seeing him in a new light. “And you know what’s worse, Talon? It’s not that you lost the best thing that ever happened to you, which is Willow. It’s that you’re turning into your father.”
His head snapped up, a dangerous growl vibrating in his chest.Thatwas a low fucking blow.
Lois didn’t flinch. “Lose the pride for just a damn minute andtalkto her.”
Talon’s hands clenched into fists. His pulse roared in his ears, his instincts demanding he put space between himself and Willow instead of ripping open the old wounds he thought he had buried deep.
“Watch how you talk to me, Lois,” he warned, his voice lethal. His eyes burned gold as he leaned in, his wolf clawing beneath his skin. “I am your Alpha.”
Lois didn’t so much as blink. “Then act like it,” she shot back, her voice just as sharp and unwavering. “Because right now,you’re just a coward running from something that could actuallymatter.”
Talon’s breathing was rough, his heart pounding in his chest. But for the first time since locking eyes on Willow again, he had no idea if he wanted to run...or chase. He leaned close to Lois. “Good thing I like you.” He murmured for her ears alone as the beginning of a grin started to form on his lips.
"Okay... why don’t we all just calm down here?" Cory started to stand, his hands raised to defuse the thick tension crackling between Talon and Lois.
