Page 8 of Echoes of Us
Alpha.
She swallowed hard.
But beneath the hardened edges, she caught glimpses of the Talon she had once known. The boy who had stolen her heart, the man who had whispered promises against her skin, and the one who had held her as if she were the most precious thing in his world. And her dumb ass walked away from that.
The driver’s door swung open, and he slid inside without a word. His scent—woodsmoke and something distinctlyTalon—washed over her in a wave of familiarity so intense that it nearly knocked the breath from her lungs.
The silence between them crackled, thick with tension and unspoken words. He gripped the wheel, flexing his fingers once, before starting the truck. The low rumble of the engine vibrated through the cab, filling the space between them.
Talon just sat there for a moment, staring straight ahead, his jaw tight. Then, without looking at her, his deep voice rumbled through the quiet. “Buckle up.”
It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command. And damn it, despite everything, Willow’s fingers trembled as she obeyed.
CHAPTER 5
Talon maneuvered the truck along the winding mountain road toward Willow’s grandfather’s place, the headlights cutting through the darkness. The ride was thick with silence, heavy with everything unsaid. In all honesty, he couldn’t believe she was sitting beside him.
He had spent months searching for answers, turning over every possibility in his head, wondering what had made her leave. At first, he had been angry, no, he had been furious, thinking she had simply walked away without a second thought. Then came the doubt, the sleepless nights replaying every moment they’d shared, every whispered word, searching for a sign he had somehow missed.
Now she was back. She was so close he could reach out and touch her. The scent of her, soft and familiar, that had haunted his dreams, wrapped around him, making his wolf restless beneath his skin.
But she wasn’t the same. There was a weight in her gaze, a tension in the way she sat stiffly in the seat, her hands folded tightly in her lap.
Grinding his jaw, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles going white. He wanted to demand answers, wanted to ask her why the hell she had left. Why had she ripped out his heart and disappeared, but now wasn’t the time.
Something was wrong with her grandfather, and as much as his emotions were a tangled mess, that was what mattered right now.
He stole a glance at her, catching the way her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, the way her teeth worried her bottom lip. She was nervous, even scared, and damn it, despite everything, he still wanted to protect her, even from whatever secrets she was keeping.
Pulling up to the house, Willow was out of the truck before it came to a complete stop. “Dammit, Willow!” He cursed as he jumped out and rushed toward the house behind her.
The nurse came out of the door just as Willow reached for it. “What’s wrong?” Willow asked, her voice shaking.
“I quit!” The nurse shouted, her arms full of her things.
“What?” Willow frowned, stopping on a dime.
“I said, I quit!” She brushed past Talon. “He tossed his dinner at me and said it tasted like pig shit.”
“It did!” Her grandfather shouted from inside the house. “And you poured out my beer. You’re lucky that’s all I threw at ya.”
Willow sucked in a sharp breath, one hand clutching her chest as she exhaled. “You scared the hell out of me.” She glared at the retreating nurse. “I’m sorry that happened, but you could have at least informed my friend that he was okay.”
The nurse huffed, already heading for her car. “He’s not okay. He’scrazy!And he’s too damn ornery to die!”
Jack’s voice boomed from the doorway. “You got that right! I’m outliving all of you!”
They all watched as the nurse got into her car and peeled out of the driveway. She glanced at Talon, who wore a slight grin on his face.
“This isn’t funny.” Willow frowned, giving him a narrowed glare.
“Didn’t say it was,” Talon replied, but the grin stayed on his face.
“How you doing, Talon?” Her grandfather gave Talon a nod, then opened the door. “Well, come on in.”
“Doing good, Jack.” Talon held open the door for Willow to enter first, but she was too busy eyeing him and her grandfather. “After you.”
Willow snorted, then walked in. “Grandpa?—”
