Page 5 of Echoes of Us
Before anyone could respond, a loud crash shattered through the diner. Talon’s head snapped toward the noise, his gaze locking onto Willow. She stood frozen, her green eyes wide in shock, a tray at her feet, and drinks spilled across the floor.
A man shot up from his seat, cursing as he swiped at the wet stains soaking into his clothes. "You clumsy bitch," he spat, his face twisted in anger. The man shoved Willow as he passed her to go to the restroom, making her stumble back.
Talon’s wolf surged forward, a growl vibrating through his chest. His vision tunneled on the bastard who had just put his hands onhiswoman.
The diner seemed to still, the hum of conversation vanishing beneath the heavy, dangerous silence that followed. Willow slipped on the wet floor, falling to her knees. Talon’s control snapped.
He stormed across the diner, his arm reaching out, gripping the man by the back of his neck. With one savage move, he slammed him face-first into the nearest table. The impact sent plates andsilverware flying as gasps and shouts ripped throughout the room.
The man groaned, his body limp against the table, but Talon wasn’t done. Not even close.
Fisting the man’s shirt, he yanked him up just enough to lean down, his voice a deadly growl. "Touch her again, and I swear to God, you’ll be eating through a straw for the rest of your miserable fucking life."
The man whimpered, blood dripping from his nose. Talon didn’t give a shit.
“Get him the hell out of here,” he ordered, his voice sharp with command.
Cory caught the bastard as Talon shoved him forward, barely sparing him another glance. His focus had already shifted to Willow, who was still on the floor, staring up at him with those beautiful, wide green eyes that had haunted him.
Talon exhaled slowly, forcing down the emotions clawing at his chest. He held his hand out to her, waiting—hoping—to see if she would take it.
For a moment, she didn’t move. Then, hesitantly, her fingers lifted, the barest tremble running through them. The instant their hands touched, a current of heat shot up his arm, something raw and familiar snapping into place.
And just like that, Talon knew. He wasfucked.Because no matter how much time had passed, no matter how much anger and hurt lingered between them…Willow Campbell was still his.
CHAPTER 4
One minute, Willow was walking out of the back with a tray full of drinks, smiling at the diners. The next, she was on the floor, cold liquid seeping into her clothes, ice cubes scattering around her as broken glass glittered under the fluorescent lights. All because her eyes landed on Talon Wessex across the room, glaring at her.
Now, as she knelt in the mess she had created, she looked up to find him standing above her. His dark eyes locked onto hers, intense and unreadable, a storm brewing beneath the surface. His jaw was tight, his entire body coiled with barely restrained anger—not at her, she realized, but at the man who had shoved her. Still, the sheer force of his presence stole the breath from her lungs.
He reached his hand out, waiting as if daring her.
For a moment, she couldn’t move. Her heart slammed against her ribs, her past and present colliding in a way that made her dizzy. But then, as if drawn by an invisible thread, she lifted her hand and placed it in his.
The second their fingers touched, a jolt of awareness shot through her, sharp and undeniable. Memories surged forward—late nights tangled in his arms, whispered promises, the way he used to look at her like she was his entire world.
Her stomach twisted painfully. Because once upon a time, she had been his.
“Don’t put your hands down,” Talon ordered, his voice rough with concern as he grasped her wrist, careful but firm. “There’s glass everywhere.”
Willow’s breath hitched at the contact, his warmth seeping into her skin like a brand. He was always like this—protective, commanding, utterly unshakable. But it wasn’t just his strength that left her reeling. It was the memories, the echoes of what they had been before everything shattered.
“I—I’m fine,” she managed to say, even though her heart was in her throat.
Talon ignored her protest, his grip steady as he carefully pulled her to her feet. The second she was upright, his hands skimmed down her arms, checking for injuries. His touch sent a rush of heat through her, something dangerous and familiar.
She sucked in a sharp breath, trying to ignore the way her body responded to him, the way her skin tingled where his fingers lingered. She tried to pull away, but he stopped her.
“I said, I’m fine.” Her voice cracked, indicating she was far from fine.
“You were always stubborn.” His deep voice was low, almost like a growl.
Willow met his gaze, swallowing hard. “And you were always bossy.”
His lips twitched, but there was no humor in his expression. Only something raw. Something unreadable.
She should step back. Put distance between them. But she didn’t. Because for the first time in a long time, standing this close to Talon Wessex, she felt like she was...home.
