Cole

Tonight was supposed to be a typical night of patrols—an easy check on the borders like I've done many times before.

However, nothing is ever so easy.

Of course, tonight, I would stumble upon the last person I ever wanted to see again—River Holloway, my ex-mentee.

The moment our eyes meet, my blood begins to boil.

He's not supposed to be here. He isn't allowed to cross the Eridani pack borders, let alone be so bold as to come this far into town.

He knows better. Reece Point is off-limits to him. He lost that right ages ago.

But here River stands, his hackles raised, brooding, ready to fight me.

What the hell is he doing here? Does he have a deathwish?

River won't tell me why he's here, but he came to Reece Point for a reason, and it must be important, or else why would he cross our border?

River's eyes burn into mine as we square up, bursting into wolf form.

Our bodies crash together with bone-crunching intensity; River yelps as I lunge at him again.

He's smaller than me, he always has been, but his intensity makes up for it.

I could easily take him, but he's still a formidable opponent; I should know; I taught him everything he knows.

A growl escapes my jaws as he charges at me. My lips curl as I bare my fangs in frustration.

River smashes his paws into the earth and comes barreling at me howling.

It's almost comical how easily he gets frustrated; he's still just a pup at heart after all this time.

Dodging away from him, I snap at him . My teeth sink into the back of his neck, and I toss him through the air, and he crashes to the earth.

A woman screams, and that's when I see her, a human lying under River's wolf form.

Instantly, I transform back to my human form and rush toward River and the woman, kicking his heavy body aside.

He scrambles back on all fours, his eyes darting from me to the woman before he changes back into his human state.

"Shit." River strolls toward the woman, and I wave him away.

"I know her." My eyes squint as I brush the hair back from her face.

It's Naia, the beautiful woman from the cafe. What is she doing here?

River kneels beside her, and I push him away, rage building up inside me as I look at Naia's unconscious face.

"Stay back, you've done enough damage." I spit, and he snarls at me.

"It was an accident, I didn't mean to hurt her," River stammers, “you had a part in this as well, don’t put this all on me.”.

"All you do is bring destruction." I scoop Naia into my arms, tossing her over my shoulder, and head straight for the hospital.

For a human, running would have been slow, but thankfully, I’m able to weave through the shadows, hiding from sight as I speed Naia’s unconscious body to a place with doctors—a far cry from bleeding out in the park.

"Help, I need some help." I charge through the sliding doors of St. Mercy's Hospital, my lungs trying to get a full breath as a nurse rushes to help me.

"What happened to her?" The young nurse asks as two orderlies push a gurney over for me to lay Naia on.

I lick my lips; how do I explain this?

"We found her like this in the park," River's voice calls from behind me, and I round on him.

"What are you doing here? Why are you following me?" I keep my tone even, not wanting to alarm the nurse.

"Not everything is about you. I just wanted to make sure she was alright." River shrugs, and I roll my eyes.

"Let's get her to a room," The nurse barks orders, and we're soon following them down the hall.

I pace the hall outside her room as the doctor conducts an exam and tends to her wounds; River leans casually against the doorframe, watching with curious eyes.

“You don’t need to be here, you know,” I snap at him. “Hell, you aren’t even supposed to be in Reece Point.”

River ignores my words, which doesn’t really surprise me.

He never was very good at listening when his betters speak.

"Excuse me?" The doctor pulls my attention away from River, and I enter the room.

"Yes, is she alright?" I look at her beautiful face, and my heart skips a beat.

I want her to be okay. Something about her calls to me.

"She's suffered a concussion and a few severe lacerations when she. . . fell." The doctor looks at his notes, scrunching his brows, "Or appears to have fallen."

River and I exchange a knowing look and turn back to the doctor, "It would appear that way."

The old man arches a brow, asking, "Are you sure you have no idea how this happened?"

I see the questions in his eyes. Something doesn't add up, but I can't tell him the truth. Humans aren't meant to know about our kind.

"No, we came upon her laying just off the path." River clears his throat, and I flash him a silencing look.

"And what were you two doing in the park tonight?" The old man's icy blue eyes assess us as we scramble for answers.

"Just taking a walk." I clear my throat and fix him with a sincere look.

I see his tension ease as he muses over my answers.

"The sunset was beautiful tonight; we didn't want to miss it." I glance at River, and he nods.

"Yes, we like walking at night; it's so peaceful." River's fake smile nearly evokes a snarl from me, but I want to keep the doctor from being suspicious.

I've always had a way with words and people; I can usually smooth over any situation with a few smiles and the sincerity of my voice.

It's a trait that has gotten me out of my fair share of sticky situations.

"I see; well, she's lucky you two found her when you did." The doctor scratches his head and places a clipboard at the end of Naia's bed.

"Thank you, doctor." I nod, shaking his hand as he walks toward the door.

"I'll be back later to check on her; she should wake up soon." He looks from me to River and then walks out of the room.

"Thanks, Doc." River draws from the doorway, and I close my eyes.

I don't have the patience to deal with him right now, but I'm not going to cause a scene in a hospital.

As soon as the doctor is out of earshot, I cross the room, grab River by his shirt collar, and press him up against the wall.

"You did this, you fool. You've exposed us to a human, and you could have killed her."

"I didn't do anything; you threw me into her, remember?" River shakes his head, shoving my hands away from his neck.

"Your hotheadedness did this; it always gets you in trouble. You just can't keep your damned temper in check." I shake my head, ra king my fingers through my hair.

"If you would have just minded your own business and left me alone none of this would have happened," River snarls, straightening his shirt collar.

"Minded my own business?" I clench my fists at my side, "You came into my territory. You know you're not supposed to be here. If you stayed on your own damn land, this never would have happened."

Glancing down at Naia, a sense of dread courses through me.

"Do you realize what could have happened if she'd died by a werewolf mauling after being seen in public with me?" I curl my lip as my eyes meet his.

I'm horrified, not merely by the fact that Naia was hurt, but by what it could mean for my pack. We've been exposed.

"Who you date is your own business; that has nothing to do with me. Maybe you should be more careful about who you spend time with," River snaps as his jaw flexes.

I barely hear his words as I take in Naia's unconscious form. There's something so familiar about her; it's like she's silently calling out to me.

River's voice draws my attention, and I realize he's still talking.

"But you never think about anyone but yourself, do you?" His brows are scrunched in frustration.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave Reece Point now." I turn my attention back to Naia, and River huffs as he walks to the door.

"I'll not stand here and be threatened by the likes of you."

"What makes you think that's a threat?" I glare at him as I sit beside Naia's bed, "You should know by now that I make promises, not threats."

River shakes his head and storms out of the room, leaving me to think as I watch Naia sleep.

How can someone I've only known a few hours have such a pull over me?

I can't get her off my mind.

Even before I saw her in the park, I'd been thinking about her . I hadn’t stopped since the moment I left the cafe.

This tugging at my heart, the tether between her and me, seems to grow more intense the closer I get to her.

My arm reaches out and I gently stroke the back of her hand.

Her skin is soft, and my wolf senses take in her floral scent. I have no idea what this insane familiar feeling could possibly mean, but I feel absolutely wretched for involving her in the shifter business.

She's still a stranger to me, but my heart aches when I think of what could have happened to her.

I could have lost her before I even had a chance to get to know her. The thought ties my stomach in knots.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I reach for it, quickly responding to a text message from a packmate, when I notice Naia begin to stir.

Oh, thank god, she's coming to.