Cole

Naia’s face is getting closer and closer. So close I can see the light dusting of freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. So close I can feel her breath.

There’s a sudden prickling at the back of my neck and I bite back a snarl.

Moment fucking ruined.

Goddammit.

What the fuck does my pack want now?

I was so close to kissing Naia and finding out if this strange energy was due to lust or something more.

But no, my fucking pack has to cockblock me.

Naia’s eyes widen as I pull back and her face turns an alluring pink.

“I’m sorry,” I sincerely say because fuck, I really am. “I just remembered I have somewhere to be.”

Jesus Christ, that’s the stupidest fucking excuse ever. If I could punch myself, I would.

Naia blinks. “Oh. Um, okay.”

Dammit. She probably thinks I’m chickening out.

“This has nothing to do with you,” I blurt out. “I seriously have to be somewhere. But we are still going on that date, right?”

Fuck. If only my pack could see me now. Their Alpha acting like a goddamn high schooler asking a girl out for the first time. Holy shit.

Naia flashes me a strained smile. “Yeah, definitely.”

She clearly doesn’t believe me and I desperately want to convince her otherwise, but the prickling at the back of my neck is getting more intense.

Whatever’s going on is urgent and I need to get back home now.

I hightail it out of Naia’s pathetically bare apartment and thunder down the stairs, not really caring if people hear me and wake up. I push open the building door to see that the sun is slowly starting to rise, peeking through the mountaintops.

“Leave that human girl alone.”

Whirling around, I growl menacingly when I spy River fucking Holloway walking toward me.

“You,” I snarl, trying to punch down the wolf that’s prowling beneath the surface. “Haven’t you done fucking enough damage? Get the fuck out of here.”

“I will once you promise to leave the girl alone,” River says flatly, crossing his arms across his chest. “She’s a human and doesn’t need to be tangled up in our world.”

I laugh harshly. “I didn’t realize you were her fucking protector.”

The thought of River even getting close to Naia has me on edge and makes me want to break his fucking face. My wolf roars with rage.

“Someone ought to be,” River retorts. “Didn’t you learn anything with Ainsley?”

There’s a ringing in my ears and it feels like my heart has been split in two. My wolf smashes against me, begging to be released to tear off River’s stupid fucking face.

“Don’t you ever bring her up again,” I snarl, feeling my canines begin to elongate. This little fucker needs to back down now before I destroy him.

River cocks his head to the side, a smug look on his face. “Or what?” He asks, deliberately taking a step toward me. Goading me.

“Or I do what I should have done to your piece of shit father,” I snap, delighting in watching River’s face redden in anger.

It never used to be like this between us. At one point, River Holloway was like a little brother, or a nephew to me. Our packs co-existed in harmony.

Until River’s father fucking betrayed me.

“I am not responsible for my father’s actions,” River snaps. His fingers are starting to lengthen into claws, indicating how much I’ve pissed him off.

Good. If it’s one thing I know about River, it’s that when he’s angry, he fights sloppily.

This would be easy.

I laugh. “Yes, you are.”

River’s skin ripples, a clear indication that he is about to transform. My wolf howls with delight, desperately wanting blood to be shed.

As much as I want to let my wolf free, I know this isn’t the right time or place. We are in fucking downtown Reece Point in full view of humans.

“Go back to your lands, River,” I state, ignoring my wolf’s cry of dismay.

River laughs mockingly. “Scared, Harrison?”

I snort, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “Of a wet behind the ears pup? That’s hilarious. No, go home River, before I fucking drag you there by the skin of your neck.”

I allow one claw to appear, the sharpness of my nail gleaming in the weak sun’s light.

That movement is enough for River. “This isn’t over,” he snarls before he disappears into the night’s straggling darkness.

Obviously. And I look forward to ripping him apart limb from limb.

Once I figure out what the fuck my ex-student is doing in Reece Point.

Because whatever it is, it’s trouble.

***

My Beta, Henry, accosts me the moment I step onto the Eridani lands.

“We’ve received reports that Leonis wolves are skulking near our borders,” Henry says, falling into step with me as we climb the grassy hill that leads us toward the main house. “They’re dangerously close to crossing into our territory.”

A slight breeze plays at the nape of my neck. I can tell it’s going to be a hot day. Summer seems to have kicked spring out early by the way the flowers are bloom ing and the fucking bugs have returned.

“Have there been any skirmishes?” I ask as we reach the top of the hill.

“No,” Henry says. “Just a lot of shit talking and goading. The Leonis wolves are careful to make sure not even a toe crosses our borders. But it’s enough that I wanted to report it back to you.”

I grunt in response. I’m honestly a little surprised that River is bringing company over. That’s not what I taught him.

As the future alpha of the Leonis pack, a teenaged River had been sent to Reece Point to train under my tutelage as I was one of the best fighters in the area, if not all of Arkansas.

At that point, I had been Alpha of the Eridani pack for ten years and as our packs were friendly, it made sense for River to learn all that I had to offer.

He was the kid brother I never had.

Wickedly funny and ridiculously smart, River excelled at everything I threw at him. I knew he would end up being a fantastic alpha once the time came.

That time ended up coming sooner than expected when River’s father fucking betrayed me. The trust between our packs was shattered and my surrogate brother became my enemy.

Sins of the father are the sins of the son.

“We can’t allow any of the Leonis fucking vermin enter our lands,” I respond, my eyes fixated on the house coming up. “Double up on patrols. Let the boys know that if the Leonis pack even put one finger over our border, they have the authority to destroy them on sight.”

Henry’s eyes widen but he nods vigorously. “I’ll let the order be known.”

“Maybe that’ll finally scare them and their fucking alpha back to Rock Isle where they can rot,” I retort.

Henry leaves me as we make it to the main road, probably to head to the mess hall to let the wolves know of my latest order.

I enter the house, sighing as I’m wrapped in the cool embrace of air conditioning. It may be early in the day, but it’s already humid as fuck.

Taking the steps two at a time, I nod at passing wolves who bow their heads respectfully as I move by.

Once in the safety of my office and at my desk, my thoughts drift back to Naia.

Why am I so attracted to her? Why does it feel like there’s something pulling me to her?

Why does she seem so familiar?

I dig through my desk drawer and pull out a worn polaroid picture of Ainsley, ignoring the numerous piles of paperwork scattered across the face of my desk.

My heart tightens at her smiling face, forever frozen in time.

It may have been over twenty years since her death, but the pain never leaves. And fucking River bringing her up made it so much worse.

I trace the outline of her cheek with my finger, remembering the sound of her laugh, the smell of her perfume, and the warmth of her body against mine.

Naia looks so much like Ainsley, it’s uncanny. They both have the same white blonde hair that frizzes and curls uncontrollably in the humidity, the same upturned nose, and even the same dimples.

Hell, even the freckles on Naia’s face were the same as Ainsley’s. I used to love kissing every single freckle while Ainsley squealed and half-heartedly tried to push me off.

Seeing Naia for the first time nearly brought me to my knees as I honestly thought Ainsley had been returned to me.

The only thing that’s different is that Naia speaks with a midwestern accent while Ainsley had a soft southern drawl.

Ainsley was my everything. Part of me died when she did and I’ve gone the last twenty - plus - years half living.

But now it feels like life has been returned to me.

I glance again at Ainsley’s picture and tenderly place it back in its safe place in my desk.

Sure, the physical similarities are there between Naia and Ainsley, but this feels like. . . something more.