Kaya

The man towers over me like a nightmare and a dream all mixed into one. My wolf is howling, my every instinct screaming for me to glue myself against him and never let go. The mere notion of that is so obscene and out of place that it stuns me to my core. There are alarms inside my brain, blasting, Danger danger danger!

I need to get the hell away from him.

My hands are on his chest, still. His heart vibrates within it, but it might just skip a beat when I push him away. He lets go easily—far more easily than I would’ve predicted from the way his grip felt like an iron vise earlier. My waist, the spot where he held me, is burning like a brand. I step back and look down at his hand—it’s at his side.

He flexes his palm, his fingers twitching.

I look up—like a stupid fool, I dare. He’s watching me, but his eyes have fallen into shadow. The scarred side of his face is illuminated by the flickering fire. He said something, You look lost. Right? He spoke, but now he’s silent, and I have no idea what to reply. All I know is that this man feels dangerous, and he is not Stone.

I shouldn’t be here.

I stagger back. For a second I think he’s gonna grab me again, the way he stands there, as if primed to attack. But he doesn’t move. He just watches, dark eyes fixed on me as I turn my back on him. I get the hell away as fast as I can without looking like a fawn that just escaped a predator.

Don’t run, I think. Don’t run, or he’ll know…

Know, what exactly? That I am intimidated by him? Intrigued? I don’t think I could hide either emotion, and that makes me feel out of control in a way that has never happened to me before. Even as I cut through the partying groups, distancing myself, I can feel the man’s eyes on me. Still watching like I am always inches away from his grasp.

I have to get a grip.

If we think this logically, I know that he can no longer see me—I’ve put too much distance between us. I am one with the crowd. Surely, he’s lost my scent among the frenzy of the others and the pheromones bursting all over the place. When I pause to collect myself, my wolf screams at me to turn back, go to him.

No—run to him.

What…what is wrong with me? Why the hell do I feel this way?

Maybe it’s the drink. Maybe it’s the chaos of the Gathering, the thrill of being here. The inherent danger of it all after I’ve spent all my teenage years and early twenties locked up and Bubble Wrapped, like Dani says. That man—nobody has ever made me feel this way, and nobody has ever…

Nobody has ever looked at me that way.

Like he wanted to devour me. Or crack me open and bury himself inside.

My wolf enjoys these thoughts, the violence and monstrosity of it all, but I shudder. My skin feels tingly, and I tell myself to move on and forget about him. He—whoever the hell he is—is not why I came here tonight.

Right.

Wait, why did I come here tonight?

Stone.

Of course, Stone!

I look around, and for a second, I think I see the man’s eyes again. I blink, shaking my head to clear it from whatever mad spell this evening has put on me. I refocus. Stone. Unlike most of the partygoers, I didn’t attend the Gathering to hook up with some random stranger. I came to be with Stone.

“Hey, babe!” Someone wolf-whistles, many someones actually, and suddenly I’m surrounded by a pack of guys. They say shit like, “Damn, what’s your name?” and, “Wanna dance with us?” I shake them off and change direction. I realize that I might just need to return to where I ran into the man with the scar on his face, because that’s where I saw Stone last time. My wolf stirs at the thought of Scarface, not Stone, but I ignore her. I grit my teeth together and make my way through.

I spot Stone halfway there.

His back is on me, and he’s a little far off to the side, standing by a tree.

I make a beeline for him, because this time, this is really it. My wolf growls for some reason—what the hell is wrong with her?—and my abdomen seizes. My skin’s still tingling, my entire body still hot, but I tell myself the way I’m feeling has nothing to do with that stranger. It’s because of Stone—the anticipation of speaking to him. There’s a pit in my stomach, but I tell myself it’s because of the nerves.

I’ve dreamed of this for years.

I’ve had feelings for Stone ever since we were teenagers. When everybody else treated me like I was made of glass—never including me in anything fun, never daring to let me in on any joke or tease me out of fear that I’d be “offended” or tell my uncle—he actually treated me like I was normal. Same as Dani. And like Dani, who’s been my best friend since we were in grade school, Stone never acted like he pitied me over what happened with my father.

Tonight is important—Stone is important.

Sure, I had thought that when he and I finally had sex, it would be under more romantic circumstances. But the Gathering isn’t about that, and I know that it won’t matter. I want him, and he wants me. That's all that matters. No other man means anything to me. Especially not random strangers, no matter how my wolf reacted when—

No.

I need to focus on Stone.

I walk toward him, my pace steady, and remember what his lips feel like—the promise they held. Even though he always held back because of my position, and we were never allowed more than a few stolen moments together. But tonight, we have time. Tonight, I am not the princess. I am a werewolf, and he is my mate. He has to be. I know he is. Once our mating bond solidifies, and my heat is triggered, it’s done. Nothing will come between us.

Not even my uncle.

I move past the last of the crowd, and I’m about to call his name when I see movement. He’s not alone—there’s somebody…

There’s somebody kneeling before him.

I freeze.

I see a head, someone with long glossy hair right in front of him—

This can’t be.

He’s with a woman.

I freeze.

“Stone?” I call. I don’t sound like myself.

He’s with a woman and he’s getting a—

The woman’s head pops up, and she scrambles to stand.

If I was shocked before, now I’m drenched in ice water.

“Danielle?!”

My best friend—my best friend—gasps, wiping her mouth while Stone whips around. Fumbling with his zipper, he stammers, “K-Kaya?”

This can’t be real.

I look between them. A wave of nausea roils through me, hard enough that it threatens to knock me out.

“Kaya, it’s not—it’s not what it looks like,” Stone says, his eyes wide as he moves toward me, and I think—

I think that if he touches me right now, I’m going to burst into tears.

Or kill him.

I whip around too fast, running into someone carrying a handful of drinks.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” the guy huffs, but I ignore him. I ignore the drinks that have spilled onto me, soaking my dress.

This stupid dress I wore for a man who didn’t deserve it. I feel numb and sick at the same time, and my pace quickens. I want to disappear, but he won’t let me.

“Kaya!”

I can sense Stone coming closer. I don’t even look over my shoulder before I break into a run. My wolf is quiet, silent, and the lack of a reaction worries me. It’s like it has been stunted.

Being here tonight was a huge mistake—I need to get away. I need to get back home. Where I’m locked up and Bubbled Wrapped, but at least nobody can hurt me. That’s a lie, though, isn’t it? The call came from inside the house. The wound came from those I loved the most.

“Kaya!”

I’m at the edge of the trees when a hand grabs me. I’m spun around, but it’s not Stone I see.

Danielle.

She looks frazzled. She has the audacity to look guilty and say, “I’m sorry, I—let me explain, okay?”

I shove her back. The nausea turns into rage.

“Explain what? I’d love to hear this!”

“Kaya—”

“Let me guess, it was an accident? You tripped?”

“It’s not what you think, I—”

“How could you?” I spit. “How could you do this to me?”

I have no idea who I hate more right now. Stone, or Dani?

“Kaya…” Dani’s eyes are glistening. Is this bitch crying? Seriously? “It just sort of…happened. It’s… I’m really sorry.”

It’s started now, though. Her words, the sight of her like this makes me want to cry. Angry hot tears threaten to spill, but I refuse to give her the satisfaction. She can’t win. I won’t let her. And then, Dani makes it worse when she adds, “It’s the Gathering. All bets are off, remember? It’s the Harvest Moon and the equinox, and it’s just a lot of…a lot of energy all over. Hard to control. You can’t blame anyone…”

My jaw drops. The shock returns, but I snap out of it fast.

“I can’t believe you, you—” I point at her. “I can blame you, you traitor! You lied to me. You know I’ve had feelings for Stone forever, that I thought he was my mate—you knew I wanted us to figure things out tonight! For god’s sake, you even tried to help me find him earlier!” I stare at her, the full impact of her betrayal hitting me like a boulder. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

I’m panting so hard it’s getting hard to breathe. My chest hurts so much it might just crack in front of her. My best friend. I thought I was safe with her. That with her, no walls and locks were needed. That we loved each other, cared for each other.

And she just…

“How could you?” My voice is low, trembling. My cheeks burn. The tears have started falling, and she sees them. I’m crying.

She’s won.

It looks like the most devastating victory, because when she speaks next, it sounds like a sob.

“No, wait! Where are you going?” she calls after I turn around to march toward the trees.

“Home!” I snap, wiping my eyes.

“You shouldn’t go alone!” I can feel her following me, pleading. “Kaya, you know it’s not safe! If anything happens to you—”

I pause, facing her. Whatever she sees in my face makes her stop talking.

“I’d rather take my chances out there,” I say in a shaky voice, “than spend another second with you.”

Turning my back to her, I run into the woods.