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She grins at me, a great deal of meaning passing silently between us in an instant. Then she laughs and turns, dashing back to the center of the camp to join her commander or whoever it is that called her.

I sigh, watching her go, taking a moment to collect myself before I turn back to the fire. Because I’m well aware thateveryonesaw that. And that Rose wasnotcoy, at all, about letting everyone know the nature of our relationship. Or at least, our former relationship, which has been maddeningly on and off for years.

I turn my eyes back to the fire, slipping my hands into my pockets, looking deep into its orange depths – thinking suddenly of Iris, of all people, who is one of Rose’s good friends, even if I don’t think they’ve talked in a while. God, does she know what dad did, sending Rose here?

Quit that,my wolf growls, scratching hastily at me inside my soul.

I just ignore him, continuing to stare into the fire. But tonight, he won’t be turned away.

You’re just thinking about Iris to distract yourself. You need to look at her, he snarls, giving my heart a sharp bite. I nearly flinch before shoving him with a mental hand, not in the mood to deal with his antics.

She doesn’t want me to look at her, I respond.For heaven’s sake, she hates me enough already –

Look! At! Her!My wolf growls deeply, staring to scratch fervently at the floor of my soul with both paws like he’s trying to dig through it or something.We have to see! We have to know how she responds! Is she jealous? Did she see it? Did she see Rose snap her teeth?

I sigh, closing my eyes and clenching my jaw, doing my very,verybest to resist.

But when my eyes open again my head has already turned, my gaze lifted. And it falls right on Nadia, who sits alone on a log across the fire, glaring at me for all she’s worth.

I exhale so, so slowly through my nose.Yup, she saw,I say to my wolf, heaving a heavy internal sigh.And she’s…pissed.

My wolf howls with delight and I sigh for real this time.

Then, drawn inevitably, I head across the fire circle towards my mate.

Conversation rings out around me as I go, only a little stilted. I’m well aware that many eyes are on me – I can feel them. But enough of the group is disinterested in my comparatively banal actions now that Rose is gone, turning their attention away.

Leaving us relatively alone.

“Hello Nadia,” I murmur, stepping close. She doesn’t bother to get up, instead just craning her head far back on her neck to continue her glare.

She also doesn’t bother to engage with my pleasantries.

“Did you meet an oldfriend?” Nadia’s lips narrow to a thin, angry line. My eyes move for a moment over the silky coils of her hair that spill over her hood and shoulder, all shades of black and brown with cinnamon highlights.

God, but she’s pretty.

“Yeah,” I say, tearing my eyes away, looking toward where Rose went even though I know she’s gone. “I’ve known Rose for a long time.”

“Nice,” Nadia snaps.

I smirk, wondering if this is just a continuation of Nadia completely hating my guts and everything I do, or if she’s actually jealous. My wolf spins in an eager circle at the idea, loving it – mad for it.

So mad that I…do something completely out of character for me.

“What, Nadia?” I murmur, letting my eyes slip back to her and then long down her form in a way that makes her go all tense and livid. My wolf howls long and slow to the night sky. “Are you jealous?”

Chapter 10 – Consequences

Cole

Nadia stays tense and still for a long moment before she slowly stands, pressing her hands to her thighs and rising like a damned goddess from the mist. My heart starts to pound, my wolf making all kinds of unintelligible howls and yips as I watch every movement of every muscle, taking it all in.

She tilts her chin up, proud, and holds my gaze. “No, Cole,” she whispers, dangerous. “I’m not jealous.”

I smirk, unable to help it. “I mean, you look a little jealous.”

She bares her teeth at me, just a flash – such a wolfish gesture, even for a human. “You think I’d bejealous,” she hisses, “ofsome slutty little journalist who comes running in here like she owns the place –“