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My feet stop moving as the sensation becomes too hard to ignore. I’ve only felt like this when I was walking through the woods, but never thought much of it since there are all kinds of creatures moving through the woods that it’s more of a question of whatisn’tlooking at me. But standing in the middle of the pack lands leaves me wonderingwhocould be staring at me?

Spinning in a slow circle, I scan around me. There is Betty with Carol, someone who rivals even Gail when it comes to meddling, chatting outside of Scoop, There It Is. Betty only looks at me when our eyes connect, giving me a small wave. It almost feelslike the sensation is cooling the further I turn.What the hell?Following my instincts, I turn back to the diner. As if some bell dings in my head, I know they are in there. My eyes squint trying to discern who it is. All I can see through the painted glass doors is the outline of a man as he steps out of the way.Who is that?

Rushing forward, I shove open the door, hoping to catch who that was. My head whips from side to side, only finding people mingling as they eat their breakfasts. Nobody really stands out and the sensation has gone cold. Weird.

A gush of air rushes out of me as the disappointment takes over. I was hoping to figure out who the person watching me was. All I can think now is,I’m cooked.

Chapter 2

Caelon

June 15th Mid Afternoon

She felt me.

I saw it, the minute that her senses caught up to her and like a string being pulled, she turned and looked right at me. As if she knew, her eyes were drawn to exactly where I was standing. If not for the painted windows, she would have seen me standing right there watching her.

She was drawn to me, like I’ve been to her. Almost as though something was beckoning us closer. I can’t get her out of my mind, no matter how hard I try. My wolf, Calix, whimpers inside me, demanding me to walk towards her even as I turn my backon her. She’s coming towards us, I can’t let her see me standing here.

I’m not ready for her to know.She can’t.

The booth creaks as I shuffle into it. I’ve got to act fast, praying to the Goddess that she doesn’t catch me. The menu flips open as I prop it in front of me, blocking my face from the view of the entrance. I can sense it. The second she steps through the door. Why does it feel like there is a string between our souls? I can almost feel her scanning the room, looking for the one who was watching her.

She heaves out a sigh before I hear the front door open and swing closed again. I drop the menu down onto the linoleum tabletop of the booth. The metal wrapping around the edge of the table bites into my skin as I lean forward to watch out the window. There she is, storming by with a cloudy expression on her face.I know Leni, you want to know, but it’s too soon.

Her birthday is a little over a month away. July 17th can’t get here any sooner. Not so I can make any sort of claim on her, but because when we find out who her mate is, then I can finally let go of this obsession.Hopefully.

But it doesn’t help me now as I watch her until she disappears into the tree line. The urge to rush out the door, follow behind her, and watch her is so strong, I can feel my muscles jumping in my legs trying to push me out of the booth. It’s broad daylight and I’ve got a budget I need to go over for Silas. Idohave to go into the office, whichisin the direction she is heading, though.

Mind made up, I slip out of the booth and head out of the diner. I’ll just slip around back, clinging to the shadows as if they can hide the things I’m up to. Calix is pushing against my skin, I can feel him clawing as he tries to take over. I can’t let it happen.

The canopy from the tall pines surrounding the pack lands offer me just enough shadows to move without anyone seeing me. Slipping between the trees, I follow her scent as I watch hermoving a few paces ahead of me. Her casual pace along with her soft smile let me know that she has no idea that I’m following her. Exactly how I want it. She passes the four cabins lining the main path before turning in the direction of her home.

Of the five cabins that were open when I turned 18, I chose the one across the street from her parents. I’ve always been drawn to Selene. Even when we were pups growing up three cabins down from each other. With both our backyards facing each other, I would spend my summer days watching her make daisy chains in the backyard as she talked to the ladybugs. She never once caught me watching her, something I have never stopped doing.

Something I should stop doing now that I’m 22 and she is 17, but I can’t seem to stop. I can’t seem to break myself free of her, it’s as if there is already a bond tying us together. Some unexplainable pull.

I know she loves rainy days and sitting on the porch watching it fall. I know that she prefers honey dew melon over cantaloupe. That she prefers to be barefoot running through the forest with her hair whipping in the wind over being cooped up inside. Like a flower, she needs the freedom to grow, bathe in the sun, and enjoy the rain.

As she rounds the corner, I step onto the path heading in the direction of my office inside the Pack House. That paperwork Silas requested has been sitting on my desk for a few days now, although it will only take me a few minutes to crunch the numbers. Math has always been my strong suit, pushing me well beyond the typical areas that most people struggle with. I can stare at a group of numbers and give you the answer without so much as picking up my pencil.

I picked the office at the end of the hallway, farthest from everyone, but close enough to pop into Silas’s office if he calls for me. Something he rarely does because he trusts that I’ll do my job without his hovering. Gail’s office is right next to mine,after Nova took the Luna office when she accepted Silas’s bond becoming our new Luna. Gail’s position now is a glorified one that we really gave her as a sign of respect for her after she stepped down from being the stand in Luna while Silas looked for his mate. She is now the Head Healer handling the business of all our healers, mid wives, and doctors.

I’m just passing her office, hoping to make it without an interruption, when I hear my name.

“Caelon.” Of course she saw me, of course I can’t quietly make it to my office.

“Yes, Gail.” My voice wavers as I push her door fully open.

“I was hoping to catch you before you sat down in front of that computer of yours. Losing hours of your time staring at a bunch of digital numbers as though they hold all the answers to your life’s dilemmas.”

My brows draw together. What is she going on about? Of course math holds the answers to my questions. It’s quite literally the only thing that makes sense in life. If I plug in the numbers to any equation, they will have an answer. Unlike human emotions where if I say this and move my hand a certain way, I have no idea how the person will react. Each reaction will be different based on how the person perceives it.

“I can see by the look on your face that you are literally arguing with me inside that intelligent mind of yours. There’s no need to argue. I just got off the phone with Lou from Flash Me Studio. Seems our little Selene has found a new muse. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about a certain gray wolf showing up each time she takes photos in the meadow?” Her eyes twinkle. She knows. My heart starts racing, my mind running over every single time that I’ve gone out to see Selene. There’s no possible way for her to know.

How does she know though? I’ve been careful to make sure there was nobody around when I followed Selene. Onlytransforming into my wolf when I was deep in the woods far from the normal areas our wolves travel.

My eyes squint as I examine Gail further. Her fingers intertwine atop her desk as she holds eye contact with me. Almost like she is daring me to figure it out.