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"Yelena," he says softly, pulling me out of my reverie. His gaze is intense as he looks at me. There is a weight in his eyes that makes my stomach flutter.

“Tell me about your life. What’s it like living in the city?”

I exhale and look away. What can I possibly tell him? I’ve spent years building a life that doesn’t involve him. That he can’t know about.

Still, at least talking about this will distract him from what happened at Callie’s.

“I’m a nurse. It’s good work. I get to help people every day. I’m good at that,” I say softly.

He smiles at me and then moves over to the large rock next to the tree, hopping up on it and sitting down. He pats the spot next to him, inviting me to join him, but I hesitate.

“I bet you’re excellent at nursing. You’ve always been so compassionate,” he says.

I can't help but soften at his words. They sound so…genuine.

I blink back tears, surprised at my sudden onslaught of emotions. It's been so long since I've heard such praise, especially from him. For a moment, I want to let everything out, pour my fears and worries into his ears and seek comfort.

But I can’t. I have to keep Cleo safe.

“Thank you,” I murmur, choosing to stay standing. His gaze remains on me, soft and patient. It's almost unbearable.Who is this version of Austin? And where was he when I needed him five years ago?

Austin seems to feel it too, as he turns to look at me, his expression contemplative. “Do you miss this?” he asks, gesturing toward the forest with a sweep of his hand.

I pause before answering, drinking in our surroundings: the tall trees, the smell of the pinecones that litter the forest floor, the distant sound of the babbling brook.

“Of course I do,” I whisper.

Reluctantly, I move to sit next to him on the rock. The action feels so familiar and comforting. It ignites a bittersweet ache in my chest. We’re close enough to touch and yet…the divide between us feels deeper than ever.

We sit in silence for a moment, the sounds of the forest enveloping us. I can hear the rustling of leaves against each other, the chirping of distant birds, the sighing wind through the trees. It's peaceful, and for a fleeting moment, I let myself forget about my worries.

I’m home. Here on pack lands. With Austin. It feels like…home.

"It must be hard, though," Austin says after a while, "to live among humans. Not have the Pack."

I look at him, surprised at his words. He's looking straight ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

"It was hard," I admit quietly. "At first. But then...I adapted."

His gaze flickers to me, and he nods thoughtfully. "I can't imagine it. Not feeling the pull of the moon every night...not having the surrounding pack."

The words hang in the air, heavy and poignant. They tug at my heart, a reminder of what we once were—what we once had. I turn my gaze back to the forest in front of us, swallowing down the lump in my throat.

"I didn't say it was easy," I correct him gently. "It was...lonely. But when you're alone, you figure things out."

He meets my gaze again, and there's something there that I can't decipher.Regret, maybe?"Like what?"

I shrug. "Like who you are without all of this." I gesture vaguely to the surrounding trees.

His eyes flicker with something unreadable and he looks away, out into the forest we used to roam together. "You know...you can always come home. The pack would welcome you back," he swallows hard and turns to me. “Iwould welcome you back.”

I stare at him, the moment charged with tension. A bitter laugh escapes my lips before I can control it, and he looks away.

If only he knew the choices, I am facing right now.

“Unless you have a reason to stay with the humans, of course,” he adds, brushing the pine needles off his shorts. “Do you have a mate among them?”

I blush and look away. The last thing I want to do is discuss my dating life with Austin.