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Before he had the chance to say anything else—do anything else, she shifted and ran away. The crisp scent of wilderness and spice she associated with him threatened to drive her insane while he stood so close to her. Hayden’s heart clenched when she saw the anguish in his eyes at her proclamation of never loving him, and a bit of her resolve crumbled.Damn it.The wall she’d built around her heart—her soul had protected her for two years. Now, after being in his presence for ten minutes, doubt created the cracks, spreading out in a spider web pattern, weakening her. She cursed Nico as she ran through the campus and into the woods, pushing herself deeper into the thicket, needing time to repair the damage he’d inflicted.I’ll never roll over for you ever again, Nico Lopez.

6

Hayden’s sixteenth birthday...

The upside of being a jailer, Nico could take days off when he needed them most, and since today was Hayden's sixteenth birthday, he had permission to attend her party. The whole affair was happening at Jace's home then afterward, Nico had a surprise party waiting for Hayden back at the clubhouse.

She’d be graduating soon too, which made today an even bigger deal.

Though she was technically a senior, she wanted to stay on and take some fun classes so she could graduate with her class the following summer. Silly really, she was at the top of her class. She could leave for college tomorrow and no one would be the wise. However, the selfish side of him was glad when she decided to stay for the remaining time as well. The idea of her going away to college rubbed him the wrong way. Not because she was getting an education he didn’t have. On the contrary, he believed she should have one so she could better herself. Nico didn’t like her far away. He knew he’d miss her every day. Even though it’d only been a couple of years, they were inseparable, and her leaving was going to hurt.

A lot.

When he arrived at the house for Hayden’s birthday dinner, the place hadn’t been decorated and there weren’t many people, mostly family, all part of the plan. While the kids played outside, He sat beside Hayden on the couch. She was a bit wide-eyed and excited. Her little body vibrated with unspent energy, as would any normal kid be for their birthday. Maybe she needs to run. He pushed the thought aside for a bit, leaving it for when they went to the clubhouse.

“So, how does it feel to be sixteen?” Nico asked, nudging Hayden.

"Like fifteen only a year older," she laughed. Gone was the high-speed talking machine. She'd done tons of growing up in the year and a half since she arrived in Window Rock. She'd also cut all of her long black hair off, surprising Nico the first time he'd seen her with it short. The fauxhawk fit her though. The style brought out the blue in her eyes while also giving her a more grown-up look.

“Sounds about right,” he agreed. “Do anything fun at school?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. Everything has been pretty on par for last year.”

“Well, happy the hell up, little wolf,” he chided. “We’re about to have some fun once dinner’s over.”

Hayden grinned. “You’ve always got a way with words, Nico.”

“I try,” he chuckled. “So, did you get anything exciting for your birthday?” He hadn’t been able to stop at one gift for her, so he bought her three, but again, they were all at the clubhouse as were her cousins.

“Breakfast at YoJo’s.” She shrugged. “To be honest, I’ve never really had a birthday “party,” or dinner or whatever this is supposed to be. I didn’t get any kind of gifts either.” When she peered up at him, he saw the sadness behind the excitement.

He hated it for her. It wasn't until Nico had been included in the Raferty family that he finally celebrated his birthday properly. Sure, Mrs. Pauline made sure all the orphans had cookies and one item from her shop, but it wasn't the same. And, Nico hadn't noticed the difference until Keeley hosted his sixteenth birthday party.

“Well, you never know,” he replied. “Your luck might change.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re up to something, aren’t you?”

“Me?” He grinned. “Never.”

When dinner was finished, he glanced at Kalkin who nodded. The meal had hit the spot—as per usual for the Rafertys—and though the conversation flowed, the longer they sat there and nothing happened, he could see his little wolf shutting down. Though she might have said it was normal for her not to get anything for her birthday, he also saw the disappointment. Nico had to change it up.

“Well, I had fun,” Nico said standing. He grabbed his plate and Hayden’s. “But, I wanted to—" His phone beeped with an incoming text, and he knew who it was before he answered it. All part of the plan. "Shit looks like I have to go to work. Sorry, little wolf. Raincheck?

She nodded slowly. “Sure.”

Caden cleared his throat. “Which reminds me. I have a little surprise for you, Hayden.”

Nico excused himself placed their dishes in the sink then calculated how long he had to hide the Jeep and put the finishing touches on the clubhouse with Bell and Zoe. The official plan was to have Caden take Hayden on a small ride along after dinner then get a noise complaint call at the clubhouse. At most they had about thirty minutes or so to finish up and get the cake Danielle made for Hayden.

“What?” Hayden asked, a little lackluster for Nico’s tastes.

“You’re going to go on a little ride along with me,” Caden answered. “I thought since you were talking about wanting to get into forensics, you might enjoy spending a little time together. Since, you know, we don’t.”

Smooth. Nico chuckled to himself.

“Really?” He swore if Hayden was in wolf form her little tail would be wagging.

“Yeah.” The chair scooting back caught Nico’s attention. “We should go now though. I’m on duty tonight.”