Page 25

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FIVE

PHOENIX

I walked down the stairs of the rental house. I didn’t have to look at the faces staring at me to know they’d heard Sam and I talking upstairs. I didn’t think they’d overheard about what the Black-Eyed Children had said because no one questioned me, and Tessa and Dastien weren’t asking for more intel.

Unfortunately, their awkward glances told me they’d heard the part about how I could still see everything and how Sam wanted to know if I wanted out.

The latter was what annoyed me. Not because she’d asked. I understood why. But I’d tried to keep the conversation short because I didn’t want to expose all of Sam’s insecurities to everyone. And yet, when she took everything the absolute worst way, I had to tell her what I was really asking.

Still, I’d said more than I planned. I hoped she wouldn’t be upset when she came downstairs and realized how much they heard. Although, this was her world. She might already be fully aware.

I hit the last stair and gave the silent werewolves a nod.

Tessa broke off from the group surrounding the dining table to approach me. “How is she?”

“She’s going to be fine.” I’d make sure of it. “I think she’s weaker than she wants us to know, but the sleep did her a lot of good. Her color is back. She’ll get it done for you guys.”

“I wasn’t worried about that part. Somehow she always does, even when the cost is impossibly high. I worry about her, though.” She studied me for a second. “How are you?”

Oh, no. I wasn’t answering that with so many people listening. “Good. What’s going on over there?” I motioned to the group huddled around the dining room table.

Tessa looked at Dastien, who was standing with Max at the head of the table. A map laid across the table. Circles in brightly colored marker flowing across the map with no real pattern that I could discern.

“They’re finalizing the plan for patrolling,” Tessa said. “There was some debate about whether to add this incident to the map, but we decided it only happened because Sam is here. So, at least we agree on that much. And Garrett is finding a restaurant that has a private room that’s willing to stay open late.” She motioned to Garrett, who was currently pacing in the living room while talking to someone on his cell.

“Cool. Sam’s gathering her things. I think she’ll be ready in a few.”

“Got it. I’ll go hurry them along.” She spun without waiting for any kind of reply, and I was left at the foot of the stairs, not knowing what to do next.

I rubbed my hand over my hair. I’d cut it short a few weeks ago, and it was getting longer. Time was passing, and I was left feeling like the ground was a little shaky under my feet.

A group of werewolves on the living room couches were all staring at me. They seemed to want something from me or they were waiting to see if I would say anything, but I didn’t have anything for them. No reassurances. Nothing. I was used to people looking to me for direction on the field, but this felt different. Heavier. Probably due to the danger factor.

I was a little out of my depth, so I took the easiest out I could think of. “I’m going to go grab a water.” I pointed to the kitchen, mostly so that I could break this awkward silent stare-off.

The rental’s kitchen was smaller than the one in my Austin house but bigger than the one at the Sanctuary. It was all white and cream tones, with very little color and zero personality. Not my thing, but It was at least clean and well-stocked with pans and utensils.

The werewolves had packed the giant fridge full of food—both ready-made and things to cook meals. I noticed there wasn’t any alcohol in there, not that I wanted any—I wasn’t big on that—but it surprised me with so many guys here. Not a single beer. But when I’d asked, they said their bodies burned through alcohol so fast they couldn’t feel the effects. It was a waste of money.

Which made sense. But, as I leaned on the island, one beer would be nice right now. Maybe not as good for me as the water I’d grabbed from the fridge, but something to settle me down wouldn’t be a bad thing.

There was an antsy feeling in my stomach that I didn’t like. I wasn’t sure why it was there. I took a drink of water and closed my eyes.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t kissed me back. I knew I’d shocked and surprised her, but we were taking it slow. I didn’t want to rush her at all, and at the same time, I wasn’t backing down. Ever.

But I was feeling things she wasn’t ready for. I wanted to sprint to the finish line—ring, wedding, everything.

Holy shit, Phoenix. Get a grip. I had no chill when it came to her.

It’d been no time at all, and yet, because of the extreme situations, I already knew what kind of person she was. She knew who I was. And life was short. I didn’t want to wait.

I would because that was the logical thing to do, but everything in me screamed to hold on to her, lock her in with a ring, and never let her go.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I checked it.

I was a text from Win. I have big news. Stop sending me to voicemail. When can you talk?

I wanted to text back never , but that would’ve been rude. She’d done a lot for me and my career, and she deserved better than that.

I thought about it for a second. I could call her now, but I truly didn’t want to. Not with everyone listening, and I wasn’t sure how long I’d have to talk anyhow. I’ll call you in a few days. I’m still taking some time off.

Okay, but the deal I’ve got for you is good. They’re not going to wait around for an answer forever. We have to talk soon.

Her pushing me to answer wasn’t going to work on me. If you ask me right now, I don’t want any deal.

You can’t be serious, Nix. This is insane. You’re being crazy right now, and you’re going to regret it. You won’t be able to come back from this.

She stopped texting, and that was a good thing. I was mostly ignoring all texts and calls. My phone was on do not disturb at all times, but Win’s texts came through, as did all of my mom and sisters, and Ana and Frank’s, too. I’d added them to my favorites, as well as Sam. Although, I hadn’t ever texted Sam.

Maybe that should change. I wondered what she’d do if I started flirting with her via text. That sounded like fun.

I tapped a new message and started typing her name, but my phone buzzed in my hand.

Win’s name flashed on the screen, and I blew out a breath. Procrastinating on this wasn’t working. I had to face Win or she’d never stop bugging me about this. “Yeah?” I said.

“Is that any way to answer the phone?”

She was right. Even though I told her I didn’t want to speak right now, being rude wasn’t okay. “Sorry, Win. What’s up?” I looked at my watch, wondering how long Sam was going to hide in her room.

Maybe a coffee would draw her out. I’d seen that they had her essentials already stocked, which Tessa had told me was standard when she came on trips with them. Apparently, there was a list that Ana sent around with all of the things Sam might need when traveling. Whatever pack was hosting her always made sure they stocked what she needed. Tessa offered to add anything I wanted on this list if I planned to join Sam regularly. Which was really nice of Tessa.

If we were staying up late, a coffee wasn’t a bad idea. Sam might really need the caffeine boost.

I searched the cabinets for a to-go cup.

“Are you listening to me?” Win asked.

“No. I was zoning. Sorry. It’s not a great time but tell me what you have for me.”

“You have a very generous offer. Three years. Twenty mil Euros a year. You agree to play, I think there’s room to go a little up on that.”

The top cabinets were all a bust. Maybe they’d be in the bottom ones, but that was so not where I’d put them. It wasn’t my house, though. Worth checking.

“Are you listening to me, Nix? We’re talking over sixty million in US dollars for three years of playing.”

That was a lot of money, but I didn’t need it. Who wanted to pay me that much after an injury? “For?”

“Madrid.”

She was right. It was a good deal. Their team was awesome, and it was a generous offer. “I don’t know, Win.” I honestly didn’t need the money. Was that more than my last contract? A little, but not that much. And I hadn’t really spent any of that money. I wasn’t lying to the werewolves when I told them I was just managing my investment accounts now.

“What’s not to know?”

I searched the island and found a cabinet on one side that had storage containers and insulated cups.

Jackpot .

“Nix!”

“Sorry. I’m in the middle of something.” Maybe she wouldn’t consider it important, but I liked doing nice things for Sam. “I don’t know if I want to play again.”

Her sigh echoed in my ear. “Listen. I talked to your mom and your physical therapist. They say your knee is fine.”

“It is.” I filled the cup with ice. “ Mostly . I’m still babying it a little. I’m wearing my brace when I train and doing some stretches, but it’s fine.” Was it as good as before? Probably not. Did it matter? Again, probably not. I was still faster and better than almost every professional player out there.

I tucked the phone between my shoulder and poured in the coconut-almond milk, then the cold brew—her favorite brand. I added two stevias.

Spoon. I need a spoon. Which drawer was the silverware in?

“Are you even listening to me?”

Ah-ha. Found a spoon. “Not really.” I wasn’t trying to be rude, and I knew she really cared about me. Well, also about making money from my deals. So, she wasn’t completely altruistic.

She made a little screech in my ear, and I laughed. “Sorry. I’m not trying to be difficult. It’s a no for me. I’m done playing.”

“Why? You are amazing to watch.” She’d never said that before, but I didn’t think she was buttering me up. She sounded genuine and more than a little flabbergasted. “You might think I say that to all my clients, but I mean it with you. I don’t get it. What’s happened to you? How can you walk away from everything you worked your ass off to achieve?”

I’d told her no so many times now, but she wasn’t taking no for an answer. It was time to lay it all out for her. That didn’t mean she’d accept it, but this was how it was going to be. “You know what I felt when my knee blew?” I put the lid on the cup for Sam.

“What?”

“Relief.” I set the cup aside and leaned back against the counter. I snagged the phone from the crook of my neck, stretching out a cramp that had started there. “I mean—sure, pain. But relief so strong it shocked me. I didn’t realize I was burning out, but I was. I am. I’m tired of all the travel, and the grueling pace and the fans. You have one off day, play with a cold or when you’re tired or are anything other than perfect, and they’re just vicious. Throwing things at my car. Yelling at me when I’m trying to do anything around the city. I don’t need that shit. It’s just work, you know? I’m too old for this, Win. There’s tons of young kids ready and dying for a chance to take my spot. Find the next great player. Give them the spotlight.”

“Damn it, Nix.” Her voice was resigned, and I was relieved she was finally getting it.

Suddenly, I was glad I’d answered the call. She needed to hear me. “I’m sorry. My heart just isn’t in it anymore.”

“This is because of the demon girl.” I didn’t appreciate her tone or her calling Sam a demon girl , but I got it. She’d been talking to my mom, and I was turning down a huge paycheck. It didn’t make sense to her.

“I wish I could say this was all because of Samantha, but it’s not.” Was it? “I mean—maybe I could’ve been convinced before I ran into her again, mostly because I was bored. But…” I laughed, thinking back to what happened over the last week. “I’m definitely not bored anymore.”

“So, what? You’re going to be a househusband now? Go all domestic?”

She meant for it to be emasculating, but it wasn’t. In this context, it actually sounded great. “Why is that a bad thing?”

“For someone with your talent? Are you joking? It’s criminal .”

I pulled the phone away from my ear until she stopped yelling at me.

“Okay. Fine. You don’t want to play. I’ve got every major network begging to have you as a commentator. Especially since you’re trilingual.”

I could actually speak five languages, but I wasn’t about to remind her. “That’s still a lot of travel, Win. I’m over it.”

“What if we got the schedule down? You could record from a studio and not actually be at all the games. If you move back to LA, I can get this sorted no problem. Zero travel. Zero practices. You’d just be working a handful of days a month. How many games do you think you could commit to per year?”

I leaned back against the counter and shook my head. She was going to hate my answer. “None.”

I winced at her cussing, and I spotted Tessa peeking around the corner. I gave her a wink. I wasn’t sure how long she’d been listening to the conversation, but she was Sam’s best friend. I didn’t mind her hearing.

It was a good thing she couldn’t hear Win’s side of the conversation, though.

“You’ve only known her for like a week, and you’re giving up everything for her.” The shock—and maybe beginnings of outrage—was peeking through Win’s voice.

I didn’t expect her to get it, but she was going to have to respect my decision.

Or not. “Yep. That’s exactly what I’m doing.” Max came around the corner to stare at me. It didn’t take a genius to read the disappointment and jealousy on his face. The guy clearly had a thing for Sam, but she was absolutely clueless. I had a feeling she was going to leave a trail of broken hearts when the wolves realized she was taken for good.

“No hesitation?” Win asked.

More werewolves filed into the kitchen.

Oh shit. Could they hear both sides of the conversation?

Damn it.

They were intimidating as they lined up on the other side of the island to stare at me, not hiding that they’d apparently been listening in the whole time.

“Sixty million?” Max whisper-shouted to me.

I shrugged. “One sec, Win.” I put the phone on mute for a second. “It was a little more before, but I’m injured now. Add in my sponsorships, and money isn’t a problem.” I turned off the mute button and put the phone to my ear. “Sorry, Win. I’m not alone right now. What was your question?”

“Hesitations? You’re giving up a lot, Nix. And I want to be sure you know what you’re doing. What if this thing with demon girl doesn’t work out? I wouldn’t want you to do anything you’d regret.”

“Her name is Samantha.”

“Fine. Whatever.”

I shoved down the frustration, trying to keep calm even though I knew Win was trying to piss me off. “No, Win. No hesitations or doubts. This is it for me. I know it might not make sense to you, but I’m fully aware of what I’m giving up. And I’m okay with it. I don’t need more money or fame or any of it. I’ve had it all. Now, I want a life with Sam.”

I studied the werewolves gathered around the island. They were a protective bunch. I liked that for Sam, but I wasn’t going to be intimidated. Not by my agent, and certainly not by them.

“Damn it, Nix. You love her, don’t you?” She sounded surprised, but I wasn’t. Sam was easy to love. Literally the easiest thing I’d ever done in my life.

“Yes.” I looked at Tessa. Her eyes were so wide I almost started to laugh. The only thing that stopped me was that she might tell Sam. Which could not happen.

I shook my head at Tessa and then at all of them. “Don’t you dare tell her,” I whispered as softly as I could, knowing that they’d hear me.

Tessa shook her head, and mimed zipping her lips shut, locking them, and tossing the key.

A wave of power came from her as she whispered something I couldn’t hear. The power ran like lightning through the pack ties—thick and thin, but all glowing—and the werewolves bent their heads in submission.

Tessa gave me a wink and a thumbs up, and I knew she’d made it so that they wouldn’t tell Sam either.

“Your mom doesn’t like her. Didn’t you tell me that was a dealbreaker for you? It was an issue with the girl you dated before Mel.”

I sighed, staring at the ground. The rest of the wolves didn’t need to hear this. I waved a hand to make them go away, but they didn’t budge.

Fine. Just fine. I didn’t need fake privacy. They’d hear me no matter where I was.

“It’s not a dealbreaker. Not for Sam. It would be nice, but my mom doesn’t understand what Samantha went through. She just remembers the crazy, dangerous neighbor girl fresh out of a psych ward and who almost got me arrested a few weeks later. Mom loves to hold a grudge, but she doesn’t believe me about what really happened that night, and trust me, Sam isn’t crazy. Not even a little bit. And she’s not after my money, so don’t even try that one.”

Win was quiet for so long that I pulled the phone away from my face to make sure the call hadn’t dropped, but she was still there.

“Look, Win. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but I think I’m done with the game. I’ve got some other things that I’m interested in, and I’m going to pursue that.”

“Her. You mean her.”

“Yeah.” I was trying to be vague.

“If it doesn’t work out with her, if you change your mind, you get bored, call me. We can get you a job commentating. If you don’t like that, we get you coaching somewhere amazing. You want to go into movies or reality TV or whatever, I’ve got connections there, too. Everyone wants a piece of you.”

Maybe that was true, maybe she was exaggerating, but either way, I didn’t care. The only person who was going to get a piece of me was Samantha.

Win didn’t get it. No one would, but the good thing was that no one else needed to understand. I was the only one who needed to. It was my life, and I was firm in my decision.

“Thanks, Win. I appreciate your support, but I’m going to be okay.”

“One more thing before you go. I’m putting down the agent persona for now. On a more personal level.”

I couldn’t imagine what else she wanted. It felt like we’d covered everything, “What’s that?”

“Mel.”

Oh, just fucking perfect. With all the wolves listening. “No. I’m not doing this.”

“She doesn’t get what went wrong or why you broke up.”

Max crossed his arms, and I knew this was going to come back to bite me in the butt.

I stared at the ground, wishing they’d at least give me the illusion of privacy, but whatever. “I tried to explain it, but Mel didn’t get it. Trust me, there’s no window left open there. If you want to be a good friend to her, then tell her to move on.”

She blew out a breath. “Look, Nix. I’m worried about you. You’re shutting out everything in your life. Your family, your fiancé?—”

The wolves all leaned in, and Tessa let out a high-pitched, “What?”

I rolled my eyes at her. I’d never seen people listening in so blatantly to an obviously private conversation. “That’s not true. She wasn’t my fiancé. I never asked her to marry?—”

“Fine. Whatever. You had the ring. She found it. What the hell is up with that, Nix?”

I winced because I didn’t know she’d seen it, and I was sorry I hadn’t hidden it well enough.

“That screams intent to propose,” Win continued. “You’re walking away from everything. For what? I’m honestly worried about you. Are you mentally okay?”

I looked around the room and shook my head, hoping they’d keep what I said next between us. I wanted to wave my hands at them to get them to leave, but if they hadn’t left by now, I didn’t think they would. It was actually better this way. They weren’t being sneaky about listening in. It was very overt.

“I’m sorry that Melissa found the ring and misread the situation. I bought it because I saw it and I had to buy it, but it was never intended for her. Not even for a second. If she dug through my shit, then that’s on her. I never asked her to marry me. I never hinted that I was going that direction. We hadn’t even talked marriage yet. I was focused on my career, and she was focused on hers.”

“Who did you buy it for? Were you cheating on her?”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. “No. I would hope you know me better than that. I’m not a cheater. Never have been, never will be.” It was insulting. “I don’t owe you any explanation, but you’re her best friend. So, I’ll tell you. It’s up to you if you want to tell Melissa. It might hurt her more, which is why I never told her. But…” I took a breath. I couldn’t believe I was explaining myself in front of everyone, but there wasn’t any way around this. I couldn’t leave Melissa with any hope. That would be unkind after everything we shared.

“Kiran asked me to go ring shopping with him for Lyla. It was like the fourth shop we hit, and I looked into the case, and I had this flash of this person. And it made me smile, made me feel— ” I cut myself off. They didn’t get to hear everything, and neither did Win. That was too much. “The ring is a one of a kind antique, and I knew if I didn’t grab it right then—even if it made no sense since because I hadn’t had any contact whatsoever with this person in years —I’d never find a ring like it again. The words I’ll take it were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and now, the beautiful, antique ring that was never going to be Melissa’s is sitting in my safe at home.”

“This person is Samantha. The girl you’re with now. Right? That’s what you’re not saying.”

I’d planned on leaving that part out, but I wasn’t going to lie, either. “Yes.” Tessa let out a squeal, and I ignored it.

“This will crush my best friend.”

“Then, don’t tell her. But I’ve moved on. I’m not going to come back to her, so please make that clear. It wasn’t anything she did. It just wasn’t meant to be. I’m sorry, but it’s over.”

“But you’re walking away like it was nothing—from her and your career—and it wasn’t. All because your grandmother died and you hurt your knee. Are you sure you won’t regret giving up Melissa and your soccer career once you’re done grieving?”

At that moment, Samantha walked into the room. The werewolves parted, and I could see that she’d changed into leggings, a long sweater, and a leather jacket. Her hair was braided away from her face, and she wore running shoes, so I knew she was ready for a fight. She was wearing her backpack, and the belt bag was slung across her body.

Samantha tugged nervously on the belt bag’s strap, and her gaze darted from me to the wolves and back again. She had no idea how beautiful she was. How strong. How good. She continually threw herself into fights to help others, without about the cost to herself.

She stopped next to Tessa. “What’s going on? Who is Nix talking to?” she asked loud enough for me to hear.

“His agent. Everyone is being obviously nosy,” Tessa said, and she gave them all a zip-it look. “I’ve never seen a bigger bunch of mama hens in my life.”

Samantha shook her head and looked at me. “Sorry.” She didn’t have a damned thing to apologize for. “They do that. But at least they don’t hide when they’re listening in. That would be considered rude.”

A surprised laugh slipped free. It was all a little rude, but I couldn’t be mad when they were looking out for her.

“Nix. Are you going to answer me?” Win’s voice was full of frustration, which was understandable. I wasn’t agreeing to anything she wanted.

I crooked my finger to Sam. “No, Win. I’m not going to regret a thing. I need to go.”

“Are you really sure? I need you to be super sure before I start turning down these offers. Do you want to at least sleep on it?” Win asked.

Sam stopped in front of me, and I tilted the phone away. I snagged the to-go cup and handed it to her. Sam’s brows scrunched as she looked into the cup but the lid was opaque. “What is it?” she whispered, which was fair. Her mom pushed electrolytes on her like it was going out of style, and when it wasn’t electrolytes or water, it was vitamin and protein-packed smoothies.

Sam could have treats. I’d slip them to her whenever I could, even if it pissed Ana off. “Take a sip and find out.”

She rolled her eyes and took a sip. The moan she let out after was everything. She looked up at me with her big gray eyes. “You made me coffee,” she said with awe in her voice, like I’d done her some big favor. But it was just coffee.

I brushed a kiss on her forehead. “You’re welcome.”

I was finally getting what Eli meant about this anchor gig, and I was more than good with it.

I put the phone back to my ear, and Win was still ranting about what I was giving up—my career, Melissa, and everything else. I’d had enough. “Listen, Win. I’m sure of what I’m doing. I’m done with all of it.” No more giving explanations for my choices. I was a grown man, and I’d live my life as I wanted. “Be good.” I hung up before she could argue with me and slid my phone into my back pocket.

All the werewolves had left the room, but I knew they were still listening. Not ideal, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me from flirting with Sam. “How is it?”

“Perfect. Because it’s you. Obviously.” She shook her head. “Can you do something not perfectly? It’s incredibly intimidating at this point.”

“I sometimes leave my shoes and socks scattered on the floor. I hate wearing them.” I waggled my eyebrows at her, and she laughed.

“Oooh. That’s bad,” she said, playing along.

“Sometimes, I don’t do the dishes right away.” I took the spoon I’d used to stir her coffee and tossed it in the sink. “I just leave them there.” I held out my hands. “Until much later.”

“That’s disgusting.” But she didn’t look grossed out at all. She was smiling.

I nodded. “When I get sick, I’m a big whiner. Huge baby.”

“ Ugh . Now I have the ick . Majorly turned off.” She made a face. “I’m never going to look at you the same. It’s definitely over.”

I grabbed her free hand, took her cup, and set it aside. “I get super into taking care of people that mean a lot to me.” I pulled her against me. “I might even be a little bossy and overbearing.”

“Oh man. And I thought alpha werewolves were overbearing.” The words were muffled against my chest, but I could hear them all the same.

I leaned down so I could rest my chin on her head, wrapping my arms around her.

She took a deep breath and relaxed fully into me. This was why I wouldn’t leave. Win would never understand, but she didn’t have to. “You haven’t seen anything yet. Don’t worry. It’s coming. I’m not a very big rule follower, either. And overly honest. That’s gotten me into trouble. I don’t hold a lot back. I tend to overshare.”

“Since you mentioned that…” She squeezed me tighter for a second before pulling away. “Who was on the phone?”

I didn’t want to tell her, especially about the offer. She wouldn’t understand why I was turning down the money, but I wasn’t going to keep things from her. “My agent.” I put my hands on the counter behind me, leaning into it to keep from grabbing her again. She wanted space, then she’d have space.

“What did she want?”

“Me to play soccer. She had an offer from Madrid. And if not that, she had offers for me to be a commentator.”

“Oh.” She grabbed her coffee, staring into it. “Are you going to leave then?”

I could’ve dragged it out, but not with something like this. “Not a chance. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Her gaze shot up to me. “But you have to?—”

“No. I don’t have to do anything. I won’t lie and say it’s not because of you. It is incredibly easy for me to say no to Win—that’s my agent, Winnifred—when I have you. But I know exactly what I’m saying no to, and trust me, when I said I was relieved to be done, I meant it. I’m almost thirty. That’s ancient in pro sports. The knee blowing out would’ve just been the first of my injuries.”

Someone cleared their throat. Tessa and Dastien came into the kitchen with Max and Garrett trailing behind.

Dastien laid the map on the island. “Alright, Sam. This is the place we’re going. The red circles are places where we’ve lost wolves. Green ones are mortal casualties. We’re thinking this area over here, by the water, is likely where we should start. Do you have other thoughts?”

Sam looked at them and shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t work like that.” She waved her fingers over the map. “You know that.”

“I know you don’t, but there’s so much area to cover and we don’t want to split up if we don’t have to.”

“Did you try to have a vision?” Sam asked Tessa.

“Whatever this is doesn’t want me to see anything helpful. I hear a kid screaming. I feel fear. I know I’m in a backyard fighting something and that a wolf is getting hurt. But…” She gave a small shrug. “None of that is helpful.”

“That would be too easy.” Sam reached her hand out to squeeze Tessa’s arm. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out, but I don’t know about this.” She waved a hand at the map again. “Drive me around wherever you think, and when I see something, we’ll pull over, and figure out what’s what.”

“You’ll be more communicative though, right?” Dastien asked, his tone low and pleading.

Tessa looked at me. “She has a habit of wandering off.” She turned to Sam and pointed a finger. “Don’t do that. It scares us.”

Sam gave a cute little half-smile. “I’ll try?”

Tessa pointed at her again. “Did you hear how she said that? With the way it went up at the end. It was a question. Not a statement.”

“Sorry?”

“She did it again!” Tessa snatched the marker from her mate’s hand and tossed it at Sam.

Sam laughed and batted it away. “Okay, okay. No need to get violent.” She looked at Dastien. “Did you stock the SUVs?”

“I did. As always. We’re good to go.”

“Great. Thanks. Did you happen to put some chalk in it?”

Dastien gave her a long look as if that request threw him. “No. That’s a new ask from you.”

She let out a breath. “I didn’t bring any either. That’s what took me so long to come down here. I took apart my whole backpack. It’s not in there.”

“We can stop somewhere,” Tessa said. “Garrett—what’s open that would have sidewalk chalk?”

He shrugged. “I’m sure a drug store or grocery store would have some. One sec. I’ll have one of the SUVs drive ahead. Any particular kind of chalk? Requirements?”

“Thick is better. Like sidewalk chalk, not the kind for blackboards. Any color is fine, but white is best. Just not pink or red. Cool?”

“You got it. Anything else?”

Sam shook her head. “No. Sorry for the trouble.”

“Not a problem. One sec.” Garrett left for a minute and then came back. “Alright. I sent one of the cars ahead. They’ll get it taken care of and meet us at the restaurant. Speaking of the restaurant, it’s around this area.” He pointed to a spot on the map. “I know it’s not as secluded as you’d like. It’s pretty central to the city, but this late? That’s the best I could do. It’s an Irish pub. Their kitchen closes at midnight, so we’re good there. And we’ll be close if something happens. We’re going to have a car out patrolling while we eat, just in case there’s a call that needs tending to.”

“Sounds good,” Sam said. “It’s a private room?”

“Yeah.”

She shrugged. “Okay. I’ll deal.”

Tessa turned to me. “You watch her. She will wander off.”

“Yes, ma’am. I can do that.” I gave Sam the smile that always made her blush.

She rolled her eyes at me. “You’re such a jerk. You did that on purpose.” She grabbed her coffee from the counter, holding it close to her body as if to guard it from anyone who might take it away from her. “I’m ready when you are.”

Everyone started for the door, but I waited so I could snag Sam’s hand.

Win might think I was making a mistake, but as we loaded into the SUVs, I knew this was it.

So, after I buckled up, I opened my cell and typed a message. Hey there.

Sam’s phone buzzed in her belt bag, and she pulled it out. Who is this?

Me. I poked my finger into her side. Did you know that the pack are super nosy?

She laughed. I did. They’re the worst, and they love to gossip.

We texted the whole way to the restaurant, and I didn’t care one bit if we were being rude to everyone else.

It was nice—essential even—to have some time to ourselves. If it couldn’t be a date, then we could at least have a private conversation. It didn’t have to be about anything big. Just a connection.

Because that was what everyone wanted in life. Connection. Community. Unconditional love.

Samantha had found a lovely family for herself that gave her everything she needed, except for romantic love. She’d been on a quest for someone. From what Frank had said, it was an astronomical number of first dates that she’d been on the last couple of years.

There would be no more first dates. This was it. For both of us. I would fight hard for her, and I wasn’t going to let anything—or anyone—ruin what we had.

Not tonight.

Not next week.

Not ever.