Page 45 of The Careless Alpha

"I know," I said softly. "But I have to try."

Losing her once had nearly killed me. Living the rest of my life without at least attempting to earn her forgiveness would finish the job.

Chapter 15

Annalise

Ifelt him before I saw him. The familiar tingle along my nerve endings that had once meant comfort and belonging, now just a painful reminder of what I'd lost. The coffee pot in my hand suddenly felt impossibly heavy, and I had to grip it with both hands to keep from dropping it.

He's here,Sapphire said, her voice sharp with alarm.Our former mate is here.

My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was certain everyone in the diner could hear it. The baby kicked frantically, as if sensing my distress, and I pressed my free hand to my belly in an instinctive protective gesture.

I turned slowly, my legs feeling like water, and there he was.

Marshall Kane. Alpha of the Cascade Pack. The man who'd destroyed my life, standing in the doorway of Rita's Diner like he belonged there.

He looked the same and completely different all at once. Still impossibly handsome, with those amber eyes that had haunted my dreams for months. Still carrying himself with that natural authority that made people step aside. But there was somethingnew in his expression—uncertainty, maybe even fear—that I'd never seen before.

My knees went weak, and I had to grab the edge of the nearest table to keep from swaying. All the strength I'd built, all the confidence I'd gained, threatened to crumble at the mere sight of him.

Breathe,Sapphire commanded.We are not that broken girl anymore. Breathe.

I forced air into my lungs, straightening my spine and lifting my chin. The familiar weight of my rounded belly reminded me of who I was now—not the desperate, heartbroken teenager he'd banished, but a woman who'd learned to stand on her own.

The entire diner had gone quiet. Conversations stopped mid-sentence as everyone turned to stare at the stranger who'd just walked in. In a town like Crescent Bay, where everyone knew everyone, an outsider drew attention.

But this wasn't just any outsider. This was the man who'd made me run three thousand miles to escape.

Marshall's eyes found mine across the room, and I saw something flicker in their depths. Recognition, yes, but also shock. He was staring at me like he'd never seen me before, his gaze traveling from my face to my belly and back again.

"Annalise," he said, my name barely a whisper.

The sound of his voice saying my name after all these months made my chest tighten with pain. I'd dreamed of this moment, imagined it a thousand different ways, but none of my fantasies had prepared me for the reality of seeing him again.

"Marshall." I was proud that my voice didn't shake, though my hands were trembling so badly I had to set the coffee pot down before I dropped it.

He took a step forward, and I instinctively stepped back. The movement was small, but it might as well have been a slap. Isaw him freeze, his face crumpling slightly as he registered my retreat.

"I—" he started, then stopped, his eyes darting around the diner as if just realizing we had an audience.

And what an audience it was. Brett the lobsterman had gone perfectly still, his weathered hands gripping his coffee cup like a weapon. Mrs. Walker was staring with open concern. Tom had started to rise from his seat, his usually jovial face set in protective lines.

These people might not know the whole story, but they knew enough. They knew I was running from someone, and they'd taken me under their wing.

"What are you doing here?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I came to find you," Marshall said, his voice carrying that familiar note of authority that had once made me melt. Now it just made me angry. "We need to talk."

"No." The word came out sharper than I'd intended. "No, we don't."

I could feel the weight of every gaze in the diner, the protective tension rolling off the people who'd become my family. Jimmy appeared in the kitchen doorway, wiping his hands on his apron, his young face already hardening with determination.

"I made a mistake," Marshall said, taking another step closer. "I was wrong about everything—how I treated you, the pregnancy. Please, just let me explain—"

"Stop." I held up a shaking hand, and he froze. "Don't. Don't come any closer."

"Please, just let me explain," he repeated.