I sigh, putting the key in the ignition and pulling out of the parking lot, taking note of the name of the bar as I drive away. The Crescent Moon. Maybe I’ll come back and thank whoever it was who helped me upstairs last night to sleep off my drunken stupor.
My mind whirls with thoughts of the wolves. Replaying the moment over and over. I can’t seem to free myself from these thoughts, or those mesmerizing eyes. They will be permanently etched in my memory. They’re unusual, even for a wolf.
When I get home, I check my phone and realize the battery’s dead.Shit. The captain will be pissed if he can’t get a hold of me. I plug it in and take my jacket and shirt off. My phone beeps with a string of incoming messages and I reach for it. My heart thumps hard at all the missed calls from Sander. I know what they’ll all say. I flip open one of his texts.
Sander: Hey Logan, I can’t get a hold of you. I’m hoping everything is okay. If you need me, call. I’m here.
Guilt pricks at my chest. I know he means well, but yesterday was a day I spent alone. Sander knows this, but every year for the past twenty years he has always called me, just to make sure I knew he was there for me. Sander was my one and only friend growing up. I met him when I was seven in foster care, and even though I bounced from house to house, Sander always found me. Sander knew everything about me. He befriended me when no one else would, everyone else too scared to be around the freak kid with scars. He never once questioned my story, never once made me feel like I was crazy.
I scrub my hands over my face and get in the shower. My mind goes blank as I stretch my neck under the warm spray. I brace my palms on the wall in front of me and hang my head, letting the water wash away all the feelings last night dragged up. I thought being transferred out here would be good, but being this close to the woods was probably a bad idea. I should have stayed in Portland. In the city.
Turning the shower off, I reach for a towel. I run it over my head before wrapping it around my waist, then reach up, wiping the fog from the mirror and stare at my face. My blue eyes seem dull and lifeless, just like always. Dark portions of my hair fall over my forehead. It desperately needs a cut as well, but I just don’t care. My fingers flex and I reach up, running them over the scars on my face. Screams echo in my head, haunting me. I brace my hands on the sink, dropping my head as I try to control the anguish that strikes like a dark storm. It lashes at my insides as I try to block out the screams of my brother.
This will never get easier.
I close my eyes, taking several deep breaths as images of my brother’s terror-stricken face flash through my mind. A deep sorrow whispers from every corner of my mind, howling from the darkness, from the void that will never fully heal.
“Fuck!” I yell, pushing from the sink and storming through the door, my fist connecting with the door as I pass. I’m aware of the pain as I flex my fingers, but it's nothing compared to the searing ache I live with daily.
Dressed, I head for the kitchen and pop two Advil. There’s no point trying to sleep now. It would only be filled with nightmares, anyway. I walk outside and climb into my car. I drive without thought for hours, not noticing the sun set until I pull up to the bar I left only this morning. The parking lot’s full. It is a Saturday night, so I should have expected that. I sit there for a while, just watching people walking in and out.
New town, new house, new car, new life. This is what I wanted. What Sander pushed me to do. Told me a fresh start might help me live my life. I wasn’t so sure, especially if the last twenty-four hours were any indication.
I push through the doors and instantly feel several sets of eyes on me. I look around, but don’t notice anyone watching me. I roll my shoulders, trying to dispel the feeling, and make my way toward the bar. The bartender has her back to me, but I know the moment she senses me behind her. Her delicate shoulders stiffen.
Slowly she turns and it feels as if someone has pulled the ground out from under me. The air is completely knocked out of me. Bright turquoise eyes clash with mine and widen.
Fuck, she is gorgeous.
Absolutely stunning.
Her long silver hair is pulled back in a high ponytail, drawing attention to her sharp features. My eyes drop to her bright red lips as her mouth parts. Pale, snow white skin shimmers under the bar lights. I want to reach out and touch her, just to see how soft it is. Her eyes roam my face, and I have the urge to turn away. I can feel my scars burning under her perusal.
Suddenly, an arm is draped over my shoulders and my body locks up.
“Good to see you awake tonight,” says a deep, jovial voice.
I instinctively step away and turn to the newcomer.
He has a bright smile, a knowing one, and his blue eyes shine happily back at me. He’s around my height and build. His blonde hair is cropped close to his head.
“Do I know you?” I ask gruffly.
The guy laughs, “Nah, man. I just helped you upstairs last night.”
I stilled at that bit of information. “Thank you for that.”
“All good. We’ve all been there. Anyway, you can thank my sister here.”
I look back at the stunning creature who’s glaring daggers at her brother.
“Okay . . . ” I draw out. “Thanks. And I wanted to apologize for getting so drunk I passed out.”
Her gaze moves back to me, and it’s like the air is sucked from the room. Smiling softly at me, a look of understanding passes over her face. I ignore the tug in my chest, and the attraction that follows.
“My name is Kai. And this here is Salena,” the guy says in a friendly tone, breaking the bubble we seem to have put ourselves in.
I look between the two and feel like I’m missing something. But I can’t seem to drag my gaze off her. She’s wearing the sexiest red bustier and leather pants. But it’s her face that hits me. Her striking features have me captivated.
