The music faded, replaced by the sound of his heartbeat against mine.
When we finally broke apart, he was breathing hard, eyes bright and a little dazed. My forehead rested against his, and for a moment, neither of us moved.
The warmth between us pulsed, something steady and real.
I could have stayed there all night, just holding him, feeling that spark hum through the space where our bodies touched.
My wolf was calm now, settled in a way I hadn’t felt in months. Like it recognized something, or someone, it didn’t want to let go of.
I swallowed, forcing my voice steady. “We’re really doing this, huh?”
Zack smiled slow, deliberate. “Yeah. I think we are.”
“Let’s head back to my motel,” I said.
2
ZACK
My boots thudded a little too loudly against the polished floor of the pack town hall.
I was already regretting the jacket, the thick fabric trapping heat against my chest and sticking uncomfortably to my skin by the time I rounded the last corner of the corridor.
My breath came faster than it should have. Not from the run itself, but from misjudging the timing. Again.
I slowed just as the double doors came into view.
“Hey! No running,” Cathy said, sharp but amused, looking up from the stack of flyers she was arranging on one of the folding tables outside Cooper’s office.
I skidded to a stop, palms braced on my thighs, trying not to look as out of breath as I felt.
“What are you talking about?” I said, pushing out a grin. “I'm just speed-walking. Kind of.”
She snorted. “They’ve already started. If you’re going in, best do it quietly.”
I nodded, grateful. “Thanks.”
I sucked in a breath, straightened up, and tried to slow my heart before reaching for the door handle.
It creaked anyway. Loudly.
A few heads turned. Someone near the front paused mid-whisper. Heat crawled up the back of my neck as I slipped inside, offering an apologetic half-smile.
Within seconds, attention drifted back to the front of the hall, and I let myself breathe again.
I scanned the rows for an empty seat, trying not to hover like an idiot. Then I spotted Tony in the far corner.
I made my way down the row, murmuring quiet excuses as knees shifted and people leaned back to let me pass.
Tony saw me coming and, without looking up, lifted his bag off the empty chair beside him.
“Thanks,” I muttered, dropping into the seat with a quiet sigh.
Tony hummed in response, eyes glued to the tablet in his hands. Some kind of graph filled the screen with lines and numbers that meant absolutely nothing to me.
I fanned myself with one hand, tugging at the collar of my jacket. Definitely a bad call. I should’ve taken it off outside.
I leaned closer. “Did Cooper talk about the Winter Festival yet?”
