They didn’t ask if I was okay. Didn’t push. And I was grateful for that.
Ethan clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll message you,” he said, still looking worried. “Make sure you reply. Don’t ghost me, alright?”
I cracked a small smile. “I won’t.”
They headed out together, and I waited until the backdoor swung shut behind them before carrying my drums off to the side of the stage. Only then did I head for the bar.
I slid onto a barstool and ordered a beer. Griffin set it down in front of me a moment later, and I took a long pull without thinking, draining nearly half the bottle in one go.
“Rough night?”
“If you can magically make another two pairs of hands appear,” I said, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, “or figure out how to clone me in the next few weeks so I can be my own band, that’d be great.”
Griffin snorted. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I was about to take another drink when someone sat down beside me.
“Not sure that’d be such a good idea.”
The voice was warm. Amused.
I stilled.
There was a scent, subtle but unmistakable once I noticed it. Clean. Familiar. Like mountain air after a rain, with something earthy and grounding underneath.
My wolf stirred instantly, pacing in my chest, alert and restless in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.
There.
My fingers tightened around the glass as my wolf surged forward. It wasn’t aggression or caution. It was pure, certain recognition.
I turned my head slowly.
He was watching me, mouth tipped into a half-smile. Strong jaw. Short, dark brown hair, neatly cropped. His eyes caught the light as he tilted his head, a deep, warm green.
My wolf practically bounced.It’s him!
I stared a little too long.
“Do you remember me?” he asked.
The man’s smile widened, and my wolf surged again, tail practically wagging. I dragged in a breath, trying to calm the sudden rush of energy humming through my veins.
I knew that face. I did.
No. Not green, my mind supplied absently.Hazel. You just forgot.
I searched my memory, images blurring: hotel lighting, laughter, warmth, hands, a night that had ended far differently than I’d expected.
Before I could say anything, Griffin leaned forward, towel over his shoulder. “What’ll you have, Mark?”
Mark winced. Just slightly. But enough.
His gaze flicked to me, something wary slipping into his expression.
I raised a brow. “Mark?”
The name hit like a delayed echo.
