I feel my smile widen, maybe a little too much, but I can’t help it. This is happening. I can feel it. “Yeah, Lo. You are. It feels… natural, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, this date will be the first of many.” Ford chuckles as he runs his hand through his hair. “We’re going to court you, Lo, and show you that we’re the pack for you.”
“I already have so many ideas,” I jump in. “I was thinking we could…”
But my words trail off as I notice something new. A bitterness to Lo’s scent that matches her expression. Why isn’t she happier about this?
Oh, right.
It hits me like a tidal wave. I have been getting way too carried away. The only reason I’ve been holding back is because I know Lo doesn’t want to stay here. The town isn’t for her… which means she might not see us as real potential.
Shit.
And there we are, blathering like idiots as if we have a future with her.
Lo’s hand tightens on her glass, her knuckles white, and she looks up at us with wide eyes, her face pale. The confusion and anxiety in her scent are thick now. It’s almost overwhelming.
“Wait, wait.” Her voice trembles as she stands abruptly. “This… this isn’t—” Her breath catches, and she glances betweenFord and me, clearly panicking. “You’re not… You’re not listening. I… I can’t just… You all can’t justdecidethis for me.”
Her words hit me like a slap in the face, and I feel the sudden shift in her energy. Her scent goes from confusion to something else. Fear, anxiety, and a deep unease. I’m about to speak, to apologize, but Lo is already backing away from the table, her hands shaking as she gathers her things.
“Lo, wait,” Ford says, standing up too, his tone shifting to one of concern. “Lo, just stop?—”
But she doesn’t stop. Her eyes are wide, darting between the two of us, like we’ve become something terrifying. I can see it now. She’s overwhelmed, feeling cornered. It’s too much, too fast. And I didn’t notice how much I was pushing her.
We’re about to lose her again.
I move quickly, stepping toward her, but she raises her hand in a silent plea for space, her eyes frantic now.
“No.” Her voice cracks, and she takes another step back. “I… I need air. I need to think. I can’t… I can’t do this.”
She spins on her heel, her movements frantic as she walks toward the door, but she’s clearly struggling to control the chaos inside her.
“Lo!” Ford calls after her, but she doesn’t turn back.
She’s out the door in a heartbeat.
I stare at the door for a moment, my chest tight. A wave of frustration rolls over me, but it’s not directed at her. It’s directed at myself. I should’ve known better. I should’ve seen how much she was struggling, how much she was not ready for this. But I got too caught up in the excitement, in the idea of us, once I stepped through those diner doors with nothing but fate intervening when I laid eyes on her and Ford.
And now, I’ve scared her off.
I hear Ford’s heavy breath behind me. He’s visibly agitated now, his Alpha instincts pushing him into a protective frenzy.His muscles are tense, his jaw clenched. He looks like he’s about to follow her out the door, but something inside me stops him before he can take another step.
“Ford,” I say, my voice sharp enough to get his attention. “Don’t. She needs space.”
Ford turns to me, the frustration clear in his eyes. “She can’t just run off like that, Hayes! We’re her pack! We’re supposed to be together?—”
“We can’t force her into anything,” I say, stepping closer to him. “We’re not going to corner her. Not like this. We want her to want this, but not because we’re pushing her. That’s how it’s going to work. She needs to come to us when she’s ready.”
If that ever happens.
Ford’s hands ball up into fists, and the air around us crackles with his need to do something to fix this. He growls under his breath, a primal sound that only an Alpha could make when their instincts are screaming at them to act.
“I know,” Ford mutters, his shoulders sagging as he continues looking at the door Lo escaped through. “I just… it’s hard. It’s her, Hayes. It’s always been her. Even when I was jealous of Beck in high school. Even when I got jealous of the rumors of the two of you around town?—”
I smile. “There are rumors of her and me around town? Do tell.”
That pulls his attention back to me. He shoots me a look. “Focus.”
