Miss you all already. Be home soon—don’t have too much fun without me.
I can’t help but grin, imagining the chorus of teasing responses I’ll get from Chad, Lakelyn, and Dean. Just thinking about them makes everything better, my pack grounding me in a way I never knew I needed until now.
The drive to the shop is easy, my fingers drumming along to the beat of whatever song is playing on the radio. But as I park, my carefree feeling dies a sudden death. Landon is walking down the street, heading straight toward me, and there’s no chance he won’t see me.
Shit.
The last streaks of sunlight stretch over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of gold and lavender as I pull up to the shop. My chest tightens at the sight of Landon walking toward the entrance. Even from a distance, the tension in his posture is unmistakable—shoulders squared, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, jaw clenched.
My stomach churns, and I almost wish I’d taken the long way around town. But there’s no avoiding him now. He’s seen me.
I cut the engine and step out, the sound of my boots on the pavement loud in the quiet evening. For a split second, I consider plastering on a grin, pretending like everything’s fine, but I know better.
“Hey, Lan,” I call, my voice casual, though the knot in my throat makes it come out rougher than I intended.
Landon stops a few paces away, his expression unreadable, though his eyes carry a weight I’m all too familiar with. He doesn’t answer right away, just looks at me like he’s trying to decide if I’m worth the energy it’ll take to talk.
“You’ve been busy,” he says finally, his tone sharp but quieter than I expected.
I shove my hands into my jacket pockets, bracing myself. He knows I went a step beyond wanting his sister to actually claiming her. “Yeah,” I reply, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Figured you’d want space. Thought that was what we agreed on.”
“Space,” he echoes, like the word leaves a bad taste in his mouth. “Sure. That’s what I needed, Mason. But now I can’t take two steps in town without someone giving methat look. You know the one. The ‘your sister found her pack, what’s wrong with you?’ look.”
Guilt twists in my gut. I should’ve known. It’s a small town—news like this doesn’t just travel fast, it spreads like wildfire.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen the way it did,” I say, my voice quieter. “You’ve got to believe me. I’d never hurt you on purpose, Lan.”
His laugh is short and humorless. “Hurt me on purpose? No, you just claimed my sister and didn’t think I might want a heads-up. You’ve known her your whole damn life, Mason. Did you even stop to think what this would mean for us?”
“Of course I did,” I snap, frustration rising despite myself. “I thought about it every damn day. But I couldn’t stop it, Landon. None of us could. You know how scent-bonds work.”
He takes a step closer, the tightness in his jaw softening just a fraction as he studies me. “Do I? Because it seems like you’ve been keeping me in the dark about a lot lately.”
“I was trying to figure it out myself,” I admit, dragging a hand through my hair. “And yeah, I should’ve told you sooner. I should’ve handled this better. But I didn’t. I screwed up. And I’m sorry.”
The apology hangs in the air between us, heavy and raw. For a moment, I think he’s going to throw it back in my face, but then he exhales, his shoulders losing some of their tension.
“I saw her earlier,” he says after a long pause, his tone losing some of its edge.
I nod, swallowing hard. “And?”
“And...” He hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck like he’s trying to find the right words. “I don’t like it, Mason. I don’t like that my sister is part of this—thisthing—with you and Dean and Chad. But...”
The pause stretches, and I hold my breath, waiting for the inevitablebut.
“She’s happy,” he says finally, his voice quieter. “Happier than I’ve seen her in a long time. And if this is what it takes to keep her that way...” he trails off, shaking his head like he still can’t quite believe the words coming out of his mouth.
“You’re okay with it?” I ask cautiously, not daring to hope.
“No,” he says quickly, his eyes meeting mine. “I’m not okay with it. But I’m not going to stand in her way either. Not if this is what she wants.”
Relief washes over me, but I don’t let it show. Instead, I nod, keeping my voice steady. “Thanks, Lan. That means a lot.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he mutters, his gaze hardening again. “You screw this up, Mason, and I’ll make sure you regret it. Bond or no bond.”
“I won’t,” I promise, meeting his eyes. “I’d rather die than hurt her. Or you.”
He studies me for a long moment, then nods slowly. “Good,” he says simply.
