Just the run, the pack, and the wild joy of being alive.
We emerged from the woods, back into the clearing and our clothes, chests heaving, breaths turning to mist in the cool night air. I shook out my limbs as human form took over, the thrum of the run still pulsing through my veins. Gavin was at my side in an instant, grinning from ear to ear as he pulled on his shirt.
"Good run, huh?" He clapped me on the shoulder with a chuckle that spoke of shared memories and wild chases.
"The best." I raked my fingers through my damp hair to push it back from my forehead.
Thensheappeared.
Striding toward us with a confident gait, her smile was like the first break of dawn after a long night. That smile disarmed me. It reached deep into placesI'd locked away, stirring embers I thought had long turned to cold ash.
"Hey, guys." Her voice danced across the clearing, light and carefree.
Gavin's reaction was immediate. His arm draped around her shoulders with an affectionate squeeze. "Hey, there she is."
His words didn't register. My heart plummeted, a stone sinking into the depths of a dark lake. Gavin, with his arm around her, so natural, so right. The pieces clicked together—Gavin had found his mate. Damn me to hell, because in the span of a heartbeat, I'd coveted something that wasn't mine to desire.
How could I be drawn to her? To Gavin's mate? I steeled myself against the pull, the unwelcome yearning clawing its way up my throat. This was Gavin's happiness. I wouldn't be the one to cast a shadow on it.
"You remember my sister, Rissa?" Gavin asked, his words sliced through the confusion clouding my mind.
I blinked, staring at them both. Gavin's arm still casually draped over her shoulder, her smile unwavering. "Rissa?" Of course. He’d told me she was moving back.
"Yep, that's me," she said, her large brown eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that sent another jolt of shock through my system. "It's been what, twenty-two years?"
"About that," I said, betraying none of the inner havoc her presence had stirred. Christ, she'd been basically a baby the last time I saw her. “I forgot you’d be coming to live with Gavin.”
Gavin chuckled, oblivious to the sudden tightness in my chest. "She's all grown up now."
She sure was and fifteen damn years younger than me. At least I wasn't lusting after my best friend's mate. Nope. I was lusting after my best friend's baby sister, which was so much worse on a whole other level.
Fuck.
Chapter 2
Rissa
I shiftedin my chair outside the pack house, smoothing out the folds of my sundress. Moving to Stock Creek was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Even if it meant living with Gavin while I got my shit together. My brother was over the moon about having me home.
Home. I wasn’t sure I had a place I could truly call home. I’d spent my life bouncing between my dad’s house here in Stock Creek and my mom’s place in the Knoxville Pack. While Knoxville was great, I never felt like I belonged. When Mom decided to move to Florida a few months ago, I didn’t want to be further away from Dad and Gavin.
Glancing up, my gaze caught Nathan’s across the yard. Quickly, I looked away. Damn it. I’ve tried so hard not to look at the handsome alpha. Tried not to notice every hard lean muscle. His dark beard only added to his appeal. All kinds of sexy mountain man fantasies played in my mind.
Stop! I didn’t need a man, nor did I want a mate. Nathan deserved someone who could give him children. That person was not me.
A pack member stepped into my view. Lifting my gaze, I met her amber depths. She beamed at me. "Hey there. I'm Krystal, Nathan's niece." She took a sip of her beer. "My dad was Nathan's brother, Quin, but he passed away a few years back."
"I'm so sorry for your loss," I said softly. Nothing sucked more than losing a parent. While I knew loss, I hadn’t lost a parent.
Krystal waved her hand. "Thanks. Feels weird being back, doesn't it?"
I laughed lightly. "A little. It's been a long time."
"I moved back after years away, too. But a few months in, it's like I never left. I love this pack."Krystal gestured to some women nearby. "Come on, I'll introduce you."
We approached a small group. Krystal put her arm around a beautiful, tall brunette. "This is my bestie, Octavia."
"Nice to meet you. You can call me Tavi." Tavi shook my hand warmly.
