I gritted my teeth, fighting back the growl that threatened to rumble up from my chest. "The part where I assumed you were on a date."
Rissa watched me for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Max and I are just friends and co-workers. It wasn't even remotely a date."
I crossed my arms, an irrational flare of irritation surging through me. "You sure about that?"
She rolled her eyes. "Trust me, he's not interested in me. And I'm definitely not interested in him."
Relief washed over me, startling in its intensity. I had no right to feel this way, no claim on her. And yet, the thought of her with someone else made my wolf snarl with barely contained rage.
I didn't understand it. I'd barely spoken to Rissa since she'd returned to town. She wasn't mine to protect or possess. But try telling that to the beast pacing restlessly beneath my skin.
I cleared my throat, trying to shake off the unsettling thoughts. "You ever think it's weird we never ran into each other when you visited Gavin and your dad?"
Rissa shrugged, her long dark hair spilling over her shoulders with the motion. "Maybe. But I was only here for a couple of days at a time. And you had your own life."
I nodded slowly, a dull ache throbbing in my chest. "Yeah." A life that had included a mate whom I’d thought I’d have forever.
There had been no room in that life to notice Rissa. No reason to seek her out or wonder what might have been. But now, with her sitting just a few feet away, it was impossible not to wonder.
I swallowed hard, steeling myself for the question I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to. "So, uh, were you? In a relationship, I mean, are you?"
Rissa lifted a brow, surprise flickering acrossher face. "Are you asking if I'm currently dating anyone?"
Heat crept up the back of my neck, and I scratched at it self-consciously. "I guess I am."
She studied me for a long moment, her expression unreadable in the dim light. "No."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath from my lungs. I swallowed thickly, an unexpected wave of relief rolling through me.
The air between us shifted, the teasing playfulness fading into something heavier. Something charged with a tension I couldn't quite name.
My wolf urged me to reach for her. To pull her into my arms and claim her mouth with my own. But I resisted the desire, forcing myself to remain still.
Rissa kicked at the dirt beneath her swing, the scuff of her shoe against the ground, breaking the silence between us. "So, why are you really here?"
I exhaled heavily, the weight of the day settling on my shoulders. "Couldn't sleep."
She nodded, her gaze distant. "Same."
I hesitated for a moment, warring with myself. But the pull to be near her was too strong to resist.I gestured toward the empty swing beside her. "Mind if I join you?"
A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Depends. You planning on brooding the whole time?"
A surprised laugh huffed from my chest. "I'll do my best to contain the brooding."
I lowered myself onto the swing, the old chains creaking under my weight. The seat was too low, my knees nearly level with my chest, but I didn't care. Not when she was close enough to touch.
We sat in silence for a long moment, the cool night air whispering against our skin. I tried to focus on the distant hum of crickets, the rustle of leaves overhead. Anything to distract me from the heat of her presence.
Finally, I spoke, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "Come to the pack training tomorrow night."
Rissa glanced at me, one brow arched. "I already know how to fight."
I smirked, the challenge in her voice stoking something inside me. "Good. Then you can help me makethe boys look bad."
She chuckled, the sound low and rich. "All right. But only because I'd love to knock a few cocky teenagers on their asses."
I grinned, the tension in my chest easing slightly. This was familiar territory. The banter, the teasing, the easy camaraderie. It was good. Natural.
