Krystal raised a brow. "How so?"
I waved a hand, dismissive. "Nothing. Just… different. Older. Alpha-y."
Krystal laughed. "Alpha-y? Wow. Whata description."
I shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's just odd seeing him in this role. That's all." It was a lie. A complete lie. Because the warmth in my chest when I looked at him wasn't just nostalgia—it was something else.
A little boy about nine-years-old ran past, giggling, nearly colliding with me. I steadied him with a smile. "Careful, bud."
Krystal laughed and said, "This one is mine." She introduced her son, Bryce, to me.
I knelt down to his level, grinning. "Nice to meet you, Bryce. I'm Rissa."
He smiled shyly, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "Hi." Then he ran off to catch up with his friends.
As I straightened, the back of my neck tingled with the feeling of Nathan's gaze on me. It was like a physical weight pressing against my skin. I risked a glance in his direction, and our eyes met. Something electric passed between us, a current of energy that made my breath catch.
I looked away quickly. An ache formed deep in my core.Get it together, Rissa. He's just your brother's friend. Your alpha. Nothing more.
A few minutes later, Nathan's deep voice carried over from the other side of the yard. "Alright, everyone, let's bring it in."
The alpha commanded attention effortlessly, and I was no exception. I watched him as he spoke to the pack, his posture confident, voice strong yet warm. Why did he have to look so damn good?
I barely registered Krystal's teasing voice beside me. "You're staring again."
Heat flooded my face as I tore my gaze away. "I am not. I'm just giving my attention to my pack alpha."
Nathan's laughter rumbled as he invited everyone to stay and eat, to enjoy themselves as long as they'd like. The sound hit me like a memory—him laughing at something Gavin said when we were kids. It was fuzzy, but I could vaguely recall being perched on Nathan's shoulders at a festival. He'd been a teenager then, already serious but kind. I had trusted him implicitly.
So why did he feel like a stranger now?
As if sensing my thoughts, Nathan glanced toward me, just for a second. Our eyes met, and my breathcaught. I expected him to look away, but he didn't. There was something unreadable in his expression—like he was seeing me for the first time, too.
I broke the connection, pretending to adjust my dress. This was ridiculous. It was just because he was Gavin's best friend. That's all. But even as I tried to convince myself, I knew it was a lie.
There was something else there, an undercurrent I couldn't quite define. A pull I couldn't ignore, no matter how much I wanted to. And judging by the way Nathan's gaze kept finding mine across the crowded yard, he felt it, too.
I swallowed hard, my fingers twisting in the fabric of my dress. I had come back to Stock Creek for a fresh start, not to get tangled up with my brother's best friend. Especially not when that friend also happened to be my alpha.
Krystal nudged me, a knowing smirk on her face. "You sure you don't want to stare at him a little longer?"
I huffed, reaching for my drink. "Oh, shut up." I took a long sip as if that would wash away whatever had just passed between Nathan and me. It didn't.
Nathan turned back to his conversation, and I forced myself to do the same. It was nothing. Just childhood familiarity. That's all.
But deep down, I knew I was lying to myself. There was something more, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. And it scared the hell out of me.
I tried to focus on the chatter around me, nodding and laughing in all the right places. But my mind kept drifting back to Nathan, to the way his eyes had held mine across the yard.
Snippets of conversation floated over from where Gavin stood with a group of pack members. "...family dinner... Friday after next... sort of a welcome home party for Rissa..."
I moaned to myself. That was the last thing I needed, to be distracted by Nathan at a family dinner, especially when I was already struggling to keep my thoughts in check.
I downed the rest of my drink, the cool liquid doing little to quench the heat that had taken up residence in my chest. This was going to be a long night.
And an even longer week, if the way my heart racedevery time I caught Nathan's eye was any indication. I was in trouble. Deep, deep trouble.
Chapter 3
