“Yeah,” she said bitterly. “They’ve never forgiven him. And I get it, sort of. They didn’t choose this life. They were dying, sure, but they didn’t consent to becoming wolves. Daniel made that choice for them. They were able to keep living, but at the cost of their old lives.”
“That’s rough,” I said quietly.
“It’s worse than rough,” she said. “And on top of that, Daniel’s been with us for years now, but he’s still not really one of us. No one’s ever initiated him. No one’s ever made him feel like he belongs here or made sure he felt welcome. He’s…tolerated. It kills me Reed can’t or won’t see it.”
I was quiet for a moment, letting that sink in. I wasn’t sure if it was a fair assessment or not. Reed and I had never really talked much about Daniel. And it was possible Reed was so deep in his own struggles—becoming alpha and carrying the weight of the entire town on his back—that he’d missed how Daniel was feeling. But I knew Reed. I was sure he would set it right, once I helped him see the issue.
“That would be hard,” I said finally. “To always feel like an outsider. Always looking in, never quite accepted.”
She glanced at me, her expression thawing. “Yeah. It would be.”
“I’ll talk to Reed about Daniel,” I said. “I promise.”
“You will?”
“Yeah. I will.” I paused. “But give Reed the chance to surprise you. Because I’m pretty sure he will.”
“Thanks,” she said, her eyes fixed on the road, her grip still tight on the wheel.
We pulled up in front of the bar a moment later. I unbuckled and opened the door, but before I could step out, Lacey said, “Harris?”
I looked back at her.
“You’re not like Reed,” she said. “You’re… more open. In a good way.” She hesitated. “I guess opposites really do attract.”
“He’s not as closed off as you think.”
She studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Maybe.”
I stepped out of the truck, but before I could close the door, she added, “And Harris? You don’t ever have to worry about notfitting in. You’re one of us now. Even if you’re not a wolf. You proved that last night. You belong here.”
I locked eyes with her, “Thanks, Lacey.”
She nodded once, then drove off, leaving me standing in front of the bar, staring after her. The emotion I was left feeling was hard to put into words—both warm and fierce at the same time—a fire in my belly, all mixed up with a sense of conviction.
After a moment, I turned to the door leading into the Crescent Moon Bar, already oddly familiar, and a strange clarity settled over me.
Yeah, going back to Los Angeles seemed impossible now. That life didn’t fit anymore.
But this place and these people—not to mention Reed—this was allreal. I wanted to be here. I wanted Crescent Springs to be my home. But before that could happen, I needed to put things right with my mate.
I squared my shoulders, steeling myself, and walked inside.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN || REED
The bar was quiet. It was late morning but before we opened for the day, and I stood behind the counter, clipboard in hand, staring at the same line of inventory I’d been trying to count for the past twenty minutes. Whiskey. We had twelve bottles of Jack Daniel’s. Or was it thirteen? I’d lost track three times already.
I set the clipboard down and rubbed my eyes, hard enough to see stars.
Focus. I needed to focus.
But my mind kept circling back to the same image, playing on loop: Harris’s back, those four deep gashes bleeding and turning black at the edges. The way he’d collapsed the moment he crossed the threshold of the portal. The horrible, endless second when I thought he was gone.
Another memory tore through me. Crawling to Jeremy, already knowing I was too late—I wasalwaystoo late—Jeremy’s body covered in so much blood.
My hands curled into fists around the clipboard, the plastic creaking.
He’d almost died. Right in front of me. And I’d been helpless to stop it.
