Zoey followed my gaze. “That’s the place.”
“Yes, I know.”
“You don’t have to solve anything tonight.”
“Yes, I know.”
“You just have to walk in.”
I kept staring at the building. “I’ve avoided rooms like that for a long time.”
Zoey reached across the center console to place her hand over mine on the steering wheel. Her hand was warm, her touch soothing.
“You tracked a missing child through the woods.”
I sighed. “That was different.”
“You fought off feral dogs.”
“That was also different.”
“You drove up a mountain and delivered a perfect sunset.”
“That required timing.”
She squeezed my hand again. “All this requires is walking through a door.”
I exhaled slowly. “You’re very persuasive.”
“I’m extremely persuasive.”
She leaned back in her seat and glanced toward the row of small shops down the street. “I’m going to walk down to that tech store while you’re in there.”
She brushed her thumb over my knuckles, then let go of my hand. Picking up the card, she handed it to me. “You’ve got this.”
The confidence in her voice landed deep in my chest.
Not pressure.
Belief.
That was far more uncomfortable.
I took the card.
Zoey opened her door and got out. “Hey.”
I looked at her.
“You’re brave, Liam.” She said it casually, then shut the door and walked to the tech shop.
I sat there, staring at the card. Taking a deep breath, I got out of the truck. As I walked, I noticed everything. The crunch of gravel under my boots. The smell of pine and flowers. The soft click of the door when I opened it.
Inside, the building smelled faintly of coffee and old carpet. A folding sign stood in the hallway.
SHIFTER GROUP. ROOM B.
The door was partially open, and voices drifted out from inside. I paused just outside the doorway. The urge to leave rose quickly and sharply in my chest. I hadn’t walked into a room full of shifters in a very long time. Not since I left the pack. Not since I decided I would build a life somewhere quieter, safer, more controlled. For a moment, I stood there and listened. Someone laughed. It was an easy sound. Not threatening or demanding.People were just talking. Shaking off my hesitation, I pushed the door open.
