His eyes, when he says my name, are so earnest, it almost undoes me. I want to forgive him, to let it go. But I can’t.
I stand up. “I’m going for a walk.”
He starts to rise, but I hold up a hand. “Alone.”
He doesn’t follow. Not right away. I know he’ll be behind me in a minute, but I need the head start, the illusion of freedom. I grab my bag, tip the waitress more than I should, and slip out into the salty, nighttime air.
Seamuse at night is unrecognizable from the postcard-perfect daytime version. The shops are shuttered, but the beach is alive with the low, constant music of waves on shingle. I kick off my sandals and walk barefoot along the sand, letting the cold bite my toes. The wind is fresh, peppered with brine and driftwood. For a minute, it’s easy to pretend I’m the only person in the world.
I make it all the way to the little, wooden pier before I spot someone else: Lucas, sitting on the edge, legs dangling over the black water. He’s wearing a faded hoodie and board shorts, even though it’s definitely too cold for either. There’s a thermos beside him, and he’s tracing shapes on the surface of the pier with a wet finger, lost in some private reverie.
I consider turning around, but he looks up and waves, a huge, loose-limbed gesture that’s impossible to ignore. “Helena! Hey!”
His grin is so open, it’s almost disarming. I walk over, brushing sand from my feet as I go. “Hi.”
“Sit,” he says, patting the space next to him. “No one should be alone out here. That’s what my gran always says.”
I sit. The planks are rough but solid. I hug my knees to my chest and look out at the lights from the harbor, bright, little wounds in the dark.
He unscrews the cap from his thermos and pours steaming liquid into the lid. “Tea?” he asks. “Sorry, it’s just builder’s, nothing fancy. Cole says I’m addicted.”
I accept the tea. It’s scalding and perfect. “Thanks.”
He leans back, arms behind him, and soaks up the nighttime breeze. “Rough night?”
I let out a short laugh. “You could say that.”
“Did Zane give you the alpha lecture?”
My head jerks up. “You know?”
He shrugs. “I do, yes. But there’s zero pressure to act on it. From Cole, either, for what it’s worth. Seems like this was a total accidental surprise.”
“More or less.” I fold my hands together. “I just wanted a normal summer. For once.”
Lucas nudges me with his shoulder, gentle but unmissable. “You know, some people would call being a triple-scent-match with two local alphas and your own bodyguard the opposite of normal.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling, a little. “It’s not like I asked for any of this.”
“I know. But it’s also kind of… special, right? If you believe in that sort of thing.”
“Fate?”
He shrugs again, more sheepish. “Nah, not fate. Biology, maybe. Or the universe having a laugh at our expense.”
I finish my tea. Lucas pours more without asking. We sit in companionable silence for a while and listen to the waves. I relax for the first time in… months, honestly.
After a while, he glances at me sidelong. “You want to walk back together? Or do you need more alone time?”
It takes me a moment to realize he’s offering not out of obligation, but because he wants to. The difference is subtle, but it matters. “To my flat? I’d love that, thank you.”
He grins again. “Sure thing.”
The walk back is slow and quiet. Lucas doesn’t try to fill the silence with talk. He just keeps pace with me. When we reach the flat, the lights are on inside. Zane’s silhouette is visible through the curtains, pacing the small living room.
Lucas hesitates at the door. “You want me to come in? Or…”
I shake my head. “I’ll be okay.”
