Page 21 of Moon Fated

Twelve

Rowan

After two knocks, I didn’t think she was going to open the door. Break it down. My wolf didn’t normally form words, and the impact of those nearly knocked me off my feet.

Holy shit. Keep it together. If I didn’t keep him under control, we were going to end up in an overnight jail cell.

I raised my knuckles to the wood one last time, but the door creaked open. My gaze latched onto the sliver of her I could make out, framed by the doorway. Her hazel eyes were wide with what I hoped was surprise and not anger.

My wolf prowled just beneath the surface, the sight of her stirring a wildness within me that strained against the leash of control. Every muscle in my body tensed as I fought to keep the beast at bay.

And then her scent hit me. A unique mix of sweet and salty that reminded me of beach trails and heather. It ignited an instinctual need that was nearly impossible to suppress. I wanted to force the door open. To press my body against hers. To ease back her head and taste her neck.

The wolf inside me wanted to claim, but I drew on every shred of self-control and stood rooted to the spot, the cool night air doing little to quell the heat that coursed through my veins. My wolf was so alive that every sound was amplified—the distant hoot of an owl, the rustle of a receipt blowing through the parking lot, the soft inhale of Evelyn's breath as she studied me.

"What are you doing here?" she finally asked, her voice a knife-edge balancing caution and curiosity. Was she afraid of me? That possibility gave me pause. Had I done anything that would make her think I was a threat?

No, but I didn’t have to. Of course she was afraid. I was the alpha of Black Lake. What reason could I give her for standing on her doorstep besides the truth?

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.” It was a piece of the truth. One I hoped wouldn’t send her slamming the door in my face.

“I’m fine.”

“I can’t tell if that’s true.”

“It is.”

“Well, I can’t see much through this gap?—”

Evelyn swung the door open, giving me a less-than-amused expression. “Satisfied? I’m all in one piece.”

She was wearing boy shorts and a long-sleeved cotton shirt that draped over her hips. Satisfied didn’t begin to cover it. “Can I come in?”

“Hell, no.”

Fair enough. I nodded, then leaned against the door so she didn’t have to hold it open. “Do you want me to beg?”

“Do alpha’s do that these days? So progressive of you.”

I smirked. “Not usually. But I do make exceptions.”

The skin along her collarbone turned pink, and my wolf rumbled in my chest. Yeah. We both liked that a hell of a lot.

Evelyn let go of the door and took a step back. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I don’t see a problem with it.”

Evelyn shot me a look. “You’re outside of Black Lake territory.”

“These are neutral lands.”

“I’m not neutral, Rowan, and you know it. I’m Kitimat territory.”

“I heard you didn’t belong to anyone these days.”

She drew an exasperated breath and crossed her arms in front of her. Somehow she looked even hotter when she was pissed. It made me want to say something else asinine just to see how much I could get her cheeks to flush.

“That’s it, then? You’ve heard the gossip, and you’re curious?”

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