Page 18 of The Alpha's Baby Girl

Rowan had flinched slightly when Juniper said that there was nothing between them, and that they were only working together. That was not what he’d had in mind, especially not after the kind of night they had shared.

Unfortunately, Juniper had made the pronouncement with an air of finality, and there was nothing Rowan could add to counter what she had said. So, he nodded silently as Elena glanced from one person to the other suspiciously.

On the one hand, Rowan was happy to see that Juniper had changed. She had become so much more confident than she’d been when she had left Moonwood.

In the past, Elena would have walked all over her while she cowered. And now, Juniper showed no intention of allowing herself to be bullied by her adopted sister.

At the same time, Rowan was hurt to see that Juniper had raised a huge wall between the two of them. He had hoped that the passion they’d shared the previous night would be a spark that would rekindle their old flame.

Juniper’s reaction in the aftermath was entirely different than Rowan’s, sadly. It seemed to him that she had taken their night together quite badly. She’d panicked and become withdrawn, and it didn’t seem like something she would want to happen again.

As he observed her cool demeanor, he knew that she had probably only allowed him to come into her bed in a moment of weakness. Watching her, he could see that there was next to nothing left of their previous fire.

When she told Elena that there was nothing between her and him, he had felt it in his bones that she meant it. The cold reality settled heavily on Rowan, leaving him feeling awful and hurt.

All he wanted was a chance to redeem himself, but the probability of such a thing happening was slim at best. Not like Rowan could complain or cry foul. He had been the one who rejected her, after all.

In a room full of people, her eyes swollen with tears, he had called her a liar, driving her out of the town for years. The memory scorched his mind and Rowan blinked rapidly to suppress the images of Juniper in her torn dress and bruised body. Standing all alone.

Rowan watched Juniper as she spoke with Elena. They spoke in clipped tones, and he could tell that there was no love lost between the two of them. But Juniper’s posture was relaxed, easy, and completely secure.

There was no doubt about it. She had changed. Rowan could not identify what exactly had changed, but he was certain that Juniper was a different woman.

He had been too ashamed to accept her before. He had ended up losing her. Now that she was back, he didn’t plan to make the same mistake. He wasn’t about to let her slip away this time.

Whatever her decision, Rowan resolved to win her over again. He could feel his inner wolf clawing inside him, reaching for Juniper. She was his. He was going to do everything in his power to restore what they’d once had.

“Fine, then,” Elena spat, still looking suspicious as she glared at Juniper. “Welcome back,sister.”

He frowned at the way Elena said the word ‘sister’ as though it were poisoned.

Rowan let out a deep breath and got into the passenger side of his truck. Everett scurried around to the other seat, and the car roared to life. Rowan watched Juniper’s window with the closed drapes as the car pulled out of the parking lot and into the street.

The whole ride back home, Rowan replayed scenes from his time with Juniper. The memory had a bittersweet feel to it. While he’d enjoyed all they had shared, he hated the possibility that he might never have it again.

Regardless, Juniper was going to be in town a while. He was excited about the prospect of working closely with her, and couldn’t deny the opportunity it presented for her to start to care about him again.

He gave his driver a few instructions, then rushed into the house. He was out of his clothes in a blink, and his shower took even less time than that. He got dressed quickly, then grabbed a backpack hanging on a wall in his bedroom.

When the car pulled into the lot at the diner, Rowan saw Juniper standing outside with two cups of coffee. He glanced at his watch. He was ten minutes early, and she had still gotten there in time to get coffee.

Rowan got out as Juniper approached the car. She looked stunning, despite how simply she dressed. She had on black tennis shoes, black yoga pants, and a dark green sweatshirt. Her hair was tied behind her head in a simple ponytail, and a plain handbag hung from her shoulder.

Juniper handed a cup of coffee to Rowan, then accepted his hand as he helped her into the truck. He circled to the other seat, and shortly after they were on their way.

“Thanks,” Rowan said, lifting his paper cup.

Juniper glanced at him and nodded, then turned to look out the window. Rowan wanted to speak with her, but he knew it was a futile attempt. He sipped quietly out of the cup, adding to the awkward silence in the car, before Everett wisely turned up the volume of the radio.

The car pulled off the road a quarter of an hour later. Juniper looked around and rubbed her hands together. “This is the place?”

“The most recent incident happened not very far from here. There have been multiple incidents scattered through the forest, but there were a few incidents in this area. It’s quite a hike, though. Think you can keep up?”

“I’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

Rowan grabbed his backpack and led Juniper down a game trail that led into the woods. The terrain was sloped, and he was worried for Juniper. She managed herself expertly, and he remembered belatedly that she had grown up among wolves.

“Can we talk about last night?” Rowan asked, glancing over his shoulder.

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