I love you.
I still do. Time and distance have done nothing to change that, no matter how much I try to pretend it has. I still can’t even bear to utter her name out loud. It will break me if I do.
Paige is my drug, my addiction, and my kryptonite. Just one tastes all it took for me to become hooked, and if I take more, it would be the end of me and maybe her too.
All packs disapprove of wolves and humans dating. Not because we are incompatible, we can procreate, and on the extremely rare occasion that a human is a wolf’s fated mate, the human can even take on some of our supernatural abilities when we give them the mating bite, or so I’ve heard.
There is just too much risk when it comes to humans, though. Dating them almost always turns out messy. We either have to hide our true identities, which we can’t keep up long without them suspecting we are cheating, or up to something nefarious when we disappear for nights at a time to shift and rum with our pack. Or we tell them and when we break up, they break our trust and use it against us. Notifying the authorities and telling anyone who will listen.
This is how the hunters came to be. Humans with their hearts broken and pride hurt when their werewolf lover finds their fated mate and dumps them. Fuelled by vengeance, they formed the first group. Ever since, they have actively recruited new hunters, and each generation has become more skilled, more vicious, and more capable of tracking us.
So now we live in small towns like this, hiding in the woods on the outskirts. It’s not ideal, but it works as long as we keep our numbers small and stick to small, sleepy towns and villages.
“Rye, we need to talk,” Callen says through the mind link as I get out of the shower.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” I ask. A million things run through my mind. If he slept with the human last night, I’m going to kick his ass in next week.
“Nothing’s wrong. Can we go to town for lunch today? Just me and you?” he asks.
“Sure. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he reassures.
A few hours later, we stroll into town. Callen is definitely up to something. He is acting shifty and looking over his shoulder every few minutes.
“Okay, just tell me what is going on,” I demand, refusing to walk any further until he explains.
Callen pulls his vibrating phone from his pocket and looks at the screen with a grin. I look to see who is calling him and my heart seizes in my chest when I see the name on the screen.
Paige.
No, I must be imagining it. There’s no way. It can’t be her, not my Paige.
“What the hell, bro!” Callen shouts as the phone turns into mangled metal and broken glass in my hand.
I don’t even remember taking it from him.
The wind shifts and with it comes a sweet, intoxicating scent. “Mine,” my wolf grumbles.
“Ryder?” Her sweet voice haunts me.
“Calm down, Rye. It’s okay,” Callen says as my wolf threatens to break tree right here in the middle of town.
I pant as I fight the urge to shift
Then I catch sight of her, even more beautiful now. Paige Wilson, he girl of my dreams. My mate. My knees buckle as the realisation dawns on ine.
What have I done?
**Paige’s POV **
I knew it was Ryder in the street in front of me, even from behind recognise him.
His name slips from my mouth without permission, and he turns in my direction, making my heart feel as though it drops into my stomach.
I’m not ready.
I’d told myself I was. I’ve rehearsed every possible version of what’d say if I ever saw him again. But none of it matters. Because the moment Ryder is in front of me, everything inside me collapses. Six years vanished in a breath.
He is still a foot taller than me, intensely familiar. The same broad shoulders, the same ocean-blue eyes that once looked at me with admiration, only now they are heavier, haunted even. His jaw is sharper, his face a little leaner, a little more shadowed. Maybe life hadn’t been kind to him either. But God help me, he is still the most beautiful kind of wreck.
He drops to his knees when he sees me. Just… drops like the world has just fallen from under his feet. His chest heaves as if someone has sucked all the oxygen from the surrounding air.
“Breathe through it, Rye. You’ve got this,” Callen says, crouching beside his brother.
They’re even more identical than I’d thought, but Callen doesn’t carry the same sadness that Ryder does. They are the same, but opposites. Callen is happy and carefree, his eyes shine with mischief.
Ryder lifts his head, and his eyes meet mine again. They are wide with disbelief, as if he’s still not sure if this is real. There is something else in his gaze too: regret, pain, and maybe even hope.
“Paige,” he breathes and my name on his tongue is like a caress.
I can’t speak. Can’t move. I just stand here, staring as my heart slams against my ribs. I can’t speak, I can barely breathe.
“You’re alive,” I say. It comes out too quiet. Too weak. Ryder makes me weak.
“I’m so sorry, you have no idea…” he says, his voice trailing off with a strangled cry as he doubles over.
I look away from him. I can’t see him like this. All I want to do is drop to the floor in front of him, hug him right here in the middle of the street and tell him everything is going to be okay. My eyes shift to Callen as he comforts his brother, whispering words I can’t hear.
Then I hear one clear word slip from Ryder’s lips. “Mate.”
Callen goes still then, and his eyes shift to me. He looks at me like he is seeing me for the first time. His lips slightly parted, and his nostrils flare as he inhales deeply,
“Is everything okay? Should I call an ambulance?” A male voice calls from across the street and I look up to see a man around our age making his way over.
“No, everything is fine, thank you. He just has a cramp is all,” Call calls back, and the man gives him a wary look before nodding and continuing on his way.
I’m still too stunned to do anything but stand frozen in place,
“We need to get out of here,” Callen says, pulling Ryder to his feet “This way, come on.”
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