before things got…complicated.
Eion glanced over at the clock on the dash: one o’clock in the afternoon. Olivia wouldn’t be home so he wouldn’t have to see her again. With a resolute nod, he scanned the road for other vehicles and pulled back out onto the asphalt.
No time like the present .
The drive up to the Wilson home had never felt longer, but at the same time shorter, in his life. Way too much time had passed since he’d spoken to Kris. He couldn’t wait to see him again, yet dreaded the confrontation. Eion swallowed hard against the knot of apprehension in the back of his throat. He didn’t have a clue what in the hell he would say when he got there.
“Hello again. Sorry for cutting out twelve years ago without a goodbye. But you see, as a wolf shifter, I’m pretty sure I bonded with your little sister when I saved her from drowning, and being that I’m the next alpha of my pack, shifter and human mating is against our law and all, so Olivia and I hooking up would have been a very bad idea.” Yeah, that would go over as well as the stomach flu on Thanksgiving Day.
A lone blue pickup sat in the drive that formed a half circle in front of the two-story home. Eion pulled up behind the other truck and cut the engine.
Dragging his palm over his day-old beard growth, he surveyed the familiar wide porch. Twin rockers sat motionless on one side of the steps. He glanced at the other end and found what appeared to be the same swing, from what felt like a lifetime ago, suspended by chains from the beams supporting the roof. The paint had seen better days, but overall nothing had changed. Warmth swelled in his chest, followed by an unbidden smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Some of the best times in his life had been spent here. But that was a long time ago, and a lot had changed since then, including him.
He exited the truck, shoved the keys into his jeans pocket, and then checked around his waistband to be sure his shirttail was still tucked inside. Damn. Eion snatched his hands away. It wasn’t as if he was about to meet the parents of his high school sweetheart or something. No—just the guy who’d once been his best friend but now probably hated his guts.
At the door, Eion lost count of how many times he’d clenched and unclenched his fingers before raising his arm and giving the wood a hard rap. At least a full minute passed without a sound, enough time for a wave of acid to build in his gut, threatening to burn a hole in his midsection.
Eion pivoted, ready to head back to the car when a deep voice called out. “Hang on! I’m coming!” A loud bang reverberated on the other side of the door followed by the crash of what sounded like glass hitting the floor. “Son of a…”
Eion’s pulse raced. What the hell?
He grabbed the doorknob, turned it, and the door swung open. Of course, out here few people locked their homes during the day. Poking his head around the door, Eion spotted Kris wobbling on one crutch, its twin on the floor beside a shattered lamp.
“Kris?” Eion stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind him. “It was open.” Kris jerked his head around.
“Can I give you a hand there?” Eion added.
For a split-second, no recognition sparked in Kris’s dark eyes, giving Eion a moment to take in the changes in his former best friend. The guy had packed on several more pounds of muscle in addition to a couple of inches. No doubt Kris had been a fierce soldier.
Kris’s eyes widened with recognition. A look of surprise and happiness flashed across his face, a half second before anger and bitter resentment replaced it. “What the hell are you doing here?” The question lashed across the room, striking like a coiled snake.
“I was in town, and I heard about your injury. Didn’t want to leave without stopping by.” Eion stepped in closer, reached for the lost crutch, and handed the lightweight metal over to Kris.
Kris snatched it from his hand. “I
Eion glanced over at the clock on the dash: one o’clock in the afternoon. Olivia wouldn’t be home so he wouldn’t have to see her again. With a resolute nod, he scanned the road for other vehicles and pulled back out onto the asphalt.
No time like the present .
The drive up to the Wilson home had never felt longer, but at the same time shorter, in his life. Way too much time had passed since he’d spoken to Kris. He couldn’t wait to see him again, yet dreaded the confrontation. Eion swallowed hard against the knot of apprehension in the back of his throat. He didn’t have a clue what in the hell he would say when he got there.
“Hello again. Sorry for cutting out twelve years ago without a goodbye. But you see, as a wolf shifter, I’m pretty sure I bonded with your little sister when I saved her from drowning, and being that I’m the next alpha of my pack, shifter and human mating is against our law and all, so Olivia and I hooking up would have been a very bad idea.” Yeah, that would go over as well as the stomach flu on Thanksgiving Day.
A lone blue pickup sat in the drive that formed a half circle in front of the two-story home. Eion pulled up behind the other truck and cut the engine.
Dragging his palm over his day-old beard growth, he surveyed the familiar wide porch. Twin rockers sat motionless on one side of the steps. He glanced at the other end and found what appeared to be the same swing, from what felt like a lifetime ago, suspended by chains from the beams supporting the roof. The paint had seen better days, but overall nothing had changed. Warmth swelled in his chest, followed by an unbidden smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Some of the best times in his life had been spent here. But that was a long time ago, and a lot had changed since then, including him.
He exited the truck, shoved the keys into his jeans pocket, and then checked around his waistband to be sure his shirttail was still tucked inside. Damn. Eion snatched his hands away. It wasn’t as if he was about to meet the parents of his high school sweetheart or something. No—just the guy who’d once been his best friend but now probably hated his guts.
At the door, Eion lost count of how many times he’d clenched and unclenched his fingers before raising his arm and giving the wood a hard rap. At least a full minute passed without a sound, enough time for a wave of acid to build in his gut, threatening to burn a hole in his midsection.
Eion pivoted, ready to head back to the car when a deep voice called out. “Hang on! I’m coming!” A loud bang reverberated on the other side of the door followed by the crash of what sounded like glass hitting the floor. “Son of a…”
Eion’s pulse raced. What the hell?
He grabbed the doorknob, turned it, and the door swung open. Of course, out here few people locked their homes during the day. Poking his head around the door, Eion spotted Kris wobbling on one crutch, its twin on the floor beside a shattered lamp.
“Kris?” Eion stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind him. “It was open.” Kris jerked his head around.
“Can I give you a hand there?” Eion added.
For a split-second, no recognition sparked in Kris’s dark eyes, giving Eion a moment to take in the changes in his former best friend. The guy had packed on several more pounds of muscle in addition to a couple of inches. No doubt Kris had been a fierce soldier.
Kris’s eyes widened with recognition. A look of surprise and happiness flashed across his face, a half second before anger and bitter resentment replaced it. “What the hell are you doing here?” The question lashed across the room, striking like a coiled snake.
“I was in town, and I heard about your injury. Didn’t want to leave without stopping by.” Eion stepped in closer, reached for the lost crutch, and handed the lightweight metal over to Kris.
Kris snatched it from his hand. “I
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