Bonus Chapter
WHEN ROWAN SEES LANEY FOR THE FIRST TIME
I stood on the porch, talking with a handful of guys from the team.
While only nine of us lived in the house, a lot of the rugby players came over to hang out.
Since we’d been on campus for almost three weeks already, we were bored.
Now that everyone else was moving in this weekend and school was starting Monday, things were finally starting to get interesting.
The guy next door, Austin, was throwing a party tonight. He told us to come on over, but I didn’t think we’d bother going.
Danny exited the house and handed me a beer. “Last year.”
I took the bottle. It was hard to believe we were seniors. “Went by fast.”
“Sure did.” He leaned against the railing.
A few of the guys headed inside to play video games. Danny, Adan, Jacob, and I remained on the porch.
“I didn’t know Em and Marlo were coming by,” Danny said, nodding to the girls heading our way.
Em hadn’t said anything to me about wanting to hang out.
When she neared the porch, she stopped. “You heading next door?”
I shrugged. “Wasn’t planning on it.”
“Marlow and I are going over for a bit.”
I nodded. She didn’t ask me to join her.
Things between us had been…off. I’d known her my entire life.
We were friends. But ever since my dad told me it was time to make things official, it was like we didn’t know how to be around one another.
It was awkward as fuck. I had a hard time even calling her my girlfriend.
“You don’t want to head over?” Danny asked, watching the girls walk next door.
I eyed him sidelong. “If you want to go, no one’s stopping you.” I took another drink. It was hot and humid as hell. After another sip, I decided to head inside and see what everyone else was up to.
As I turned, something latched onto my ribs, sharp and sudden, yanking me back. Not a thought. Not a sound. A pull. I stilled, my breath catching, and turned my head.
Two girls were crossing the street.
And then there was only her.
Everything else fell away like it didn’t exist.
She hit me like a punch to the chest.
Long dark waves. Bright blue eyes. Freckles scattered across her nose like something I had the insane urge to memorize.
Mine.
The word landed hard and fast in my head, knocking the air from my lungs.
“You’ve got some drool,” Adan said, bumping my shoulder.
I shoved him, unable to look away from her.
Someone said something behind me. Maybe my name. But I didn’t turn. I couldn’t turn. My entire world had narrowed to the girl walking away from me, and the growing, unbearable need to follow her.
Setting my beer down, I jumped off the porch and headed next door. I had to know who she was. I had to meet her.
Jacob’s hand landed on my shoulder. “You’re going to the party?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Hang on, I’ll go with you.” He said something to Danny and Adan over my shoulder, but I didn’t catch it. I was too busy fixating on the girl who’d just walked by.
I’d never seen anyone as pretty as her. And I’d never felt a visceral connection like this before.
“All right,” Jacob said. “Let’s go.”
“What’s the matter with you?” Danny asked. “You’re shaking.”
I think he was talking to me. “I’m fine.” I needed to get into the backyard and see her again. There was something about her. I wanted to…I don’t know what. But I needed to be closer to her.
We went through the side gate into the backyard. About fifty people were hanging out. Austin had just started singing.
I scanned the yard until I found her. She was sitting in one of the white plastic chairs near the back.
Em stepped in front of me. “You came,” she said, smiling.
I forced my attention away from the girl and onto Em. My girlfriend. The one I should be focused on. What the fuck was I thinking? I couldn’t be attracted to someone else. And even if I was, I couldn’t act on it. Yet…there was something about her. Something different.
“Let’s dance,” I said to Em, needing to distract myself and get my head on straight. She was my girlfriend. The one my dad said I needed to marry to keep our pack strong.
She led me to the dance area set up in front of the band.
The song was slow, so I wrapped my arms around her. She slid her hands on my shoulders and laid her head against my chest. This felt nice. I relaxed.
Then I made the mistake of glancing over at the girl.
Adan was sitting next to her.
Something dark and vicious snapped inside my chest. My hands curled into fists. My jaw locked so hard it ached. A violent instinct rose fast and hot. Adan needed to get away from her.
Her gaze lifted and locked on mine. It hit me like a shockwave. Not a spark. Not a flicker. A full body jolt that snapped my spine straight and dragged a sharp breath from my lungs.
Recognition. Deep, immediate, unquestionable. Holy fuck. She wasn’t just a wolf. She was mine.
I tore my gaze away like it burned. I turned, putting my back to her. It didn’t help. I could still feel her behind me like a ball of fire. Like heat against my skin. Like something alive inside my chest was clawing its way toward her.
I needed to know who she was.
“I’ll be back,” I said to Em.
“Where are you going?”
“To talk to Adan.” I glanced up and saw Danny watching us. I waved him over. “Dance with Em.”
I half expected her to berate me for treating her like property, but she didn’t seem to mind. She smiled and wrapped her arms around Danny’s neck.
I hurried over to the fence where Adan was waiting. “What’s the deal?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“She’s definitely a wolf, but…”
“But what?” I demanded. If she was a wolf like us, I needed to tell my dad, the alpha of our pack. None of the other packs had asked permission to send one of their own onto our territory.
“But she’s also not.”
“What does that mean?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
I could feel her watching me again. This wasn’t good.
A few of the other rugby guys approached.
“You should’ve told us you were coming over,” Riley said.
“What’s with that chick?” Jacob nodded toward her.
“I have dibs,” Adan said. “I’ve been talking to her.”
We all looked her way, and I swear her face turned pink, making her even more stunning.
“Can you all stop staring at her?” Adan said. “You’re going to scare her off.”
The girl stood and started toward the gate. I glanced over and saw Em and Danny still dancing, even though the song had ended and Austin had moved on to something faster.
“I need to get her number,” Adan said, hurrying after her.
Jacob hit my arm. “Dude’s desperate.”
I just nodded, unable to stop staring. Whatever she was, whoever she was, she wasn’t something I could ignore. She was something I wouldn’t survive walking away from.