Chapter 13
Nathan
I stood at the edge of the pack's outdoor training grounds, arms crossed, watching as wolves of all ages stretched and prepared for the session.
Gavin had called earlier to say he wouldn't make it, he was tied up with the missing woman case. I understood that. I’d missed many of these before retiring from the police department and taking over as alpha when my father died.
The training grounds were positioned nearly halfway between my house and the pack house on the pack land. A good spot to shift back and forth without prying eyes.
My wolf stirred uneasily when I saw Rissa walking onto the field.
I should've expected her presence to set me on edge, but the moment she stepped onto the dirt, it was like the whole damn world shifted.
She was dressed in workout leggings and a tank top, her long black hair pulled into a high ponytail.
I cursed myself for noticing how damn good she looked.
Rissa glanced around, taking everything in with amusement and calculation. She'd clearly been trained before. I could tell by the way she carried herself, but I still wanted to see her in action.
I cleared my throat and forced myself back to the task at hand. "Pair up," I called out. "We're working on defensive maneuvers first."
The pack members started grouping together. I walked among them, offering tips and adjusting stances and grips. But my gaze kept drifting back to Rissa as she squared off against her partner. Her movements were fluid and precise. She had a grace to her that was almost mesmerizing.
I shook my head, trying to clear the fog.
This was training, not a damn spectator sport.
I needed to keep my head in the game. But even as I turned my attention back to the other wolves, I could feel the pull of her presence like a magnet.
It unsettled me, the effect she had. I didn't like feeling out of control.
"Good," I said, nodding at a younger wolf who had just executed a perfect block. "Remember, it's all about anticipating your opponent's next move."
As I spoke, I couldn't help but wonder what Rissa's next move would be. Or mine. Because standing there, watching her, I knew one thing for sure: whatever this was between us, it was far from over. My wolf knew it, too.
Rissa stepped toward Krystal, a playful glint in her eye.
Krystal grinned. "You any good?"
Rissa smirked. "Guess you'll find out."
I nodded approvingly, but for some reason, my stomach twisted. I should have wanted Rissa paired with Krystal. It was a fair matchup. But as I started demonstrating a blocking technique to another pair, I found my attention divided, my gaze straying to Rissa far too often.
Krystal landed a decent strike on Rissa's shoulder and stumbled slightly, laughing as she regained her footing. The sound carried across the training ground. It made something clench in my chest.
My fingers twitched with the ridiculous urge to step in. I curled them into a fist, trying to ignore the restless energy building under my skin. But my wolf wasn't having it. He prowled back and forth, hackles raised, ready to intervene at the slightest provocation.
"Rissa, come here," I said, carefully neutral.
She blinked in surprise but jogged over to me. "What? Am I doing something wrong?"
I shook my head, not quite meeting her gaze. "I just, uh, want to demonstrate something."
It was a flimsy excuse, and we both knew it. But I couldn't just stand by and watch anymore. Not when every instinct in my body was screaming at me to get closer, to touch her, if just for a moment, under the guise of training.
Rissa raised an eyebrow but stepped into position across from me without comment. I took a defensive stance, gesturing for Rissa to come at me. "Are you sure you want this?" she asked, a playful challenge in her tone.
I smirked. "You tell me."
The moment she lunged, I realized she was fast. Faster than I expected. She threw a quick jab, which I blocked easily, but then followed it up with a leg sweep. I barely avoided it, my reflexes kicking in just in time.
"Not bad," I acknowledged with a hint of surprise.
"Not bad?" Rissa huffed, circling me, studying me. "You're holding back."
I tilted my head, considering her words. "Maybe you are."
She laughed cockily. "Maybe I don't want to hurt you."
A grin tugged at my lips. "Try me."
And she did. Without hesitation, Rissa moved in with a controlled but powerful kick. It caught me off guard, and I stumbled back a step, the impact reverberating through my body.
Rissa grinned in triumph. "Told you."
Something shifted inside me, a surge of energy. I dropped my stance then moved with inhuman speed. She barely had time to react as I dodged her next strike, pivoted, and hooked her leg, flipping her onto the ground.
Rissa let out a sharp breath, her eyes wide as she landed on her back.
Before she could recover, I was on top of her, pinning her wrists beside her head.
Our chests heaved in unison, heat radiating between our bodies.
My grip tightened slightly as my wolf snarled in satisfaction, the scent of her filling my senses.
For a moment, I forgot where we were. Forgot about the pack watching us, the training session, everything. All I could focus on was the way Rissa felt beneath me, the rapid rise and fall of her chest, the way her lips parted slightly as she stared up at me.
Something unreadable flashed in her eyes, a flicker of emotion that vanished as quickly as it appeared. But it was enough to snap me back to reality, to remind me of the line I was dangerously close to crossing.
I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to lean in closer, to taste her lips and see if they were as soft as they looked. It took every ounce of self-control I had to pull away, to release her wrists and push myself to my feet.
Rissa sat up slowly, her cheeks flushed, her breathing still uneven. She wouldn't look at me as she stood and brushed dirt from her clothes.
"I think that's enough for today," I said roughly.
She still wouldn't look at me. "Yeah. I should probably go."
I watched her walk away, my wolf pacing restlessly inside me. It wanted to follow her, to pull her back and finish what we'd started. But I couldn't. Not now. Not like this.
So, I forced myself to turn away and focus on the rest of the training session. But even as I went through the motions, my thoughts kept drifting back to Rissa. To the way she felt in my arms, the heat that had ignited between us.
The following night, I stood in my kitchen, the aroma of grilled steak wafting through the air as I finished preparing dinner. A knock sounded at the front door, interrupting my thoughts. I wiped my hands on a dish towel and went to answer it.
Krystal stood on the porch, her nine-year-old son Bryce bouncing excitedly beside her. "Thanks for watching him," she said with a grateful smile.
"No problem." I waved off her gratitude. "Elle will keep him busy." As if on cue, Bryce dashed inside, calling out for his favorite cousin.
"Uncle Nathan, where's Elle?" he asked.
"She's in her room, buddy. Why don't you go find her?" I suggested, ruffling his hair affectionately.
Bryce grinned and took off down the hallway, his feet pounding against the hardwood floor. Krystal watched him go, shaking her head with amusement and exasperation.
"I don't know where he gets all that energy," she said, chuckling softly.
"You were exactly the same way," I teased, enjoying the easy banter with my niece.
Krystal rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah, well, good luck keeping up with him."
I laughed, but as she turned to leave, I couldn't help but notice the weariness in her eyes, the slight slump of her shoulders. Being a single mom was tough, especially when you were keeping secrets from the father of your child.
Part of me wanted to tell her to come clean, to let Bryce's dad know the truth. But it wasn't my place. Krystal had to make that decision for herself, in her own time.
So I just gave her a quick hug and stepped out onto the front porch as she walked back to her car, my heart heavy with the weight of all the things left unsaid.
Gavin pulled up just as Krystal was leaving. He stepped out of his truck, rubbing a hand over his weary face. "Damn. Long day," he muttered as he approached.
I chuckled humorlessly. "That bad?"
Gavin groaned, following me inside. "No leads. No evidence. And now the feds want to get involved."
"Shit." The missing woman case was turning into a nightmare. As beta, Gavin took the weight of responsibility seriously. I could see the frustration etched into the lines of his face.
I grabbed a couple beers from the fridge and tossed one to Gavin. He caught it with a grateful nod, and we went into the living room.
Settling onto the couch, I flicked on the TV, the low din of a football game filling the room. Gavin exhaled heavily, sinking back into the cushions. "There's not a single damn clue to help us find her."
I frowned, taking a swig of my beer. The cool liquid did little to soothe the unease churning in my gut. "You think she's dead?"
Gavin shook his head, jaw clenched. "I don't know. That's the damn problem." He scrubbed a hand over his face, looking older than his forty years. "We've got nothing to go on. It's like she vanished into thin air."
I took another sip, mulling over the possibilities. We lapsed into silence. My thoughts drifted unbidden to Rissa, to the fierce determination that had flashed in her eyes during training.
I wondered what she'd make of all this and if she'd be able to help shed some light on the mystery. She had a keen mind, a way of seeing things others missed.
But I quickly pushed the thought aside. Rissa had enough on her plate without getting dragged into human police business.
As much as we suspected shifter involvement, we weren’t at all sure.
And I needed to focus on the problem at hand, not the distracting pull of attraction that flared whenever she was near.
I took another long pull of my beer, forcing my attention back to the game. But even as I watched the players clash on the screen, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were missing something vital. That the key to unraveling this mystery was hovering just out of reach.
Beside me, Gavin shifted restlessly, his own thoughts no doubt churning with the same unanswered questions. We sat in uneasy silence, two old friends grappling with a problem.
The game droned on, but my mind was miles away, lost in a tangle of thoughts and emotions.
Guilt twisted in my gut as I glanced at my beta, my closest friend and confidant. He had no idea about my growing feelings for his sister, and the thought of keeping something so significant from him was like a betrayal.
I needed to come clean and have an honest conversation with both Rissa and Gavin. But the prospect filled me with a sense of unease, a fear of disrupting the delicate balance we'd all fought so hard to maintain. Damn it. Why was this so difficult?