Chapter 7
SEVEN
Selena
I wake to heat.
Not the soft summer warmth that seeps through an open window, but a wildfire under my skin. The full moon hasn’t even risen yet, but the bond is already pulling, clawing, demanding. My body hums with it, restless and aching, like every cell knows exactly what it’s missing.
Foster.
His name is the first thought in my head, the last word I breathe when I try to steady myself. I press my palms to my face, willing the fever to cool, but it doesn’t. Nothing does.
I dress quickly, tugging on jeans and a sweater even though they feel suffocating against my too-warm skin.
Work will distract me, I tell myself. If I keep moving, keep smiling, maybe no one will notice that I’m falling apart inside.
The bookstore hums with its usual morning rhythm. People stand in line to order drinks and pasties from the café, while others amble down the aisles, searching for their next favorite read.
I stand behind the counter, letting the routine of checking out customers and analyzing new stock fill my mind, so I’m not obsessing over Foster and his whereabouts.
Can he feel this, too?
Penny comes in around noon, her bright voice greeting a regular. She spots me and waves, her smile slipping only for a heartbeat before she pastes it back on.
“Hey there!” she says, like nothing is broken between us.
I force a smile. “Hey.”
“How’s it going?” she asks, studying me with concern. “You look kind of flushed. Are you feeling okay?”
I open my mouth to tell her that it’s the mating heat, then snap it shut. I’m not sure if she’ll get upset at the reminder that I’m fated to her brother, and I don’t want to upset her.
“Selena?” She steps closer.
“I’m fine,” I assure her. “It’s just the…full moon.”
Understanding dawns in her eyes, and she looks guilty for a moment. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nod. “Yeah. It’s fine. It’ll pass soon.”
Even as I say it, my body burns hotter, and the ache inside me becomes more persistent.
She reaches across the counter, squeezing my hand. “I planned to stock the shelves, but I can handle the register if you’d rather do inventory.”
I nod eagerly. “That would be great. Thanks.”
I head to the back of the bookstore, waiting until the door swings shut behind me before I lean against the cool cement wall and take a deep breath. I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive tonight without searching out Foster.
Penny’s face flashes behind my eyes, and I flinch.
I can’t. I made a promise to her, and I would never betray or do anything to hurt her.
I take a few deep breaths, push away from the wall, and get back to work.
As the day progresses, things don’t improve.
I stock shelves and try not to notice how my hands shake when I reach for the next book.
Every time Penny laughs with a customer, it feels like glass lodging in my chest. I miss her and the easy relationship we had before I turned eighteen.
I miss Foster. The bond makes both losses burn hotter.
I last until four before I cave. My excuses sound thin even to me, but Penny doesn’t argue. Maybe she’s relieved I’m leaving. Maybe she doesn’t want to see me unravel.
I hurry home, ignoring the people who try to greet me. I’m stretched too thin. I need the safety of my house, of my bed.
By the time I get home, the heat inside me has sharpened into something almost unbearable. I lock the door behind me, as if that will keep me safe from Foster, from myself, from the part of me that wants to run straight into his arms and never let go.
The house is quiet, but my thoughts aren’t. All I can think about is Foster: his body, his hands, his lips. I need him.
I need him.
I press my forehead to the cool wood of my bedroom door, then stumble onto the bed, curling up tight. My pulse beats like a drum in my ears, a steady chant of his name.
Does he feel this too? The restless hunger, the way every second without him stretches too long, too sharp. Is he fighting it as hard as I am? Or is he losing the battle?
The moon will rise soon, and when it does, I don’t know if either of us will be strong enough to resist.