I think I bruised my ass. As I'm hanging onto the back of a chair, there's a continuous throbbing that's slow to ebb than everywhere else that was hurting. I bent my head, squeezing my eyes tight and inhaled deeply then let it out slowly. It didn't do shit.

Raising my head, I glanced in the direction of the dining room entrance. Behind the dining room wall was the front hallway and the front door where an unexpected visitor was still waiting. What was Easton doing here anyway?

My nose scrunched and my ears felt hot all of a sudden. The longer I stared, the longer I didn't have to see the moody ass Werewolf. But then my dad walked by behind me and I could hear his voice carry over with, "He's waiting..."

I rolled my eyes, squeezing the back of the chair a bit before letting out a long, defeated sigh and headed out of the room. It was a long walk to my front door. Or, at least it felt like it. The entire time I was wracking my brain to figure out what could possibly bring Easton, of all people, to my house. It was so out of the way from Aunt Penny's that was a straight path from the forest where the pack grounds was.

Because my cousin's husband resigned from being Alpha to what was formerly known as the Dennison pack and handed it off to Alpha Brown—another alpha on the wealthier part of Blood Moon Falls called Sage Circle—there was a mix of those from the former Dennison pack now residing in Sage Circle and vice versa.

Dad and I lived in Sage Circle. Alpha Brown had designated a two story house for us as part of the allegiance now held between the pack here in Blood Moon Falls and the Alliance. Alpha Brown even had houses for my cousin and her parents for whenever they were visiting town.

And with the Six living in the forest pack grounds, you can see why it was a bit of a head scratcher to why Easton would go across town just to stop by here.

The moody Werewolf shouldn't be here. Not without the Six. I was so used to seeing him in his group that to find out he's all by himself was putting me on edge.

Standing in front of the door, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. Unrealistically, I kept thinking if I stood here long enough that Easton would just... go away. But that's wishful thinking, wasn't it?

A muffled, "I can hear you breathing, Red," came through the door and it startled me. My eyes widened, blinking repeatedly at the door and wondered how Easton knew it was me and not my dad. Frowning at the door, I tugged it open and came face to face with the tall blond Werewolf. I was around five-nine—not too short, not too tall—but I still had to look up a bit to meet Easton's eye level. The guy had to be around six-two since a few years back.

My immediate reaction to being too close was to give him a frown as I glanced down at how close he was to the threshold then took a step back. Easton had the tiniest smirk as I did this, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jean jacket but didn't move away from where he was. Personal space didn't exist for this guy.

The color of his eyes were a shade darker at the moment. I wasn't sure if it was because of him being on the porch or what, but the icy blue was more cobalt now, and they zoned in on when my mouth pursed to the side.

Ignoring that, I tucked my hands into the pockets of my jeans, although my fingers barely fit. Shrugging, I cleared my throat. "Hi." Laaaaaame. I winced at my greeting, but I didn't know what else to say. Besides, when you see someone, saying 'hi' is acceptable. So, why was it so awkward with Easton?

I pulled a hand from my pocket, rubbing the back of my neck as I asked what Easton was doing here. He stared at me for another ten seconds—honestly, I think he did shit like that on purpose because he knows how much that makes me squirm—which made me fidget from one foot to the other. I kept glancing down between us to him and back, and a few more times after.

When Easton's scrutinizing gaze pacified, his features hardened into a frown and growled, "Food."

My brows shot up, craning my neck forward and stammered, "So—sorry?"

"Food, Red. I said, food."

His nickname was blatantly obvious but something I never understood was why he couldn't just say my name. He has never said my name.

"What do you mean?" I sounded offended, though I was confused by his short worded responses.

Easton raised a brow, head tilting a bit. His eyes narrowed a bit. "You're taking care of Maddox's fish... aren't you?" he asks like he's talking to a toddler.

I frowned, nodding that I was, jabbing a thumb over my shoulder. "He's in my room."

The werewolf's features smoldered, his already lifted eyebrow rising more. Easton grinned, "That an invitation, Red?"

My head tilted, staring like an idiot at the smirking werewolf until it clicked what he was insinuating and I scowled, "No."

That smirk stayed in place until I sighed, asking why it mattered about Maddox's birthday present but instead of a verbal response, Easton pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to me. I struggled to catch it, it fumbling a few times until hugging it to my chest. When I looked at it, it was a new container of fish food. The day before when Thea dropped off the fish, she'd given me what was a free packet that came with the fish. She mentioned that the owner at the pet store had run out of fish food (what are the odds of that happening?) but that she'd bring me a new container today.

I looked at Easton with both hands in his pockets again.

"Oh..." I nodded slowly, turning the container then frowned at the Werewolf. "Why are you the one delivering it?" So random, Kale...

Easton's neck craned back, brows furrowing. "The hell do you mean?"

"Well, yeah. I just meant..." I shook my head that I was expecting my cousin or her husband to drop off the fish food. "Soooo... why are you the one bringing it instead?"

The guy lived in the forest pack grounds. Aunt Penny was where Thea and her family stayed on short visits, but since it was going to be a few weeks of being in town, I was sure that Thea, Dennison, and the boys were in their Sage Circle home. So I wasn't exactly connecting why have Easton cross town instead of Thea who was in pretty much walking distance. As a matter of fact, I could have gone over later to grab the fish food.

Easton rolled his eyes a bit, turning his gaze despite the scowl he wore now. He mentioned that something had come up for my cousin and Easton was asked to go into town for the food before dropping it off to me. The Were shrugged a shoulder that there was a small get together happening here in Sage Circle tonight anyway so it wasn't entirely out of Easton's way.

"Oh," came my lame reply followed by a rather long moment of uncomfortable silence. Shifting from one foot to the other again, I was thinking maybe I should say something but then Easton sucked in a breath, sighing, "Welp... Later." and gave me a nod. He turned on his heel, starting to head toward the porch stairs.

"Well, hey!" I frowned, taking a step forward. Good God, Kale! He was leaving! What the hell are you doing?!

Easton stopped at the top of the steps, looking over his shoulder, brows furrowed. That cobalt gaze still shadowed by the porch awning over us. He raised a brow when I stammered if that was it. Easton straightened, turning to face me.

"Were you expecting something else... Red?" 

The Were's gaze locked on mine while I stood there gaping at him. Easton didn't say anything, just waited for me to sputter some kind of response. He even took a few steps over to lean back against one of the porch columns. His hands still tucked into his jacket pockets, Easton's boot crossed over the other at the ankle, leaning back in what had become a typical 'Easton posture', I noticed. It was a casual look that was hard not to notice... for me at least. It was kind of intimidating.

Easton tilted his head and his blond hair that he'd grown out to his shoulders was parted to the side, falling easier in the same direction he tipped his head. It contrasted a bit with the clean kept short beard he sported now. Vast difference from when I first met him, and again, it added to the intimidation look he was going for.

The Were's gaze squinted a bit, seeing my discomfort obviously and his brows furrowed as he shrugged, waiting for me to say something.

Glancing at the porch floorboards, I noted that they creaked when I leaned my weight a bit forward to keep my nerves settled. I swallowed hard, hesitating before shaking my head that it was nothing. I weakly grinned, holding up the fish food and thanked him before lowering my hand to my side. Then I started to turn back into the house.

"You do something different to your hair, Red?" Easton asked, making me halt and look over my shoulder at him. He was still in that casual 'Joe Cool' pose.

My hand immediately went to the back of my head, my fingers raking into my grown out hair. I frowned, replying that I didn't do anything different. Not really. "I... I let it grow out a bit, I guess?"

For a moment, Easton's gaze shifted to my fingers in my hair then shifted back to my face. He pushed his back off the porch column, making his way over and I felt my eyes widen the closer he got. Once he was in front of me, Easton squinted at the front of my hair. The fringe fell in front of my eyes a little more than I'd like so I blinked a few times without moving otherwise.

As for Easton, he pulled a hand from his pocket and pinched the tip of my fringe between his fingers. His fingers shifted, curling my hair around one finger instead while the corner of his lip tugged twitched into a barely-there grin. His gaze flicked to mine and my eyes widened, feeling my face and ears go hot.

"Nothing against whatever you're going for here... but I kind of like when this part is a little shorter." Easton's eye color shimmered gold as he muttered, "To see that remarkable eye color better."

My lips parted, the heat in my face now crawling down the back of my neck. I blinked a few times, swallowing hard. Easton's small smirk was still there, tucking his hand back into his pocket. He leaned down, meeting my eye level and I craned by neck back a centimeter. Not sure why not more.

The eye contact was... well, intense but the Were's gaze looked my face over for a bit then muttered, "Catch you later, Red." before turning away and actually heading down the porch steps this time.

I stood there, watching Easton retreat down the grassy pathway leading down the small hill to where most of the Sage Circle housing was located. It wasn't until he was out of sight that I realized I'd been holding my breath.

My eyes widened, trying to catch my breath. Licking my lips, I frowned at the fish food in my hand then headed back inside. It couldn't be helped that my fingers touched the tip of my fringe, rubbing my fingers together as I shut the door.

"Well, that was painful to eavesdrop in."

Whipping around, I shot my dad a look standing in the entryway of the dining room with his arms crossed. A glint of amusement in his eyes while grinning at me. I rolled my eyes, throwing back that he was a nosy weirdo then I walked past him to cut through the dining area to get to the hallway that led to the stairs leading up to my room.

Dad chuckled that he wasn't sure I was going to make it through that entire interaction with how squirmy I was being.

"I was not!" I shot back, giving him a frown.

"Okay, you weren't," Dad huffed through a grin, walking past me to the kitchen.

Shaking my head and feeling that ridiculous heat returning to my face and ears, I whipped around, telling my dad that I didn't need him breathing down my neck about what happened outside.

"I don't know where you get off on this idea of feelings happening between Easton and me, Dad! I'm not interested in Easton like that! I'm not interested in Easton, at all for that matter! The guy's a fucking brick wall for crying out loud! Has been for years!"

I sighed, frowning at the ground and shrugged a shoulder as I added that I didn't blame the guy when the tragedy from four years before still harbored some dark loss in the Werewolf.

Dad didn't say anything until I looked up at him. His features softened, nodding that he understood what I was referring to despite talk that Easton was angry at the world and took it out on anyone who crossed his path. I nodded in agreement until Dad paused a second then tossed out, "But I don't get that when he's around you."

My eyes widened, craning my neck forward. "Sorry... What now?"

My dad shrugged a shoulder, nodding to the side as he leaned against the wall. "I said that I don't get that sense when he's around you." He waved in my direction then replaced his hand back to crossing over his chest. "While keeping out of sight, I was close enough just now that the boy's aura is actually quite calm—clear, even—when you're in close proximity. It's something I've noticed these past years."

I scrunched my nose, brows furrowing and craned my neck back. I didn't get a word out but he obviously saw it all over my face. Dad shrugged again.

"It's true, Son. You already know that I have the ability to feel and see auras. I don't have to touch them to see it." He adds that it was peculiar with Easton, though, because he has half an aura.

Frowning, I tilted my head. "Half...?"

"Half," Dad parroted.

Then I remembered what that could mean and sighed, shoulders sagging, "His half."

Easton was a twin. His twin sister was everything to him, and four years ago she'd been killed in battle by my own grandfather. Langley's death had made Easton lose it. I'll never forget that look in his eyes seeing his sister lying lifeless... and only a few feet from my friend, Maddox, who died trying to defend Langley. They'd been lovers for only a short time, but Langley had always been Easton's other half.

The agonizing cry Easton made as he held his younger sister in his arms still plays so clearly in my mind. He was rocking back and forth, pleading for his sister to wake up. Since then, though, Easton wasn't the same. He'd lost that 'twinkle' others were used to, even me. Although I wasn't fucking overjoyed with the way he'd keep eyeing me since that day of Aunt Penny's wedding, it was devastating to watch someone who'd been so full of life... make a total one-eighty.

"He's incomplete, Kale," Dad interrupted my thoughts. He paused and shrugged that he could feel Easton's aura and saw how quickly it changed when around certain people. Dad explained how Easton's anger always resembled the shape of a swarm of buzzing bees; angry ones. It was constant until he was around his former alpha when the swarm didn't buzz so much but were still a little dark. But it was when Easton was near me that the aura swarm of bees would relax.

"In fact, his aura doesn't look like a swarm at all," Dad mentions, frowning curiously at the floor. "Instead, there's this very faint ball of light in the dark swarm that brightens the longer he's around you."

I frowned, shrugging a shoulder as I asked why Dad thought that was. My face heated up again.

"I don't really know," Dad admitted, raising his brows. "But perhaps it has to do with you, Son. There's something about you that distracts that heavy, angry swarm. Perhaps it has to do with your coy behavior around him."

My eyes narrowed. "I'm not coy. I'm uncomfortable."

Dad rolled his eyes, muttering, "Fine. Awkward, then."

"Really, Dad? That's not much better..." I scolded.

My father shrugged that it didn't matter, grinning that all that mattered was that I was a good influence for Easton. Even after I scoffed, shaking my head that my father was delusional and was losing his touch on his gifted capability, his face became stern. Soft stern, but still a look that was trying to make a point.

"He likes you, Kale. More than a friend."

"No, he doesn't!" I growled, narrowing my eyes. My face heated up while pointing at Dad that to not say another word. "I'm not discussing this anymore. I'll be in my room, forgetting this conversation ever happened."

"Kale..." Dad tried but I shook my head, throwing a hand up as I raised my voice to shout, "Nope!" then headed down the hallway, hurrying up the stairs and making a beeline to my room. I slammed my bedroom door for good measure.

Huffing an annoyed breath, I glanced to where Dad put the fishbowl. That little shit was swimming frantically around in circles again. I must have startled him.

I looked at the container of food in my hand as I leaned back against my bedroom door, frowning for a moment then dropped my arm to my side. Tipping my head back against the door, I sighed and shut my eyes. Dad's blatant observation about Easton's attention towards me wasn't news to me. I'm not stupid though I pretend to be when everyone can clearly see the way that moody ass werewolf acts around me. But why me? What did I do or say that gave Easton the green light to chase my tail—no pun intended—all these years?

"Whatever..." I muttered, making way to the fish and twisted the cap off the container after reading the back instructions on how much to put into the bowl. Leaning at eye-level with the fish whose frantic swimming returned to normal, I put in a pinch of the flaky food and watched it drift down in various directions. The fishbowl now looking like a snow-globe.

The flaky leaves made the fish go haywire as it was swimming around like his tail fin was on fire all around the bowl to catch its food.

"Eat up, Little Shit," I sighed, recapping the food container and placed it next to the fishbowl.

The next fifteen minutes was me lying on my bed and looking up when and how to clean a fishbowl. Didn't want to kill the fish or hand over the birthday gift with a dirty living space. I made some mental notes then thought better and bookmarked the page for later reference.

A knock on my door had me shut my phone off and tell Dad that it was open. He stepped into my room, looking at the fish then at me. He crossed his arms. "So..."

I narrowed my eyes, under the impression we were going to have that Easton talk again. "So...?" I pressed.

"Are you going with me to the gathering tonight?" he asks, giving me an expectant look.

Ignoring his look, I shrugged, frowning that I wasn't sure since it was going to be kind of boring to hang out alone. "Not much to do or talk to anyone when they've all kind of have their own little groups already."

Dad raised a brow, asking if maybe that wouldn't be the case if I'd not purposely isolate myself from everyone around. I frowned, crossing my arms.

He wasn't wrong. Any time there was a get together of some sort with the pack, I tended to steer clear of everyone other than my family. Often times, I would be attached to my cousin's hip or offering my help in the kitchen—particularly when it had to do with baking. It didn't give anyone outside of my family the opportunity to really get me alone. I can thank Easton for that, I guess.

As for the Six, they weren't, technically, my friends. They weren't exactly approachable to begin with, other than Langley... and her twin, I guess.

Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair after sitting up and gave a nose-scrunched groan my dad's way. "Do I have to...?" I sounded like a petulant child.

With a raised brow, Dad replied with a curt, "Yes. Now get up." before making his way out of my room. As he was shutting my door, he popped his head back in and quipped, "Make sure to look nice, though, Kale. I'm sure the extra effort will be appreciated by Easton."

"Dad!"

The door shut, muffling his laugh. That asshole.