Dane’s POV
"I have to go ho... it’s late." She tried to sit up from the mat, but I gently pinned her down, climbing over her without putting any weight on her. Her brows furrowed, clearly confused by my sudden action, but I didn’t move further. I didn’t touch her inappropriately. I just... stared. God, she was beautiful. The way the moonlight kissed her skin, the little crease between her brows, her lips slightly parted—it was enough to knock the air out of my lungs. I could stay like this forever. And that flutter in my chest again... what the hell was that? Am I falling in love with her?
My wolf scoffed in the back of my mind. "Of course you are, idiot. It’s painfully obvious."
I swallowed hard, my heart racing as the words tumbled out before I could stop them. "I think I’m falling in love with you, Hailee."
Her eyes widened, stunned, her mouth opening just slightly in disbelief. She didn’t say anything for a second. I didn’t bla her—hell, I hadn’t expected to say that out loud either. I’d known her for only a few days, but it felt like she’d already carved a permanent space inside .
Hailee suddenly scoffed, her tone sharp and disbelieving. "You can’t be serious."
"I am," I cut in, my voice firr now. "I’m definitely serious. I’ve never been this serious in my entire life."
Her face twisted into a mix of frustration and disbelief. "Dane, we made out. That’s it. You don’t love . You can’t fucking love . That’s not what this is."
I blinked, her words hitting harder than I expected. But still... I shook my head. "Don’t tell what I feel. I know what this is. It’s not just lust or a heat-of-the-mont thing. I feel sothing for you, Hailee. I don’t care how fast or reckless it seems—I know it’s real."
Her chest rose and fell as she exhaled sharply. Then her frown deepened.
"Please get off ," she said. "I need to get dressed. I need to go ho."
I hesitated, not ready to move, not ready to let the mont end like this—but the look in her eyes left no room for argunt. Reluctantly, I shifted off her and watched as she sat up, grabbing her clothes, her back to now.
Releasing a heavy sigh, I grabbed my clothes and began dressing too. The ride back to her apartnt was quiet. Too quiet. Hailee stared out the window the whole ti, her arms folded tightly across her chest, lips pressed into a firm line. The glow from the passing streetlights flashed over her face, and every few seconds, I caught her brows twitching like she was in deep thought.
She didn’t say a single word, and I didn’t press her. But it was killing . Was she refusing to believe I loved her... because she didn’t feel the sa? Or worse—because she loved soone else?
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. That thought—that possibility—hurt at like a damn parasite. I hated it. I hated that she made feel this way. And still, I’d rather feel all of it than walk away from her.
When we pulled up in front of her apartnt building, she reached for the door handle instantly, like she couldn’t get away fast enough.
"Hailee," I said, stopping her. My voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "Wait."
She paused but didn’t look at .
"Just tell ," I said. "Are you pushing away because you don’t believe ... or because your heart already belongs to soone else?"
That made her freeze. Her hand still on the door, her shoulders stiff. I could almost see the war happening inside her head.
"I..." she started, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I don’t know what you want to say, Dane."
"I want the truth," I said. "Even if it’s ugly. Even if it hurts."
She finally turned her head slightly, her profile lit by the streetlamp. "I don’t know what I feel," she admitted softly. "You say you’re falling for , but you don’t know . Not really. You know what I showed you. What I let you see. And I can’t give you sothing real if I’m still figuring myself out."
That hurt, but at least it wasn’t another man.
Still, I had to know. "Is there soone else?"
She looked away for a mont as if deliberating in thought, then she looked at finally, her gaze unreadable. "Thanks for the ride, Dane."
She opened the door and stepped out, and for a second I thought she’d leave it at that. But before she shut the door, she leaned back in just a little.
"Thanks... I had a great ti.. I’ll see you tomorrow."
Then she closed the door gently and walked into the building without looking back.
And ? I just sat there like an idiot watching her until she got inside her apartnt.
The drive back to the packhouse felt longer than it actually was. Every turn of the wheel, every bump in the road, just gave my mind more room to spiral. I kept replaying that one last glance she gave before stepping out of the car... God, I wanted to hold onto that forever. At least she didn’t walk away angry. At least she said she’d see tomorrow.
"At least she didn’t reject you. That’s a good sign," my wolf comforted.
I didn’t respond. I was too busy trying to untangle what the hell I was feeling.
By the ti I stepped into the packhouse, it was close to bedti. The sitting room was quiet. I thought everyone would be asleep by now, but...
"Dane," a familiar voice called.
I looked up to see Nathan standing near the hallway, dressed like he was heading out. Car keys in one hand, jacket half on.
"Hey," I muttered, trying to walk past him.
"Hold up," he said, stepping in front of . "Where are you coming from?"
I blinked. "Why are you asking?"
His jaw tensed. He took a slow step toward , sniffing the air once, then again, more deliberately this ti. His eyes darkened instantly.
"Why is Hailee’s scent all over you?" he growled.
That’s when it clicked. Shit. I’d been with her for hours. Close to her. On top of her. Of course her scent would cling to .
"I was with her," I said carefully, watching his expression shift.
"With her?" he repeated, his voice hard. His entire posture shifted—tighter, more alert.
I nodded once. "Yeah."
He furrowed his brow, stepping closer now, his eyes narrowed like he was trying to read between the lines. "When you say you were with her... do you an—" His voice dropped low. "Did you touch her?"
I said nothing.
"Did you kiss her?" he asked, each word like it was ripped from his throat. "Because her scent... it’s everywhere on you. Just being close to her won’t make her scent cling on you like a second skin."
I didn’t answer. Didn’t move. I just stared at him for a beat too long... and then walked past him without saying another word.
But we both knew I’d already answered him. Silence said more than a confession ever could.
The morning ca too quickly. I barely slept. My mind had been stuck on Hailee. I dragged myself out of bed, dressed for school, and headed out. Arriving at school, it was the usual routine. The usual girls waving, whispering, giving those flirty smiles. But I barely noticed any of them.
My eyes searched for only one person.
By the ti I got to class, she was already there—talking to Callum. Sothing in twisted at the sight. He stood close to her desk, his body language casual, hers more animated, but I could feel the pull between them even from a distance. The way she looked at him... it got so jealous.
When she noticed my presence, she lifted up her gaze and looked at . I smiled faintly and waved. She waved back, a soft smile tugging at her lips.
I took my seat near the front, trying not to glance back.
A few minutes later, Nathan walked in. He didn’t even look in her direction. No smile. No nod. No subtle acknowledgnt. He just strode to the back of the room and sat like she didn’t even exist.
But I saw how her eyes followed him. How her expression shifted from curiosity to confusion to worry.
She kept glancing over her shoulder, biting her lip, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her notebook.
She likes him. She really likes him. It was written all over her face—etched in the way she looked at him, wanting him to look at her or acknowledge her.
But he never did.
And the way her shoulders drooped when he ignored her?
That told everything I needed to know.
Reviews
All reviews (0)