14. Miles

FOURTEEN

MILES

Taking Celina to the mountains had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. I'd woken up that morning with a desperate need to go into the wilderness and connect with nature. To unwind and be away from the world for a little while. It was what I needed, but it also felt hollow, like something would be missing if I went alone.

My wolf, and I, wanted to be around Celina all the time. We were drawn to her. I was already beginning to feel some of the physical pain Steff and Tate had when they'd been waiting to claim their mates. Thankfully, Celina had agreed to join me.

Once we'd started driving up into the mountains, the stress of the previous day seemed to melt away. The trees, rivers, and mountains helped settle my nerves and brought my mind back under control. Having Celina with me made it all the better. I'd even found her to be more relaxed as she got to talking. In my opinion, the only reason people thought she was odd was the fact that she didn't have a lot of experience talking to people. Once she got going, she was charming, funny, and bright.

Surprisingly, she'd been very curious about me, which probably stemmed from her being a writer. How could one write about people's stories if you didn't know stories about people? I had to keep the truth about my childhood secret, and I didn't go into my banishment. I didn't want to lie to her, so instead of diving deep into my past, I tried to steer the conversation to the last ten or so years of my life.

The kiss had also been a last-second decision. Totally unplanned, spur of the moment, and probably the most exciting thing that had happened to me in my life. Celina looked so beautiful and peaceful with her cheeks red from the cold, her breath puffing out in small clouds. It had been too much for me. I wanted to take it all in and deepen our connection. My wolf and I had wanted to howl in elation when she didn't pull away. All the way down to the picnic area, I did my best to keep the goofy smile off my face.

I was happy to see that the picnic tables were all vacant. We'd have the place to ourselves—for a little while at least. I helped Celina out of the truck before grabbing the big cooler I'd prepped. We walked to the tables in silence, but it was a companionable, comfortable silence. Once there, I unpacked the food.

"Do you want a mimosa? I've got everything to make it." I shot her a teasing smile. "I wasn't sure if you'd be in the mood after your little party last night."

Celina made an embarrassed face and looked away, but I caught the hint of a smile quirking up her lips. "I think I can handle a mimosa."

"All right then," I said, pulling out the small jug of orange juice and a half bottle of champagne.

After I poured the drinks, I set out the plate of sliced fruit, a charcuterie board, and some crackers and nuts. I handed her a napkin and her drink, then sat down next to her.

She looked at the spread, then turned to me, one eyebrow raised. "You did all this? This morning?"

I felt my own face trying to go red the way hers usually did. "Well, yeah. I had a lot of it made already. I'm usually working a ton, so I've got a bunch of these snack-type foods ready to go." I rolled my eyes at myself. "I did, maybe, go out this morning to get the champagne, though."

Celina grabbed a thinly sliced piece of cheese and a cracker. "It's like Lunchables for grownups."

I laughed, grabbing an apple slice. "I guess you're right."

Celina took a few tiny bites, and I ate in silence, sipping from my drink every now and then. We'd only met a few days ago, but I'd already figured out some of her facial cues and body language. She was thinking about something, it was obvious a question was forming, but I continued eating, waiting for her to come out and ask whatever was stewing in that pretty head.

"Is this a date?" she blurted out. As soon as she said it, she clamped her lips shut as though she'd surprised herself by actually asking the question.

"Would it bother you if I said yes?"

She shook her head no, but her mouth was clamped firmly shut.

I raised my glass to her in a toast. "Then, I'm glad this is a date."

"Okay," Celina said, giving me a shy grin.

We ate in silence for a while. I was comfortable in silence, and if I had to guess, so was Celina. For me, the quiet wasn't uncomfortable—it relaxed me. I saw it as a time to experience more than words and conversation. There was a lot more to being with someone than talking. I enjoyed getting to see how she ate, and the way she wiped her lips with a napkin.

"Why?"

I stopped, a piece of cheese halfway to my mouth, and looked at her. "Huh?"

"Um…why did you bring me on a date?"

"I'm not sure I understand the question," I said, genuinely confused.

"I'm pretty self aware. I know enough about myself to know that most guys don't want to date me. You've been around me a few times. You know what I'm like." She cast her eyes down, not wanting to make contact with mine. "But you still brought me here."

I mulled over that, trying to think of how to answer that. There were a hundred things I could say. Instead of going on and on about how shitty all those other guys had been, I gave her the simplest answer I could think of.

"Celina, I like that you're different. You aren't weird or odd. You are different, and I like that. I'm also different. It makes me want to protect you. The thought of anyone hurting you, honestly, doesn't sit right with me. I'd like to show you that good guys do exist. A good man will accept you exactly how you are. Everything you see as flaws aren't flaws at all. I think you're beautiful." I grinned at her. "And I selfishly want all that beauty to myself."

As I spoke, Celina's eyes grew wide. I could tell that I had surprised her. "I guess…I don't know how to respond to that."

"You don't need to right now. Go on and eat."

She nibbled on a few grapes and more cheese before speaking up again. "How did you turn out like this?"

"Like what?"

"Confident. You always seem so sure of yourself."

"Well, damn. Now I'm not sure how to answer that." I thought for a minute about how to respond without giving away too much. Finally, I said, "I guess it's because I grew up in a really tight-knit community. We always helped each other. It was like one really big family. I had tons of people telling me I'd do great in life, people who helped me become a better person every day. Once it was time for me to…uh…venture out on my own, I did it with the knowledge that I had all the tools I needed to do anything I wanted." My wolf and I both felt a pang of regret, remembering my childhood and the pain of banishment. "I carried all those childhood lessons with me."

I was surprised when Celina put her hand on mine. I glanced up and saw the look of understanding in her eyes. We sat like that, unmoving, for several seconds. Some kind of connection happened at that moment.

"I know what that's like. To lose what you love. To be abandoned."

I'd never said anything about my banishment. In fact, I'd done everything I could to keep that part hidden. Still, she must have seen the pain in my eyes and guessed there was more to it than what I'd revealed. My heart lurched to my throat, the wellspring of sadness on the verge of spilling over. Thankfully, I was able to choke it all back down.

"I won't ask any questions," Celina said, squeezing my hand. "Things like that aren't easy to talk about. But if you ever want to? I'd be happy to hear the whole story."

My heart gave a happy lurch. I turned my hand over so our fingers could intertwine. "Fair enough," I said. "I promise to tell you the whole story one day. All the details."

She smiled and squeezed my hand again. "I look forward to it."

We got back to the apartment complex a couple hours later. It had been one of the best days I could ever remember. That was why the feeling of impending danger that filled me as we pulled into the parking lot was so off-putting.

My wolf felt it first, then the same sense of unease filled me. The complex itself looked dangerous. Like there was something wrong. Or, more accurately, there was someone wrong. At the top floor, leaning over the railing and watching us, was Felicity. My eyes narrowed as I climbed out of the truck. Felicity saw us and waggled her fingers at me in a wave while Celina grabbed the cooler out of the backseat of the truck.

Celina finally noticed the other woman and gave a big wave. "Hey. I didn't know you were coming over. Have you been waiting long?" she called.

Felicity shook her head and started down the stairs. Every instinct in my body was telling me that this woman was trouble. I couldn't get a read on exactly why. She kept looking at me like a slab of meat to be devoured. If I had been less perceptive, I would simply have assumed she was just another horny woman looking for a fun night. But Felicity came on too strong. Almost awkwardly so, like it was an act she was really hoping I'd fall for.

I stepped close to Celina and put an arm around her. "What's your friend's last name?" I asked.

"Huh? Felicity? Cruz, I think. She told me when we met. Why do you ask?"

"She seems familiar is all." The lie burned in my throat.

Felicity got to the bottom of the stairs and gave us both a wave. "Sorry to interrupt."

"No worries. I was just dropping Celina off. I need to head to work. I was going to walk her up to her apartment."

Before I could say anything else, Felicity stepped forward and looped her arm into Celina's, then stepped toward the stairs. "I've got it from here."

I put a hand on Celina's face and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you later. Make sure you put your feet up after all that hiking."

"Okay, sure."

I watched them walk up the stairs. Celina turned and gave me a little wave as they got to the top landing. Alarm bells went off in my head. Something wasn't right about that woman. My wolf wasn't going crazy with worry, which was the only reason I'd let Celina go with Felicity. I didn't sense any danger toward my mate. At least not yet. This was about me. That meant only one thing.

I got in my truck and dialed Blayne.

"Miles? Damn, I was actually about to call you. I've got the list down to four or five solid names."

"List?" I asked, still looking up at Celina's apartment, barely comprehending what he was saying.

"Yeah. The list? The leader of the hunter organization?"

"Shit, right. Sorry. Not to be a dick, but can we put that on the back burner for a second? I need you to call the guys. Get them to the office. Now."

"Bro, what happened? What's going down?"

"I'll explain when I get there. If my gut instinct is right, it means we have a new hunter in town."