He could smell him, strong and unmistakable.
Darvin had been enjoying Jane's conversation so much that he almost forgot about the unresolved issues plaguing him. But now, his instincts were kicking in hard, alerting him that he was being watched.
The timing couldn't have been worse. Darvin knew it wasn't safe to be seen with Jane, and he didn't want to pull her into the danger that shadowed him. He hoped her journalist instincts hadn't noticed the change in his demeanor.
Suddenly, he stood up, startling Jane.
"I'm sorry, I have to leave," he said, attempting to mask his urgency with a smile.
"Oh, of course. I'm sorry I was yapping so much, I didn't even notice how fast time flew by," Jane chuckled awkwardly.
"It's nothing like that. I enjoyed the conversation," Darvin reassured her. "I just remembered something I need to take care of, and I'm on a tight deadline."
"No worries. I need to pick up my car from the mechanic anyway."
"Maybe we can try this again sometime, Jane." He offered a brief smile, shook her hand, and rushed out the door. The bell above the entrance jingled frantically as he pushed through.
As soon as he stepped outside, the smell intensified. Darvin recognized it immediately—his father's scent. It was so familiar he could identify it in his sleep. His eyes narrowed as his dormant wolf instincts stirred awake. He quickly moved toward his car, knowing he needed to get out of there fast.
He drove straight to the mansion, parking abruptly and leaping out of the car. His body was already surging with rage, his fangs threatening to emerge, and his breathing took on a low growl.
As he approached the door, he sensed something coming at him. He shifted just in time, but not before the hit grazed his stomach.
"Your senses have dulled," a voice teased with a mocking laugh.
Darvin rolled his eyes. "I should have known you'd be here too, Sophia," he said, brushing off the spot she'd struck.
"Your hits are still as weak as ever," he added with a smirk.
Sophia scoffed and led the way inside. "At least I didn't run away from the pack."
"Whatever," he chuckled, catching up to her and spreading his arms for a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, her head barely reaching his chest. Her long, wavy chestnut-brown hair tickled his chin.
"I've missed you, brother," she whispered.
"What was that?" Darvin teased, grinning.
"Nothing!" She playfully hit his chest and kept walking. "Dad's in the private garden. He wants to see you."
"And where are you going?" Darvin asked, curiosity and a slight unease creeping in. He wanted her by his side when he faced their father.
"I'm off to duel with Regal," she called out, heading in another direction.
"Leave the old man alone!" he shouted after her, shaking his head.
"Maybe you can duel me later!" she yelled back, her voice fading into the distance.
Darvin stood there for a moment, staring at the door to the private garden, uncertainty gnawing at him. How was he supposed to face his father? His mind swirled with doubt and anger.
He took a breath, slid the door open, and stepped into the garden. There, his father stood, staring into the distance, hands clasped behind his back. His long leather coat brushed the grass, and Darvin noticed greyer hair than when he'd last seen him. He was getting older.
"Are you just going to stand there?" his father asked calmly, not turning around. "No hug for your father? Or is your excitement only for your sister?" He turned to face Darvin, his expression sharp, clearly trying to stir guilt.
Darvin approached silently and stood beside him.
"This house—no, this land, was blessed by the Moon Goddess for us wolves," his father began, glancing at Darvin's expressionless face.
"We lived here in peace for centuries. That's what my Pops told me. We ruled this entire area until humans crawled out from the bigger city of Heights and settled around us." He paused, pulling out a cigarette from his jacket pocket, lighting it, and taking a long draw.
A hoarse cough followed.
Darvin remained silent, watching his father's every move. His mind drifted, wondering if this story had anything to do with his recent moments of peace with Jane.
"They hunted us down," his father continued, waving the cigarette in the air. "With silver bullets, like the flea-bitten dogs they keep as pets." His voice thickened with bitterness.
"If that human girl hadn't discovered you 12 years ago on their farm, we wouldn't have had to move. What infuriates me is coming back to this same cursed town!" His father's voice grew louder, angrier. He growled, throwing the cigarette to the ground and crushing it underfoot with rage.
"You have responsibilities, your pack, your family," his father said, walking up to Darvin and standing inches from his face, his finger jabbing toward him. "That girl—"
"That girl is none of your business!" Darvin snapped, his voice full of anger.
Suddenly, his father transformed into a massive black wolf, streaked with patches of grey, and shoved Darvin forcefully, sending him crashing into a nearby flower pot.
In an instant, Darvin shifted into his wolf form and lunged toward him, but just before he could strike, a large brown wolf, his sister Sophia in her wolf form, leapt between them, stopping Darvin in his tracks.
"Stop this madness! Both of you!" Sophia's voice rang out, thick with anger, as she shifted back into her human form, standing between her father and brother with fire in her eyes.
Darvin halted, panting heavily, his fur bristling, as his father growled behind Sophia. The tension hung thick in the air, but Sophia's presence held them both at bay.
"One more word about Jane—"
"Jane…"His father growled, interrupting Darvin. "…Interesting name for a puny human." He added, shifting back to human.
"Stay away from her," Darvin warned, shifting back as well.
But his father simply turned and walked out of the garden without saying a word.
Darvin ran his hand through his hair in frustration, pacing in rage.
"Why did you let him come here?!" He snapped at Sophia, pointing toward the path his father had taken.
"You know better than anyone that I can't stop him," Sophia responded in disbelief, irritation flashing across her face.
"Next time you want to estrange yourself from the pack, try disappearing somewhere that doesn't belong to the family…" She snapped at Darvin.
He glared angrily at her and turned to walk away.
"…and preferably without a butler," She shouted after him.
*****
Jane ran her hands through her hair for the umpteenth time. How long was Mark going to take anyway? It had already been an hour since Ethan was escorted away by the police, and she was desperate to get to the station to see him. Plus, he may have left with her car keys.
The memory of the kiss kept flashing across her deep thoughts.
"Focus, Jane!" She slapped both cheeks with her palms, hoping to get the image off her head.
"Whoa! Whoa—hey!" A concerned voice came from behind her, jolting her from her thoughts.
She turned around to see Mark standing by the door.
"It can't be that serious," He said. Unaware of the real reason, she had smacked herself.
"Mark…" She breathed.
Before she knew what she was doing, she ran across the shop and threw her arms around him—shocking Mark and herself.
Embarrassed, Jane immediately jerked back, but he pulled her in, slipping his arm around her waist and the other at the back of her head.
"It's okay," He whispered. "You can stay here for a while."
Mark wasn't really hating this version of Jane at all.
If anything, Jane always acted tough, sometimes almost too much. She was usually hot-headed and didn't rely on anyone, not even him. Since joining City Newspapers two years ago, she had outpaced him, even though he started as an intern a year earlier.
Maybe it was her determination, her intelligence, or those green eyes. But one thing was certain, He'd loved her from the start, quietly and helplessly."
The police were here…" She finally said as she withdrew slowly from his embrace.
"They took Ethan. They said he's a suspect in Jenny's murder."
"What?" Mark looked at Jane's worried face.
"Did they say anything else?" he asked.
She shook her head in response and inhaled deeply.
He glanced at his watch. It was already five minutes past 7 p.m.
"It looks like he'll be spending the weekend in jail," He said carefully, hoping he wasn't worsening Jane's current mood.
Damn, if only 'brown—y' hadn't caused such a scene at the mall. He'd have been here early enough for an evening visit at the station.
For a moment, her beautiful amber eyes and long brown hair crossed his mind. He'd never imagined that any woman could rival Jane's beauty.