*Keera*
“Grayson, I-I’m. . .”
“Just say the words for goodness’s sake Keera!”
I jerked awake, my hand immediately flying to my chest. I’d had the weirdest dream ever. Grayson had been angrily chasing me around the woods and when he’d finally caught up with me, he’d threatened to stake me if I didn’t confess the truth about my feelings. My alarm went off just then and I pushed the covers off my body, getting to my feet.
I wore my flipflops, walking into the bathroom to prepare for another long day. I could barely explain how I’d been managing to get by these passed few days. I’d lost the enthusiasm to do anything, including prepare my own food. It’s been a week since I’d left the pack and I was yet to receive a text from Grayson. Everyday I found more reasons why he should have already reached out.
He’d said he was in love with me, hadn’t he?
I was out of the bathroom in a few minutes and out of the house half an hour later, my bag resting on my shoulder. I walked by the sidewalk, not wanting to get into a cab just yet, and I could have sworn I’d walked passed someone who smelled exactly like Grayson. I’d even began retracing my steps, trying to find out who it was, like a complete idiot. Not only did I not see what direction the man had taken, I also ended up getting myself late for work. I cursed myself silently as I stepped into the office building.
Had I really expected Grayson to just be walking around town?
The greetings I got as I made myself to my office was had gradually reduced since I’d been back. I was grateful when the other scientists barely paid me any attention, not even to ask why I was late to work for the fifth time in a row. I swiped my key card across my office door and walked in, closing the door behind me. I gently placed my bag on the glass table, plopping down on the leather chair and shutting my eyes for a few minutes.
I sighed, realizing I couldn’t keep putting off work. I already had so many cases to attend to and so many tests to run as it was. I stood from the chair and took my lab coat from my bag, putting it on as I prepared to head to the lab. I picked up a file, running my eyes through the pages and trying to get important details to stick. A knock sounded on my office door and my gaze immediately went to the watch resting expensively on my wrist.
I silently hoped it wasn’t Trevor at the door. We’d gone back to being just supervisor and scientist, which also meant he’d gone back to being a pain in my ass. I gave whoever it was permission to come in and my new assistant, Paige, cleared her throat to get my attention. “Keera, someone is here to see you,” She said, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity. My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t expecting any visitors, especially not at work. A shiver ran down my spine as I secretly wondered if Grayson had finally decided to claim me by force, despite my repeated rejections.
The thought sent a wave of excitement and anticipation through me. “Who is it?” I asked Paige, trying to keep my voice steady. She checked the visitor’s log on her tab before responding, “A woman named Lexi. She didn’t give a reason for her visit, but it seemed. . . urgent.” I ignored the feeling of disappointment that coursed through me. Why hadn’t Lexi informed me she was coming? We hadn’t spoken since the welcome party, and now she was popping up with a surprise visit at work?
I glanced at the clock; I still had a few minutes to spare before heading to the labs. Speaking of labs, wasn’t she also supposed to be at work? We’d only been paired together for the case but we weren’t colleagues. Lexi worked with another investigative laboratory. “Send her in,” I instructed Paige, knowing there was no other response I could give. I took a deep breath, smoothing out my coat once and preparing myself for a potentially awkward talk. What was so urgent that she’d had to show up unannounced?
The door swung open, and Lexi marched in. Her eyes flashed with a fierce intensity that made me take a step back in surprise. The friendly visit I’d anticipated had clearly been a mistake on my own part. Lexi’s eyes scanned the room before settling on me, her jaw clenched. She eyed my lab coat and shifted her gaze to the file in her hand before checking the time on her phone. “Usually you would have already left for the lab,” She said, her tone very much accusatory. I blinked, wondering what exactly was going on.
I gestured to the chair in front of my desk, determined to be calm. “Lexi, please, have a seat. What’s going on?” I asked, attempting to sound welcoming despite the tension in the air. My eyes locked onto hers, searching for some clue as to what had gotten her in this state in the first place. She ignored my invitation to sit, folding her arms across her chest and popping her hip. It was then I realized what, or rather who, her anger was directed at.
Me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She shot at me. I raised my eyebrow at her, not getting her meaning. She took a step further inside the room, waving her hand in the air. “I’ve been getting calls and texts from your colleagues who are worried as hell about you, because, in their words not mine, you’ve been acting like a zombie ever since you got back.” My shoulders dropped in relief as I realized what this was all about. I rolled my eyes. Trust Lexi to be dramatic about the situation.
I tried to brush off her concern, focusing on arranging the files on my desk in neat piles. “It’s not that serious, Lexi,” I said, meeting her gaze head-on in an attempt to convey a confidence I didn’t feel. “They were just being dramatic.” Like you are, but I was smarter to hold back the other parts of my sentence. She would definitely use my lateness to work today as a case study. Lexi’s expression only darkened, her eyes flashing with frustration. I went to stand behind my desk, knowing I wasn’t getting out of this so easily.
“You’re sure about that?” She pressed. I nodded, trying to appear nonchalant, but her next words cut deep. “You’ve never appeared more pathetic to me than you do right now,” She said, shaking her head disappointedly. I flinched, meeting her eyes in disbelief. Her words stung, and I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. I opened my mouth, ready with a comeback but her next question caught me off guard. “Keera, are you in love with Grayson?” She fired at me.
“It’s not that simple-”
She slammed her hands angrily on the table, making me jump. “Are you in love with Grayson?” She demanded, her eyes blazing with intensity. I felt my composure crack, and the words tumbled out of me like a confession.
“Yes.” I replied, my anger at the situation bubbling to the surface. “I am, okay?” I yelled, my voice shaking. “He’s all I can see and hear and think about. I can’t. . .” I trailed off helplessly, worriedly meeting her eyes. “I can’t imagine my life without him, Lex.” I finished on a whisper, feeling the ache in my chest that came with thoughts of Grayson heighten. My confession floated in the air around us and for the first time since Lexi had stepped into the room, her expression softened slightly.
Her gaze remained piercing as she folded her arms across her chest, her eyes never leaving mine. “Does he know that?” She asked, her voice tender but probing. I felt my gaze falter, and Lexi’s eyes narrowed. She saw the answer in my expression, and her face fell. “You never told him, did you?” Her voice was laced with disappointment, and I felt a pang of regret. I shook my head, feeling a lump form in my throat. “Not even once, Keera?” I pressed my lips together. “My God, Keera, what exactly were you thinking?”
Her question was a reminder of my own cowardice. I had never mustered the courage to confess my feelings to Grayson, and now it seemed like it was too late. The silence between us grew heavy. I knew Lexi was right; I had been sleepwalking through life since I got back, trapped in my own bottled up emotions. Why on earth had I never told him how I felt? I’d watched him go against his pack for us, time and time again, and all the while I’d just. . . My knees went weak as I turned to Lexi. “Do you think I’m already too late?”
She knew what I was asking. Would Grayson already have moved on? I’d promised to get back to him about rejecting me, and I hadn’t done even that. I felt a crippling fear as I wondered if he might have figured a way to reject me without needing my presence. Lexi saw the doubt creeping back into my eyes and let out a dramatic groan, her frustration palpable. “I swear to God, if you don’t leave right now and find your way to that man, I’m actually going to scream down this building.” I wasn’t sure what was funny, but I actually laughed.
My chest felt extremely light with hope.
Dear God, did I actually have a shot at spending the rest of my life with Grayson?
Lexi stepped closer to me and took my hands in hers. “Keera, you deserve to love and be loved. You deserve happiness,” She said calmly, her eyes filled with a deep sincerity. “And if you’ve found that happiness with Grayson, what’s stopping you from taking it?” I held Lexi’s gaze, mulling her words over. What was stopping me? I thought about all the reasons I’d been holding back; fear, uncertainty, and doubt. None of them seemed significant right now.
Had I made them bigger than they actually were?
It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and a sense of clarity washed over me. I pulled Lexi into a tight hug, tears of gratitude pricking at the corners of my eyes. “Thank you, Lexi,” I whispered, my heart threatening to burst with gratitude and excitement. She’d played a huge role in my life, helping me get rid of my past traumas when it came to friendship and love and I didn’t think she knew just how much I cared about her or how much she had affected me.
“Don’t thank me,” She replied with a warm smile, shooing me. “Just go get your man. I’ll explain things to Trevor and take care of whatever needs to be taken care of.” I pulled her into another hug, holding her tightly before dashing out of the room and the building, with a newfound sense of determination. I flagged down a cab and quickly jumped in, my legs jerking in anticipation the whole ride. Thoughts of Grayson flooded my mind and I held onto the hope of being with him again.
I burst into my house and immediately hurried up to my room. I yanked my duffel bag out of the closet and hurriedly threw clothes inside, my hands moving with a frantic energy. All the things I’d worried about; spending the rest of my life as a werewolf, wondering why Grayson hadn’t contacted me, debating whether or not I would be accepted by the pack, they didn’t seem so important now. The only thing that mattered was getting to Grayson and telling him how I felt. I had finally found the love I’d been searching for, and damnit, I was going to fight like hell to keep it.
No matter what lay ahead.