"Because I wanted to talk to you about your pack. I tried to tell Jameson that, but he's very hard-headed. He insisted that if I met you I would fall in love immediately. No offense, but that's not going to happen."
He laughed for a long time while she stared at him in concern. Finally, she got up and left.
Roman strikes out again.
* * *
In Juneau,Roman could feel Everleigh nearby.
She was so close, yet she was so far out of his reach. He still had not caught a glimpse of her. Would she be aware of him? Shifters were usually aware of another shifter's presence in their town. Especially an unfamiliar one. But would she recognize that it was him? Her presence was a lantern burning brightly on him. There was no way he would ever mistake her for anyone else.
He just wanted to catch a glimpse of her. But he did not want to sit in the car like a creep. He went to the barbershop. Maybe if he got a haircut, he would at least see her if she stepped outside the building.
"Would you like a haircut?" the barber asked.
"Yes, please. Do you take walk-ins?"
"Yes, we do."
"Can I sit in the chair closest to the window?"
He didn't offer an explanation, but the barber looked at him with sympathy, probably assuming that he was claustrophobic or that he had been through some trauma where he wanted to be close to the exits.
He actually had fought a battle more than once, but it was with another pack, and it was a long time ago. The memories didn't come up much for him. Not anymore.
But he wasn't going to correct the man. He needed to see her in person. What would she do if he walked up and said hello? Would she slap him? Would she smile while she slapped him?
What if she had forgotten him? His wolf cried out in anguish. That was the one thing he couldn't deal with. Well, he also could not deal with the fact that she may have moved on. For some reason, all these years when he'd thought about her, which had been pretty frequently, he'd imagined her single and still living an unencumbered life, free of her pack clan and free of any attachments, including a male.
But now she had a child. She had carried someone's cub. She had taken another male into her body. He rubbed his face. He couldn't stand thinking about it.
"How much do you want off?'' the barber asked.
"Just make it look neat. You can do whatever you want." He was glad he had thick full hair because then he got to stare straight ahead and see if she came out of the office.
He began to relax as the barber combed his hair and then snipped with the scissors. Fifteen minutes went by and a few people came in and out of the real estate office, but he still had not caught a glimpse of Everleigh. He continued to watch, keeping his eyes glued on that front door. At one point the glare of sunlight on the window grew strong, but he squinted through it, trying desperately to see her.
The hairdresser brushed his neck off and then blew the hair away with the hairdryer. He took the cape off with a flourish. "What do you think?"
Roman stared into the mirror. The guy had done a good job. "It's perfect," he said as he opened his wallet while still looking outside. He handed the guy some folded cash with a nice tip. Just as he was about to open the door and leave, he saw her.
There she was. Everleigh. His mate.
How could he ever go out on a date with another female now that he knew her? He knew her body and her mind and her soul. That sounded dramatic, even to him, but it was true. His wolf howled in agreement. That was the one thing they were on the same page about. No other female lived up to Everleigh’s high standard.
She looked amazing. He did not have the words to describe her beauty. Wolf shifters did not age as quickly as humans, but she still looked like she had not aged at all in five years. If anything, she was even more captivating to watch.
She stepped out of the door. She had on a long wool coat, and it was cinched at the waist. Her hair was loose, and she looked around as she pulled on her gloves. A second later she was joined by another woman. This one was a human. The two of them began to walk in the opposite direction.
He quickly paid, tipping well, and got out on the sidewalk. He followed them from a distance until he saw them go inside the Italian restaurant. She must be having lunch with her coworker.
He wanted to follow her into the Italian restaurant, but he didn’t dare get that close. He would continue to watch her from afar for as long as he could get away with it.
He watched her for several days. He had to be very careful to stay far enough away that she didn't see him. He was certain that she knew he was there, but she had not come looking for him.
Not once in those three days did he see a man near her. A man never showed up to her office, a man never waited outside, and a man never picked her up, and he never dropped her off.
* * *