A Birthday Reunion and a Puzzling Scent

Willow's scream catapulted me through the balcony door. My wolf snarled inside me, ready to defend against whatever threat awaited. I skidded to a halt in the living room, hands already curling into claws.

"Willow? Mom?"

The scene before me made no sense.

There, sprawled on my mother's beige carpet, lay Kaelen Vance. His typically immaculate suit was rumpled, his hair disheveled. Willow stood frozen with her hands covering her mouth. Mom hovered nearby, bewildered but seemingly more concerned than frightened.

"He just... appeared," Willow stammered. "Out of nowhere. Literally materialized and collapsed."

My heart stopped, then raced forward. "Kaelen?" I rushed to kneel beside him, my fingers trembling as I reached for his face. "Kae?"

His eyelids fluttered, then opened to reveal those piercing blue eyes I'd dreamed about every night for two weeks. "Hazel," he breathed, his voice ragged. "Found you."