I do my best to ignore the fact that Tess smells like me on the drive home, but it proves difficult. I wasn’t thinking when I offered her my coat; seeing her shiver had forced my hand, and before I even knew what I was doing, my coat was off my body and thrust toward her.

Fucking hormones.

It’s strange that she could be so self-sufficient and fiery and still so small and fragile. Everything about her seems to invoke my protective instincts, which in turn makes me more and more irritated with myself. Even knowing all the facts—knowing why she affects me like this—doesn’t curb the knee-jerk desire to ask her to leave if only to spare myself the slow torture that is being in her presence.

As we’re getting out of my Bronco, recovering from a quiet drive during which neither of us seemed too keen on conversation, it’s like I can feel her on my skin. Her scent is melded with mine, seeping out from the coat under my arm and into my clothes. It’s intoxicating.

It’s also really fucking annoying.

“So, your brothers will be here tomorrow?”

Her head jerks up as we walk up the stairs to the front door, her expression distracted. “Hmm?”

“Your brothers,” I repeat. “You said they’d be here tomorrow.”

“Oh, right. They will be.” She nods aimlessly, her brows furrowed. A breeze flutters past, and I can smell her scent in the air, causing me to tense. “Around lunchtime, I think.”

“That’s…good. You can get started then.”

Her brow lifts. “Oh, so you’re on board now?”

“Don’t think I have much of a choice now, do I?”

Even with my dry tone, the corner of her mouth lifts. “Not unless you’re up for chasing me away.”

Oh, I’d chase you. The thought comes unbidden.

I brush it aside.

“Seems easier to let you get on with it,” I say. “I’m looking forward to seeing you rip this place down board by board.”

She rolls her eyes as I unlock the front door. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

“Not anytime soon, no.”

I move aside to let her walk past me, and as she does, she stumbles a little. Once again, my reaction is immediate, and my hand cups her elbow to steady her.

“Are you okay?”

Now that I’m looking at her in the light of the foyer, she does seem a little pale. There’s a thin sheen of sweat on her temples, and her pupils are dilated, her expression a little dazed.

“I’m…okay. I think. Just got a little dizzy there.” She laughs softly. “Must not be used to the elevation yet.”

I want to press her, to ask if she’s sure, but that’s my instincts talking. I still haven’t stopped touching her, and I jerk my hand away with the realization. I stuff it in my pocket, eyeing her to make sure she really is all right.

“Nothing some water and a good night’s sleep won’t fix,” I tell her.

She nods. “If I don’t freeze to death tonight.”

“Jeannie had me put more blankets in your room.”

“Oh…great.” She bobs her head. “That will help a lot.”

And my mouth is opening before I can stop it, my stupid hands lifting as if they have a mind of their own. I thrust my coat toward her like an idiot, knowing full well that she just bought her own. That she doesn’t need it. Doesn’t stop me from offering it.

“You can borrow this if you want,” I say. “I have another.”

I assume she’s going to laugh at me, because I would if I were her, so she surprises me when she reaches for it instead. Quickly, like it’s a bit of instinct on her part as well. And why do I like that?

You know why.

That alone should have me rescinding the offer, but I can’t seem to open my mouth to do it. Instead, I watch as she carefully gathers my coat up in her arms, holding it to her chest. Her smile is small, hardly even enough to be called a smile, but the gratitude in her eyes is apparent.

Dangerous, my brain screams, even as my urges shout, Protect.

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

She still looks a little under the weather, and as much as I want to do something about that—what, I don’t know—I resist the urge, shoving my hands into my pockets instead. My skin feels stretched, and my muscles twitch with restlessness. I can feel the wolf just beneath the surface, like he’s bursting to get out.

“Well, good night, Hunter,” she offers, still holding my coat.

I nod stiffly. “Night, Tess.”

I watch her climb the stairs, not missing the slight shake in her step. Is she sick? Should I offer to help her to her room?

No, you shouldn’t, jackass.

Still, I stand there like I’m exactly that, not taking my eyes off her until she’s safely tucked away in her room. Even after, I linger for a few moments, at war with myself and not even recognizing what it is that’s making me so restless but feeling it anyway.

I scrub a hand down my face, rubbing my beard as I shake my head.

Trouble.

The crisp mountain air does wonders for my thoughts; the snow is powdery and chilled against my paws, and as it flurries up behind me while I bound through it, I urge myself to keep going faster, to push myself harder.

Running in this form always makes things seem clearer, and now is no different.

Like this, it’s easier to be reasonable about the lovely omega I’ve only known for twenty-four hours. It’s easier to recognize that the urges I feel for her are nothing more than our biology, that our proximity and our hormones are more than likely running the show in our interactions—something I think maybe I should discuss with Tess. Maybe she hasn’t met an alpha before, I reason. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t seem to be as aware of the danger here.

Then again, maybe she is. The prescription she picked up might have been a bottle of suppressants, for all I know.

I pause in the moonlight, snuffling out a breath as displeasure courses through me. The idea of not being able to scent her sweet, heavenly aroma anymore doesn’t instill good feelings, but I know that’s just hormones. It would probably be for the best if those were suppressants she picked up. And if not, maybe I should grab some of my own.

It’s been almost ten years since a woman has affected me this way, and it’s no coincidence. What we are…the universe itself is conspiring to bring us together. I fell for that once, and I’m not keen on doing it again.

I take off through the snow, feeling lighter with the clarity that shifting has brought me. Snow clings to the smoky gray of my fur, and I shake my head back and forth to dislodge it, never slowing my pace. I even let out a howl as I break through the trees, the pleasure of the simple act a primal, ancient thing. It reminds me of what I am and why I should be more mindful of it.

I wonder what color Tess’s fur is…

A growl resonates in my chest, the wolf equivalent of cursing myself. I skid to a stop, flicking my tail in irritation. I really am a jackass, I think. Even with clarity, even with reason…I can’t get her out of my head.

I should talk to her. That would be the smartest course of action. Tess seems reasonable. Intelligent. If I talk to her about what’s happening, we can come up with a solution for how best to avoid any sort of…incident. Surely she isn’t interested in succumbing to some instinctual nonsense with someone she just met either. Most likely, there’s nothing about me that would attract her anyway, hormones aside. I’m too moody, too surly at the best of times, and people have never been my strong suit. I’m better off staying out of her way as much as possible while she’s here.

Even if the thought of it has another involuntary growl rumbling in my chest.

I take off running into the night, changing course to head back to the lodge with every intention of falling into bed and passing out before I have a calm, sensible discussion with my houseguest tomorrow. Whether it be suppressants for her or for me, we’ll make sure that our proximity isn’t a problem for either of us.