POV Cassidy
"You're glowing," June observed as we wandered through Morrison's Market, filling her cart with supplies for the diner.
"Am I?" I touched my cheek self-consciously, but couldn't stop smiling. "The camping trip went really well."
"I can tell. You look like a woman who's figured something important out."
We settled into corner seats at Millfield Café afterward, steaming mugs of chamomile tea warming our hands against the autumn chill. The afternoon crowd hummed with comfortable small-town energy.
"Tell me everything," June demanded with the authority of someone who'd earned the right to pry.
"Theo was amazing with the children. Patient, kind, completely natural." I wrapped my fingers around my mug. "And last night, under the stars, he showed me his wolf form. The trust that took, the vulnerability he shared with me."
"And?"
"And it felt like a warm, reliable sanctuary where I felt safe. Like this is what I've been waiting for without knowing it." The words tumbled out in a rush. "With Theo, everything feels possible but also peaceful. Does that make sense?"
"Perfect sense." June's smile radiated maternal warmth. "Sounds like you've found your answer about those Muray boys."
"Maybe—"
"June! Darling, how wonderful to see you."
A woman approached our table with the kind of confident stride that commanded attention.
She was stunning in that polished, big-city way that made everyone else look slightly rumpled by comparison. Designer jeans, cashmere sweater, boots that probably cost more than my monthly salary. Her blonde hair fell in perfect waves, and her makeup looked professionally applied.
"Tessa Quinn," she announced with a smile that was all white teeth and no warmth. "And you must be the famous new teacher everyone's talking about."
My stomach dropped. This was Xander's ex-wife, the woman who'd destroyed the brothers' relationship and broken Theo's heart.
"Cassidy Whitaker." I stood to shake her offered hand, noting how her grip lingered slightly too long.
"Mind if I join you ladies? I'm absolutely dying for good conversation after weeks in that dreadful city."
She settled into the empty chair before either of us could respond, signaling the waitress with practiced ease.
"Coffee, black, and whatever pastry you'd recommend," Tessa ordered, then turned her attention back to us. "So Cassidy, how are you finding our little Moon Hollow? Must be quite an adjustment from wherever you came from."
"I love it here. The community has been incredibly welcoming."
"Oh, I'm sure they have. Small towns do love their newcomers, especially pretty young teachers." Tessa's laugh sounded like breaking crystal. "I hear you're quite close to the Muray family. How delightfully nostalgic."
Something in her tone set my nerves on edge. June's expression had gone carefully neutral, but I caught the warning in her eyes.
"They've been very kind," I said cautiously.
"Both brothers, I understand?" Tessa stirred cream into her coffee with deliberate precision. "How interesting. They always did have remarkably similar taste in women."
The comment landed like a slap. Heat flooded my cheeks, but I kept my voice level.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"Oh, nothing dramatic, darling. Just an observation. Theo and Xander have always been drawn to the same type. Sweet, innocent, in need of rescuing." Her smile sharpened. "Of course, that dynamic can get complicated when both brothers are involved."
"Tessa," June interjected, warning clear in her voice.
"What? I'm simply making conversation. It's wonderful that Cassidy has such devoted protectors. Though I do hope she's being careful not to give mixed signals. We wouldn't want any misunderstandings."
"There are no misunderstandings," I said firmly.
"Of course not. You're far too smart for that." Tessa finished her coffee in three quick sips. "Well, ladies, this has been absolutely lovely, but I have appointments to keep. Cassidy, I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of each other. Small towns have a way of bringing people together."
She swept out of the café with the same dramatic flair she'd used entering, leaving the scent of expensive perfume and veiled threats in her wake.
"That woman," June muttered, watching through the window as Tessa climbed into a luxury sedan.
"Walk me through everything," I said.
June's expression grew serious. "Tessa Quinne grew up here, left for college, came back engaged to some city banker. But she took one look at Theo and decided she wanted him instead."
"What happened?"
"She pursued him relentlessly. Convinced him she was the love of his life, got him to propose within six months. Then she noticed Xander. She didn't have enough attention, she wanted him too."
My stomach twisted. "And?"
"And she realized Xander was the prize she really wanted. More dangerous, more challenging, newly appointed as future Alpha. So she played them against each other, pretending to love Theo while secretly seducing his brother."
"That's horrible."
"Gets worse. When Xander finally gave in to her manipulation, she convinced him to leave town with her. Told him they could start fresh somewhere else, away from pack obligations and family drama."
"She destroyed their relationship."
"Nearly tore the pack apart too. Elias lost his heir, Theo lost his brother and his fiancée, and the succession became a disaster. It took time for the family to recover."
I stared into my tea, processing the implications. "And now she's back."
"Now she's back, divorced, and showing interest in you. That can't be coincidence," and with that unsettling thought weighing on my mind, I called Theo that evening while grading papers at my kitchen table.
"How was your day?" he asked, and I could hear his smile through the phone.
"Interesting. I met Tessa Quinn."
The silence stretched long enough that I checked to make sure the call hadn't dropped.
"Theo?"
"Yeah, I'm here. How did that go?"
"She was... unsettling. Made some comments about you and Xander having similar taste in women. June filled me in on the history."
"Look, I know what people say about Tessa, but maybe she's really changed. People grow, learn from their mistakes. I don't want to judge her unfairly."
His response frustrated me more than Tessa's veiled threats had.
"She hurt you badly. She destroyed your relationship with your brother. How can you be so willing to give her another chance?"
"Because holding grudges poisons everything good. If I'm going to lead this pack someday, I need to show compassion, even for people who've wronged me."
The conversation continued for another ten minutes, but I barely heard the words. Theo's kindness, which I'd found so attractive, suddenly seemed dangerously naive. A leader needed to protect his people, not give enemies the benefit of the doubt.
After we hung up, I sat in my kitchen staring at lesson plans I couldn't focus on.
Sometimes being too forgiving was its own weakness. And if Theo couldn't recognize threats when they smiled and spoke sweetly, how could he protect a pack from real danger?
The thought troubled me more than I wanted to admit.