Heart Bound

Shadows in the Dark

Kyrie's POV

The cafe was unusually busy for a Friday afternoon, but Gina, Channing, and I managed to grab a small table near the back. The three of us were laughing over some inside joke from last week’s biology class when I heard the bell above the door chime. I looked up, my breath catching as Cal Lockwood strode in, followed closely by none other than Hannah Creed.

Hannah was all grace and elegance, her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, her gaze sweeping the cafe with the same calculated look she wore everywhere she went. Cal’s presence was hard to ignore. Even in the crowded cafe, he stood out, his tall, muscular frame and brooding demeanor drawing every eye, including mine.

“Uh-oh,” Gina murmured, noticing them too. “Your favorite duo just walked in.”

I ducked my head, hoping they’d just order their drinks and leave. But of course, fate had other plans. Cal’s eyes swept the room, and then they landed on me. A flicker of recognition crossed his face, and before I could look away, he was walking over, weaving his way through the tables and making a beeline straight for ours.

“Oh god,” I muttered under my breath, feeling my cheeks heat up.

Channing raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk on his face. “Well, well. Looks like he’s not here for the coffee.”

Before I could shoot him a glare, Cal was already there, standing at our table. I looked up, meeting his gaze, my heart pounding louder than I wanted it to.

“Hey, Kyrie,” he said, his voice soft but steady, that unreadable look in his dark eyes again. “Mind if I…?”

But before he could finish, Hannah was at his side, her perfectly manicured hand sliding up his arm. She gave me a look that was nothing short of predatory, a smile playing on her lips that was all too satisfied.

“Cal,” she purred, ignoring me completely, “I found us a table over there.” She tilted her head toward a spot by the window, a corner table already empty and waiting. “Come on. You know how crowded it gets here.”

Cal’s eyes flickered between me and Hannah, his brow furrowing slightly. “Actually, I was just going to say hi to Kyrie. We were just—”

But Hannah’s grip tightened on his arm, her smile widening as she leaned closer to him. “There’s no time, Cal. We have to finish planning for the pack event. Remember?”

I tried to focus on my coffee, to pretend I didn’t feel her eyes boring into me. But I could feel it—her absolute determination to erase me from this moment, to remind me exactly where I stood in the grand scheme of things. As if I needed a reminder.

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, trying to force a smile, though I felt like I was shrinking under Hannah’s glare. “I don’t want to hold you up.”

Cal hesitated, his eyes lingering on me, something conflicted in his expression. He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but Hannah didn’t give him a chance. She tugged on his arm, already pulling him away as she flashed me a smile so fake it made my stomach turn.

“See you around, Kyrie,” she said, her tone so sweet it was almost mocking.

Cal looked back at me one last time, his gaze lingering with something I couldn’t place—regret, maybe? Or curiosity? But whatever it was, it didn’t matter, because he allowed himself to be led away, his expression clouded as he let Hannah steer him toward their table by the window.

I watched them sit down, Cal looking distracted as Hannah leaned across the table, her voice low and probably dripping with whatever sugary venom she’d chosen for the day. I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter, that this was just more proof that Cal and I were from two completely different worlds. But the pull I felt, that strange connection… it didn’t go away. If anything, it only grew stronger.

“Well, that was painful,” Gina muttered, leaning in, her eyes following Cal and Hannah. “She just swooped in like a hawk on a mouse.”

Channing snorted, rolling his eyes. “As if she’d let Cal breathe near anyone who isn’t her.”

I forced a laugh, even though my chest felt tight. “Doesn’t matter. It’s not like he was going to… I don’t know, do anything. It’s probably better this way.”

But I couldn’t shake the feeling, that lingering sense of something left unfinished, the way Cal had looked at me, like he wanted to say more. Like he needed to say more. And as I glanced over at him one last time, catching his gaze from across the room, I wondered if maybe, just maybe, there was something more beneath the surface.

The thought was foolish, I knew that. But in that single glance, the world felt like it shifted, just a little, leaving me with a question I couldn’t answer. What was it about Cal Lockwood that made me feel like I was teetering on the edge of something I couldn’t quite see?

As I forced myself to look away from Cal and focus back on Gina and Channing, a strange sensation prickled at the back of my neck, like I was being watched. I glanced toward the cafe window, and for a brief moment, I saw a shadow lingering just outside, barely visible in the dim evening light. It was there, just past the glass, half-hidden by the glare from inside the cafe. I couldn’t make out any features, only a dark shape that felt… wrong.

A chill crawled down my spine. I blinked, and the shadow was gone. Just like that.

I forced a laugh, brushing it off as my imagination, though I felt a knot of unease in my stomach that wouldn’t go away. I shook it off, telling myself it was just a trick of the light, but as we wrapped up our coffee and gathered our things, I found myself glancing over my shoulder more than once.

As we stepped out of the cafe and into the cool evening air, Gina noticed my tension. “You okay, Kyrie?” she asked, her brow creasing as she looked at me.

“Yeah,” I said quickly, trying to sound casual. “Just… thought I saw something outside the window. Probably nothing.”

Channing, who was already walking beside me, threw a protective arm over my shoulder. “Want us to walk you home?” he offered, his voice softer than usual.

Normally, I’d shrug it off and tell him I was fine, but tonight I didn’t want to be alone, especially with that strange shadow still lingering in my mind. “Actually… yeah, if you guys don’t mind,” I admitted, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Of course,” Gina said, looping her arm through mine. “That’s what we’re here for.”

The three of us set off down the street, the familiar sounds of town filling the air, but my gaze kept drifting to the shadows as we walked. Channing lived the furthest from me, on the outskirts of town near the boundary of the Timberclaw Pack’s territory. The Timberclaw Pack was smaller, known for its tight-knit community, and Channing’s family was no exception. As an omega, he was often looked down on by others, even his own pack members, but he never let it show.

“So,” Gina said as we walked, “are you doing anything for your birthday next week?”

“Oh, probably nothing special,” I said, shrugging. “Maybe just a family dinner, or maybe we’ll go out for ice cream or something. You know, the usual.” I forced a smile, not wanting to admit that birthdays in my family were pretty low-key, especially with my parents’ busy work schedules.

“Well, it won’t be the usual this year,” Channing chimed in with a grin. “There’s supposed to be a rare Silver Moon that night. They say it’s powerful for supernaturals, that it can bring out hidden strengths. Sounds like the perfect birthday surprise, don’t you think?”

“Great,” I joked, rolling my eyes. “Just what I need—another reminder of how normal I am on a supernatural moon.”

Gina gave me a playful nudge. “Oh, come on, Kyrie. Just because you’re not supernatural doesn’t mean you’re not special. Besides, we’ll make sure it’s a night to remember.”

Channing nodded, his gaze a little more serious. “Yeah, and you never know… sometimes weird things happen on nights like that. Maybe this year will be different.”

The thought lingered as we continued walking, and I realized that, despite the jokes, there was a part of me that wanted to believe in something more, even if it was silly. We passed through the different neighborhoods that lined the streets, each one distinct in its own way—Gina’s place was closest, an old Victorian house filled with charm and mystery, sitting right at the border of the woods, where the fae world met ours. Channing’s neighborhood was nestled further out, small and close-knit, where everyone knew everyone else, and the Timberclaw Pack’s influence was always present.

My neighborhood, however, was as ordinary as they came. Rows of identical houses, all painted in shades of beige or gray, lawns perfectly mowed, mailboxes neatly lined up along the sidewalks. It was quiet, safe, predictable. The kind of place that looked like it had been stamped out of a catalog, where nothing exciting ever happened. I always told myself I liked it that way, that normalcy was comforting, but tonight I felt a strange restlessness as we turned down my street.

When we reached my front gate, I felt a pang of reluctance, not quite ready to say goodbye. The shadow I’d seen outside the cafe still nagged at the back of my mind, an unspoken fear that made me hesitate.

“Thanks for walking me home,” I said, turning to face Gina and Channing. “Sorry for making you go out of your way.”

“Are you kidding?” Gina scoffed, giving me a quick hug. “That’s what best friends are for.”

Channing smiled, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, wouldn’t be much of an omega if I couldn’t walk my favorite human home, right?”

I laughed, feeling a little lighter, though the unease still lingered. “Well, thanks again. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Try not to overthink that shadow you saw,” Gina said, winking. “Maybe it’s just the Silver Moon energy kicking in early.”

“Yeah,” I murmured, though I wasn’t quite convinced.

As they turned to leave, I stood there, watching them disappear down the street until they were out of sight. I tried to brush off the unease, telling myself I was just being paranoid. But as I unlocked my front door and stepped inside, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching me, lurking just out of sight.