(Catherine POV)
I was sitting on the stone bench near the fountain, sketching patterns in the gravel with a stick like some petulant child, when Lucas appeared at my shoulder with the quiet grace that seemed to characterize all the supernatural residents of this place.
"Brooding doesn't suit you," he said, settling beside me without invitation. "Though I understand the impulse."
I glanced at him sideways, taking in the weathered face that held decades of experience with difficult alphas and complicated situations. "Brooding seems to be the preferred pastime around here. I thought I'd try fitting in."
That earned me a chuckle, warm and genuine in a way that made some of the tension in my shoulders ease. "Kieran's rubbed off on you already, I see. That particular brand of self-recriminat
