Clara’s pov
The first sign was the way my wolf went still.
I was wiping down the counter after the lunch rush when it happened, sudden silence inside me, like she’d stopped pacing and locked onto something outside the diner walls.
The heat in my chest flared once, sharp, then settled into a low, watchful burn.
I paused with the rag in my hand and glanced toward the front windows.
Nothing looked different. Main Street was the same as always, two trucks parked outside the hardware store, a woman walking her dog, the usual afternoon quiet.
Marnie came out of the kitchen with a stack of clean plates. “You freeze up for a reason or just daydreaming?”
“Thought I heard something.”
She set the plates down and followed my gaze to the window. “Street’s empty. You good?”
“Yeah.” I went bac
