  Jacob&#39;s Perspective
  The campfire crackled, its strength fading until only deep red embers remained, breathing softly in the darkness. Celena&nbsp;had curled up beside the dying fire and fallen asleep. Moonlight washed over her face, tracing impossibly soft lines. Her long lashes cast faint shadows on her cheeks, and a few strands of brown hair clung to her slightly parted lips. God, she was so beautiful it made my heart ache. I wished I could stay right here, like this, shielding her from all the storms and trouble forever.
  Exhaustion finally claimed us both. In the dead of night, the temperature plummeted, the raw chill of the wilderness seeping into our bones. Driven by some wolf-instinct, or maybe just our bodies unconsciously seeking familiar warmth and comfort—when I felt a warm form press against me in my half-asleep state, my arms opened almost on their own. She settled 

  Celena&#39;s Perspective
  The light was too bright, a harsh, sterile white that stabbed at my eyes. The air reeked of antiseptic and stale coffee. The two uniformed men across from me had faces carved from stone, expressionless, their gazes cold and dissecting, scraping over my skin like scalpels.
  &quot;Celena. Moonlight Pack.&quot; I kept my voice as level as possible, giving my name and affiliation. By the rules, the Moonlight Pack was a registered, &quot;compliant&quot; werewolf community with the human authorities. This shouldn&#39;t be causing such a severe reaction.
  But not a single ripple of acknowledgment crossed their faces. The one on the left tapped his knuckles rhythmically against the table. Tap. Tap. Tap. Like a death knell. &quot;Yesterday afternoon, you were involved in an altercation with two police officers near the &#39;Quick-Stop Gas&#39; off Highway 76. The of

  Jacob&#39;s Perspective
  Damn, I really didn&#39;t want this kind of trouble. On human turf, we had to play by their damn rules, at least superficially.
  I signaled for Celena to pull over first, letting a few ordinary civilian cars pass. We stopped by the roadside like two genuine, law-abiding citizens, but every muscle in our bodies was coiled tight. We watched the police car parked behind us, its lights strobing aggressively, like two wolves poised to strike.
  Two officers got out, flanking us, their hands hovering near their holsters in that infuriatingly textbook posture. One of them picked up a loudspeaker, his voice metallic and absolute. &quot;Cut the engine! Step out of the vehicle! Get on the ground, hands on your heads!&quot;
  Hell no. On the ground? Helpless? Not a chance.
  Celena and I exchanged a single glance. No words needed. The moment the two men thought we were 

Jacob&#39;s Perspective
  The campfire crackled, its strength fading until only deep red embers remained, breathing softly in the darkness. Celena&nbsp;had curled up beside the dying fire and fallen asleep. Moonlight washed over her face, tracing impossibly soft lines. Her long lashes cast faint shadows on her cheeks, and a few strands of brown hair clung to her slightly parted lips. God, she was so beautiful it made my heart ache. I wished I could stay right here, like this, shielding her from all the storms and trouble forever.
  Exhaustion finally claimed us both. In the dead of night, the temperature plummeted, the raw chill of the wilderness seeping into our bones. Driven by some wolf-instinct, or maybe just our bodies unconsciously seeking familiar warmth and comfort—when I felt a warm form press against me in my half-asleep state, my arms opened almost on their own. She settled into the space I offered, her head pillowed on my chest, her arm curling naturally around my waist.

Chapter 222