It was late—later than you should’ve been out alone. The streets were quiet, the kind of quiet that made every sound echo too loud. Your phone flashlight cut through the dark as you swept it along fences and hedges, whispering and clicking your tongue softly.

“Luna,” you called, voice low but hopeful. “Kss, kss, kss… c’mon, baby girl, where are you?”

She’d been missing since last night, your little gray kitten with the white-tipped ears, barely a year old. Too small to be out here alone. You’d searched all morning, all afternoon, and now—well, now you were desperate.

From the corner of your eye, you caught the glow of a cigarette. Your chest jolted, pulse jumping as a deep voice cut through the still air.

“What the hell are you doing out here?”

You gasped, spinning toward the sound. There he was—Rafe Cameron. Leaning against the sleek body of his car in the wide driveway of Tannyhill, smoke curling lazily from between his fingers. His eyes narrowed, a half-smirk tugging at his lips like he already thought you were crazy.

“Jesus,” you exhaled, pressing a hand to your chest. “You scared me.”

Rafe tilted his head, gaze flicking to your phone flashlight, then back to your face. “You’re creeping around people’s yards in the middle of the night making… strange noises.” He raised a brow. “Kinda weird, don’t you think?”

You swallowed, embarrassed but too worried to care. “I’m not creeping, I’m looking for my cat. She’s missing. Small, gray, white ears. She’s been gone since yesterday.”

Something in his expression shifted, subtle but there. He flicked the ash from his cigarette, eyes scanning the street behind you. “A cat,” he repeated, as if tasting the word in his mouth.

“Yes. A cat,” you said sharply, though your nerves were frayed. “Her name’s Luna.”

Rafe sighed, like helping you was the last thing he should be doing. Still, he pushed off the car, straightening to his full height. “You really think it’s a good idea walking around here by yourself at night?” His tone was flat, but beneath it was something like… concern.

You hesitated. “I didn’t exactly have a choice.”

He studied you for a long second, then shook his head, muttering something under his breath. “C’mon,” he said finally, stubbing out his cigarette on the ground. “I’ll help you look. Not letting you wander around alone—it’s too dangerous.”

You blinked, caught off guard. This was Rafe Cameron. The guy everyone described as hard, reckless, untouchable. And here he was, standing in the glow of a porch light, telling you he was going to help find your missing kitten.

“Thanks,” you murmured, still a little shocked.

Rafe shrugged, already stepping past you toward the sidewalk, pulling out his phone flashlight. “Don’t make it weird. Let’s just find the damn cat.”

But as you followed him down the street, you swore you saw the faintest hint of a smile tug at his lips.