Page 2 of Mated By Sunrise

She’d be at the bank right now, finishing up the last of her paperwork. Rochelle never left anything undone, never pushed things off for tomorrow if they could be completed today. She was relentless like that, focused, driven. And though she’d fought the bond for years, determined to make her own way, Caleb had never stopped watching over her. He knew when she would walk out those doors, heading toward her small home on the edge of town. And tonight, like every night, he’d slip out of the celebration soon to follow her, ensuring that she made it home safely.

Not that she would know.

She wouldn’t approve, of course. Rochelle never liked feeling caged, never liked the idea that someone might be protecting her when she didn’t ask for it. But Caleb couldn’t help it. It settled his wolf knowing she was safe, that she was home. He’d done it that first night when they were kids and the moon had told them they belonged to each other, and he would keep doing it.

Always.

He’d built his entire life around her. From being stationed near where she went to college to finding reasons to be near where her family vacationed in the summers and over winter holidays. She wanted her independence, her freedom. She wanted to be her own person without the weight of a mate tethering her.

Caleb respected that. He always had. He just respected it so long as she was within his line of sight.

She was his. And no matter how far she ran, he would always watch over her.

Caleb’s eyes narrowed as he pushed off the wall, silently excusing himself from the celebration. The familiar pull in his chest grew stronger with each step toward the door. Rochellewas wrapping up for the night—he could feel it, could sense the way she would gather her things, her mind already racing toward tomorrow’s to-do list.

He slipped into the night, the cool air wrapping around him like a cloak. The sounds of the celebration faded behind him, replaced by the soft rustle of the trees, the distant chirping of crickets. Caleb moved swiftly, silently, his every sense heightened as he made his way toward the bank.

She wouldn’t see him. She never did. But it didn’t matter.

As long as she was safe, as long as she was within his reach, Caleb would always be there.

Because she was his fated mate; the only woman for him.

CHAPTER TWO

The soft hum of the fluorescent lights overhead cast a gentle glow on the polished oak desk as Rochelle slid the last stack of paperwork into place. The bank had long emptied of customers, and the stillness of the evening settled around her like a comfortable weight. Outside the windows, the early evening light was fading, leaving the sky a muted wash of purples and blues.

“Rochelle, you sure you don’t want to come out with us tonight?” Maria called from the doorway, pulling her jacket over her shoulders. “You’ve been at it all day. That stack will still be here tomorrow, you know.”

Rochelle glanced up from her desk, offering a soft smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll catch up with you next time. I need to finish this up tonight.”

Maria sighed, shaking her head. “You work too hard, you know that? Don’t stay too late. See you tomorrow.”

No, she wouldn't. Tomorrow was a full moon. Not only would the bank be closed, all of the businesses in this shifter town would close for the celebration. And Rochelle had plans to go out of town. The wolf living inside her belly waited patiently, her muzzle settled on her front paws in anticipation.

“See you,” Rochelle replied, watching as the door swung shut behind her colleague. The soft jingle of the bell above it echoed through the empty space, then faded into silence.

The bank felt different after hours—quieter, calmer. Rochelle liked it that way. She enjoyed the stillness, the peace that came with knowing everything was in its place. Her customers trusted her to keep their finances in order, to handle their paperwork and ensure their needs were met. She couldn’t bear to leave things unfinished, not when they were counting on her.

Rochelle picked up her pen again. Her fingers moved smoothly across the paper, but the stillness in her mind was fleeting. A familiar feeling washed over her, a tug of awareness that she had long since stopped trying to ignore.

Without looking, she knew he was there.

Her eyes drifted to the window, catching the faintest hint of movement outside—the shadow of someone sitting on the bench across the street. Caleb. His presence was as constant as the evening shadows. Always just out of sight. Always watching.

She never saw him fully. But she didn’t have to. His shadow was enough.

He didn’t think she noticed. He likely thought he was being discreet, protecting her from a distance. But Rochelle always knew. She had always known. His presence had been a quiet fixture in her life for so long now, it was almost like breathing—subtle, steady, but always there.

And that was the problem.

Her pen hovered over the page, the words blurring as her thoughts drifted. Caleb’s watchful gaze didn’t unsettle her; it hadn’t in years. But it was the reminder of what lay unspoken between them, the bond that hummed beneath the surface of their lives, tethering them in ways she tried desperately to ignore.

She’d made her choice, hadn’t she?

Rochelle exhaled, setting the pen down and pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes. She’d rejected the bond. She’d chosen her independence, her career, her freedom. She wasn’t like the others in the pack, with their instinctual ties and unbreakable connections. She had a future she needed to carve out for herself—one that didn’t revolve around a mate. One that didn’t mean being tied to Caleb, no matter how much her heart seemed to pull her in his direction.

But still…