William's POV
The mall looked much bigger than I remembered.
As soon as we stepped through the glass entrance doors, a wave of noise crashed over me.
People were everywhere.
Families walked together carrying shopping bags.
Teenagers laughed as they moved between stores.
Children ran ahead of exhausted parents.
Music drifted from several different shops at once.
The smell of food floated through the air from the food court somewhere nearby.
Normally, none of this would bother me.
Today it felt overwhelming.
Every scent seemed stronger.
Every sound seemed louder.
My body was already reacting to the approaching heat cycle, making my senses more sensitive than usual.
I swallowed hard and stayed close to Jax.
Without realizing it, I grabbed the sleeve of his jacket.
He immediately noticed.
"You okay?"
I nodded.
"Just overwhelmed."
His expression softened.
"We can take breaks whenever you need."
Theo stepped beside me.
