by Emma Wolfe
Well, that only whetted my curiosity. “Like?” I prodded after thanking the guy behind the counter as he handed me the meat wrapped in brown packaging.
Rose sighed, deep and heavy. Like this weighed on her heart. She hesitated and then shook her head. “My parents were studying the animals around Smoky Hills. I have one of their journals. In it, they describe an animal unlike any they had ever seen.” Her voice grew quiet as she wrapped her hands around the handle of the shopping cart and began to push it toward the aisles.
“Rose,” I said as I quickened my pace to keep up with her. “What kind of animal?”
Rose glanced over at me and then back at a row of peanut butter jars. “Chunky or smooth?”
“Chunky, of course.”
She nodded as she reached out and grabbed a jar. Then she moved to the jellies. “Wolf-like. But huge—not their normal size. And a group of people protecting them.”
I parted my lips, so many questions running through my mind. “A group of people? Like Grayson?”
“It’s possible. They never finished their research.” She hesitated in front of the chips and pointed in their direction.
I nodded, grabbing some Doritos and tortilla chips.
“I think they got too close,” she said as we moved into the next aisle.
“They were murdered?” I couldn’t help but feel the mystery in the way she spoke.
She swallowed as she nodded. “Grandma thinks I’m crazy. That I’m trying to find answers to questions that don’t exist. I just don’t understand how they could have swerved off the road and down the mountain.” Her voice dropped as she nodded toward the granola bars. “It was completely dry that night.”
I grabbed a few boxes as I tried to understand what she was saying.
Strange creatures. Mysterious death.
“Do you think it was the creature they discovered?” I asked.
She glanced over at me and held my gaze for a moment before she shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it out, but a lot of people think I’m crazy because of it.”
She sighed as she cradled a jar of strawberry jam. “Grayson and I used to be friends. We hung out on occasion. But a few months back, he went radio silent. I told him once about my suspicions.” She shook her head. “He didn’t say anything, but that was the end of our friendship.”
“Do you think he knows something?” Did Liam have something do with Rose’s parents’ death?
Rose sighed. It was slow and resigned. “Who knows. Either that or he thinks I’m crazy.”
“Huh.” I stared at the packages of cookies. My mind was swimming from the information she’d just given me.
A few seconds of silence passed between us before Rose clicked her tongue and nudged me with her shoulder. “But there could also be nothing. I mean, he could be right. I am the crazy person in town.” She grinned over at me as she wiggled her eyebrows.
I scoffed. “Well, I’m glad we’re friends.” I smiled at her.
She studied me and then nodded. “Me too.”
When we finished paying for the groceries, we found Grayson pacing in front of his bench. His expression was strained as he stared at us.
I nodded at him, my mind swarming with questions about what Rose had said.
“Are you ready?” he asked as he grabbed the cart from me and began pushing it toward the exit.
I started to object, but he didn’t stop. It was like there was an invisible force driving him, and nothing was going to derail him.
“I guess,” I said, following after him.
We made our way across the parking lot, and Rose and I climbed into the cab while he loaded my groceries into the back.
It didn’t take long before we were on our way back up the mountain.
I leaned back in my seat as I stared out the window, Rose’s story filling my mind.
Was it true?
Was there something in the woods?
It felt too strange to believe. Only a crazy person would buy into that idea.
So, why did I?
6
Liam
My senses perked, pulling my attention from my task. I could hear Dad’s approach before I saw him. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for him to round the corner.
Theodore Bronson was dressed in a slick black suit and bright red tie. I looked like a younger version of him. Where I had dark hair, his had turned grey. His skin was lighter than mine—he worked in an office while I burned off my pent-up energy by working outside.
His gaze swept over me, and his brows furrowed.
I held my breath, waiting to see if he picked up on anything. Thankfully, Grayson had gotten Cora far away, giving me time to calm my internal animal. I was still tense, but not like I’d been with her just a few blocks away.
Dad approached, his smile widening as he neared. He stopped right in front of me and reached out and clapped me on the shoulder. “You seem tense.”
I shrugged, hoping to dissuade him from following that up. “It’s work,” I said, nodding toward the parking lot we were demolishing.
Dad nodded as he slipped his hand from my shoulder. “Yeah, but it’s got to be done. No one better than my son,” he said.
There was lightness to his voice that told me he wasn’t suspicious. My secret was safe—for now.
I just needed to get a grip. Forget Cora and the way she seemed to consume my every thought and emotion.
Dad glanced over at me and quirked his eyebrows. His gaze dropped to my chest. “You okay?”
Crap.
I needed to stop thinking about Cora.
I cleared my throat and reached down to heave up another piece of asphalt. Maybe if I increased my heart rate through work, it would throw Dad off the trail.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, desperate to change the subject.
Dad cleared his throat and glanced over at me. I could see in his gaze and from the way he kept twitching that something was wrong. “I got a phone call this morning.”
I nodded. That wasn’t any cause for alarm. He was the mayor after all. “And?”
He cleared his throat. “You grandfather passed away.”
I stopped moving as his words sunk in. “What?” I asked, turning to face him. “Really?”
Dad looked stressed as he stood there with his hands in his pockets. “Yes.”
I glanced down and took a deep breath. Maybe that was the cause for some of my agitation. My inner wolf had sensed a change in the fabric that bound us wolves together. If Grandpa was gone, that meant havoc might be about to rain down on us.
“So, what does that mean?”
Grandpa was alpha to the larger pack. The one that kept to themselves in the mountains. The ones that hated us for living among humans. The ones that Dad left right after I was born. When Mom was killed.
Dad cleared his throat. “Nothing. I don’t care what the laws say…I’m never going back.”
I nodded. Relief and worry floated around in my mind, making me feel displaced. Dad was the eldest and next in line for alpha. It was only a matter of time before the pack came looking for him. Either to convince him to come back…or to kill him.
“But—”
Dad shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll never go back.” He glanced over at me, and from the intense look in his eyes, I knew I needed to drop it.
My inner wolf submitted, and my lips sealed shut. I nodded.
Dad stood there for a moment. I could see the slump of his shoulders, and I knew he was worried, even if he was trying to tell me otherwise.
At first, the wolves in the mountains had been fine with intermixing with humans. It helped keep our kind softer and kept the rawness of our wolf tendencies at bay. But over time, wolf shifters began to hate those of mixed blood. We were looked at as impure, and they believed relationships with humans were tainted.
Many claimed it had been an accident, Mom’s death. But it had broken Dad. He disavowed the pack and left, taking me wi
th him to Smoky Hills, where he’d created a life for himself. Desperate to keep me safe from the heartbreak of loving a human, Dad forbade me to love one.
One by one, members of the mountain pack began to leave, making a small, but close-knit pack here in Smoky Hills. Grayson, Noah, and Evan were my pack. My team. I was the alpha of our small group, but it wasn’t like it was for the adults. The urge to dominate hadn’t taken over. Yet.
Those of us who lived among humans were seen as lesser animals, even though Dad came from the alpha. But this was the life our parents chose for us. We lived here, and the others lived in the upper parts of the mountain. We stayed away from their territory, and they stayed away from us.
It was supposed to be simple.
Except, when it came to the mountain pack, nothing was simple.
Dad straightened and turned to look at me. “I need to get back to the office,” he said, his business-as-usual voice returning.
I nodded. “We’ll keep working.”
He glanced around at Noah and Evan. “Where’s Grayson?”
Thoughts of Cora floated into my mind, and my heart picked up speed. I mentally shushed it. “He had to go down the mountain for supplies. He’ll be back.”
Dad raised an eyebrow. “Down the mountain?”
“Yeah,” Noah offered, stepping up next to me. “He’ll be back.”
I glanced over at Noah and shot him a silent thanks.
Dad mumbled something under his breath, but before he said anything, his phone went off. Distracted by the text message, Dad nodded and made his way back around the building and out of sight. Relief flooded my body as I heard him climb into his car and drive away.
I managed to keep my cool despite the raging war inside of me.
“What does that mean for us?” Noah asked.
I turned to see that Evan had joined us. I glanced at them, realizing that they’d heard everything.
I shrugged. “I’m sure we’re fine. We have a pact. If they don’t break their end, then we won’t break ours.”
Evan glanced over at me. “And if they do?”
I hoped my relaxed smile would help, even though I felt like a mess inside. “Then we fight.”
Noah and Evan got quiet, and I could feel the tense exchange between them.
“Get back to work,” I growled. I was tired of standing here, dissecting what might happen between our two packs. I needed a break. Time to figure out a plan.
Noah and Evan obeyed, each returning to their jobs.
I took a moment to walk over to the bench and grab my water bottle. Cora’s scent still clung to the air, and I couldn’t help but inhale as I stared at the spot she’d sat not too long ago.
The desire to protect her coursed through my veins, awaking my inner wolf.
Even though I was trying to fight it, I knew one thing—if there was a war between our packs, she wasn’t safe.
No human was.
Cora
Grayson drove less erratically on our way back up the mountain, which was nice. I actually had time to stare out the window at the woods as we drove by. It was calming, and I instantly felt more relaxed.
Plus, it was only a matter of time before my fridge would be stocked, and I would be lounging with a book on the couch Dr. Peterson left behind. No confusing encounters with Liam and his crew would happen there. I could disappear into the world of a story and forget everything that had happened this morning.
Today had been a weird and stressful day, and I was ready to escape.
Grayson pulled up behind the vet office and killed the engine. I glanced back at Rose, but she just shrugged—she had no idea how Grayson knew where I lived.
I thought about asking him, but I’d learned that Grayson wasn’t the chatty type. He drove. He demanded. But he didn’t really offer anything else.
I pulled on the door handle and jumped down from the cab. As I landed, a rock pierced my foot, and I tumbled forward. I winced, bracing myself for the hit, but the ground never came. Instead, two increasingly familiar arms wrapped around me and pulled me close.
“You need to be more careful,” Liam’s deep voice said.
My heart picked up speed. It was fast and erratic.
Why did this keep happening? Why was he always around when I was stumbling over myself?
Frustrated with this whole day, I pushed away from him and straightened. Then I kicked the offending rock and turned to glare at him.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
He quirked an eyebrow. “I—ah…”
I shook my head and raised my hand to stop him. “You know what, I don’t care. Stop being…everywhere.” I glared up at him. He was the one that had demanded Grayson take me to the store. He was the one who had dragged me to his worksite and demanded that I eat his sandwich.
He was the one way overstepping the boundaries of social norms.
Liam’s eyes widened. Like he wasn’t used to someone talking to him that way. Then he furrowed his brow and turned, making his way toward the back of the truck where Grayson had lowered the tailgate and was pulling out groceries.
Before I could stop Liam, he had his arms full of grocery bags and was heading toward the house.
Frustration and anger coursed through me as I followed them. “Hey,” I said, grabbing his arm and trying to get him to stop.
He didn’t and neither did Grayson.
Mom must have seen the two giant teenagers coming toward the front office door, because as soon as they approached, she opened the door with a surprised look on her face.
“Hello,” Liam said, nodding toward Mom as he passed.
“Upstairs and on the counter,” she called after them as they disappeared into the back like they knew where they were going.
Mom turned to me. Her eyes were wide, and her lips parted like she was trying to process what was happening. “Do they work at the grocery store?” she asked.
I sighed, trying to still my frustration. “No.”
I made my way toward the back of the truck, and I could hear Mom following me.
“Then, why…”
I glanced at her and shook my head. She must have sensed my annoyance because she closed her lips and nodded. I leaned over and started wiggling a case of water from the back only to have a much larger and much more muscular arm appear at my side.
I didn’t even have to look to know Liam had stepped up next to me and was grabbing the water as well.
“I’ve got it,” I said, my blood getting hotter by the minute.
Liam didn’t respond. Instead, he dragged the water across the bed of the truck and lifted it into his arms before I could stop him.
I followed him. His jaw was set, and his gaze focused on the door ahead of us. I didn’t know why, but his expression just made me madder. I hated that he was ignoring me.
“Hey,” I said as I quickened my pace to catch up with him.
Nothing.
“Hey,” I said again, reaching out to grab his arm.
He flinched. I felt his muscles ripple under my fingertips. Surprised, I stood there for a moment. I hadn’t expected him to react that way.
And from the way he stopped and stared down at me, neither had he.
“What?” he asked, his voice low and rough. His gaze was heavy as he stared down at me. His brown eyes were rich and dark in color. There was a desperation in them that took my breath away.
I stared up at him, completely consumed by the way he was staring at me. The way his body felt so close to mine. The way he smelled. It was like the woods after a hard summer rain.
I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my mind. I knew I needed to speak, but for some reason, the words were evading me.
When had I turned into such a bumbling idiot? Speak, Cora.
“I had that.”
Liam’s half-smile emerged, and my heart rate picked up. For a moment, I saw his eyes drop down to my chest and then back up to hold my gaze. “It really looks like I have it,” he said. Th
ere was a teasing to his voice that snapped me out of my trance.
He hoisted the water up onto one shoulder and then turned to make his way up the stairs.
Embarrassed, angry, and completely frustrated with how I was reacting to him, I followed him up to the apartment. “Well, if you hadn’t taken it from me, I would have had it,” I said in a lame attempt to save myself.
Liam’s chuckle just made me angrier. “It’s okay. I don’t mind carrying it.” He made his way into the kitchen and set the water down on the counter next to the other groceries.
“Well I do,” I said, standing next to him with my hands on my hips.
He turned and furrowed his brow. “Why?” He stepped closer, warming every inch of my body.
The intensity of his stare had faded, and all that was left was a teasing, amused smile. Completely annoying.
“Because I can take care of myself, that’s why.”
His gaze roamed over my body, and he got a thoughtful look on his face. Then he shook his head. “Nah. Maybe back in the city you came from. But Smoky Hills isn’t some suburban town.”
I blinked. “What?”
He shrugged as he folded his arms and leaned back against the counter. He stretched his legs out in front of him. I hated how good he looked with his dark hair falling over his forehead and the way his muscles rippled in his forearms.
Every move he made seemed to raise my temperature until I felt as if I were boiling. “You don’t know anything about me,” I whispered. My strength to stand up to him was rapidly weakening.
His smile faded as he turned to look at me. Silence fell around us. I could hear his breathing. It was deep and caused his shoulders to rise and fall.
Just when I thought I was going to go crazy, he pushed his feet underneath him and stood. “You’re right. I overstepped.” There was a throaty growl to his words. Like he was forcing himself to say them.
He pushed his hands through his hair as he flicked his gaze down to me. “I’ll get out of your hair.”
Feeling like an idiot, I reached out to stop him from leaving. The tips of my fingers brushed his skin, and warmth spread up my arm. “Wait,” I said, but that was all that would leave my lips.
