by Starr, Maia
The lobby was still lit up, but no one was inside, so Addison dashed across the lobby and climbed the staircase to the second floor. She realized as she approached her door that she didn’t have the key, but she also didn’t remember locking it on her way out. When the knob turned easily, she sighed with relief, yanking the door open and then slamming it behind her after she stepped inside. She locked it, listening for footsteps just in case someone had followed her, but she heard nothing but the sound of her heavy breathing and pounding heart.
Trying to calm herself down, Addison backed away from the door, climbing into her bed and wrapping the blankets around herself, the chill of the night finally seeping into her bare skin. Oddly enough, she fell asleep within minutes, her mind failing and her body shutting down. She could only hope that when she woke in the morning, there wasn’t a wolf outside her door.
* * *
By the time Flint and Ash arrived back at Wolf Den, the mood in the clearing was somber, much quieter than when Flint and Addison had left. Apparently, they had all heard the screaming, roaring, and howling in the distance. The gathered crowd of shifters parted so that Ash could help Flint to the center of the clearing, but Flint pushed Ash away and stood up straight, forcing himself to work through the pain as he marched forward. Every pair of eyes locked on Flint, waiting for the report of what had transpired beyond the Den.
As Flint came to a stop, a short, gray-haired woman pushed her way through the shifters and stomped forward.
“What the hell happened to you?” May screeched, her voice filled with panic at the sight of the wounds on Flint’s body.
“Anyone have some pants to spare?” Ash called into the crowd.
Flint chuckled at himself, not knowing what else to do. He had forgotten he was still naked. One shifter came forward, throwing a pair of jeans to him. Flint gratefully caught them and pulled them on.
“Answer me!” May snapped. “What did this to you? And where’s Addison?”
Flint sat on a log by the bonfire and ran a hand down his face. He held the other hand up to May, indicating he needed a moment before he could speak. Despite her fuming expression, May only mumbled to herself and crossed her arms.
“I had an encounter with Maric Devoy, the bear shifter the bears’ messenger warned us about,” Flint announced. His words sent a wave of murmurs through the crowd, but they stopped when he spoke again. “I was with Addison, the new woman in town, when he showed up. At first, I didn’t know what he wanted, but after he threw me into a tree, I learned he was after Addison herself. I kept him from hurting her, but I scared her away in the process.” Flint hung his head. “She saw me shift, and now she’s run off.”
“She’ll go back to the Silver Inn,” May interjected. “I just know she will.”
Flint nodded, thankful for the reassurance, but turned his attention back to his people. “Our priority is to hunt down Maric Devoy. He’s still out there, and he will be back. We’ll increase the number of shifters looking for him, double it. I’ll need another group to guard Addison should he track her to the Silver Inn. Callie has gone ahead and followed her to ensure she’s safe for the moment.” He paused, waiting for someone to question him, but no one said a word. They simply nodded. Flint’s heart warmed to see the blind faith they all had in him. “Alright, form teams and go. Ash, round up a group and head over to the Silver Inn, pronto.”
Ash smiled. “You got it.”
“I’ll go, too,” May said. “There ain’t no way I’m leaving that girl there alone.”
Flint nodded. “Good. Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I think I need to go rest.”
With that, Flint rose from his seat, watching his people disperse, shifting into wolves as they raced into the woods. Ash and May nodded to him before following suit, leaving Flint alone with only a handful of people. He limped into the hall and found a bench to lie down on, closing his eyes and falling into a restless sleep.
He dreamed of Addison all night long.
Chapter Thirteen
The Next Morning
Addison woke with a headache.
It was slight at first, easy to disregard while she was still half-asleep, until the pounding grew so intense she had to force herself to throw the sheets off and rise from the bed like a zombie. Addison groaned at the soreness in her legs and feet, but stretched and stood, stumbling into the bathroom. She flipped on the light and glanced in the mirror, seeing her naked body.
Wait. She was naked? She didn’t normally sleep naked, so why—
Flashes of the previous night came to her; Flint had ripped off her clothes in the woods outside Wolf Den just before Maric had interrupted their fun. In her fear and shock, Addison had forgotten all about them as she bolted from Flint, Ash, and Callie. A wave of nausea came over her as the memories flooded back. Her skin crawled as she remembered the way Flint had turned into a… into a… she couldn’t even bring herself to think it.
Her head continued to throb, and she reached for her toiletry bag, opening it up and rummaging inside for her bottle of headache pills. She grasped it and pulled it out, popping off the cap and shaking a couple of pills into her hand. Placing them on her tongue, Addison grabbed one of the complimentary Silver Inn glasses and filled it with water from the sink, drinking to help wash down the pills.
Trying not to let her mind wander back to Flint and Maric, she stepped out of the bathroom and walked to the closet to grab some clothes. Her mind replayed the events she’d tried to ignore. Instead of freaking out about the whole deal again, Addison took a deep breath as she put on her bra, collecting her thoughts and going the facts one at a time.
First, Maric had followed her to Silverwood Island. Addison hadn’t thought she’d left a trail for him to follow, but she supposed she’d been wrong.
Second, Maric didn’t just smell like an animal, or look like one; he was one. When Addison had witnessed him shape-shift, she’d thought she’d lost her mind. No human being could perform a feat like that… so, what was he exactly? A human-bear hybrid? Was that a thing? Werebear, Addison thought, and she almost giggled at the absurdity of the whole situation. Who knew she’d ever need a word to describe a man who could turn into a bear?
Third, Flint. Oh, Flint. Addison’s heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces as she remembered how Flint had shape-shifted into a wolf, howling and tearing into Maric just like a wild animal.
All those times Addison had thought something felt off about Flint, all those times he exhibited an animal-like trait. That wild, intense passion the first night they met or the odd sharpness to his eyes, the way they would latch onto her and never let go. She’d suspected he was harboring a secret. But this? There was no way Addison would have expected this.
Addison could nearly feel Flint’s rock-hard body against her own, hear his adorable and infectious laughter, see his stark, piercing gaze boring right into her. Even as Addison replayed Flint shifting into a snarling wolf, her heart ached at the thought of how she had abandoned him, run from him after he had saved her. Addison wanted to go straight to Flint and ask him to explain everything while he held her.
And yet… fear still rooted her feet to the floor. No matter how much she wanted Flint’s embrace, she couldn’t forget the sight of Flint attacking Maric. He had appeared wild and blood-thirsty, and while she was grateful for his protection, his behavior terrified her. What if Flint couldn’t control himself? Flint’s occasional odd behavior surfaced in her mind, and she found herself doubting him. Was it possible that Flint might lose control and go too far with her? Could he harm her? Maybe even accidentally take her life?
Shaking at the prospect, Addison let herself fall back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling without really seeing it. As if one supernatural, shape-shifting man wasn’t enough…
A sudden thought struck her. If Flint—and Ash and Callie—could shape-shift like Maric, were there others? She shivered. There had to be others. How many more were there?
May’s a
dvice upon Addison’s arrival echoed in her mind. May had told her that many wolves roamed the island and that they lived right alongside the people of the town. Addison knew now that May had referred to people who could shape-shift into wolves living on the island—whether May realized it or not. Did May know? Could Addison trust her?
Sighing, Addison stood and walked to the window where she’d closed the blinds and curtains tight against the sunlight. She pushed the curtains aside and used her finger to open a tiny slit in the blinds. Peering out at the town below, Addison wondered just how many of the relaxed townsfolk held the shape-shifting secret.
As if to further her paranoia, a few howls breached the air. Letting go of the blinds, Addison turned and began to pace the floor. Who knew how many wolves were out there? There was no way she could ever leave her room again!
To distract herself, Addison dug through a bag she had filled with snacks and drinks when she had left her ransacked apartment in Seattle. She let out a sigh as she rummaged around, counting the bags of chips and celery sticks, the cookies and breakfast bars. Seattle sounded like a haven right about now.
Maybe, just maybe, if she had stayed in Seattle and evaded Maric long enough, the police would have caught him, and she wouldn’t be in this whole mess.
But she couldn’t dwell on past mistakes now. Once she had double-counted the contents of the bag, she flopped back onto her bed, not expecting to leave her room any time soon. In a few days, when she had worked up the courage, maybe then Addison could gather her belongings and sneak away to the docks where she could board a ferry and leave the island for good.
Strangely, the idea made her frown; leaving the island would mean leaving behind all the money she’d paid for her new house, her new job, and Flint… Addison couldn’t decide whether she wanted to give Flint the chance to explain or never see him again.
With a frustrated sigh, Addison reached for the TV remote and flipped on the weather channel, the noise a welcome distraction.
* * *
A few days passed, and Addison remained in her room.
Working up the courage to leave was excruciating. Addison’s fears dwindled a little every morning she woke with no supernatural visitors at her door, but the wolves’ howls from the forest always caused her to shiver. Still, she was growing in confidence. To her relief, there hadn’t been a single peep from anyone since that night at Wolf Den.
But as her fears lessened, her desire to see and talk to Flint grew. The thought of never again being close enough to touch him frustrated her more than she wanted to admit. She longed for the comfort of his embrace despite the massive secret he’d kept from her, and every day was a struggle to keep from running to him. But how would she even find him if she did go looking? She’d probably have to ask May.
Addison missed May almost as much as she missed Flint. The absence of the old woman’s energetic teasing left an unexpected hole in Addison’s life.
Ugh! Addison wanted to scream!
By now, she had eaten most of her snacks, and her bottles of water and cola were disappearing faster than she would have liked. Sure, she could drink tap water for a few days after she ran out of drinks, but Addison needed to satisfy her caffeine fix. Not to mention, she could only subsist so long on barely filling chips and celery sticks. Sooner or later, she would have to leave her room.
But what if Maric was out there prowling around the Silver Inn or in town, waiting for her? Pinching the bridge of her nose, Addison forced herself to think rationally, a ritual that had become commonplace for her over the course of the past few days. If Maric knew she was staying in the Silver Inn, then he would have already attempted to attack her again, right? So, he probably didn’t know where to find her. That was a good sign. As long as Addison was careful, she would be safe. Maric had attacked her twice now and failed both times, but the third time’s the charm, right? She couldn’t afford to fall into his clutches again.
Addison had thought about calling Lindsay to tell her what had happened, but she wasn’t sure Lindsay would even believe her. She’d pictured trying to explain to Lindsay how both her stalker and the man she was falling for could shape-shift into animals and hearing the pained silence as Lindsay decided whether she should commit Addison to an insane asylum. No way could she deal with that. So, Addison had pushed her best friend from her mind, guiltily ignoring the calls she had received from Lindsay.
Psyching herself up, Addison climbed off her bed where she had sat cross-legged browsing her laptop. She stood in front of her door, working up the courage to at least step outside. Taking a deep breath, Addison stepped forward, reaching for the handle, but right before she touched it, three sharp knocks came at the door. Lurching backward in fright, Addison’s heart raced. No one had knocked on her door in days. Who could it be? Maric, trying to trick her into letting him in? Or Flint, unable to resist the urge to come sort things out with her? Both possibilities made her gulp, and she stood frozen, staring at the door. After a minute, more knocks came at the door.
“Addison!” a familiar voice called. “Will you please open the door, honey? I want to talk to you.”
Addison’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest. It was just May! Hurrying to unlock the door, Addison gripped the handle and opened it, revealing the short woman on the other side. May smiled at Addison, her hands on her hips.
“About time you opened up! You’ve been hiding away in here for far too long. I’ve been missing ya.”
Tears welled up in Addison’s eyes, and she stood there awkwardly smiling at the older woman and swiping at the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
“Oh, no, don’t you start that now,” May said. “We need to talk before you start crying… that’s how it works.”
To Addison’s surprise, May came forward and embraced her, and so Addison hugged her back. The two stayed like that for a while, Addison’s sniffling loud in the silent hallway. Addison felt bad for any other people in their rooms right now who had to listen to her.
Finally, they broke apart, and Addison motioned for May to come inside, closing the door behind her. Addison pulled up the only chair in the room for May while Addison sat on her bed. May sat and leaned forward, staring at Addison with wide, concerned eyes.
Addison smiled. “Thanks for coming to see me, May.”
“I would have come earlier,” May said, “but Flint forbade it.”
Cocking her head in confusion, Addison frowned even as her body tingled at the mention of Flint’s name. “Flint forbade it? What does that mean? He has control over you?”
May chuckled and shook her head. “Well, ‘forbade’ is a strong word for it. He wanted to come see you himself, but he still hasn’t figured out how to approach you about what happened the other night.”
Addison looked away. “Oh… so, you know about…”
“Of course I know. Most everyone on the island knows.”
Addison flashed May a worried look. “So, what are they exactly?” She lowered her voice. “Flint changed into a wolf… and Maric Devoy into a bear. I’m not crazy, am I? That really happened?”
May nodded. “Everything you saw was real. We call ourselves shifters, sweetie. We were born with the ability to morph into animals, Flint into a wolf and Maric Devoy into a bear, as you saw that night at Wolf Den. Silverwood Island is like our main hub.”
“Shifters, huh?” Addison said, mulling it over. Then, she blinked, her forehead creasing in a frown. “Wait, ‘we’?”
“I’m one, too,” May said, her tone as casual as always.
Addison stared at her, not wanting to believe her. “You’re kidding me.”
May chuckled again. “I wish I was. It’s not easy to be of two natures.”
Massaging her temples, Addison leaned back and groaned. “So, what kind of animal can you turn into? Like an owl or something?”
“An owl!” May guffawed, slapping her knee. “Now that’s a hoot! No, sweetheart, I’m a wolf just like Flint. Pretty much all of us on this side
of the island are wolf shifters, all part of Flint’s pack.”
Addison snapped her fingers, suddenly understanding all the times Flint and others had proclaimed him an ‘alpha.’ “So, Flint is the leader of your pack? The Alpha, right?” She thought about how his presence always affected the people around them, how others would stare at them together at the bar, on the streets, or at Wolf Den. With a laugh, she came to another conclusion: Wolf Den was a den for wolf-shifting people, wasn’t it?
She smiled at May. “So, let me get this straight… Flint is the leader of a band of wolf shifters that inhabits this half of the island, right?”
May nodded, beaming. “You got it! Wow, this is easier than I thought it would be.”
“So… why didn’t he tell me before?”
May cocked her head. “Well, I advised him not to, and he listened since I’m the wise, knowledgeable matriarch of the pack. I knew you’d run from him if he pushed things too far too fast. And also, I think he wanted to earn your trust before he revealed his true nature to you.”
Addison glanced away, guilt beginning to take hold. It was becoming much more difficult now to believe Flint would ever harm her, especially with the way May talked about him. She wondered what he was doing now. Since he was the lead man on the construction team, would he be building her new home right now? Was he thinking of her?
“Is Flint… lonely?” Addison asked, her mind drifting to the observation she had made at Wolf Den. “I think I understand that Flint is the Alpha, but people were always staring at us when we were together, and I couldn’t figure out why until that night when he said something about being alone. He’s single, whereas almost everyone else on the island is paired off—like Ash and Callie. Is that… does that bother him?”
