As the car sped down the road, her thoughts returned to Brooklyn and her upcoming night out with Justin. Would he propose?
A thrill for her friend competed with a longing in Chloe’s heart. Still on the mend from the messy divorce from her ex-husband, Chloe hadn’t dated in well over a year. Chad had coerced her into marriage way too soon, and she’d fallen for every last one of his deceitful lies.
You’re lucky to be my wife. No one will ever love you like I do.
A year in, she’d figured out the truth, that he’d been married while they’d dated, divorced his wife, then married her. Ugh. What a creep. She never would’ve dated him had she known he’d had a wife, and when she’d finally confronted him, he’d told her she was too high strung and not good enough for him anyway.
At twenty-five and a divorcee, she’d given up on meeting Mr. Right, and over the last couple of years, devoted most of her time to her business. Still, a tiny bit of hope clung to her heart. Somewhere out there was a decent guy, one who would care for her, never deceive her, and love her unconditionally.
The mist lightened, and the sun peeked from behind a cloud, bathing the wet road in its soft rays. Swirls of steam rose from the pavement like miniature wraiths escaping from some enchanted land. The scene’s beauty took Chloe’s breath away.
She rolled down the window and breathed in the cool, crisp air. A smile she couldn’t contain tugged at her lip.
A red “check engine” light flared on Chloe’s dashboard, catching her attention. Great. Just what I need right now.
The car’s momentum slowed.
Out of desperation, she pressed on the pedal, but the old Mustang continued its gradual decline.
“Damn it.” Chloe pressed her lips together and guided the car to the road’s gravel shoulder.
The wheels crunched along the pebbles until the car stilled.
Chloe twisted the key in the ignition. The car’s engine choked but didn’t kick over.
Tightness wound in Chloe’s stomach into a hard knot. She wrenched the key again, willing the car to start.
A gasp sputtered from the engine, weaker than last time.
On the third try, only a soft click echoed within the car’s interior.
“Crap.” Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose. How much would it cost to repair her car? The money she made barely paid for her expenses, and she didn’t have a lot of savings.
Doubt that her mother had been right all along crept into Chloe’s shoulders and up her neck, threatening to take up permanent residence in her brain. In times of crisis, her mother had always been there for her. The need to see her again burned hot and fevered in the pit of her stomach.
Chloe leaned forward, tugged the thin billfold from her back pocket, and withdrew the picture of her mother. She trailed her finger over the image of the woman who’d raised her. In the photo, she cuddled side by side with a man Chloe didn’t know. Was he Chloe’s father?
Mother had refused to talk about him, but when Chloe had found this picture after her mother passed away, she’d noted a familiarity in his green eyes, in the slant of his nose, and in the crook of his smile. She saw similar features every time she looked in the mirror. How she wished she could meet him, but wishes were like dreams, slipping away and always out of reach.
A bird fluttered from a nearby tree onto the road and pecked at a pinecone. The tree’s seedling rolled out of reach, and the bird hopped after it before pecking again.
She hadn’t seen a vehicle in her rear-view mirror ever since she’d left the freeway, some forty miles ago, and no cars approached from the opposite direction. Other than the bird, Chloe was alone.
How far had she driven since she’d seen that signpost for Dark Moon Falls? It had said thirty-five miles to town. She’d traveled maybe ten. Even if she’d driven fifteen, there was still at least twenty miles to her destination. She was a decent runner, but twenty miles jogging on the road wasn’t her first choice.
A tingle of unease rippled down her arms. She shoved the picture into her billfold, grabbed her light coat from the passenger seat, and tugged it on.
She glanced at her phone. One bar of service flickered on the display.
Dark Moon Falls was a small town at the edge of a large mountain, but surely, they had to have a tow truck or some way to help her.
She yanked her mobile device from its resting place, her heart pounding loud in her ears. Would her cell phone work?
Her call with Brooklyn had cut out several miles back, and she wasn’t sure she could rely on service in this area. With shaky fingers, she depressed the Google app to search for a tow truck, praying for a miracle.
Chapter Two
Issac gripped the pneumatic wrench, the heavy weight familiar and comforting in his hand. He depressed the button, and the motor’s high-pitched whir filled the garage, reverberating against the windows over his workbench. With quick succession, he tightened each of the tire’s bolts.
Warmth eased into his chest. Nothing settled him quite as much as working on cars. They didn’t complain, didn’t accuse, and didn’t criticize.
He’d had plenty enough of that already. Thanks, Dad.
Issac stepped away from Elias’s Highlander, resting five feet in the air on the hydraulic lift, and studied each snow tire. The Dark Moon Falls pack alpha had brought in his SUV yesterday and asked Issac to prepare the vehicle for winter. After an oil and filter change, Issac had exchanged the all-terrain’s for the studded snow’s. Servicing Elias’s cars was a privilege and one for which he wouldn’t take payment.
“Anybody home?” A deep, familiar male voice boomed from the doorway.
“Over here, Samuel.” Issac set the wrench on his workbench, grabbed a cloth, and wiped the grease from his hands.
Issac preferred to be alone, but this shifter had wormed his way past Issac’s defenses after his father passed away nearly ten years ago. Since then, Samuel had become a close companion, one of the few who knew and understood him well.
The older male shuffled toward the lone chair nestled next to the workbench, the “I am a veteran” emblazoned across the brim of his baseball cap. He eased into the seat, and his shoulders sagged as if in relief. With a gruff exhale, he removed his hat. A bit of gray flecked his dark hair at his temple, but that only amplified the glint in his ageless eyes.
Samuel rubbed his knee then leaned against the chair’s back. “You’re working on the alpha’s car today?”
“Yep, just finished.” Issac tossed the soiled rag onto the workbench. The cloth landed on the flashlight and knocked it over. He grasped the handle and returned it to its rightful place.
Samuel brushed his fingers over the gray stubble on his chin. “Alpha mentioned to me that there’s another rogue in the area. A guy named Hiram Adaire. Seems he’d killed a pack hunter down in Arizona about fifteen years ago, but recently escaped from prison. You hear about that?”
Rogues sometimes came into pack territory, usually with mischief or crime following close behind. Good thing Levi Gunner and the rest of the pack hunters handled the unwanted outsiders.
“Levi warned me a couple of days ago to be on the lookout. Haven’t seen anything.” But if Issac did, he’d be the first to notify Levi, or if push came to shove, he’d take care of it himself. Although he wasn’t one of the pack hunters, he’d participated in his fair share of fights and could hold his own against just about anyone.
Samuel shrugged. “Ah, well. I’m sure Levi will take care of him. You got anything else needs fixing?”
The muscles in Issac’s shoulders stiffened. “Nope. Not a thing.”
Samuel tracked his gaze around the garage, his attention lingering on the motorcycle parts in the far corner. A twitch pulsed at the corner of his eye. “Guess it’s a good time to finish the Triumph then, isn’t it?”
Issac’s cheeks heated, and he turned his back on his friend. The 1978 Triumph 744 cc Bonneville had belonged to his older brother, Jarik. Full of energy and spirit, he’d liv
ed life on the edge, taking chances and risks far beyond what others called normal.
Father hadn’t been able to control him, and one night after a particularly heated argument, Jarik had left Dark Moon Falls at the age of seventeen. He’d been in the process of restoring the old Triumph and, in the ensuing years, Issac couldn’t bring himself to either finish the damn thing or get rid of it. A couple of times, he’d hired a private investigator to search for Jarik, but both had come up empty handed.
His shoulders stiff, he strode to the hydraulic lift and pushed the lever forward. The hiss of air expanded in the enclosed space, and the Highlander descended from its perch.
The squeak of the chair pierced the air as Samuel rose from his seat. A moment later, he placed his palm on Issac’s shoulder. “How long has it been, Issac? Fifteen years? You need to let Jarik go and live your own life.”
Issac turned and met his friend’s gaze. “I am living my own life. I have my business, I keep to myself, and I am quite satisfied with it that way.”
Samuel crossed his arms and raised a peppered gray and black eyebrow. “Satisfied? Really? When was the last time you laughed? Better yet, when was the last time you had a woman in your bed?”
“I…uh…” Issac held his breath, his mind racing. When was the last time he’d laughed? Other than a smirk now and then, he couldn’t remember. As for a woman? Hell, he’d had a girlfriend or two, and had even thought they might be his mate but… He counted the years in his head. Damn. It had been a while. At twenty-nine, he’d practically turned into a hermit.
Samuel limped back to the seat and relaxed once again, his hand rubbing his knee. “I don’t want to see you turn out like me. Take chances. Enjoy life. Your brother would’ve wanted that for you.”
Issac studied his friend. A deep, profound sadness registered behind the glint in his eyes. Over one of the many beers they’d shared, Issac had learned that Samuel had found his one true mate, but she was a city girl and had returned to Seattle, turning down his proposal in the process.
Issac didn’t know what he would do if that ever happened to him. He didn’t have a good track record when it came to women. Neither of his prior two girlfriends had loved him. His wolf had known right from the start neither was his true mate, and he should’ve listened. As if in agreement, his inner wolf growled.
“I appreciate your concern about me, but I need to head up to the cabin and winterize the place.” Issac glanced through the glass panes above his workbench. Patches of blue sky were visible between the treetops. Despite the golden rays, Issac knew better than to think winter couldn’t come in with a rush. He’d seen that happen many times in the past. Better to batten down the place while he still had the opportunity.
Samuel’s sigh echoed across the room. “I’m surprised you kept that place. Jarik wasn’t the only one who didn’t have a healthy relationship with your father.”
Issac’s chest tightened. Father had always ruled with a strict, iron fist, but after Jarik had left leaving fourteen-year-old Issac behind, Father had doubled down on his efforts. Issac had tried to please his father, but nothing he did ever seemed good enough. “Yeah, you’re right about that.”
“So, why do you keep the cabin?” Samuel studied him with an eagle eye.
“You’re too much like your mother. Quiet. Shy. You and your brother are opposites in so many ways, but neither of you measure up to standards.” Father’s words slid through Issac’s mind. He’d heard them so often they were practically etched in the back of his eyelids. Unfortunately, Mother had died while birthing him, and he’d blamed himself ever since. Maybe that was why his father was so strict and why Jarik had rebelled.
Issac shrugged. “From what Father once told me, Mother loved that place. I can’t sell it.”
Samuel inclined his head. “Ah, well—”
The familiar jingle of Issac’s cell phone pierced the air.
He dug into his overalls pocket and withdrew the slim Samsung. A number he didn’t recognize displayed on the screen. With the swipe of his finger, he accepted the call and depressed the speaker button. “Issac’s Garage. How can I assist you?”
A woman’s soft exhale echoed over the line. “Oh thank God. The connection around here is terrible. My car died. I’m stuck somewhere on the road into Dark Moon Falls. Can you help me?”
The velvety timbre of her voice eased inside and settled into his chest, warming him on the inside. His wolf roused, eager to surface and seek out the female on the other end of the line. Issac pressed his lips tight to contain the growl that bubbled into his throat. His wolf had always been hard to control and was more on the wild side, kind of like his brother.
“Hello, are you still there?” The woman’s soft voice echoed over the line.
When he had command of himself, he spoke to her. “I have a tow truck. What kind of car do you have?”
“A Mustang. So, can you come?” Her frantic words held a hint of hope.
Perhaps stress had made her blurt the sexually suggestive phrase for she didn’t seem to realize what she’d said, but Issac’s heart rate picked up speed and his wolf’s enthusiasm slipped along his nerves.
A smirk tugged at Samuel’s lips, and he brought his fist to his mouth, but not before Issac caught the grin.
Figures…
Issac ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I can handle that. You said you’re on the road into town. Can’t be too hard to find you. I’ll get the rig ready and be on my way.”
“Thank you. See you soon.” The click of the line reverberated from his phone.
Issac set the Samsung on the workbench, unzipped his overalls, and tugged them off, one leg at a time. Sometimes cell service didn’t work well in Dark Moon Falls, but his shop was in line with the cell towers and he rarely had trouble. Since his business relied on phone calls such as this one, that was a good thing.
“I best be going. You’ve got work to do.” Samuel rose from his seat and tottered toward the door.
“Samuel.” Issac waited until the older shifter turned around. “Thanks. You’re a good friend.”
Samuel raised his hand and resumed his shuffle to the door. “Go help that young lady now, and remember what I said, you hear?”
Issac snagged his phone from the workbench, snatched the keys to the tow truck off the pegboard, and followed his friend, his wolf’s excitement chasing him every step of the way.
Chapter Three
Issac crested over the hill in his Dodge Ram tow truck, the engine’s familiar hum vibrating through the cab. About a quarter mile down the road, a glint of sunshine reflected off a windshield. There she is.
A forest green mid-nineties Mustang GT Coupe rested along the road’s shoulder. The old relic wasn’t one of the classics, but hey, a Mustang was a Mustang. A measure of respect for the driver slid along his nerves. She had good taste in cars.
As he drew closer, a sense of anticipation wound into his gut, tightening into a hard ball. Why was he on edge? C’mon, this was just a regular job. He rolled his shoulders to ease the tension in his muscles and pressed his foot on the brake.
The vehicle slowed. As he drove past the Mustang to turn the truck around, his gaze flicked to the driver’s window. Eagerness for a glimpse of the woman that had called him zipped along his nerves. She rummaged in her backpack, her head turned to the side, and all he could discern was her beautiful auburn hair cascading around her shoulders.
His inner wolf whined with impatience. Restraint wasn’t his wolf’s best attribute, and he had a bad habit of coming to the forefront at the most inopportune moments.
Issac performed a three-point turn in the middle of the road then parked the truck in front of the car. He left the engine running and exited the vehicle.
The woman opened her door. She settled one booted foot onto the gravel, and then the other. A moment later she emerged, a rare beauty to steal his breath away. The sunlight caught her auburn hair, bits of gold mixed with the red. A splash of freckles covered th
e bridge of her delicate nose and along her high cheekbones. She pursed her full, plump red lips into a delightful bow, and her mesmerizing Kelly green eyes seemed to sparkle.
His heart pounded loud in his ears like the surf roaring upon a thousand shores. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.
Mate… His inner wolf snarled.
Issac swallowed, forcing the lump down his throat. His wolf had never reacted toward a female like this, but he wasn’t ready to trust his beast’s reaction. This woman might reject him, just like the others.
She approached, her thick winter coat hiding her curves from him, but her long, slender legs, clothed in faded jeans, seemed to go on forever.
“Are you Issac?” Her brows, the same auburn color as her hair arched over her beautiful green eyes.
He swallowed hard. Standing this close to her, he noted the slight variations in the irises. They were stunning, magnificent, exquisite.
She blinked. “You okay?”
He shook his head and ran his palm over his face. “Yeah. You called for a tow.”
A smile tugged at her lips, lighting up her features brighter than the sun. Gods, he was in deep trouble.
“My car died, but I was able to coast it to the side of the road. It won’t start, though. Can you take a look?” The soft lull of her voice tickled him on the inside.
“We’ll take your car to my shop. I’ll have a look at it there.” His shyness rose to the surface, stalling any further comments. He stepped past her, eager to put distance between them. This attraction to her wasn’t something he could deal with. Besides, as soon as he fixed her car, she’d leave. His wolf was wrong about her being his mate.
He stopped alongside the bed of his truck and pushed the lever to lower the deck. The high-pitched whine echoed between the trees lining the road.
She strode next to him and gnawed at her bottom lip, her attention riveted on the deck as it lowered from the truck bed. The plump flesh teased him, and he wanted nothing more than to taste her sweet lips.
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