The howl came from deep in the forest.I froze, coffee pot in hand, every instinct screaming at me to run. But where? The diner was empty except for old Ed in the corner, snoring over his newspaper. The nearest town was twenty miles away. My car was parked out back, but by the time I reached it.
Another howl. Closer.
My hands shook. Coffee sloshed onto the counter.
"Easy, girl." Ed didn't even open his eyes. "Just wolves. They're always howling this time of year.
"Wolves".
Right.
I'd moved to this godforsaken town because it was remote.
Because no one would find me here. Because Derek would never think to look for me in a place with no cell service, no nightlife, and a population of three hundred people who all knew each other's names.
I hadn't counted on the actual wolves.
But these weren't …couldn't be…the kind of wolves I needed to fear.
They were animals.
Wild,
yes, but animals.
Not like Derek.
Not like the monster I'd left behind.
I forced myself to breathe.
Finished pouring Ed's coffee.
Moved to the next table.
The bell above the door chimed.
I looked up.
And forgot how to breathe.
He was huge.
Not just tallthough he was that, easily six-four. but broad.
Shoulders that strained the leather jacket he wore.
Arms thick with muscle.
Hands that looked like they could crush stone.
Dark hair, cut short. A jaw that could cut glass.
And his eyes,His eyes were gold.
Not brown with gold flecks. Gold. Actual, literal, impossible gold.
He stood in the doorway, scanning the diner as he owned it.
Like he owned everything. When his gaze landed on me, he went still.Completely, utterly still.
Then he inhaled.
Deep.
Slow.
Like he was tasting the air.
I'd never been so terrified in my life.
And I'd faced Derek.
I knew what terror felt like.
This was something else.-
"Mornin'."
Ed's voice broke the spell.
"Get you some coffee, stranger?"
The man didn't answer.
Didn't even look at Ed.
Just kept staring at me.
I couldn't move.
Couldn't speak.
Couldn't breathe.
He walked toward me.
Not fast. Not slow.
Just ….inevitable.
Like a storm you could see coming but couldn't outrun.
When he reached the counter, he stopped. Close enough that I could smell him pine and smoke and something else.
Something wild."Your name." His voice was low. Rough.
A command, not a question.
I should have lied.
Should have made something up.
Should have run.
Instead, I heard myself whisper: "Elena."Something flickered in those gold eyes. Hunger. Satisfaction. Possession."Mine," he said.
And everything went dark.
I woke in a bed that wasn't mine.
Wooden ceiling above me. Soft sheets beneath me.
The smell of pine and smoke fills my nose.Him.
The stranger.
Isat up too fast.
Pain shot through my head."Easy."
His voice came from somewhere to my left. "You fainted.
Hit your head on the counter."I turned.
He sat in a chair by the window, watching me. Those gold eyes unreadable."Where am I?""My home.""Your,…" I looked around.
A bedroom. Rustic but beautiful. Hand-carved furniture.
A fireplace. Windows overlooking an endless forest. "Take me back.
""No."
The word was simple.
Final."I didn't ask your permission.
Take me back.""No."
He stood, crossed the room.
Sat on the edge of the bed close, too close. "You're mine, Elena.I've been looking for you for ten years. I'm not letting you go."
I scrambled backward and hit the headboard."Stay away from me."
His eyes softened. Just slightly. "I won't hurt you."
"You already did. You took me."
"I brought you somewhere safe.
" He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "My name is Kael. I'm Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack. And you..." He reached out, slow, giving me time to pull away. His fingers brushed my cheek. "You're my mate.
"I stared at him."
You're what?"
"My mate. My other half. The person the Moon destined for me."
" His eyes burned.
"Mine."
I laughed. I couldn't help it.
Hysterical, broken laughter that echoed off the wooden walls.
"This is—you're insane. You're actually insane."
"I'm not."
"Mate? Destined?
That's not…that's not real."
"It's real."
His voice was calm. Patient. Like he was explaining something obvious.
"I'm a wolf, Elena.
A shapeshifter.
My kind have existed alongside humans for thousands of years.
And when we find our mates the one person in all the world meant for us we know.
"A wolf".
A shapeshifter.
I should have laughed again. Should have demanded he let me go. Should have fought.
Instead, I looked at his eyes.
Still gold. Still burning.
And I remembered the howls. The way he'd inhaled when he saw me. The way he'd said mine like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"You're serious."
"Deadly."I closed my eyes. When I opened them, he was still there. Still watching. Still waiting."
I have to go.""No.""I have ...., there are things. People are looking for me.
If they find me…."
"Who?" His voice sharpened.
"Who's looking for you?"
No. No, I couldn't—I didn't know him. Didn't trust him. Couldn't ….
Elena." His hand covered mine. Warm. Solid. "Who's looking for you?
"I looked at our hands. His fingers wrapped around mine. The way they fit together as they belonged.
"Derek," I whispered. "My ex-boyfriend. He " I swallowed. "He hurt me. For years. I left. He's been looking for me ever since.
"Something shifted in Kael's eyes. The gold deepened. Darkened.
"If he finds you….."When he finds me,
he'll kill me."
"No." The word was absolute. Final. "He won't."
"You don't know him."
"Neither do you."
He lifted my chin, made me meet his eyes. "Not anymore. You're mine now. My pack. My protection. My mate. Anyone who tries to hurt you answers to me."
"And if I don't want to be yours?
"Pain flickered across his face. Quickly hidden."
Then we have a problem." He stood. "Rest. Heal. We'll talk more when you're stronger.
"He walked to the door.
"Kael."
He stopped.
"If l try to leave…"
"I'll stop you."
"By force?"
He turned. Looked at me for a long moment. "I hope it doesn't come to that."
The door closed behind him.I sat in that beautiful bed, in that beautiful room, surrounded by forest and wolves and a man who claimed I belonged to him.
And for the first time in years, I didn't feel afraid.
I felt something else entirely.