VELVET MOON

A SAPPHIC SHIFTER ROMANCE

QUEERWOLF

BOOK ONE

HARMONY FULLER

Copyright © 2024 by Harmony Fuller

All rights reserved.

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Author's note: All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.

ISBN: 9798336588712

CHAPTER 1

"I'm just saying, your constant anxiety can be a real burden after a while."

My stomach dropped as a slice of tight pain bloomed across my chest, causing the seatbelt to feel constricting.

A burden? Really? The word felt like a knife twisting in my gut, each syllable cutting deeper. How could he not see all that I'd done for him, all that I'd given up?

I had been with this man for over six years, following him on every adventure that he wanted to take. I had uprooted my life, moved away from my friends and family, and now that we had finally found what seemed like a solid life together, he called me a burden?

"Olivia. Olivia, are you there?" His voice sounded more annoyed than concerned at my silence.

I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat as I turned out of the parking lot of the darkened veterinary clinic. It had taken all of my confidence six months ago to tell Brett that I was buying the practice. I had been essentially a traveling vet for half a decade as we had been on the road, but I wanted to settle down.

I wanted something of my own. Something I could care for with all my heart.

"Olivia. Look, just come home and we can talk about this."

I bit my lip, shaking my head as the pain continued down to my belly.

A burden.

"I-I'm sorry."

Fuck. Why had I said that? Why couldn't I ever just stand up for myself for once?

"Just come home, and we can talk about it." His voice was distant, as though he was looking at something else and only giving me half his attention. That wasn't unusual. "You still out at the clinic?"

I nodded in the darkness, even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah, just left."

"Great. I want to go out once you get back, so get changed."

My head started to throb, "I just got off work…” It sounded lame as it came out.

"Yeah, well, it's Friday night and I want to go out. That's what people do, they go out. They don't just sit around the house reading fantasy, they live it instead." His tone abruptly changed, his voice pitching higher, as he loudly proclaimed, "Either come with me or don't. I am going out either way and if I have to find someone else to enjoy my time with, so be it."

Anger replaced the pain for a split second, a rare spark of defiance. But it was quickly smothered by the familiar weight of anxiety, a cold, clammy sensation that seeped into my bones, making it impossible to hold on to the anger for long. I needed to make him happy, or the whole night would be ruined, and I wouldn't have any time to relax. "Look, I just meant⁠—"

Twin orbs flashed gold in front of the headlights, glowing like eerie beacons in the darkness. My heart lurched, instinctively slamming my foot on the brake. "Fuck! Wolf!" The words tore from my throat, but time seemed to slow as the massive shape barreled toward me, the screech of tires mingling with the sound of my own panicked breathing. I flinched back as a massive weight slammed into the front of my little hot hatchback and fur rolled up onto my hood, crashing into the windshield that somehow held beneath the onslaught of sudden weight.

"Olivia? What happened? Is the car okay?"

My thumb brushed the end button as I slammed the shifter down into park and fumbled to unlatch my seatbelt.

"Oh fuck, fuck, fuck. What were you doing? Where did you even come from?" I asked the empty road as I scrambled from the seat and surveyed the bloodied creature now limp on my hood. Matted dark grey fur, mixed with darker splotches could only be blood, rose and fell in shallow, quick breaths. Slow and careful, so as not to spook it, I rolled the wolf over until its head and legs were both facing away from the windshield and down the hood. It blinked at me, slowly opening and closing eyes that seemed golden in the dark night. Its front right leg was bent at an awkward angle, obviously broken.

I blinked back tears, unsure if they were frustration, anger, sadness, or a combination. "What the hell is a wolf doing out in the middle of farmland, USA? I didn't even think wolves lived in the Midwest..." I rambled on, scolding the creature for crossing the road at night as I carefully did a quick inspection. Even if its leg hadn't been broken, the unsteady rise and fall of its chest suggested that without treatment, there was no way it would make it through the night. "Are you gonna eat me?"

Its ears twitched, but it made no other movement.

I took it as a no.

"Well, I guess you are going out alone tonight, Brett," I said, racing towards the hatchback. Inside was a dirty towel; its primary function was a drying cloth at the carwash, but it was about to get a promotion. "For your own good. And mine," I told the wolf, gently tying the cloth around its muzzle. It whined but didn't move as I then slowly slid it down the hood and into my arms.

It wasn't pretty, and I almost dropped it at least twice before dumping it as gently as I could into the back of the tiny car. It let out a brief, sharp yip as it rolled fully into the trunk. "Sorry, I know. It's not a long ride." Just long enough for my boyfriend to call me a burden, I thought to myself as I slid back into the driver’s seat and put the car into drive.

The ride back to the clinic was just over fifteen minutes, but it felt like an eternity. The air in the car was thick with the scent of blood and damp fur, and every whimper from the backseat made my heart race faster. My knuckles whitened around the steering wheel, the rhythmic pounding of my pulse in my ears nearly drowning out the sound of the engine. I prayed the clinic was close enough. On one hand, I was relieved to see it had some fight left in it, but on the other, the more awake it became the harder it would be to transport, especially by myself.

As I pulled into the parking lot, angling as close to the door as possible, my phone vibrated again. Brett. Defiance sparked through my fingers as I powered it down and tossed it into my bag. No time for burdens or asshole boyfriends. A quiet whine cut through my thoughts as I opened the driver’s door. "Just a sec. I need to get a few things to help me get you inside. Ten steps around the car with your heavy self is a lot different than trying to get you inside."

With a surprisingly steady hand, I unlocked the door and bolted towards the rolling gurney in the back. It had a lot of purposes, but as far as I knew, wolf transportation had never been one of them. Of course, this was my first wolf exam, so... "first time for everything," I muttered, pulling the top off a clean needle and shoving it through a vial of ketamine, hoping my guesstimate on the wolf's weight was at least in the ballpark. Too much, and I would be wondering why I had bothered to bring it back; too little, and I would be wondering if I tasted good as a snack. With both gurney and syringe secured, I worked my way back outside, propping the doors open as I went.

The wolf was still awake, its eyes rolling back to focus on me as I stood by its hind flank, gently parting the fur to expose its hamstring. "This will only sting for a second, and then you should take a short nap for me." It blinked, the unnatural calmness in its gaze unsettling as I quickly jabbed the needle into its thigh and thumbed down the plunger. A breathy sigh flared its lips under the cloth for a second before its eyes lost focus, and I started to gently haul it inside.

CHAPTER 2

As it turned out, splinting a wolf's foreleg was almost exactly the same as a Great Dane’s. The difference was, if Scooby woke prematurely, he was unlikely to make you into a Scooby snack. Exhausted, I leaned my back against the bars of the holding cage I had settled the canine in for the night. During the procedure, I found out she was a girl and started calling her Shadow, after a puppy I had as a child. The name slipped out before I could think, a bittersweet reminder of the first and only dog I’d ever truly loved. Maybe I was trying to make up for the loss of that puppy all those years ago, or maybe I just needed something to hold on to in this shitshow of a night. My parents had only let me keep Shadow for two weeks before forcing me to give her back. The original owner’s other dog, Shadow's mother, had been hit by a car, and Shadow was the only puppy the new owners, my parents, were willing to give up, so I lost my first and only dog. It’s no wonder I have trust issues from childhood.

I gave a long sigh, the weight of the night finally settling on my shoulders. My fingers brushed through the wolf's coarse yet surprisingly soft fur, grounding me in the present. Despite the chaos, the simple act of touching her brought a strange sense of calm, as if we were both finding solace in each other’s company. Shadow was the only overnight guest, so aside from her pulse monitor quietly beeping, it was quiet and calm.

I woke with a kink in my neck that felt like the bend in a crumpled piece of paper—crinkled and stiff. I groaned softly, pushing myself up into a sitting position as I blinked the fog from my eyes. The fluorescent lights of the clinic seemed harsh, but they were nothing compared to the ray of sunlight shining directly on me from an upper window. Cold, stiff, and fluorescent lights—this must be what waking up dead feels like.

The thought caused me to jerk 180, facing the cage with my overnight patient. She was awake but didn't seem to have moved. One of my hands was still curled around a lock of fur, and as I pulled it back, putting the bars safely between us, I could have sworn she huffed what sounded like a wolfy laugh.

"Feeling better?" I asked, pressing my fingers to my temples in an effort to keep them from splitting. Sometime during the night, I must have turned my phone back on, as it was sitting beside my knee, a slew of missed messages from Brett judging me from the lock screen. I scrolled through them briefly, learning that he had pretended to care for only two messages before demanding to know if I would be home to go out with him and then going out on his own. I stopped before reading the end of the messages, knowing it wouldn't help my mood. What more could he say that I hadn’t heard a thousand times before? Instead of replying, I turned and snapped a photo of Shadow, sending it with zero explanation. Let him wonder. My world was spinning too fast for his shallow demands.

I was just to the point of getting my legs under me when the door to the back exam area clashed open. Daisy, my vet tech, rushed through with what looked like a table leg gripped between both hands. I slumped back down, raising my palms to fend off any blow in case she decided to come at me. "Daisy! Daisy, what are you doing?"

She skidded to a halt, brown hair fluttering wildly around her face as she blinked rapidly before lowering her makeshift weapon. "Dr. Harris? What are you doing here?" I watched as her eyes traveled from me to the cage and back again, widening. "Please tell me that’s a really big husky…"

"If I do, will you drop the table leg?" I gave her a weak smile, gesturing.

Her grin reminded me why I had hired her on the spot. She had a perfect bedside manner and recovered from shock far better than most veterinary interns I had graduated with. "Ikea," she stated matter-of-factly as she set the metal leg down on one of the exam tables. Metal on metal clanged loudly, and I flinched as my pulse pounded through my skull. When I opened my eyes again, she had walked over to offer me her hand. "Best self-protection you can get for $10."

"Right," I nodded, accepting her offer and allowing her to haul me to my feet. "Because nothing says 'he was robbing me, officer' like beating a man to death with a metal, retractable table leg."

"Great value." She turned her attention to the ball of fur that was now curiously raising her head in the cage behind me. "Seriously though, is that a…"

The silence made it clear she expected me to fill in that particular blank.

"Wolf."

"Yeah, not a husky, huh?"

I shook my head, rubbing a hand over my face. "'fraid not."

"And your car being parked up on the curb and the front door being left wide open?"

"I was in a bit of a hurry."

"I bet.”

She knelt down to get a better look at our patient. I nodded silently in approval, noting that she knelt rather than leaned over the cage so as to not upset Shadow any more than she already was.

Or wasn’t.

The wolf simply yawned and put her head back down on her front paws, golden eyes calmly tracking me as I stretched.

"Hit and run."

"Uhuh, how'd the front of the Fiat handle that one?" She gave me a look over her shoulder that clearly stated she had already pieced this puzzle together.

"I had a wolf rolling over the hood and then in the trunk, so I think the answer is like a champ." I smiled, a strange bit of love washing over me at the thought of my perky little car. It was small, but it had gotten the job done, and the windshield hadn't busted. Go it.

She pulled my hastily scribbled patient notes from the door, frowned, and put them back. "So, what are you planning on doing with…" Her eyes darted back down and then back at me. "Shadow now? I doubt the state pays the bill when you whack them yourself. If they did, every tech I know would spend their free time causing hit and runs for the extra cash."

Absently, I rolled the leg across the table, watching it spin as my mind tried to focus. "Should probably call them anyway. I would guess DNR will be interested in picking her up."

"No need."

We both stiffened at the sound of a new voice, and I abruptly found a table leg in my hand. There, standing in the open door between the back exam area and the waiting room, was a woman who wouldn’t have looked out of place on a red carpet. Her presence was so striking, so out of sync with the familiar scents of antiseptic and animal fur, that it felt like the temperature in the room had dropped. She was an icy, perfect contrast to the rural warmth of my little clinic. Straight blonde hair fell around unnaturally high cheekbones, which accented impossibly blue eyes. Devilish red lips smiled as she met first my gaze, then Daisy's, before widening into a grin at the sight of the leg.

"My apologies if I frightened you." Her tone was light but more than a little self-assured. "The front door was open, so I thought I would let myself in. Lydia Muller." She crossed the space between us, her heels clicking sharply against the tiles. "Pleasure to meet you."

I glanced back at Daisy, brows furrowed. My tech shrugged and mouthed, I was in a hurry. Rolling my eyes, I turned my attention back to Lydia. "It's a pleasure, Mrs.—"

"Miss," she smoothly corrected.

"Miss Muller. The clinic doesn't open for another hour, unless you have an emergency?" I highly doubted it. The only animal in distress was the fox currently draped around her neck as a fashion accessory.

"No, no emergency, thanks to your care. I merely came to collect my wolf. I am sorry if she caused you any trouble."

"Your wolf?"

Lydia nodded, folding her hands neatly in front of her, as though she had all day to answer any questions about her right to Shadow. "That's correct. Thank you for caring for her injuries."

I heard a muffled, "That you caused," behind me but didn't turn. Instead, I set the leg back down and walked around Daisy to grab Shadow's makeshift chart. "I'm afraid, even if you could provide proof of ownership⁠—"

"Which I can."

I continued, trying not to be annoyed. "She has a broken leg and shouldn't be released into a full enclosure anytime soon without proper supervision."

"A broken leg? Are you sure? She seems fine to me." She gestured casually towards the holding cage, and I followed the line of her finger to find Shadow standing, although hunched in the tight confines of the cage, with her full weight balanced on her forelimb, as though she were showing off her ability to stand. "Wolves have remarkable resilience and healing. Likely a sprain from whatever happened."

A cough. "Hit and run."

This time I turned to shoot Daisy a look before plastering a smile on my face. "That would be a remarkable recovery, since my X-rays showed the fracture. It was a clean break, but she should stay for observation."

The woman smiled at me as though I were a child that she had to explain shapes to before her eyes flicked towards the cage. "Naomi, are you ready to go?"

The wolf huffed, whining in the back of her throat and pawing at the bars. Her eyes rolled to me, locking briefly before she ducked her head down to mouth the latch, flipping it with her tongue. As though she had done it a thousand times, she rolled the latch, lifted the bars with her nose, and stepped out as the front swung open. She stopped next to Daisy, holding the leg with her IV out from her body. It was clear she was asking for it to be removed.

Daisy, for all her normal sass, gaped at the creature. "Dr. Harris?"

My mouth opened and closed as I fought for anything to say. Finally, I snapped, "What about her bill?"

Lydia waved at Daisy, clearly indicating that she should get Naomi ready to go. "I’ll pay you, of course. I’ll⁠—"

The wolf made a low sound in its throat, catching Daisy off guard, as she practically ripped the needle from its arm and wrapped a bit of vet tape around the catheter site.

"I’ll send my assistant to pay you shortly. You’ll be made whole by noon."

Now free of her IV, the wolf loped towards us. Standing at her full height, her head came up past my waist, and I could have set my hand comfortably on her back without bending at all. Black and grey fur shone in the morning light from the windows as she briefly pressed her weight against me before continuing towards Lydia's side.

The woman put her hand on the wolf's head, absently rubbing her ears, but there was something more in the gesture—something intimate. It was as if they shared a secret, an understanding that went beyond mere ownership. For a brief moment, I felt like an intruder, witnessing a bond that was both ancient and unbreakable. "Thank you again for your help."

"She almost totaled my car," I blurted, feeling my cheeks heat. I had no idea why I said that, but watching her stroke Shadow's—no, Naomi's—ears was irritating me for reasons I couldn't explain.

"The little Italian thing? It seemed fine, apart from being parked in your bushes, but I will include a bit of compensation for that as well."

"You—" I could feel Daisy's hand on my arm, grounding me. "Thanks," I finished weakly.

"Of course. Have a nice day, Dr. Harris. I am sure we will see each other again soon."

We watched as she walked out, not a single word said to the wolf, but it stayed with her each step, only pausing once to glance back with golden, shining eyes.

CHAPTER 3

"What was that?" Daisy let out in a rush, dropping to the ground so swiftly I was afraid her legs had given out. Her hands flew to Naomi's chart, flipping through the pages until she found the copies of the X-rays I had haphazardly taken on my own. God bless rolling gurneys. "There’s an obvious break right here…" Her fingers traced the length of the wolf's radius bone. "Anyone could see this fracture from a mile away."

"And yet," I heaved a deep breath, "that wolf just walked out of here without so much as a limp.” My mind raced to find an explanation—“error in the scan?” Or was I just sleep-deprived and seeing things? But no matter how I turned it over, nothing made sense.

"In an X-ray?" Daisy frowned.

"Yeah…" I dropped my hands to my side, clapping them against my thighs before shaking my head clear. "Well, we either just saw magic, or there was an error in the scan. Only two options, but as long as she pays, I guess all’s well that ends well."

"Except that there’s a crazy, California-perfect woman running around the rural Midwest with a wolf that apparently likes to hop in front of cars at midnight."

"All’s well that ends well, Daisy. Come on, we need to get the clinic ready to open."

It was almost noon exactly when an athletic brunette walked through the front door and directly up to the front desk, sunglasses hiding her eyes.

"Hi, may I help you?" Daisy greeted, straightening and leaning across the counter.

"Is Dr. Harris in?"

I was sitting at my desk, staring at the newest message in a long tirade from Brett about how I hadn’t come home last night. My explanation of what happened had only resulted in him being upset about the car—not me or the wolf, but the car. His response had been a brief, You better. The threat in those two words was subtle, yet it twisted in my gut like a knife. How had it come to this? When had our relationship turned from love to something so suffocating? The more I thought about it, the more the knots in my stomach tightened, pulling at the frayed edges of my patience.

Welcoming any excuse to not think about it, I leaned forward to look through my office door, sitting ajar just enough for me to make out the woman's shadow stretching across the waiting room. I didn’t recognize the voice and scooted to the edge of the chair for a better view, curious.

"She is in her office at the moment. May I help you?" Daisy repeated.

"I am here with a payment for services rendered from Miss Muller." The woman's voice was smooth, unhurried, as though she had all day to stand and wait. "I would like to give it to Dr. Harris personally."

My stomach tightened, and I shot to my feet, already at the door before I knew what I was doing. "It’s okay, Daisy, I've got this."

The woman turned, her glasses hiding her eyes but not the radiant smile that blossomed across her face. "Dr. Harris, it's good to see you again."

I faltered, my hand half-raised in greeting before dropping it back to my side. "Have we met?"

The smile wavered for only a second before she shook her head. "Maybe not, but I would love to be able to say that we have. Do you have time to grab a drink so we can get to know each other? Then next time I come in, I can say, 'It’s good to see you again,' and mean it."

My mouth went dry as I floundered for anything to say. In the silence, my eyes moved over her body, taking in the way her tailored suit hugged ample curves like a second skin. Dark grey velvet fabric absorbed the light, casting a soft sheen that accented her chest and hips, shimmering softly with each breath. Apparently, Lydia Muller paid her assistants well. Dark, soft hair fell in ringlets around her face, swaying as she cocked her head to watch me watching her. She was… something else. There was a magnetism about her that I couldn’t quite place—a blend of confidence and warmth that left me both unsettled and drawn in. My heart skipped, and I cursed myself for the flush that crept up my neck. I wasn’t used to feeling this way, especially not about another woman, but there was something about her that stirred emotions I thought I had lost long ago.

"I think I can spare a few minutes," I finally said, trying to keep the blush off my face as she gave me a dazzling, approving smile. “I was about to go to lunch anyway. How about a coffee and sandwiches? There’s a little café not far from here…”

Daisy’s mouth fell open behind the counter, but she wisely kept silent.

"From Nibble & Nosh? Sounds fantastic. I hear their seasonal caramel macchiato is to die for, and I plan on dying with caramel in my veins."

"Great." I shot back into my office to grab my purse, throwing my phone into it without a second glance at Brett’s newest text, and led the way out of the clinic, fully aware that Daisy was probably watching and wondering what the hell I was doing. Well, to be fair, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing either, but sometimes life wasn’t all that clear.

"I’ll drive," she offered, leading me towards a small foreign SUV. "Plenty of space for two."

"And a few wolves," I tried to joke, but the look she gave me was clearly not amused. "Okay, no jokes about wolves, then."

"No, no," she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Lydia is just a bit of a touchy subject. She doesn’t really trust people she doesn’t know, so you saving one of her wolves was probably the worst thing that could have happened."

"Because now I know there is some rich woman out in the middle of the Midwest with, it sounds like, more than one pet wolf?" I paused, feeling unusually brave as I added, “And possibly not a permit from DNR?”

She grinned, her cheeks pushing up her sunglasses in a way that captured my full attention. "Yeah, that about sums it up. But you didn’t just hear that from me.” She flicked a finger at me in emphasis before sliding into the driver's side.

"How'd that come about?" I settled back in the leather seat, watching as we pulled out onto the empty road. "You know, this whole thing. It's not often people just… have pet wolves."

"Maybe they aren't pets."

Strange way to answer.

"Then what would they be?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by the evasiveness in her tone. Her eye’s eyes, hidden behind dark glasses, seemed to flicker with something I couldn’t quite catch.

"They’re… different," she finally said, her voice soft, as if the words themselves were too delicate to be spoken aloud. "Not pets, not really. They’re something more—like family, but even that doesn’t fully capture it." Her words hung in the air, adding to the growing sense that there was more to these wolves, and to this stranger, than met the eye.

She paused, waiting at a stop sign for a kid with a “Don’t honk, I’m sensitive” sticker in the window to finally complete a turn before continuing, “She likes helping strays.”

"But DNR doesn’t know about these strays?”

She shrugged, the small smile returning. "They get a sizable donation from us every year." The turn signal blinked as she turned towards town. "Haven’t been here long, I take it?"

I answered without really thinking, "No. A little over six months. Just long enough to buy the clinic and get Daisy in to help me run it."

"Dogs and cats?"

"Mostly, with a few wolves every now and then."

She laughed, causing my stomach to knot out of nowhere. "That's the spirit. I am sure that Lydia will be happy to hear that you are willing to help out with any wolves that need a quick fix."

"It's Lydia now?" The sudden switch to familiarity bothered me.

She shrugged, turning again. "Always was. We are only that formal in public; this is friends."

I kept my face turned out the window as I let her voice echo through my mind. This is friends. I hadn’t had a friend in a very long time, not since Brett had started dragging me around the country on his many midlife adventures. I was tired of it. Tired of the moving, constantly watching what I said or forcing myself to go out and do things that I didn’t want to do. The constant battling. "Friends," I breathed, still not looking at her.

"Friends," she repeated, throwing the vehicle into park and sliding out in one swift movement. I heard her shoes crunch on the gravel as she finished, "Now, let me buy my new friend a coffee."

CHAPTER 4

Our coffees were warm and smelled like cinnamon as we settled into a corner table, looking over a menu and trying not to look at each other. She was pretty, undoubtedly, but something felt different, familiar, and it drew me towards her.

"So," I started, licking my lips and resisting the urge to swirl my coffee. "Regular here, huh?" It had been clear from the moment we walked through the door and had been greeted by no fewer than four different employees.

She smiled, still examining the menu even though it was clear she knew what she wanted. "I have been here a time or two. Lydia and I like to visit when we’re in town."

We sat for a few minutes longer, the silence stretching between us until I couldn't take it anymore. I had to say something, do something. Then it hit me, and I felt so stupid to have not asked before. "What's your name?"

"Hmm?" I felt rather than saw her eyes dart upward behind the sunglasses.

"I never asked your name." I laughed, feeling heat swell in my cheeks again. "If we are friends, I guess that is something I should probably know." My smile felt awkward, but it was the best I could do.

She snorted a soft laugh. "Naomi."

I nearly spilled my coffee. "Naomi?" I echoed, my voice coming out higher-pitched than I intended. "Like the wolf?"

Her smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered. "The one Lydia said you called Shadow? Yes, at the sanctuary, we name the wolves after the people they imprint on when they arrive. It helps build a connection between woman and beast."

"So Naomi is your wolf?" Something wasn’t settling right. She had answered quickly enough that it hadn’t sounded like a lie, but I had heard enough half-truths from Brett over the years to pick up on deception when it was right in front of me.

The waiter interrupted before she had time to answer. Placing our orders, I was surprised when she picked the conversation back up smoothly. "Yes, you could definitely say that Naomi is my wolf. Thank you for taking such great care of her, by the way. Lydia was very worried."

It sounded genuine, and I felt my shoulders relax a little. "You're welcome. That doesn’t get confusing, though? Having someone shouting for Naomi, and they mean the wolf instead of you?"

She shook her head, smiling so wide that the glasses almost slipped, and I thought I saw a glimpse of shining color underneath before it was hidden again. "Not really. The wolves call to the wolves, and the humans call to the humans. Easiest way to communicate."

"That's… not really an answer." My phone rang, pulling my attention for two seconds while I silenced it, Brett's self-assured, smug smile looking at me on the screen.

"How’s life with your —“ She sat forward, glancing at Brett’s picture. “— boyfriend?” She took a sip, her eyebrows raising as though she knew the answer already.

"Great," I shot back, frowning at the now darkened screen of the device. I knew a text would come next. A quick ??? that told me I had better return his call.

"Turning it off might be the easiest way to communicate between two creatures that don’t speak the same language," she said, a cryptic smile playing on her lips.

I laughed nervously, trying to shake off the odd feeling her words gave me as they settled into the pit of my stomach. “It’s not that bad,” I tried, feeling like I should at least attempt to defend my obviously toxic relationship. God, if strangers could see it, what did that say about me? “But yeah, sometimes it feels like Brett and I are speaking entirely different languages.” I took a sip, but couldn’t stop the surge of words that suddenly had to come out. “He’s always chasing something, the next best thing or the next thrill. He can’t tell me what it is he is looking for, and sometimes he just leaves for days or weeks at a time, and when he comes back he is different, distant. I don’t know for sure what he does or who he’s with, but I get the feeling he’s cheating on me.”

“Or worse,” Naomi said, offering a smile to the waitress who brought us our sandwiches. “Could be drugs or maybe even murder?” There was an obvious joking tone to her voice that set me on edge.

I shook my head, studying my sandwich in silence for a moment as I inwardly cursed myself for oversharing. This was why I didn’t have any friends, but I just couldn’t help myself. I had to get these feelings out, and it felt right to talk about it here. Now. “I don’t know. I just get the feeling like he wants something more from me sometimes…” I bit my tongue, feeling like I had already said too much but knowing there were so many more things to be said.

Naomi tilted her head, studying me for a moment. “It sounds like you need a break from all that noise.”

“I do,” I admitted, surprised at my honesty. “But it’s hard to find a quiet moment. The only real time I get for myself is at the clinic, and even that was a fight. He says we won’t be here for long, he has stuff to do in this area, and then we will be off again. I was hoping that opening a business here would help him see that we could settle down… at least for a while.”

“Yeah. It sounds like you need a break,” she leaned back in her chair, her posture relaxed. “That’s what the compound is for me—a place to escape and find peace. You should visit sometime. It might help you see things differently.”

I took a bite, thinking it over. Talking about Brett, even briefly, had left me feeling uneasy, as though just having lunch with Naomi would be a problem. It would be something small, like he would be upset that I hadn’t brought him anything, or he would say that if I had time to go out with her, then I should have gone out with him instead. There were times that I felt like a possession of his, something he could command and expected to behave. A dog.

We ate in silence, me contemplating how my life had gotten so out of my control and Naomi just silently watching behind those dark glasses. I wanted to ask why she was still wearing them inside, but it felt like something personal, and I didn’t want to pry. I gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. There it was again, my need to make everyone else happy and comfortable at my own expense. Why not just ask?

"So…"

She shoved the final bite of her sandwich into her mouth, licking her fingertips. The movement caught my attention, and my eyes lingered on her lips, causing me to briefly forget my question. I had never felt particularly drawn to women before; honestly, I didn’t think of myself as a sexual creature, but there was something about Naomi that I just couldn’t explain. A feeling in the pit of my stomach that whatever mysteries she was hiding wouldn’t hurt me.

"So?" she asked, those lips glistening as the edges curled up.

"I… uhh…" Traitorous voice. "I'll get the check," I finally managed to say, cursing inwardly.

"No need. The compound has a tab here, it will just be billed over to Lydia at the end of the month."

"What?" I laughed, trying to imagine how many sandwiches they must order to have a tab at the local café. It didn’t make any sense.

She stood, dropping her napkin on the table and holding out a hand toward me. "Should probably be getting you back, though. I wouldn’t want to be the reason a poor puppy doesn’t get a rabies shot."

My hand reached out to hers, the gesture coming naturally, as helping me up was one of the few gentlemanly things Brett did. I privately thought that holding my hand with him felt more like he was keeping me leashed to his side, but Naomi's was warm and strong as she helped me to my feet—the perfect lady. She dropped it once I was up, and I immediately felt a sense of loss.

"I'll drop you back at the clinic?" she asked, leading the way out the door and back across the parking lot.

"Yeah. That would be great," I answered, curling my fingers to try to hold on to the last remnants of the memory of her touch.

The radio hummed quietly as we started the SUV, turning back towards the clinic. Naomi gave a short crow of joy and turned it up, "This is my song!" She leaned towards me for a brief second, our shoulders touching as she picked up the chorus line, "And I'm hungry like the wolf!"

I couldn’t help but laugh along at her enthusiasm. It was infectious, and for a moment, I forgot Brett, my worries, and sang along with her. The song ended too soon, and the SUV fell into a comfortable silence as we neared the clinic.

As we pulled into the parking lot, Naomi parked and turned off the engine, letting the quiet settle between us. I gathered my things, hesitating for a moment as I turned to face her. "Thanks for lunch. It was nice to get away for a bit."

Naomi smiled, her sunglasses hiding her eyes, but I could feel her gaze on me nevertheless. "Anytime, Dr. Olivia Harris. Remember, the compound is always open for you. Think of it as a sanctuary where you can find peace and quiet if you need it.”

I nodded, feeling a strange mixture of gratitude and confusion. “Just Olivia, we are friends now, right?” She nodded, and I continued before I lost my nerve, “And I might just take you up on that.”

As I reached for the door handle, Naomi's hand gently touched my arm, her nails causing goosebumps to prick down to my elbow, stopping me. "Olivia, wait."

I turned back to her, and before I could say anything, she leaned forward and pressed her lips softly against mine. They were just as soft and delicate as I had imagined when I had privately watched her licking them clean at the café. A lingering taste of bacon was on her tongue as it quickly flicked forward, lashing my lips before retreating again. It only lasted a second, but it left my body tingling and my heart racing in a way that set the world reeling.

When she pulled back, the world seemed to tilt, and a rush of emotions I couldn’t quite understand flooded through me—confusion, yes, but also a desire so intense it left me breathless. My lips still tingled from her touch, the faint taste of bacon lingering, but it was the spark in my chest that ignited something deeper, something I hadn’t felt in years. This wasn’t just a kiss. It was a catalyst, a shift that could change everything.

I glanced up and, for the briefest moment, saw beneath her sunglasses. Her eyes were a striking shade of gold, glowing with an otherworldly light.

She smiled softly, her fingers lightly brushing my cheek. "Take care, Oli. I'll see you soon."

CHAPTER 5

The afternoon passed in a blur as I was swept by Daisy from patient to patient, addressing everything from first puppy shots to chronic hip dysplasia. Nothing fazed me like seeing those golden, almost glowing eyes as they pulled back from a two-second kiss that I hadn't asked for but absolutely had needed. The sensation lingered on my lips, seeping into every thought, every action, as I moved from patient to patient. It wasn’t just the kiss—it was what it stirred in me, a longing I had buried deep, a desire that Brett had never been able to touch. And yet, I couldn’t admit it to myself, couldn’t let the thought fully form. What did it mean that I craved more from Naomi, a stranger, than I ever had from the man I was supposed to love?

It was sometime after eight in the evening when I finally pulled up to the small apartment that Brett had insisted we rent in the shadiest part of downtown. My stomach twisted into knots as I parked, a cold dread creeping up my spine. The kiss had been a brief escape, a moment of clarity, but now reality loomed over me like a dark cloud. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach—the impending confrontation, the suffocating weight of Brett’s presence, and the inevitable disappointment that awaited me behind that door.

I knew Brett had chosen this place because he wanted to be close to "the nightlife." More likely, he wanted it to be easy to go for a drink and whore himself out to anything with two legs. That was beginning to be my private assumption, especially when I walked through the door and directly into a cloud of overly applied, way-too-sweet perfume. My hands clenched into fists as I gently shut the door behind me, my mind going blank as I tried to figure out what was happening in my life. It was as if I were living someone else’s story, a passive character in Brett’s narrative. The resentment simmered just below the surface, bubbling up every time his demands overshadowed my needs. How had I allowed myself to become so small, so insignificant in my own life? And why did I still care enough to massage his shoulders, to try to soothe the very man who had turned my life into this never-ending cycle of anxiety and self-doubt?

"You're back." His tone was a mix of annoyance and indifference as I hung my purse on the coat rack and walked into the small kitchen/living area. The apartment was dim, with no overhead lighting, and the only light source came from a combination of a single, struggling lamp and the TV. Shadows danced around the room as I immediately walked up to the back of the couch, my hands obediently dropping to his shoulders, and I began to massage him, hoping to settle his mood.

"The car?"

"It's fine, a small dent. You can barely tell." I continued to massage, trying to keep my voice pitched under the level of the TV, so I didn't disturb him.

"You'll have to get that fixed."

"Yeah, I will call around tomorrow. Got busy today." It was true; between lunch with Naomi and my afternoon patients, I had honestly forgotten to really look at the little hatchback.

"Busy going to lunch with a stranger?" My hands stopped for only a second, but I could tell he noticed as he continued, "Didn't think to call or ask me to join? Who was she?"

My fingers tightened into the tight muscle between his shoulder and neck as I repeated the question, "Who was she?” Knowing he would play dumb, I clarified, "The girl who I could smell at the door when I walked in. Her cheap perfume is everywhere." I normally got a jab or two in per fight; apparently, I had decided now was the time to take that throw.

My stomach clenched as he turned, shrugging off my hands with a casual indifference that made my blood boil. "What are you talking about?"

My mind was still foggy as I struggled to think of a clear, cohesive way to accuse him of cheating. Instead, what came out was, "There is perfume by the door, I can smell it."

"And can you smell it on me?" His tone was infuriatingly calm, as if I were the one being unreasonable, as if my suspicion was just another irrational flare-up. But I wasn’t imagining things. The cloying scent of cheap perfume clung to the air, a tangible reminder that something was very wrong. My anger flared, mingling with the gnawing fear that he would twist this, that he would make me doubt myself again, just like he always did. The only lingering sweetness on him was our berry and oat bath soap, and I knew I couldn't justify accusing him of taking a bath.

"It's strongest at the door, like she just left." My fingers picked at the hem of my shirt as I stood over him. It was a nervous tic that had gotten worse over the years. I was the kind of person fidget toys had been created for, even though I vowed to never own one.

"So maybe it came from outside? Or from whatever woman you went out with. You didn't tell me, you know, who she was. Daisy said it was a work thing."

My eyes narrowed for a moment at the mention of Daisy; I didn't like him talking to her. At first, it had been because she was young and pretty, so I was worried he would try to fuck her. She had shut that down the first time she had met him and told him he smelled like cheap cologne and bad decisions. I had almost cheered until I saw his ego crack a bit and knew that crack would cost me a fight that night. Daisy had earned a lifetime friendship award that day, even if I hadn't been able to tell her so.

"Yeah, it was. The woman who owned the wolf that I hit last night came in to get it this morning. She sent her assistant to pay the bill." Ninety percent the truth.

"A woman owns the wolf?" He looked surprisingly keen to know more, the angry lines on his brows swiftly replaced by confident intrigue. Anyone else would have seen the look as pleasant and engaged in the conversation, but I immediately knew he wanted something, and it just fogged my brain more. I just couldn’t think around him, not when my every word might be used against me. “Crazy what can happen with these Midwest wildlife laws. Who is she?"

"Lydia Muller," I answered, inwardly cringing when my slow brain couldn't come up with a lie quick enough. "She has all the permits from DNR." Yep, cause that's what he was curious about for sure.

"Muller, eh? A German with a bunch of wild creatures, sounds like a fun time. Maybe you can introduce me. I always wondered what a wolf looks like up close."

"I sent you a photo of one last night."

"Yeah, but I mean in person. I would love to feel what their fur feels like, I bet it’s thick too, especially around their necks. Probably hard to get your whole hands around there, would be especially hard to choke if one came after you.”

The description was unsettling, but maybe it was because I hadn't ever pictured Brett as a hunter, and he hadn't so much as gone fishing in the years we had been together, so I could only play it off with a forced laugh. "Yeah, she was very soft."

"She, huh? German lady keeping female wolves. Sounds like a bad time at certain times of the month… All that blood and wild carnivores." His smile would have been called a sneer on anyone else, but it fit his face naturally. Suddenly, as though a switch had been thrown, he turned back around and took another sip from a glass on the table next to him. "I'll definitely have to go see this woman. Get me a refill, would you? And a snack? The dishes need to be done too. And there is a certain knob that you could also polish when you're done with that."

I nodded, my feet shuffling towards the fridge. I grabbed a bottle of gin to mix with the already open bottle of tonic. This was my life—chores, deception, and daily demands for sexual gratification. At least he hadn't yelled, but he hadn't admitted to why the front door had smelled like a whore when I walked in either. Still, being left alone to do the dishes and drift away while I sucked his cock was usually the best outcome I could look forward to.

That night, as I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the tickle of pubes against my nose, I let my mind drift far away from Brett, away from the suffocating reality of my life. Instead, I imagined golden eyes and soft lips, a world where I wasn’t bound by obligation or fear, where I could be the person I had forgotten I was. It was a fleeting fantasy, but at that moment, it was the only thing that kept me from drowning in the despair of what my life had become.

CHAPTER 6

“Ok, I have to know. Why do you stay with that guy?”

I closed my eyes against what, I felt, was an accusatory tone in Daisy’s voice. She had a right to ask, though, as Brett had just gotten done trying to talk her into giving him Lydia Muller’s address. I had finally grabbed the phone from her and told him we couldn’t give out patient information—he knew that—and that we could talk about it tonight. The thought of that talk made me queasy. She must have seen the look on my face because she quickly added, “You can stay at my place tonight if you need."

I gave her a weak smile and finished shoving a very large pill down the throat of a very angry cat. “Thanks, but it’s okay. He’s not really that bad.” The words felt hollow as they left my lips, a weak attempt to convince myself more than Daisy. I knew the truth—Brett was bad for me, but the thought of leaving him felt like stepping off a cliff into the unknown. There was a twisted comfort in the familiarity of our dysfunction, a sick sense of security in knowing what to expect, even if it was just more pain and disappointment.

Daisy raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Not that bad? Olivia, he’s… well, you have to at least know he’s a dick, right? You can't have missed that, and you're so sweet and caring. If you need help…” She left the rest unsaid, and I appreciated it.

I sighed, feeling the weight of her concern. “I know how it looks, Daisy. But it’s complicated. I have a lot of… reasons.”

“Like what?” she asked gently, her tone softening. “Help me understand.”

I paused, watching her wrangle the angry feline back into its carrying case while gathering my thoughts. “Well, it’s hard to explain, but we have been together for more than half a decade. It hasn't all been that bad; he is really charismatic and can be really nice. Sometimes I feel like I don’t even deserve him.”

"You don’t deserve him?" Her tone couldn't have been more surprised if I had pulled off my head and declared I was an alien.

“I know, it's stupid. I do. And I am probably stupid for staying and letting things get this way. When he fights with me, it’s… intense, but it also makes me feel like he cares enough to fight. Like, if he’s willing to fight with me this fiercely, imagine what he would do to protect me from someone else.”

“Olivia, that’s not…” Daisy started, but I cut her off.

“I know, I know. It’s not healthy. But it’s hard to walk away from that feeling of safety, even if it’s twisted. When Brett is around, I don’t have to be alone. He’s strong, and sometimes I convince myself that his strength is enough for both of us.”

Daisy sighed. “But it’s not real safety, Olivia. It’s control. There’s a difference.”

I swallowed hard, feeling tears prick at my eyes. I had enough of this at home; I didn't need it at work too, even if she was trying to help. Before I could come up with anything to say to that, however, the familiar tick tick tick of canine nails on linoleum distracted me. Behind her, pushing her way through the swinging door that separated the waiting room from the back exam area, was the wolf Naomi—no limp and somehow larger than I remembered. My breath caught in my throat as our eyes locked, her presence filling the room with a palpable energy that made my heart race. Her golden eyes flashed, landing on mine as she dropped a rose that she had been carrying in her jaws.

Daisy followed my dumbfounded look and barked a short laugh, "What the hell?" Leaving the cat safely in its traveling case, she walked over, gingerly gave Naomi a pat on her wide skull while she stretched to pick up the rose. She held it out to me, a quirk causing one eyebrow to travel much higher than the other as she said, "I am guessing this is for you?"

My fingers trembled as I fumbled for the rose, pricking myself on a thorn. The pinprick started to bleed immediately, my pulse resounding in the pad of my index finger. "Oww."

The wolf trotted over, a whine in her throat as her nose nudged my elbow. I could have sworn I saw concern shade her brilliant eyes. "It's ok, I'll live." I reached down, running a hand from her furrowed brow down the back of her neck. I couldn't help but remember what Brett had said the night before and pulled it back, as though singed. She whined again, leaning her shoulder against my hip and almost knocking me over. I caught myself on the exam table, even though it skidded a few inches across the floor. "Whoa, you're gonna take me out."

My laughter seemed to calm her, and she huffed before retreating to the corner and lying in a heap of fur. She yawned before dropping her head to her giant paws, apparently content to watch us for a while.

Daisy looked between us, shaking her head. "Never seen anything like it. They really don't talk about how messed up the wildlife laws are in the Midwest during school. You would think they would prepare us for smuggled wallabies, raccoons, and sentimental wolves." She picked up the cat, ignoring the hiss that followed. "Well, let's go tell old lady Thatcher that her Christopher here will live to see another day."

I nodded, following with a single glance back at the now sleeping wolf on our exam room floor. She disappeared a few hours later, right before lunch. Not long after, a familiar set of golden eyes once more walked through the back door, this time wearing overalls of all things.

"We really need a latch on that door," Daisy said, not looking up from where she was dosing out medications while simultaneously keeping an eye on a recovering puppy. "Or a lock."

"Nice to see you again," Naomi said, her tone ignoring the implied intrusion as her gaze swept to me. She pulled her sunglasses out from her breast pocket and flipped them open, sliding them over her eyes before Daisy looked up. "Mind if I steal your boss for lunch again?"

"Would it make a difference if I said, please take her for the whole night?"

I shot Daisy a look, but she just grinned at me, totally unrepentant.

"Oh," Naomi slanted me a look over the rim of the glasses, "maybe. I didn't know that was an option."

"It's not," I said, rushing forward to my own rescue since it was clear no one else was going to.

“I—” before I could come up with a good excuse, she interrupted me with four words that stopped me in my tracks.

“I need your help.” The words hit me like a jolt of electricity, sending a shiver down my spine. There was an urgency in her voice, a vulnerability that made my chest tighten with a need to protect her, to be there for her in any way I could. Without even thinking, I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. For reasons, I couldn’t fully understand, I knew I would do anything she asked.

She continued, “Do you have a portable ultrasound?”

Daisy, still counting with one hand, waved the other vaguely toward the corner. “They are all portable, in a sense. It’s not like they are MRIs.”

Naomi raised a cool brow over the glasses, and I couldn’t help a small smile. Somehow they complemented each other, like waves over sand. They would wear each other down, only to rise back up in my life the next day.

“So, yes?” Naomi said, closing the distance between her and the machine that Daisy had pointed to.

“Yeah, but… why? If you need help with one of the wolves⁠—”

“One of the females has been in labor for over twenty hours. It’s rare that we get pregnant,” she stumbled for a moment, recovering as I noticed for the first time the dried stains on her overalls, as though she had been in a barn for at least ten of those twenty hours. “We don’t normally breed at the compound, but it happened, and now we don’t know if the pups are ok. She is straining and whining, but no matter what we try, nothing is happening.”

I would have helped regardless—it was my job—but the pleading behind her eyes drove out any other thoughts. “Daisy, can you handle the afternoon?”

“Few vaccines, a nail trim, and a grumpy old cuss with hip problems.”

“Mr. Timberland,” I clarified to Naomi, “although Jack, the dog, also has joint pain.”

Daisy continued as though I hadn’t spoken, “Yeah, take the machine and get out of here. I got it.”

“You are really the best,” I said, moving aside as Naomi was already wheeling the ultrasound out the door. I grabbed a few bottles of gel and a handful of meds, tossing them into my purse. “I don’t know how I ever found you.”

“Remember that at my six-month review!”

I smiled, following Naomi out to her SUV.

She was quiet as she loaded the machine in and started the vehicle up, quickly turning the opposite way from the town. The silence between us was thick with unspoken words, the hum of the engine the only sound breaking the tension. I watched her from the corner of my eye, studying the way her hands gripped the steering wheel, the way her jaw tightened as if she was holding back something important. I wanted to reach out, to ask her what was on her mind, but the words caught in my throat, the distance between us suddenly feeling both too close and too far.

“Naomi got out again, huh?” I smiled, watching her reflection in the window as we started down the road.

She was quiet for a minute, but I caught the faint bob of her head. “Yeah. It was getting to be too much at the house. I’ve been up since the labor started last night, and even wolves need naps.”

“How did you know she napped?” I turned to watch her, curiosity mixing with nerves that caused my fingers to play with the strap of my purse.

She only took a few heartbeats to answer, “She came back refreshed.”

“And did you get a nap too?”

I swore I saw the reflection of gold under her glasses as she glanced at me, her mouth set in a firm line, but she didn’t answer.

After a few miles of silence, I finally asked, “How many puppies?” starting to make a mental file for my new patient. “First-time mother?”

“Yes, and we don’t know. Like I said, we don’t normally have to worry about this, and our wolves don’t really get sick, so we have never needed to keep a doctor on staff before. I’m sure she is fine, though.” There was a tightness around her mouth that betrayed how little she believed that last statement.

“I’m sure she’ll be ok.” I took a deep breath, starting over. “How old is she?”

“Twenty-seven.”

I had opened my notes app, my finger hovering over my phone screen, ready to take down anything important, and abruptly dropped the phone into my lap. “Excuse me?” Picking it back up, I did a quick internet search and shook my head. “You have to have that wrong. Grey wolves only live to their mid-teens. Even in captivity, they wouldn’t live into their late twenties and still be able to conceive.”

Naomi was quiet for a moment as she turned us down a number of winding back roads that I had never seen before. It wasn’t too strange to not know the full rural area around the city, but this was out there. I briefly wondered if I was about to be the newest subject of a ‘Murdered in the Midwest’ podcast. Finally, she shook her head. “Look, if you can help her, I promise I will make it all make sense. Trust me, she’s twenty-seven. She hasn’t ever had pups before, is on no medication, has never been sick—but there is something wrong now.”

I shook my head, the vet inside me screaming, “It’s just not possible.”

“Yeah, I have a feeling you are going to say that about a lot of things.”

We turned a final time and a sign for ‘Mayfield Meadows — A Queerwolf Community’ popped into view.

CHAPTER 7

Questions. So many questions.

But no time.

At first glance, Mayfield Meadows looked like a quaint farming community, the kind of place you might see in an old photograph—a snapshot of simpler times. But there was something else here, something that gnawed at the edges of my awareness, like a whisper I couldn’t quite catch. The tall columns of the mansion stood like silent sentinels, and the quiet, orderly fields seemed almost too perfect, as if hiding secrets beneath their neat rows. It was a place that felt frozen in time, yet strangely alive, as though the land itself was watching, waiting.

Yet, it was missing something that I knew had to be here somewhere…

Wolves.

The moment the SUV’s tires crunched to a stop in the gravel driveway, I was swept from the car by a force that was both physical and emotional. Naomi’s grip on my wrist was firm, almost desperate, and it sent a shock of adrenaline through me. This was no ordinary veterinary call—I could feel it in the air, in the way Naomi’s voice carried an edge of panic I’d never heard before. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to keep up, both with her pace and with the flood of questions racing through my mind. But there was no time for answers, no time to question the strange pull this place had on me. All I knew was that I had to help, no matter how out of my depth I felt.

A petite young woman met us on the porch, wringing her hands together so hard I was sure she would have bruises. She had short black hair, shaved on one side, and dark bags under her eyes. She looked near tears as Naomi practically carried me up the stairs.

“How is she?” Naomi asked, the woman falling into step with us as we all headed through the door.

“The same. Just whines and wiggles, and no pups.” The woman paused for a moment before looking at me directly and stating, “But no blood either. That’s a good thing, right?”

“I won’t really know until I look at her,” I answered as gently as I could. In any other circumstance, I would have loved to have drifted around the house, taking it all in. It was an odd assortment of old and new world, with ancient furniture and gold-trimmed paintings sitting beside a karaoke machine and a pinball arcade. Still, for a house this big, it was eerily quiet.

“But she’ll be ok. You’ll make sure she’s ok.” The woman’s tone was rising as Naomi veered to the left, almost yanking my arm out of its socket. I yelped, and she turned, throwing me a quick apology before glancing over my shoulder, “Jayne. Either help or stay out. I know what this means to you, but you can’t get in the way. Oli’s a doctor, she will help.”

I smothered the bloom of happiness that the short nickname coaxed forth. It was stupid, but then again, I had never been good with relationships.

The woman, Jayne, stopped mid-step and turned. There was a noise like a low, warning growl, and I glanced around, trying to find the source. Just as quickly as it started, however, it was gone, and so was Jayne. Twenty steps later, and I was standing in front of an open door, multiple women and a wolf lay in the middle of the floor.

Outside, a lone wolf howled in the middle of the day.

Instinct took over, and I pushed my way towards the laboring creature, my heart clenching as I saw the fear and pain in her eyes. But there was something else there too—an understanding, a trust that seemed to pass between us in that brief moment. I could feel her desperation, her struggle to hold on, and it resonated deep within me, awakening something primal and fierce. This wasn’t just a patient; this was a life clinging to the edge, and I was the only one who could pull her back. My hands moved with a certainty I hadn’t known I possessed, driven by a need to save her, to prove that I could do this, that I could be what she needed.

She growled low in her throat as I knelt by her side, hand on her stomach. Someone put an arm around her muzzle, pulling her head into their lap and gently stroking her ears, “It’s ok, Sage. She’s here to help. The puppy will be ok.”

“Puppies,” I corrected, pulling my stethoscope from my bag, “Like dogs, wolves typically have fairly large litters.”

I was too busy to notice as the women exchanged glances, one of them muttering, “Not these wolves. If I had a litter, I would literally die.”

I listened, closing my eyes to focus on the soft thump thump… thump… thumpthumpthump. When I opened them again, I was already shuffling towards her tail. “Puppies,” I confirmed.

“How many, Dr. Harris?”

I didn’t need to glance over my shoulder to confirm the owner of the voice, but I did anyway. Lydia stood towards the back of the room, watching me with hard eyes. It looked like she had been up all night as well, caring for the struggling mother-to-be. Her makeup couldn’t hide the dark circles under her eyes, but I didn’t think she was trying to. She just wanted to know the facts, so I gave them to her.

“From what I just heard, likely two,” there were several soft gasps, but I continued, “But one is faint, weak. If we don’t do something soon, you will probably lose it.”

The wolf howled again, this time the sound was echoed from elsewhere on the property.

Lydia nodded, her expression still unwavering. “Do what you need to do to save the mother. If the puppies can be saved, do what you can. Expense is not a consideration.”

I nodded, turning for my bag as Naomi wheeled the ultrasound up next to me. It was plugged in and beeping, waiting for input. I fished around for a tube of gel and spoke to the woman nearest me, “Can you roll her to her back, or at least more on her side, so I can take a look?”

The woman, white as a sheet, nodded, and with the help of two others, they managed to get the wolf, Sage, onto her back. She whined endlessly, her tail swishing back and forth in slow, agonizing movements.

I put what, I hoped, was a comforting hand on her chest, speaking in a quiet tone. “This will be a bit cold.”

She whined as though she understood and pressed her head into the lap of the woman holding her.

I put the wand to her belly, which was bloated and distended enough to not need a shave, which was good because I had forgotten my clippers. Slowly, a dark image appeared on the screen, followed by a second. I frowned, pointing to the screen. “There. Two of them—you can see their spines here.” I traced down first one and then the other. The first was angled sideways, forming a T with the body of the second pup, blocking it. “This one needs to rotate, or they will both die. Likely Sage as well if we don’t get them lined up and out.”

Lydia moved forward, and the woman across from me moved to let her kneel. “What do we need to do?”

“We can do it one of two ways.” I started to explain, but a sob from near the wolf’s head grabbed my attention, just as Naomi grabbed my wrist.

“She’s not breathing!”

My eyes flew back to the wolf’s chest, which had stopped its labored rise and fall. “Fuck. We need to get the pups then. Now. Even if we can’t save her.”

Naomi’s other hand was on my chin, turning me towards her. She had taken her glasses off, and I was met with the full force of her golden eyes. “You have to save her. It’s not just her life at stake.”

“The puppies—” I wanted to tell her that we could bottle-feed orphans. It would require around-the-clock care, but there seemed to be enough women here to easily raise them.

“It’s not about the puppies. Save her.”

Something pulled in my chest, deep down, and I nodded. I didn’t know how I could save an already failing wolf, but I would try.

I snagged the stethoscope from beside my knee, my hands trembling as I pressed it against Sage’s chest. Every second felt like an eternity, the silence stretching out as I prayed for a sign, anything to tell me that she was still with us.

Please.

The word echoed in my mind, a desperate plea that carried all my hope, all my fear. And then—a faint, irregular thud, so weak it was almost a whisper, but it was there. Come on, girl, stay with me. The odds were stacked against her, but I couldn’t give up, not now. I focused all my energy on that fragile heartbeat, willing it to keep going, to keep fighting. There was no room for doubt, no space for fear.

I had to save her.

I had to.

“She still has a heartbeat. We need to stimulate her breathing.” I practically crawled over Naomi’s lap, positioning myself by Sage’s upper chest and head, performing quick chest compressions. I felt her ribs bend but figured a few broken ribs could be mended—death, not so much. “Naomi, keep her head tilted back, and Lydia, rub her chest.”

A few of the women murmured to each other, their eyes following Lydia as she followed my instructions without hesitation. After a tense few seconds, Sage gave a weak cough, and her chest rose slightly.

“Good girl,” I said, letting up for a few seconds. Her chest didn’t rise again, so I bore down, another set of compressions leading to another cough. This time, she wheezed a breath, her tongue lolling from the side of her jaws, but she kept breathing. “Very good girl. That’s it, just a little longer, mamma.”

With the chest piece of my stethoscope pressed to her against her ribs, I checked her heart again. It was frail, but she was still with us.

“She’s breathing again, but it’s shallow,” I said, relief flooding through me as my eyes swept over the women in the room. “We need to move fast.”

“The puppies?” A younger woman by Sage’s hind feet asked, her tone sounding hopeful. I prayed she would keep that optimism because I had seen enough failed-to-thrive pups to know not to be cheering just yet.

“We are going to have to cut them out,” I said, grateful as one of the other women seemed to anticipate my needs and had already brought a bowl of warm water and towels. “I will need a sharp knife, the sharpest you have, and something to sterilize it with.”

The young woman nodded, her face pale, but she rose on steady legs and sprinted off. As she passed through the door, a low, threatening growl rolled into the room, freezing me in place. My heart skipped a beat as I looked up, my breath catching in my throat. The doorway was filled with the massive form of a black wolf, its dark eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. The air crackled with tension, and for a moment, all I could do was stare, my mind racing with the possibility that I was about to become prey. The wolf’s lips curled back in a silent snarl, revealing sharp fangs that glistened in the dim light. I was paralyzed, torn between the urge to run and the instinct to protect the laboring mother behind me.

“Umm…” I started to raise a hand, unsure if it was to block an attack or just helplessly point, as the wolf lunged.

Naomi was there instantly, stepping between us and redirecting the wolf’s snout with a low kick that would have shattered the jaw of a normal dog. The wolf yelped, falling to the side, but was back on its feet a heartbeat later, snapping with foam rolling out around its fangs. Naomi kept her body between it and me as she scolded, “Damnit, Jayne, stay out. We are going to save her and the pups, but you need to go.” She swatted the wolf again, right between the eyes. It seemed to have as much effect as a fly.

The wolf growled, the noise bubbling up from somewhere deep in its chest. Behind me, I heard Sage whine in response, and instinctively put a soothing hand on her belly. “Hush, mamma, it’s ok.”

“Hear that, Jayne? It’s fine. Now go before I take your balls. If we had had you neutered, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

The wolf made a noise that sounded so similar to a “fuck you” that I thought I must be going crazy. Luckily, sanity returned as the woman who had left for the knife came back, pushing the growling wolf’s hind end out of the way, and scrambled through to hand me a hunting knife.

“Jayne, move!”

Doing my best to ignore the wolf in the room, I turned my attention back to Sage. Her breathing had stabilized, but it was still worryingly shallow. “If we are going to do this, it needs to be now.”

I soothed the fur back from her eyes, petting her gently. Her eyes tracked my movements, but it wasn’t the usual blind pain or fear that I saw in my daily patients—her eyes reflected understanding and… forgiveness.

“I am sorry, but this is going to hurt.”

With Lydia and Naomi helping to hold her still, I worked to save the puppies.

CHAPTER 8

In the end, with blood drying up to my elbows and a permanent kink in my back, we could only save one. The smaller pup had been breathing when I forcibly removed him from his stuck position via a slice through Sage’s abdomen, but no amount of resuscitation could bring him back. The weight of that loss pressed down on me, mixing with the exhaustion that had settled into my bones. I couldn’t help but replay the moment over and over in my mind, wondering if there was something more I could have done. But in the quiet aftermath, as I sat with Sage’s steady breathing beside me, a small flicker of relief took hold—at least we had saved one. At least Sage would have her daughter.

The remaining pup was a healthy little girl who, I had been told through many tears, would fit in perfectly with the pack.

There was a buzzing to my left, and I groaned, turning onto my side and burying my head into a pillow that smelled like freshly cut grass and sunshine.

Buzz.

Pressing my eyes more firmly closed, I shook my head. Nope. I was tired, not dealing with whatever bee that was. It could just fly on by.

Buzz.

Silence.

I sighed, thinking of the cute little crescent of white on the pup’s forehead, the only bit of color over her otherwise sleek grey body. I remembered Naomi leading me toward a surprisingly large bathroom to clean up and telling me that the pack had decided to name her Luna. Yawning, I smiled at the memory.

Buzz.

“Fuck, fine.” I reached back, hand flailing as I tried to swat whatever was making the offending sound. My fingers brushed my phone, and it buzzed beneath them. “Ugh…” I rolled, bringing it up to my face as I squinted through my exhaustion at the text.

It was not surprising to find that it was Brett—37 times.

He had a habit of writing texts in short little sentences, hitting send, and then writing more. It broke up his thoughts well enough, but they added up quickly—especially if he wasn’t getting a response.

Lunch? The first one read, and I frowned. That had been over five hours ago.

Guess not…

?

Must be busy?

???

And on like that for 31 more times until the last message, which broke from his normal short format. The typed-out, full-sentence text had my attention.

Look, I don’t know where you are or why you aren’t responding, but Daisy says you have been gone for hours. She said that wolf woman took you. If you need help, tell me where you are, and I will come get you. Just tell me you are ok.

Affection blossomed in my chest as I quickly typed back.

Sorry. Medical emergency at the wolf sanctuary. C-sectioned a puppy and then must have passed out in⁠—

I glanced around, noticing for the first time that I wasn’t on a couch or even reclined in a living room. Instead, I found myself in a queen-sized bed, canopy and everything, in a room so elegantly designed it felt like stepping into another world. The silk sheets beneath me were cool and smooth, a far cry from the practical, no-nonsense bedding I was used to. Everything about this room whispered wealth and old-world charm, and it made me feel strangely out of place, like an intruder in someone else’s dream.

Running my hands over the sheets, I backspaced and continued:

must have passed out. I am fine, though, sorry for worrying you. I hit send, smiling a bit at his concern. The phone buzzed a second later.

Fuck that. You passed out? What the fuck, Olivia?

My smile faded as another text came in.

Are you coming home now?

Now my smile was completely gone as I remembered that I hadn’t driven myself here. My car would still be at the clinic, and I didn’t want to pull Naomi away from Sage as the mother wolf would need extra care to recover from the not-so-pretty slice I had made through her stomach. Plus, the puppy would also need supervision while her mother was recovering.

My car is at the clinic. Naomi drove me here.

I braced, knowing he wouldn’t like that. The reply came almost immediately and without the cursing I figured would follow:

Ok. That’s ok. Where are you? I will come get you.

That was a fair question that I didn’t really have an answer to. It wasn’t as though I had been paying attention to the street signs when we had driven in.

Not sure the address. Mayfield Meadows? Out on State Road 56.

Drop a pin.

I blinked and then quickly flipped to my maps app and loaded up the coordinates before sending them over to him. His response was simply, I’ll be there in twenty.

That settled, I stretched before sliding out of bed. The t-shirt I was wearing, provided by one of the random girls in the house, was tight against my curves, but it was better than the blood-soaked smocks I had worn in. At least, it was better that I hadn’t gotten whoever's bed this was messy, but now I needed to change back before Brett arrived. Which meant finding my clothes.

Before I could start looking for them, however, the door opened on silent hinges, and a shadow stepped inside. Gold flared in the low light, and for a brief moment, some instinct, buried deep inside, screamed at me to run. This is a predator, and I would be no match for her speed or strength.

Dead. I was already dead.

“Still alive, I see?”

Or not.

“Yeah, thanks.” The sudden adrenaline drop had my knees shaking, and I took an uneasy breath. “How’s the puppy?”

A flash of white, and that deep, primal place panicked again as she answered, “She’s so beautiful. Thank you for giving her to us. And Sage. I know she will be grateful when she is back on her feet.”

Naomi stepped closer, her hands coming up to rest on my upper arms. Her touch was gentle but firm, as if she was grounding herself in the moment, fighting against the pull of something deeper. Her golden eyes, usually so guarded, seemed to soften as they met mine, and for a heartbeat, I could see the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide. There was a hesitation in her movements, as if she was holding back, afraid to let go of the control she always seemed to wield so effortlessly. But as she drew nearer, I could feel the intensity of her emotions, the way she looked at me like I was something precious, something she didn’t want to lose. I shivered under her touch, the residual internal command to run mixed with an excitement that I also didn’t understand. “Thank you,” she said, her voice dropping low as her lips hovered inches from mine.

I remembered the feel of her, the soft heat of her lips pressed against me, and I pulled back, leaving her standing. Forcing a laugh, I shook my head, “It was nothing really. I do emergency C-sections on wolves all the time.”

She met me, step for step, but didn’t touch me again. “It wasn’t nothing. I told you, we don’t get pups around here, so Luna is a miracle. We will protect her, and you, against the world.”

My chest tightened again. “Thank you, but I don’t think I need much protecting.”

“What does Brett do?” She stopped, her eyes flashing in the dim light. Outside, the sun was starting to slip beyond the trees, and shadows danced around us in the room.

Her sudden question caught me off guard. “Brett? He’s a fixer. Of towns.” I added hastily, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. “He gets called into a town when there are problems. Things like crime, bad water, infrastructure issues, and he helps come up with a plan to fix them.”

“He doesn’t actually fix those issues, though? Just makes the plan?”

I nodded, brows furrowing. “Yeah, I guess that’s right. We move around a lot because of it.”

“And our town?”

“I don’t actually know. He doesn’t talk much about it. Something about a quarry.” I blushed; that was a half lie. He had told me that this time there was a female predator issue in town. Something that stemmed from an old mining pact. Whether that meant that someone in the city council was corrupt or he just didn’t like the politics here, I didn’t know, but I wasn’t about to say that to a woman living in an all-female community.

“Do you think there is something here that needs fixing?” Now she was slowly advancing on me again, and my mouth went dry as I watched her tongue skirt across her bottom lip. “You thought we were good enough to start a clinic.”

I nodded, shivering slightly. “I—I wanted to try something different. To settle down.”

She smiled, and the entire room seemed to melt around me. It wasn’t a huge smile, but more the uplifting of both sides of her lips at once. Two teeth, her canines, showed briefly before she spoke again, “You wanted to try something different? Different from what?”

I swallowed, only there was nothing there, and my throat clicked. It seemed to cause her to smile wider, and now I couldn’t help but stare at her mouth, my lips parting. Her hands brushed lightly against my arms, causing the fine hairs to raise as she repeated, “Different from what?”

This time it was me.

I was the one who rose up on my toes.

I was the one who pressed forward.

I was the one who kissed her.

But she was the one who accepted it.

The moment our lips met, a jolt of electricity shot through me, both thrilling and terrifying. My mind raced, torn between thoughts of Brett—of the life I thought I was supposed to have—and the undeniable attraction I felt for Naomi.

Six years vs. two days.

Her lips were soft, but the kiss was anything but gentle. It was filled with a heat and intensity that took my breath away, leaving me reeling. I had never felt anything like this before, this raw, overpowering need. Part of me wanted to pull away, to run back to the safety of what I knew, but a larger part of me was drawn to her, to the way she made me feel alive in a way I hadn’t realized I was missing.

Unlike the first time, when I had sat frozen during a chaste little meeting of lips, Naomi met me with a guarded ferocity. Her hands wrapped around my biceps, locking me in place as her tongue swept over my lips before demanding entrance.

I gasped, my mouth opening instinctively, and she took the opportunity to dive deeper, murmuring against me. Her tongue danced with mine, exploring, teasing, coaxing responses I didn't know I was capable of. Brett had never tried to claim me like this. The intensity of it all made my head spin, and I clung to her, needing something to keep me grounded.

Her grip on my upper arms was firm, almost possessive, as if she were afraid I'd pull away. But I couldn’t have even if I had wanted to—my knees shook against each other, and she was the only thing keeping me up. Instead, I leaned into her, pressing our bodies closer together. The warmth of her skin seeped through our clothes, igniting a fire that burned from the inside out.

She smelled a little like cut grass and sunshine.

Naomi's hands slid down to my waist, pulling me even closer. Her touch was both gentle and commanding, sending shivers down my spine. I wrapped my arms around her neck, fingers tangling in her dark curls as I gave in to the moment.

When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathing heavily. Her forehead rested against mine, and for a moment, we just stood there, wrapped in each other's embrace.

I opened my mouth, not knowing what I was going to say but needing to add something to the silence. Some unknown word was almost out when she stiffened around me, her head snapping up as though she heard something, fingers digging into my skin until she left crescent nail indents before stepping away.

“Did you call someone?” Her hands, the same ones that had just been holding me to her seconds before, balled at her sides.

I blinked, the sudden space between us cold as reality came crashing back in. I could hear the faint rumble of a car outside. What had I just done? The kiss had felt so right in the moment, but now, with Naomi stepping away and the weight of what I had just done settling in, fear began to creep into my thoughts. What did this mean? For me? For Brett? My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to find the right words, but all I could manage was a cautious answer. “Brett. He had been texting me since I was MIA from work and wanted to come pick me up. I figured you would be busy with the puppy and Sage, so⁠—”

“So you told him where to come get you?” She finished for me, walking toward the door. When she reached it, she took a heavy breath before turning to face me again, her eyes the only thing I could see clearly in the shadows. “Be careful what you tell him you saw here.”

CHAPTER 9

I frowned, pulling the seatbelt over my shoulder as Brett cheerfully put the car in reverse. On the porch of the main house stood Lydia and Naomi, flanked by a handful of other women I now recognized but did not know. None of them waved as we pulled away from the house, their gazes lingering like weights on my conscience. A strange pang of guilt twisted in my chest, as if I was leaving behind more than just a house full of strangers—I was leaving behind a part of myself that I hadn’t yet understood.

I glanced at Brett, the guilt twisting deeper. It felt like not only was I leaving a part of myself behind, but I had brought the actual big bad wolf to it. Now I had to hope he didn’t blow their house in.

“So, the puppy will live?”

It was strange. None of them moved as Brett put the car into drive, increasing the distance between us and the house. It was as if they were waiting for something, each more tense than the woman beside her.

“Olivia?”

“Hmm?” I shook my head, trying to clear the feeling of sadness that seemed to be hanging over me.

“I asked if the puppy will live.” He asked, more gently than I had expected. He usually didn’t like repeating himself.

“Yeah. She should.”

“She?”

I nodded, still staring through the window as we passed the sign leading into the compound. “Yeah. They’re naming her Luna. As long as her mother makes it through, they shouldn’t have a problem raising her.”

He was quiet for a moment before asking, “And the mother? Will she live?”

This time I turned to look at him. The darkness of the backroads meant that the only light in the car came weakly from the dashboard, casting an eerie green glow on his face. Paired with a healthy five o’clock shadow and already squared features, he looked a bit like a villain.

How many times had I thought of him as one?

I pushed the thought away. He was acting interested in my work for a change, and I shouldn’t be comparing him to a villain just for caring. Especially not when I had just been kissing another woman while he was going out of his way to come pick me up.

“She should, although the incision wasn’t as clean as I would have liked.”

A snort came from his direction, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I can imagine they didn’t have surgical-quality knives there,” he said, turning back toward the city.

“Yeah. No pain medicine either, though. It was almost a blessing she was in so much pain that I think getting them removed was almost a relief. It…” I paused, thinking back on how Sage had watched me lay the knife against her belly and then pushed her face into Naomi’s lap as I worked. She had whined but not moved, as though she knew it was the only way. It was the most intelligent reaction I had ever seen in an animal. “It was almost like she knew I was there to help and wasn’t trying to hurt her. Her reactions, they were strange. They were almost human.”

He nodded, but didn’t ask any more questions for the rest of the ride.

“Any word?” I asked Daisy for what felt like the hundredth time two weeks later. My voice was strained, the words coming out faster than I intended. I couldn’t shake the gnawing worry in the pit of my stomach, a restless energy that had kept me tossing and turning all night. My thoughts kept circling back to Sage and Luna, to the tension in the air as we left Mayfield Meadows. What if something had gone wrong? What if all that work had been for nothing?

She rolled her eyes, popping her gum loudly before shaking her head. “None. I’m sure if something happened to Luna or Sage, we would know about it. They’re probably just busy keeping the newborn, you know, alive.”

I watched as she went back to leaning over a fecal sample. I was nervous, jittery. All night my thoughts had been split almost evenly between the puppy and the kiss. A kiss that probably shouldn’t have happened, and one that I certainly should not have been thinking about while Brett did his nightly in and out with me before bed.

I slapped the table, causing two cats to hiss and one sad-looking beagle to wuff halfheartedly from their holding kennels. “Who do we have next?”

“No one,” Daisy replied almost instantly. “Quiet day.”

“No one?” I leaned against the metal exam table, tilting my head back to stare at the sterile tile above me. “Really?”

I could almost feel her shrug as she put the sample away, making a few notes on the chart before tossing it onto the table next to me. “Fenbendazole. 0.675 ml.”

“Mrs. Darling’s kitten?” I asked the tile above my head.

“Yep.”

“Signed, do it.” I pulled myself away from my thoughts long enough to scribble my signature on the med form and tossed it back to her desk. “I’m going for a walk.”

“Don’t get lost.”

I smiled despite myself and grabbed my jacket. Underneath lay the T-shirt I had been wearing when Brett had picked me up. I had brought it to work with me the next day, taken it back home, and here it was again. The traveling shirt.

Without thinking, I picked it up and threw it over my shoulder as I exited the clinic and into the open world beyond. While mostly corn in this part of the Midwest, there were small clumps of trees that could be affectionately called forests dotting the landscape, and one of those groves happened to be 50 feet away. I angled toward it, the T-shirt over my shoulder so that if I turned my head that way, I could almost swear I could pick up the scent of freshly mowed grass.

“Could use a trim out here,” I commented to no one as I exited the asphalt and made my way into the trees. It was peaceful here, just after 2 p.m. when most of the creatures were sleeping off lunch or waiting until dusk to wake up. The few animals I did spot stayed away, eyeing me warily or just straight bolting as I came across them, so it didn’t strike me as odd that I could hear something moving off to my right.

Something large.

What did finally register as strange, however, was that it stayed with me, moving just beyond my range of sight as I went this way and that through the trees. An itch started at the base of my spine, spreading upwards as I continued walking, more and more aware of whatever was pacing me. Finally, I spotted an opening in the trees ahead and took off at a sprint, darting over roots and branches as whatever it was kept up to my left.

I cleared the trees, breath catching in my throat as a giant wolf cleared them right next to me. Golden eyes locked with mine, and for a heartbeat, I forgot to breathe. Her tongue lolled out of her muzzle, drool dripping lazily from the corners, but there was intelligence in those eyes that made my heart skip. It was Naomi —her playful energy, the way she seemed to tease me. Affection swirled in my chest as I skidded to a halt. But there was something else, too, something primal and wild that sent a shiver down my spine. Despite everything, I felt safe with her, like she was there to protect me, to watch over me, even if it was just a game.

“Naomi!” I dropped to the ground, breath heaving in my lungs. She came to sit beside me, dipping her head to drag her tongue across my face before I could shove her away. “Get off, you big fuzzball. I can hardly breathe as it is. Fuck, I need to get in better shape.”

She whined, poking her nose into my chest and giving a massive huff. I shoved her head away. “I’m fine, just really need to get back to the gym. You wouldn’t know a good trainer around here?”

With a yip, she leapt up, ass in the air as her tail swished back and forth. She bounced from paw to paw, obviously wanting me to play. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, I am sure you keep your partner fit. That’s how the human Naomi can fit into those sexy suede and velvet suits. Though how she chases you in those heels is beyond me.”

The wolf huffed again, then lunged forward to snatch the shirt from my shoulder before leaping away. She shook it between her teeth, eyes fixed on me as if daring me to come and get it.

“Hey! Don’t rip that. Naomi already seemed pissed enough at me for Brett coming to pick me up; I don’t need you chewing through her shirt too. It might be the only sub-$100 thing in her closet!” I pushed myself to my feet, brushing off the grass as the wolf continued to circle me, obviously wanting me to grab for the tee.

I tried a different approach: stomping my foot, crossing my arms, and saying, “Bad wolf.”

She stopped and stared, and I swear one bushy eyebrow raised as though she were asking, “Really?” And I relented immediately, opting for another tactic that years of veterinary school had taught me. I sat down.

With a stretch and yawn that felt a little too real, I refused to look at her. “What a beautiful afternoon. I could just lay here forever.” I heard her behind me, a short wuff followed by two foot stomps, as though she were dancing side to side trying to figure out why I had stopped playing. “I guess I’ll just stay here. You can go run away with that shirt, but you’re really missing out.”

I leaned back, letting my hair fall off my back, and stretched my face up toward the sun. It really was a beautiful afternoon, and while the clinic had been quiet, my life never felt calm, so moments like this were precious, whether they were spent with an oversized dog or not. I felt her heat as she quietly stalked over and opened one eye just enough to see her on her belly, sneaking toward me.

I laughed.

She fell over and rolled onto her back.

I couldn’t stop laughing as I scooted toward her, hand already going for her belly before my brain screamed that this was a wolf. A creature that centuries of human evolution said I should be afraid of, and this whole rolling over thing would most definitely be a trap.

But instead, she just grunted happily, stretching her neck out and dropping the shirt while her tail thumped over and over again, leaving an indent in the grass. Her eyes drifted closed as I scratched her chest, plucking out knots and bits of grass.

“It’s a hard life being you, huh? Cared for, loved. I bet no one has ever called you a burden or dragged you around the country when all you wanted to do was lay in the sun.” Her tail stopped wagging as I frowned, looking around the clearing. It was an open spot between the grove of trees and the start of some farmer’s field. Corn, waist-high, waved in the breeze. It was a typical Midwestern field, but at this time of the year there was nothing more beautiful in the world than the peace and quiet of it growing.

Still… I frowned, my skin crawling as I felt guilty for having said anything, even to a wolf who couldn’t really judge me. But maybe it was the feeling that she had stilled and was watching me that made me continue, “Not that my life is that bad. I have my own practice now, so hopefully Brett will be a bit more willing to stay put. Or he will just travel without me.” I sighed, leaning down to lay my head on her chest. She rolled, and I moved with her until she was on her side, head and tail forming what seemed like a protective semicircle around me as I settled on my back with my head on her ribs.

“He does that, you know.” I said after a few minutes of quiet. “Leaves and just goes off. He says he’s a ‘free spirit.’ I try to be supportive, but the constant need for stimulation and attention is tiresome. Add in that he is either never working or always working and…” I shook my head, letting my eyes close. “It’s not been so bad since he picked me up from your place, though.”

A rush of heat ran through me as I remembered that last embrace with Naomi, foreheads pressed together as we shared a breath. It had been quiet and peaceful.

Perfect.

Then I said something that I hadn’t voiced to anyone else. “I liked it.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw her ears twitch, but her chest stilled under my head. I didn’t notice until I also said, “I really liked kissing Naomi.”

She let out the breath she had been holding, and my head dropped, the back of my skull colliding with a rib. “Oww.” I punched her playfully in the chest before resettling. “Get your breathing together. What kind of pillow drops the person lying on it?”

She eyed me for a moment before her head darted forward, and I was suddenly drenched in wolf spit from chin to forehead. I laughed, pushing her face away. “Ok, ok, I get it. You’re sorry.”

Wiping slobber from my nose, I settled back down and watched the clouds roll by slowly overhead.

“It’s not right, though, is it?” I finally asked, and I felt more than saw her open her eyes to look at me. “Kissing her, I mean. Not because she’s a girl, but because I’ve been with Brett for all these years. I shouldn’t have, but…” This time I felt her breathing stop and reached out to boop her on the nose. “Breathe, geez. Do you need a wolf CPAP? You get sleepy, and you just stop breathing for periods of time.”

Her breath whooshed out more gently this time, and her ribs resumed their normal rise and fall. “I might have to talk to Naomi about that. It can’t be healthy for you. I mean, I’m a vet, and I’m saying that, so you know it’s true.” I picked my phone out of my scrubs pocket and flicked it on, scrolling through countless texts, most of which were spam. The only person who texted me was Brett. “I should have gotten her number or something. I can’t even check on Sage.”

As if on cue, the phone buzzed—a new message coming through.

CHAPTER 10

BRETT

The name scrolled across the screen, and I quickly tried to calm my heart. For a fleeting moment, I hoped it might be Naomi—maybe she had called the clinic, found out from Daisy that I wasn’t there, and asked for my number. I imagined her being concerned about her wolf, wondering where she’d gone. But it was just Brett. I sighed and flicked open the text, my thoughts lingering on the idea of Naomi worrying about her wolf.

“You know,” I mused aloud, reaching out to scratch Naomi’s ears, “I wonder if Naomi ever worries about you. I would. Running off and getting hit by cars would be enough for me to try to keep you closer to home. But I guess you can’t shock collar a wolf…”

My words trailed off as I read the text in grim silence.

Won’t be home tonight. Work.

Five words, blunt and cold, with no warmth or affection to soften the blow. I dropped the phone on the grass and laid back again, feeling the familiar sting of disappointment settle deep in my chest. It was always the same—short, detached messages that left me feeling more alone than when I hadn’t heard from him at all. What did he really do when he wasn’t with me? Who was he with? The questions swirled, unanswered and unspoken, as I struggled to remember the last time he had said something kind, something that made me feel like I was more than just a part of his routine.

Naomi pushed her nose into the crease of my neck, the coolness of her breath a stark contrast to the warmth of her body pressed close to mine. I absently scratched behind her ears, finding comfort in the softness of her fur against my fingertips. The simple act of touch, of being near her, soothed the tangled mess of emotions that Brett always seemed to leave behind.

“You know, he’s probably cheating on me,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “So really, the kiss was no big deal. I mean, sure, this is the first night he’s gone out alone in months, but… I just get the feeling he isn’t telling me something. Heck, I don’t even 100% know what he does. Fixes problems, helps towns, blah blah blah. Not once has he ever offered to explain that.”

I picked up the phone again, re-reading the text three more times before letting it fall from my hand. “Maybe I’ll just treat myself tonight since he isn’t going to be home anyway. Yeah, something like noodles from the Thai place across town. It was quiet at the clinic, so I could leave work early, pick up some pad-see-ew, and watch a movie.” I continued to scratch Naomi, working my fingers down to between her eyes as I imagined my evening. “I can watch something I actually want to see. There’s this one about a hockey player who gets hit and loses some vision. He gets drafted to be an ice skater instead, which is sort of silly because if his eyesight was bad enough to take him out of hockey, the thing he was good at, how is it good enough for ice skating? Doesn’t matter. The point is, it’s a good movie and I never get to watch it with Brett, so… yeah, that sounds like a plan.”

The scent of grass lingered in the air, mingling with the earthy smell of the woods that surrounded us. Somewhere in the distance, a bird called out, its song a faint echo in the stillness. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows that danced across the ground. Everything about this place felt peaceful, a stark contrast to the storm of emotions churning inside me.

My phone buzzed again, the sound muted against the grass, and I was sure it was Brett, telling me that he had a change of plans and ruining my whole night.

It wasn’t Brett, but my night was looking to be ruined anyway—it was Daisy letting me know that Stanley Fisher was on the way with Boomer, his twelve-year-old bloodhound/German shepherd mix. Boomer was the nicest old-timer I had ever treated, but Stanley was on government support and often couldn’t afford his treatment, so if they were rushing in, something had to be wrong.

“Time to go, girl, we have an emergency coming into the clinic. I guess those noodles will have to wait.”

I got up, picking up the human Naomi’s shirt and then swatting the wolf Naomi with it. “Off you go. I can’t have you following me back; you will give Mr. Fisher a heart attack and probably Boomer too.”

She trotted a few feet away before turning back, watching me head back the way we came. I made some shooing motions with my hands, “Go, go, I’ll be fine. Just watch out for cars on your way back.”

Stanley Fisher was a skinny man with a fat man’s soul. He loved sugar. So much so that he had given himself diabetes in his 40s but had been able to control it for the last 20 years through various forms of medicine provided by the VA hospitals. Unfortunately, Boomer seemed to have picked up on his dad’s love of all things sweet and had given himself diabetes at around the age of 9, which would have been his early 60s in human years. This means that he had done better than his owner, but at the end of the day, both old men needed to keep better track of what they ate.

I sighed, glancing at the notes again as I sat on the floor in a kennel, idly rubbing a calm hand down Boomer’s back as he shivered from the IV infusion that was a mix of fluids and insulin to bring down his blood sugar levels and help with some dehydration. He had been on the drip for almost six hours and was finally stabilizing, although he still appeared to be cold.

It was almost nine at night, and I had sent Daisy home an hour ago. With Brett being gone for the night, there was no reason I couldn’t stay to keep Boomer company until we were sure he was stable. I got up, intending to get a warm blanket from the clinic’s dryer to cover him, when I heard footsteps in the lobby. The door should have been unlocked, but maybe Daisy had forgotten when she left and had made a quick pop in again. Still, you couldn’t be too careful, so I picked up a spare IV rolling rack, holding it in both hands like a great sword, ready to swing at anyone who thought they could come into my clinic without permission.

Using the tip of the IV rack, I pushed the door between the backroom and lobby open, ready to rush at whoever was out there. Instead, I ran almost face-to-face into Naomi, who was carrying at least five people’s worth of carryout between both hands.

“Whoa! It’s just me!” she shouted, ducking as the tip of the rack almost stabbed her in the forehead. “Oli, it’s just me!”

I frowned, adrenaline pulsing through my system as my heart shot into overdrive. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too.” She laughed, nodding toward the rack. “Wanna stand down so I can put these down?”

I chuckled despite myself and set the IV rack down, rolling it into the corner and out of the way. “How did you get in? Daisy never forgets to lock the door.”

“Oh, there was a small rock lodging it open. She probably didn’t even notice. I tried to knock, but it just swung open, so I let myself in.”

For the first time, I compared her to Brett. It was an instinctual thing, but I had been lied to enough in my life to tell when someone wasn’t telling the whole truth. It made me feel better that Daisy likely had locked the door, but worse because—how had she gotten in? The smell of spicy, hot Thai wafted toward me, and I pushed the thought away. After all, no bad motives could ever be connected to someone bringing Thai food.

“Is that…?” I asked, trying not to get my hopes up.

“Tim’s Authentic Thai? It sure is, although I don’t know that I really trust that this Tim person is Thai.” She pushed one of the bags toward me, unloading. “I saw your car here around seven, then again at eight, and figured if it was still there at eight-thirty, I would have to bring you dinner. Hopefully, you like Thai?”

“Love it, it’s my favorite, actually.” I took the bag and backed up, pushing the door open and nodding with my head to let her through. “Tim is actually short for Thamrong. He thought it would be easier for your average Midwesterner to pronounce and remember. I always thought Thamrong’s Thai seemed catchy, but I’m not most Midwesterners, I guess.” I shrugged, following her toward one of the exam tables, where she was quickly setting out a number of small takeout boxes. “How much did you get?”

“Enough, and no, you aren’t,” she replied, taking the second bag from me and unloading it as well.

“Aren’t what?” I asked.

“You aren’t like most Midwesterners.” She handed me a box with a set of plastic silverware. “I have never had Thai, so I got a sampling of things to try.”

I laughed, unable to help myself, as I surveyed her feast. There had to be at least fifteen boxes spread across the table, everything from smaller bags containing cream cheese puffs to liquid containers full of curry and everything in between. “Well, I love it, and I promise Tim is the real deal, so you should have gotten something you will like in all that. Hopefully, there was some Pad-see-ew in the mix?” I dared to dream.

She pointed toward the box in my hands. “Tim said he made it just the way you like it.”

I opened the box, my heart clenching in my chest as the thoughtfulness of it all hit me. She couldn’t have known, and yet… I blinked back tears, feeling silly as emotion overwhelmed me. I covered it with a bite, my eyes closing as I savored the sweet and spicy-coated noodles that had the perfect amount of char and salt. “It’s so fucking good,” I practically moaned.

She watched me, still as a statue, as I took another bite. With the third posed to be shoveled into my mouth, I stopped, suddenly embarrassed. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“With you making those noises? I am starving, but at this point, it’s not the food I am interested in.” Her bluntness was a shock, and I felt my body go red all over. Heat started at my toes, working its way up until I was almost choking on the noodles. “Too hot?” she asked, her face all too innocent.

“Nope.” I coughed again, tears now running down my face for real. “Just swallowed wrong.”

I watched as she finally turned her attention to the food, feeling like I was safe until she selected a cream cheese puff, breaking it down the middle, and licked the cream from the center in one slow movement. She hummed at the taste, her eyes capturing mine as she popped the rest of the pastry into her mouth. “So creamy and sweet.”

My throat was suddenly dry, and I struggled to say, “The ones with crab are even sweeter.”

What. The. Fuck. What was that?

She smiled, just the tips of her lips upturning as she watched me for a moment longer before turning to look around the back exam area. “Do you have one of those rolling TV and VCR combos in here?”

“Do we have a what?” I asked, happy that the subject changed, but getting whiplash at the same time.

“You know, something to watch TV while we eat, or play a movie.”

“There is a small TV and DVD player in the break room. It’s not the best setup, but it was left here by the previous practice, and Daisy likes to watch midday Spanish soaps on it. They are terrible, but she’s already underpaid for what she does, so if a subscription to some telenovelas keeps her happy, who am I to complain?”

“Back here?” she asked, although she was already heading down the hall toward the room as though she had been there a thousand times. She kept doing that, and here, with just us and Boomer, it was strange to watch her walk around my clinic as though she owned the place. Of course, Naomi the wolf might as well call the back of the clinic her second home at this point. She seemed to show up almost daily, and sometimes I had found her and Daisy both watching some corny sitcom together back there, but as far as I could remember, I had never shown this Naomi around.

Just as quickly as she had run off, she returned. This time she paused next to Boomer. “What’s this guy in for?”

Boomer, for the first time since I had met him, growled. It was the feeble, old man growl of a dog getting along in years, but it had heart to it just the same.

I abandoned a fork full of noodles to go check on him. “This is Boomer, and he normally isn’t like this.” I apologized, slipping into the kennel as Boomer slowly rose to his feet, hackles raised. He snapped at me, but I could tell it wasn’t me he was upset with. “He is a diabetic whose owner has a sweet tooth. This time it was half a baklava that did him in. He should be fine now, but at his age, I like to keep him overnight just to be sure.”

Naomi took a step back, giving Boomer some room. “Ahh, so he doesn’t like me because I am not sweet enough.” I laughed, marking down his latest vitals as she continued, “It’s the wolf scent. Dogs don’t like us because of it. One of many reasons you won’t find a single stray on the compound.”

I glanced at her curiously. “I haven’t seen any of the other dogs react like that to wolf Naomi, and she’s here all the time. Also, did you know she’s here all the time?”

She laughed, and I didn’t miss the way my stomach knotted. “Yes, I am aware that she likes to spend the mornings and afternoons here. It’s also not the wolves the dogs don’t like.” She caught my eye, holding my attention, and I swore her already fantastical gold irises flared even brighter. “It’s us.”

CHAPTER 11

Before I could even start to figure out what she meant, she looked away, and the spell was broken. In three steps, she paced back to the table, gathering a load of carryout boxes before heading back again. “Help me bring it back here?”

With a final look at Boomer, who was watching where Naomi had disappeared down the hall, I picked up the last of the takeout and followed her to the small cubby that we called a break room. It included, in no particular order of niceness: a slightly ripped couch, one wobbly table, and one old-school TV/DVD combo player that looked exactly like it had been wheeled in from your high school health class. That was, of course, because it had been a freebie from the local high school.

This break room, however, was not my break room. This break room sparkled as if it had been transported from another world. The scent of clean linens mingled with the faint aroma of cinnamon, and the soft rustle of the blankets as they shifted slightly as Naomi moved around — it was almost musical. The space felt alive, like a sanctuary carved out of the chaos of our daily lives.

Draped between the couch, the wobbly table, and the TV was a fortress made from an array of blankets and sheets, held up by a combination of broom handles, chairs, and even some medical equipment stands. Soft twinkling lights, which looked suspiciously like the same ones I had bought in an after-Christmas sale, were strung up inside, casting a warm and inviting glow over the entire setup. I stopped, dumbfounded and dead in my tracks, hands still full of curry and noodles.

“What is this?” I whispered, unable to keep the mix of giddy awe and confusion out of my voice.

Naomi turned and gave me a playful smile. “Surprise! I thought you could use a little break. Daisy helped me set it up while you were busy with Boomer before she left this afternoon. Or really, I should say, I asked Daisy to set it up, and she’s awesome. Something told me that all those times I drove by to see if you were still here, that you would be. And you would need somewhere to hang tonight.”

I looked around, taking in the cozy, magical atmosphere. A flood of emotions hit me—gratitude, amazement, and an overwhelming sense of being cared for. “This is incredible. Thank you.” Slowly, I advanced into the room and set the food down gently so as not to knock the blankets off of their various anchor points. “What did you promise Daisy for all this?”

Naomi’s smile widened as she slid in to sit down on the couch, patting the space next to her inside the blanket fortress. “Not much. A few days off here and there, your firstborn child, Brett’s head on a platter.” I didn’t miss the subtle way one eyebrow raised at that last one as she continued, “I figured if you’re pulling an all-nighter, you might as well do it in style. Plus, I brought some movies we can watch. Thought it might help you relax a bit.”

I felt a lump form in my throat as I watched her once more set up the food. No one had ever done something like this for me before. Not even Brett in the years we had been together. It was such a simple gesture, yet it meant the world. “I don’t know what to say. This is… perfect.”

“Good,” Naomi said, her golden eyes twinkling. “Because I plan on making sure you get at least a little downtime tonight. It’s the least I can do after you saved Sage and Luna. Now, come on. Let’s eat while we start the movie.”

As I settled into the makeshift fort, surrounded by the warmth and comfort Naomi had created, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness. She seemed to pick up on it immediately and frowned, a forkful of curry halfway to her mouth. “What’s wrong?”

How could I tell her that when I stepped into this room, I had felt a mix of hope and happiness that I hadn’t felt in a long time? For once, maybe I could allow myself to relax and enjoy the moment, knowing that whatever the night held, I wasn’t alone. But then she had said it was all because of Sage and the puppy…

“Oli.” Her voice was soft, and I looked up, hardly daring to look at her eyes because I could already feel a lump in my stupid throat. The nickname, said in such a soft and gentle way, was almost enough to push a tear over the edge.

Damn female hormones.

I did my best to look neutral. “Yeah?”

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

Silence.

“Oli.”

“Yes?”

“What’s really up?”

And before I could stop myself, I was saying it. “It’s just—no one has done anything like this for me since I was a kid. It is all perfect, and for a second, I thought maybe it was… it was…” I took a breath, my words spilling from me faster. “It was because you actually liked me or something. Then you said that it was all because of Sage and⁠—”

She cut me off, and the words died as I tasted the spicy heat of curry on her lips. But beneath that, there was something deeper—a connection, a raw intensity that left me breathless. Her kiss was a revelation, an unspoken confession of everything I had been too afraid to admit. It was as if the world narrowed down to this moment, to the feel of her against me, and all I could think was how right it felt, how much I had longed for this without even realizing it.

When she finally pulled back, my breath was ragged, and my thoughts were absolute chaos. This was cheating. I couldn’t just go around kissing someone else; the guilt gnawed at me even as her lips lingered on mine. What would Brett think? He’d probably laugh it off, make a joke, or worse, ask if he could watch. But did that make it okay? The questions spun in my mind, mixing with the heady taste of her kiss, leaving me dizzy with confusion. I forced myself to just breathe, not daring to open my eyes. I could still taste the curry, but it was her presence that lingered, grounding me in this moment.

She rested her forehead against mine, her voice a soft whisper. “Oli, this wasn’t just about Sage and the puppy. I did this because I care about you. A lot.”

I blinked, trying to process her words, the lump in my throat now a mixture of emotions. “I… I can’t.”

Naomi sighed, her hands moving to cup my face gently. I could tell she was studying me, and I squeezed my eyes closed tighter. I couldn’t dare to see that look. “Why?”

Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. The memory of my conversation with Daisy—it had been so different and yet deep down, the intent was the same. Why? Why did I stay with Brett? Why didn’t I pursue something that made me happy? I wanted to tell her everything, but if I couldn’t explain it to myself, how was I supposed to say it to her? Instead, I leaned into her touch, finding comfort in her warmth. “I’ve been so scared, Naomi. Scared of wanting something and losing it. Scared of not being enough. Scared of what Brett would think or do.” I took a shuddering gasp as her thumbs brushed away a set of tears that had made it past my defenses. Finally, knowing it was now or never, I opened my eyes. “I don’t know how to live any other way. Especially not like this.”

“You are more than enough,” she murmured, her thumbs brushing away another stray tear that escaped. It grazed over my lips, and I almost licked it just to feel what being so playful would feel like. When I didn’t, she continued, “You’re incredible, Dr. Olivia Harris. And you deserve to feel loved and appreciated.”

The weight of her words sank in, and I let out a shaky breath. “I want to believe that.”

“Then let me show you,” she said, her lips curling into a gentle smile. “One step at a time, we’ll figure this out together. Brett. No Brett. Friends or more.” She paused, letting the weight of her words hang between us like a delicate thread, waiting for my response. The possibilities stretched out before me, terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure.

I nodded, feeling a new sense of something settling into my belly. Hope? I didn’t dare try to capture the feeling and just lived for the moment. “Okay. Together.”

Naomi’s smile widened, and she kissed me again, this time slower, more tender. It was a promise, a beginning, and as we pulled back, I felt a spark of something I hadn’t felt in years.

A connection.

She gave me another smile and then picked up my discarded fork, the noodles still hanging from the end. “We are never going to finish this meal.”

I laughed, and it felt good.

Taking my fork from her, I tried to settle back onto the couch, pulling my feet up under me. “What movies did you bring?”

“Oh, well, I figured since it was going to be an all-nighter, I should pick up a whole night’s worth of horror movies. I have everything: ghosts, vampires, and werewolves.” She paused for a moment, her eyes lingering on my lips, before continuing, “It is the full moon in three days, after all.”

I had two options: I could either admit that scary movies were going to keep me up all night or, “You keep track of when the moon is up to? Are you one of those and haven’t told me?”

She grinned, getting up and pulling a DVD out of a stack I hadn’t noticed beneath the TV. “It depends on what ‘one of those’ is.” I swore I saw her wink over her shoulder as she slid the disk in.

The screen lit up, the familiar sound of skates cutting through cold ice was followed by a close-up of a hockey player stopping on the ice. A thrill raced up my spine. I grinned, looking at Naomi as I pulled what was left of my noodles closer and snuggled into the old couch. “How did you know?”

“A wolf told me.” She replied, watching me from the corner of her eye.

“A wolf huh? Do I need to start watching what I say in front of Naomi the wolf going forward?”

She chuckled and shook her head, “Never. She won’t tell anyone else, I promise. However, if you want my number, it might be easier just to tell me directly what you want to watch next time.” She held out her hand, confident that I would turn over my phone.

Which I did.

I watched in a sort of trance as she put in her number and then texted herself an emoji of the moon. Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up, sending back a gif of a wolf howling at the moon. She handed it back. “There. Now I won’t have to guess which one to bring next time. Although I have to admit, sitting through this is a bit of a horror for me. I mean, those two would never win a gold medal together.”

“Spoilers!” I squealed, kicking at her playfully while I settled in for what I expected to be one of the best nights of my life.

CHAPTER 12

It had been.

We had watched the movie, and Naomi had played the part—laughing and faking outrage at all the right places. After it was over, she started her horror marathon, something I had hoped was just a joke. By the second ghost movie, I was curled up against her side, feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest as a comforting rhythm that anchored me. I didn’t dare look at anything beyond the twinkling comfort of the lights illuminating the blanket fort, instead focusing on the warmth of her body against mine, praying that Boomer wouldn’t need anything. In that moment, I felt a sense of safety I hadn’t realized I was missing.

The clinic was eerie on a good night, but it could be downright spooky if your imagination ran wild. It didn’t help that, while I didn’t think the clinic was buried on an Indian burial ground, who really knew? At least I wasn’t alone.

I wasn’t awake when the sun came up or when Naomi apparently had to leave. I woke warm, still curled up on the couch with my hand fisted in a tuft of warm, softly snoring fur. I opened my eyes, somehow not as surprised as I should have been to see the wolf Naomi lying beside me. As I stirred, she opened one eye, yawned, and then closed it again with a grunt.

My phone, lying discarded on the table, blinked with unread messages. Most were from Brett, checking in and telling me what a great night he’d had. Apparently, he had gotten a breakthrough in the case he was working in this area and thought that another week or two would be enough to wrap things up. I felt nauseated as I flipped through them. Brett’s excitement leaped off the screen, so genuine and full of life, and it only made the guilt gnaw deeper at my insides. Here he was, thrilled to share his victory with me, while I had spent the night wrapped in the warmth of another woman, tasting the lingering spice of her kiss on my lips. The contrast between his happiness and my betrayal was stark, leaving me torn between the life I knew and the one that was beginning to unfold before me.

A life who had also left me a message.

Had a great night, but had to run. Naomi will be there when you wake up. Thank you for keeping me company last night and introducing me to Tim’s Thai. I think that might be my Thursday tradition from now on. I will see you later. <3

There was a second text sent a minute after the first that just said, Give Naomi a hug. She will like that, I promise. Gotta run.

I put the phone down quietly, hoping to not disturb the wolf, but couldn’t help the burst of laughter when I saw the condition of the break room. The blanket fort was still intact, but there were takeout boxes littered everywhere, each one obviously licked clean.

I glanced at the wolf, covering my mouth to stifle the noise as another laugh broke through. She couldn’t have looked any more guilty if she had tried. Her golden eyes, wide and innocent, betrayed none of the mischief her actions had clearly involved. A long bean clung stubbornly to the fur above her ear, a ridiculous sight that only deepened the affection welling up inside me. I reached out, plucking it carefully and holding it up as if presenting evidence of a crime. “Busy night?”

She rolled her eyes at me before slowly reaching out to gently take the bean from between my fingers. Once I let it go, it was gone in a single swallow.

“Really?” I couldn’t help it. I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around her neck and squeezing. “Thank you,” I said into her fur. “I don’t know what weird connection you have with Naomi, but that was perfect. You can have all my beans from now on if you can make that happen again.”

I felt her huff into my hair as she placed her giant head over my shoulder and leaned into me, the closest thing to a hug I had ever received from a canine.

“Good girl,” I said, pulling back and patting her head. “Now, thanks to you, I don’t have any leftover food to clean up, but we should probably pull this down before Daisy gets in, or she will want to spend all day in here and not working.”

Daisy had, in fact, gotten a bit miffed that I hadn’t left her fort up.

“I wanted us to have breakfast in there!” she cried, playful anguish tinting her voice as she held up an almost dripping bag of fast food breakfast burritos.

“I don’t know how you eat those and not gain a million pounds,” I said, ignoring her.

“One was for you, but I don’t think I want to give it to you now.” She dropped the bag on the counter and walked over to take a look at Boomer, who was in fine spirits this morning. He licked his lips, his eyes only for the bag behind her. “Maybe I will give it to Boomer instead.”

“Only if you want to give him a heart attack,” I pointed out, joining her at his kennel and quickly filling out the night’s notes. “He can be discharged at any time if you want to call Mr. Fisher.”

“Think he wants a breakfast burrito?”

“Only if you add a healthy layer of syrup to it,” I answered, matching her grin for grin. I really had gotten lucky to find her.

“Yeah, yeah… I’ll call him after breakfast.” She grabbed up a stack of folders that had been left out overnight. I knew they were her patient notes from yesterday. It was not uncommon to have a small smudge of grease on any given folder in the clinic, but still—lucky to have her.

I nodded, leaving her to her burrito while I did the morning startup rounds. It included thrilling things like making sure the front desk candy bowl was filled, and the computer was turned on. That done, I had gone back to grab my burrito when there was a pounding at the front door.

Daisy and I glanced at each other, and then she pointed to the wall clock. “Ten minutes ’til open. Not it.”

I rolled my eyes, taking one last bite of burrito before placing it mournfully on the counter. No one pounding like that had a quick issue, and it would almost certainly be congealed and cold by the time I got back to it. Or gone. I pointed to Boomer as I walked past, “Don’t touch it.”

Naomi followed close on my heels, a low growl starting in her throat as we neared the door. I turned, hand on the lock, “Sit.”

She didn’t, but she did take a step back.

Confident that was the best I would get, I opened the door to find Lydia, Jayne, and the woman who had brought me the knife all hauling in the limp body of Sage.

“What happened?” I asked, my training kicking in immediately as they followed a now whining Naomi toward the back.

“Someone tried to kill her,” Jayne said, her voice tight with anger.

At the same time, Lydia calmly answered, “We don’t know. She went for a run last night, and we found her like this about twenty minutes ago. We tried to call Naomi, but I see she was unavailable.”

The wolf snapped in Lydia’s direction before pressing her nose into Sage’s side as the trio laid her on an exam table. Daisy was already rolling over various machines and hooking a pulse monitor to the tip of her tongue. The fact that Sage made no move to stop her, lying unnervingly still, her tongue a bruised shade between blue and purple, sent a chill down my spine. It was the kind of stillness that spoke of something more sinister, something far beyond exhaustion. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to maintain my composure, every instinct screaming that this was far worse than I wanted to admit. Instead, I plastered on my best calming smile and reached for my stethoscope. “She probably just got overly tired, nothing some fluids won’t fix.” As I listened to her heart flutter, I tried to maintain my composure, “Why was she out running after having just given birth?”

“Have you ever tried to keep a wolf caged this close to the full moon?” the younger woman asked, and I didn’t miss the quick look Lydia shot in her direction.

“Can’t say that I have.” I made a note of Sages pulse and moved on, hands moving over her body as I continued, “I didn’t know any of your wolves were particularly caged, though. At least, Naomi there doesn’t seem to be.”

“Yes, well. Naomi might need a tighter leash,” Lydia remarked, her tone almost too casual, a sharp contrast to the low, rumbling growl that started deep in Naomi’s chest. The tension crackled in the air, and even Boomer, usually the most docile of patients, couldn’t resist adding his voice to the mix, a nervous whine escaping him as he sensed the brewing storm. Naomi’s growl grew louder, her posture stiffening as if readying for a confrontation that had been a long time coming.

“She’s no problem.” I grabbed Sage’s front paws, “Help me flip her onto her back.”

Jayne stepped forward, sliding her hand gently down the wolf’s side before wrapping her hands firmly around her hind legs. “One, two, three.”

We flipped Sage, a small whine the only indication she gave that she was even conscious. My eyes immediately went to her perfect belly. “What the—” I glanced up at Lydia. “This is a joke, right? You brought me a different wolf and are calling her by the same name.” It wasn’t true, of course; the wolf on the table’s color pattern matched perfectly with the fur I had looked at for hours the night of Sage’s C-section.

“They heal quickly, which is why it is so concerning that she isn’t now.”

Daisy, who had been calming Boomer, walked over to the table and leaned over Sage’s head, her breath catching as she examined the wolf's eyes. From where I stood, I saw the same thing she was seeing—Sage’s pupils were dilated, large black circles that barely reacted to the light she shone into them.

“Her pupils are blown,” she murmured, glancing at me and then at Lydia. “This isn’t good. Poison?”

I nodded, looking at the woman across from me. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were wild. I would only imagine what horrors she must be thinking had happened to her wolf. “What is your name?” I asked, expecting her to reply Sage.

She startled, her face losing all color as she nervously glanced first at Lydia and then back at me. “Sloane.”

I blinked, surprised for only a moment, but it was long enough for her to shake off whatever nerves she had as she pinned me with an expectant look. I cleared my throat, suddenly uncomfortable under her stare. “Ok, Sloane. Do you know if there was anything she could have gotten into? Something she normally wouldn’t eat?”

“No, ma’am.” She shook her head, light strands of almost white hair falling out from her ponytail around her face.

“The wolves wouldn’t eat anything poisonous. They are smarter than your average Canis lupus,” Lydia interjected, stepping in to break my line of sight with Sloane. “Can you help her?”

My gut told me that something was going on. When Lydia had come to collect Naomi the first time we met, she had been professional, but not this cold. Nor had she been like this when I helped Sage the first time. “We need to flush her system and try to counteract the poison.” I glanced toward Daisy, but she was already racing toward the med cabinets and pulling out various bottles and syringes. “First we need to stabilize her. If you have any idea what she could have gotten into.”

“I swear, we won’t tell if it’s weed,” Daisy said, dropping an armful of supplies next to Sage’s head as she started work on shaving one foreleg for an IV.

I shook my head, offering Lydia a small smile. “We know it’s not that, but any other info you have?”

“Silver.” Jayne said, her face pinched as she placed a hand on Sage’s chest. It rose and fell, but the movement was shallow and strained. “It has to be silver poisoning.”

Now there was no mistaking the look of anger on Lydia’s face, and she moved to take a step toward Jayne, but Naomi pushed between them. The wolf’s ears were flat to her head, fangs bared, even as she lowered her head submissively. Lydia’s hands balled into fists, but she relented, turning to catch my gaze. “Jayne is right. It is likely silver.”

“How?” I asked, already reaching for a needle and finding a vein with my thumb. If it was heavy metal poisoning, I needed to know fast if there was any chance to save her.

“I am not sure. There are no weapon marks and, again, I assure you she didn’t eat it.”

“Maybe it was a bullet.” The way Daisy said it as she started the IV drip was a statement and not a question.

To my complete shock, both Jayne, Lydia, and even Naomi appeared to be nodding.

“It couldn’t be a bullet, or at least it's unlikely. There is no wound,” I pointed out, withdrawing a needle full of dark, sludge-like blood. I handed it to Daisy, who took it and turned toward the small clinic lab without a word. “A gunshot would have caused enough damage for us to easily locate the entrance wound. We will need to wait and see what her blood tests come back with, but for now, we will give her a dose of dopamine to get her heart rate out of the red and some fluids.” I noticed Sloane watching me closely as I worked, her eyes narrowing as I started the IV. I pushed it away, “Are you certain there isn’t something she could have gotten into? A contaminated river or some trash even?”

“It’s silver. You have to treat her for silver poisoning,” Jayne insisted, tears finally leaking from her eyes.

“Do you have a break room here?” Lydia asked, watching Jayne even though the question was directed at me.

“Yes. Down the hall.”

“Sloane,” Lydia said, “Take Jayne to the break room and get her to lay down.”

“I won’t—” Jayne started, only to be cut off immediately.

“You will. Now.”

Those three words seemed to hang in the air before falling over everyone like a stone, sinking down and down until they landed, solid and unwavering. I felt something in my chest, a heaviness that I couldn’t explain, and I wanted to scream at Jayne to just obey and make Lydia happy. I shook my head, concentrating on Sage as the others stared at each other. Sloane at Jayne, Jayne at Sage, and Lydia at Jayne.

Naomi gave a quick bark and backed out, her tail almost getting caught in the swinging dividing door between the front and the back. Before she was gone, I heard Lydia say, “In the truck.”

So many questions and zero time.

Finally, Jayne relented and let Sloane take her arm to pull her away. As her fingertips left Sage’s chest, she looked up at me with pleading eyes, “Please—for Luna.”

CHAPTER 13

As Jayne and Sloane exited the room, Naomi walked in with the same I own this place stride that she always had, her presence commanding attention without even trying. It was as if the room adjusted to her, making space for the quiet confidence she exuded. She took her place beside me, her elbow brushing mine.

“You need to treat her for silver poisoning.”

I quirked a brow at her, glancing back toward the door, expecting to see her wolf trailing behind. “How do you know?”

“I just do.” I felt her fingertips on my chin, pulling my face toward her and forcing me to meet her eyes. “Trust me, Oli,” she said in a low, almost pleading tone. The intensity in her eyes pierced through my hesitation, a silent promise woven into her words. “I can explain, but you have to trust me now. Please.” The quiet desperation in her voice tugged at something deep inside me, making it impossible to refuse.

She released my chin, and the warmth of her touch faded, leaving me suddenly cold and unsure. A million doubts swirled in my mind, each one fighting for dominance. Trust her? How could I, when everything about this situation screamed danger? But the look in her eyes, the sincerity in her voice—it made me want to believe, to take that leap of faith.

“Fine. But if it’s the wrong call…”

“We won’t hold you accountable,” Lydia finished for me.

From the back room, someone gave an anguished cry, and my heart began to rip in two. Daisy glanced at me before picking up the back office phone and talking quietly into it. It sounded like she was telling Mr. Fisher that he needed to come get Boomer immediately.

My throat was dry as I left Sage’s table to collect the necessary supplies. The treatment was simple but would be completely ineffective and potentially dangerous if they were wrong. Carefully measuring out the exact dose, I took a steadying breath before jabbing the needle deep into the muscle of Sage’s left glute. My hands moved with practiced precision, but my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. The tension in the room was palpable, every second dragging out as I watched for any sign of a reaction. The moment the needle pierced her skin, Sage yelped, her body tensing under the pressure, and both Lydia and Naomi had to keep her from rolling off the table. It was the first time she had reacted all morning.

“Weird,” I said, withdrawing the needle as she whined and Jayne’s crying grew louder. “The solution shouldn’t have burned that badly, but I’m relieved to see some life in her.”

Daisy looked between me, the wolf, and our guests before quietly muttering, “If it was countering silver, it might burn.”

I would have to have a talk with her about fantasy theories mixed with real-life trauma situations. Surprisingly, neither Lydia nor Naomi said a thing about it.

“How long?” Naomi asked.

I didn’t need to ask what she meant. “It’s hard to say. If it is heavy metal poisoning, we should start to see something positive in the next two to four hours, but she will need another dose by lunchtime. For now, we can move her to the holding kennel next to Boomer.”

“No,” Lydia’s voice sliced through the air like a saber, cold and unyielding. “No kennels. She won’t be caged. Not now, not ever.” The authority in her tone left no room for argument, and even Naomi seemed to stiffen at the command. Lydia’s presence filled the room, her words carrying an unspoken threat that made my skin prickle with unease. “We can lay her on the floor, and Naomi and I can take turns watching her if you need to see other patients. We don’t want to be a burden.”

Daisy raised both brows, and I was suddenly glad that she was behind Lydia. With a shake of her head, she turned to gather more folders and started to scribble notes, obviously leaving me to face this one alone.

“Fine. Naomi, you already know where the spare blankets are?”

She smiled, and for a moment, everything was okay as she nodded. “I’ll grab them.”

Within ten minutes, a small nest had been made between two of the three exam tables in the back, with Sage settled in the middle and Lydia sitting beside her. Naomi pulled me to the side.

“I need to go look into something, but I’ll be back in a few hours. Until then, don’t let anyone in here that you don’t already know and have appointments for. Can you do that?”

The question at the end shocked me. It was a request instead of a demand, and I was suddenly reminded of the dichotomy between her and Brett. Not that this was the place or the time to be comparing two people I had kissed in the last week.

“Yeah, no problem. It’s never that busy, and Brett was going to bring me⁠—”

“No,” Lydia snarled from behind the table. I shivered at the command in her tone. “You cannot let him in here.”

I frowned, opening my mouth to respond when Naomi placed a hand on my wrist, shaking her head. She mouthed, please, and I crumbled. It’s not like I really wanted to have lunch with Brett anyway… right? I was surprised to find that the answer was actually right. I didn’t really care one way or the other. I nodded, “Okay.”

She smiled again, and my head spun at the beauty of it, it was so radiant it made my breath catch. When she leaned in to press a kiss to my forehead, the gesture was so gentle, so tender, it sent a shiver down my spine. I was left reeling, the warmth of her lips lingering on my skin, as if branding me with the promise of something more.

“Thank you.” She leaned in, giving me a short kiss on the forehead before pulling away. “I’ll be back.”

CHAPTER 14

It wasn’t until after lunch that Naomi appeared again, dark circles etched beneath her eyes, casting shadows that made her seem like she had weathered a month-long storm instead of just being a few hours apart. Her usual aura of confidence was dimmed, replaced by a weariness that tugged at my heart. I was trimming a Maltipoo’s nails as she pushed her way past me and knelt near Lydia, their quiet whispers too soft for me to hear.

After a minute, Lydia rose, her face set with a grim expression as she nodded to me and set off toward the break room. By the time I was handing the dog to Daisy to return to its owner, Lydia was leading Jayne and Sloane toward the door, leaving an unsettling emptiness in their wake. Sloane's dark eyes followed me as she walked past. I watched them go, a pit forming in my stomach as I realized just how alone we were becoming in this clinic that had always been my sanctuary. She angled her face toward me just enough to say, “Good luck” before they vanished through the door and were gone.

Naomi was standing, apparently waiting for Daisy, as she ambushed her the second she walked through the back door. Whatever she said caused a cascade of emotions to roll over Daisy’s face before she finally landed on childlike glee. With a quick nod, she grabbed her purse, waved at me, and followed the trio that had already left.

“What was that about? I have more patients this afternoon,” I said, looking back at Naomi.

“Not anymore.”

“Boomer is still here.” I pointed toward the kennel, only to find Daisy had reappeared through the other side door and was leading him toward the front. She grinned at me, still unusually happy. “Mr. Fisher is here to pick him up, and your other appointments have been rescheduled. Or will be before I go.”

“Wait, what?”

Naomi must have anticipated my next move because she had an iron grasp on my wrist before I could follow my apparently mutinous tech to the front. “I told her to.”

I spun, throwing my wrist to break the contact. “Why? And since when does she listen to you? This clinic doesn’t run itself, and what if someone else has an emergency?” My voice wavered with a mix of anger and fear. The thought of abandoning my responsibilities felt like a betrayal to the life I had built here. “I feel for Sage, I really do, but there are other animals in this town and⁠—”

“Stop.” Her voice cut me off, sharp and commanding. Then, softer, almost breaking, she added, “Please.” The word hung in the air, fragile and desperate, making my heart skip a beat.

I folded my arms, one hip thrust out in defiance. “I’m listening.”

“I need to tell you something—something that you probably won’t believe, but I can show you. If you’ll let me.” She took a step toward me, and I resisted the bratty impulse to take a step back. She took another, and everything inside me screamed to run—that this was my last chance.

I looked up at her, noting for the first time the height difference between us. I wondered if she normally slouched when she was around me to make us more even, or if she had just grown four inches overnight. Of course, since she had spent that night with me, I would have seen any unusual growth.

My face turned red.

She noticed and smiled.

It got redder.

“I see I have your attention.” And for the first time since I had met this beautiful stranger, her composure slipped, and the shadow of worry crossed her features. She looked tired, and I resisted the urge to reach out and hug her. She tilted her head to the side, her neck stretched in my direction for a second. It reminded me of a submissive dog, begging me not to do a fecal sample. She held the pose, eyeing me quietly before coming to some conclusion and taking a deep breath. “I need to tell you something that can’t leave this room.”

I frowned but stayed quiet, my stomach dropping.

“I know it will be weird, but I think you’ll take it okay. I mean, fuck.” She ran a hand over the back of her neck, hurrying on, “Lydia really should have been the one to do this, but she said it had to come from me.”

“Naomi, what…” I tried, gently coaxing her to continue, but she cut me off.

“No, no, please, Oli, just let me get this out. You know those scary movies we watched?” She waited until I nodded before continuing. “Well, I think you will be okay because you were afraid of ghosts and demons, but not the monsters. In fact, I think you kinda had a thing going for Dracula’s bride.”

“Hey, in my defense, I think everyone has a thing for Dracula’s bride,” I pointed out, trying to lighten the heaviness that seemed to have blanketed the room.

“Yeah, well, you really liked her. Anyway, do you know anything about were⁠—”

Whatever she was going to say was cut short as Daisy’s raised voice pierced the clinic. “You CAN’T go back there, Brett! Not right now.”

“Daisy, I swear to God, I helped buy this clinic, and you will not have a job tomorrow if you don’t let me through.”

Naomi and I shared a look just before my boyfriend pushed his way into the back, stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of us. I took a step to the side, putting distance between myself and Naomi, but didn’t miss the way his eyes tracked the movement.

“What is she doing back here? I thought this was patients only.” His voice lowered. “I heard there was a wolf here again.”

I felt more than heard Naomi move beside me and stepped forward, one hand out to stop whatever it was she planned to say. The less she got involved, the better when he was in these moods. But as I watched her stand tall, unwavering in the face of his anger, a part of me wondered if I had been wrong all along—if maybe it was time to stop letting him control every situation. “Yes, I have a patient back here, and it is one of the wolves from Mayfield Meadows. Brett, you have heard of Naomi.”

I had hoped the formal introduction would break him out of whatever madness he was caught up in, but as his eyes narrowed toward the woman behind me, I felt sick. “Yeah, the friend you are always talking about. Wolf woman, right?”

“Correct. And you must be the asshole boyfriend.”

I didn’t dare turn to look at her, but felt my soul drop straight down into the floor.

“Charmed, I’m sure.” I was surprised he didn’t add a bow just for flair. His eyes tracked to mine, and he nodded toward the door. “We need to go home, now.”

“I have a patient,” I countered, knowing it was my best excuse.

“Doesn’t matter, it’s not safe here.”

I almost laughed. “At my own clinic?”

“Around wolves.” I watched as his eyes scanned the room and saw the second they found Sage on the floor nearby. “Let it die; it’s already halfway there.”

A growl erupted behind me, and for a moment, I thought he might be right to fear for me—that Sage had finally woken up and was about to tear through the clinic. Instead, Naomi stepped up beside me, heat radiating from her. “What would you know about that?”

Brett’s smirk was chilling, a cold sneer that sent a shiver down my spine. “Animals get pinged by hunters all the time. Metal poisoning from the bullet is nothing new.” His words dripped with casual cruelty, as if the suffering of a living creature was just another part of his day.

Naomi’s eyes shifted toward me, and I felt like the room was spinning. “Did you tell him?”

I shook my head. “No.”

Somehow, she growled again, a noise I had never heard from human vocal cords, and I stepped back, not toward either of them but toward Sage’s prone body. The monster movie was starting right in front of my eyes.

“Oli, text Lydia and tell her to come get Sage.” She pulled her phone from her pocket, flipping it toward me with an amount of trust in my catching skills that was honestly shocking. By a miracle, I caught it.

“Olivia, come with me. Bring the phone.” Brett’s voice was low and demanding, his eyes locking onto mine for only a second before they flicked back to Naomi as though she were the most dangerous thing in the room.

My hands trembled as I held the phone between them, Naomi’s trust weighing heavily in my palm. I glanced between the two of them, my heart pounding in my chest, but I couldn’t tell who it was pounding for. The woman in front of me stood tall, her golden eyes burning with defiance, while Brett’s smirk grew colder by the second.

“I…I can’t,” I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. The words felt like a betrayal on my tongue, but I couldn’t just abandon Sage, and I was at the end of my rope with letting Brett boss me around. I had built a life here, and something told me he was trying to rip that life away. I typed quickly, my fingers flying as I sent a short SOS to Lydia that simply read, help.

Brett took a step closer, his presence looming over me. “Olivia, you’re coming with me. Now.”

Naomi stepped back, her hand brushing against mine, a silent offer of support.

The weight of them crashed down on me, each one pulling me in a different direction. Brett represented safety, a twisted form of stability that had kept me anchored for years. But Naomi… Naomi was a spark of something new, something that made me feel alive in a way I hadn’t in a long time.

“I need to stay,” I said, my voice stronger this time. “Sage needs me.”

Brett’s eyes narrowed, his smirk fading into a sneer. “You’re making a mistake, Olivia. You don’t know what you’re dealing with. If you stay with her, I can’t protect you.”

“She doesn’t need protection from you, hunter.” The last word dripped from Naomi’s tongue and left an acid sting in the air.

Brett’s face twisted, anger contorting his features for only a second before it all vanished. He stepped back, shrugging his shoulders and crossing his arms, the picture of ease. “Have you told her yet? About what you are, she-wolf?”

Naomi took another step back, her shoulder brushing against mine. I could feel her trembling, and I pocketed the phone, my fingers instantly finding hers and holding on tight.

Her head snapped down, eyes following the line of my arm to our clasped hands as a small smile threatened to mar the defiant set of her mouth. She looked back up at Brett, head held high. “Of course I did. Looks like she has chosen her pack over you.”

“Really?” He scoffed, tilting his head to the side as though he were seriously inspecting us. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, it is.” I said, feeling Naomi’s encouraging squeeze on my fingers. The words felt foreign on my tongue, but they carried a weight I hadn’t expected. “Part of her pack now.” It was a declaration, a choice, and as soon as I said it, I knew there was no turning back. Of course, I had no idea what I was declaring, but at that moment it didn’t seem to matter.

I had never defied Brett in all the years we had been together—at least not on anything that mattered. I had made a small purchase here or there without running it by him, or maybe messed up a food order. These things seemed major at the time, he would be upset that he got chicken instead of beef or that I spent an extra $20 on something he didn’t think I needed, but I had never outright told him no. Not like I just had.

The sound of his laughter brought me out of my own head, a sound that had once been so joyous but now had never felt so hollow.

“Right, part of her pack.” He shook his head. “I would tell you not to bother coming home, but I have a pretty good feeling that you will be busy tonight.”

“What does that mean?” My voice sounded weak, a whisper in the silence that fell over us.

He smiled, pulling his phone from his pocket and checking something that flashed for a second on the screen before putting it back away. He held up his hands, palms up as though surrendering. “Oh, you’ll see.” His voice was almost gleeful, a sinister edge that left a knot of dread tightening in my chest. “But I think I have gotten all I needed from you both.”

Neither Naomi nor I moved as he strode to the door. He was relaxed when he put out a hand to push it open, looking back at us over his shoulder. “Good luck, Olivia. Just so you know, when you are laying in the dark remembering this moment — I actually did love you.”

CHAPTER 15

It hit like a punch in the gut, and I felt tears slipping down my cheeks. A small, terrified part of me screamed that I had just shattered everything I’d known. The safety net I’d clung to for years was gone, and all that was left was the free fall into an unknown abyss. This man, whose cologne I could still smell lingering in the room, had been my life for years, and now because I had felt defiant, I had thrown it all away.

I dropped Naomi’s hand, barely making it to the nearest exam table before my knees could give out.

“Oli…” Her voice was quiet, almost tentative, and she moved slowly, her steps cautious, as though approaching a wild animal on the verge of bolting. There was a softness in her eyes, a deep concern that seemed to reach out and cradle my breaking heart.

Maybe I was that wounded creature.

“Oli, I promise it will be okay. I will make it okay.”

I shook my head, my stomach churning violently as I sank to my knees. The room spun around me, and I curled inward, pressing my chin to my chest as my breath came in short, frantic gasps. The walls seemed to close in, each breath a desperate attempt to keep the rising tide of panic from swallowing me whole.

Your constant anxiety is a real burden.

A sob shook my chest. He was such an asshole, but now I was alone.

Strong, warm arms enveloped me, pulling me into Naomi’s embrace. Her presence was an anchor in the storm, a solid ground in the midst of my emotional spiral. I buried my face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her comforting scent, and for a moment, the world outside faded away. My hands went up around her back, fingers balled into the soft velvet fabric of her jacket as I cried into her shoulder. She didn’t say anything else, just held me as I let more than half a decade of emotion out—all the anger, despair, sorrow, and love—because it was in there too.

I cried, and she held me.

I cried, and I listened to her heart.

I cried, and somewhere deep inside, something told me I was going to be okay.

We were still like that, pressed firmly together, when resolute steps echoed through the reception room, down the hallway, and into the exam room. I glanced up over Naomi’s shoulder to find Lydia, looking poised for battle, staring back at me. Her stance was wide, fists balled at her sides, and her blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail that kept it out of her face. She stopped short when she saw us, her battle-ready posture softening just slightly. A bark of laughter escaped her, followed by a knowing smile that seemed to say, “I see what’s happening here.” The tension in her shoulders eased as she took in the scene before her.

“You needed help?”

Naomi pulled back just enough to place a gentle kiss on my forehead before releasing me and standing to face her boss. One of Lydia’s eyebrows rose, but Naomi just shook her head. “Brett was here, getting a bit defensive over Sage and Olivia’s involvement. He tried to force her to leave.”

The other woman’s face clouded over again, battle-ready once more. “Did he hurt you?”

The question was directed at me, and I was slightly dumbfounded by it. I managed to shake my head, rising on unsteady feet. “No, no, he just wanted me to go. Basically, told me to let her die.”

“No basically about it,” Naomi snorted. “I thought it might come to a fight for a second.”

Lydia didn’t even glance at her, her eyes still on me. “And you stayed willingly, Dr. Harris?”

Now I really was confused. “Of course. I would never abandon Sage.”

“Good. Welcome to the pack, Olivia. We are honored to have you stand with us.”

“About that…” Naomi started, her hand going to the back of her neck as she suddenly examined the floor.

Lydia’s sharp gaze snapped to her. “You didn’t…”

Naomi shook her head. “No time.”

“And she still…?”

“Yes.”

A heavy sigh came from one of them, but I couldn’t tell which as my attention had turned to Sage, who had started to breathe in heavy, rattling breaths. I checked her vitals, alarmed at how quickly her blood pressure and heart rate were falling.

“No. No, no, no! I’m losing her!” The urgency in my voice cut through the air like a knife. My hands trembled as I fumbled with the narcotics key in my pocket, every second ticking by like a countdown to disaster. Struggling, I tried to fit the small cabinet key into the lock, but my hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and I dropped it, cursing as I tried again. Finally, the door swung open, and I grabbed the epinephrine and atropine. First, I would stimulate her heart rate, and then, if needed, the other could help to slow it back down to stable.

Both vials in hand, I rushed back to find Lydia sitting with the wolf’s head in her lap, muttering soft, soothing sounds to her. Sage’s eyes fluttered, her pupils so large her eyes might as well have been black. Naomi’s hand was pressed to the wolf’s chest, just above her heart.

I knelt beside them, closing my eyes and focusing on an image of the moon. Large, stable, always there to light the way in the darkest of nights. It was a trick I had learned in school, and it calmed me enough to draw both medicines without spilling a drop. Injected directly into her heart, it would take effect almost immediately. I crouched over her, eyes locking on Naomi’s. “Do you trust me?”

Without a pause, she nodded. “Always.”

“Then hold her. This is epinephrine—adrenaline. If we give it directly to her heart, it might be enough to kick-start it again.” Naomi nodded, moving her hand slightly to give me space. I muttered a silent prayer to whoever would listen and thrust the needle deep.

For what felt like an eternity, the exam room was quiet.

Without warning, Sage’s head snapped up, jaws snapping within an inch of Lydia’s face. Her eyes rolled, the whites shocking in her skull. I doubted much was in focus—waking up to a kick in the heart couldn’t have been pleasant.

Lydia, one hand around her muzzle and the other at the back of her head, said one word, her voice rattling me to my bones.

“Shift.”

I would never forget the sound. It started like paper tearing, sharp and sudden, followed by the deep, unsettling creak of bones snapping, shifting, and realigning—a sound reminiscent of ice breaking on a frozen lake. It was as though her entire body was being reconstructed, each piece snapping into place with a painful finality. Muscles stretched and shifted beneath her fur, creating a series of wet, sliding noises that were almost too quiet to hear, but unmistakable once noticed.

It was the sound of a horrific accident played in reverse, as though her body were being torn and reformed in front of me.

A low growl morphed into a deep, guttural moan, the sound vibrating with the tension of bones elongating and realigning, vocal cords snapping back into place. Her fur receded, revealing smooth, light skin beneath. The transformation was accompanied by a series of popping sounds—like knuckles being cracked in rapid succession—as her spine straightened, and her limbs formed into a human shape.

Breathless gasps punctuated the shifting symphony, as Sage’s lungs expanded and contracted in new rhythms. The final moments were marked by a quiet, almost peaceful sigh as the last vestiges of her wolf form melted away, leaving behind the trembling, newly formed human.

She looked up at Lydia, tears streaming down her face, and whispered, “Luna?”

“She is safe, dear one. Rest,” Lydia answered, one hand soothingly rubbing the now-naked woman’s back while the other caressed her cheek.

I sat back on my ass, all thoughts of triage gone.

“What. The. Fuck.” The words escaped me in a breathless whisper, my mind struggling to process the impossible scene before me. This wasn’t real—it couldn’t be. But no matter how much I wanted to deny it, the truth was staring me in the face, naked and trembling on the exam room floor.

A look passed between Lydia and Naomi before the latter put up a hand. “Oli, I can explain.”

My brain felt like it was breaking. There was a naked woman lying in my exam room where a wolf had been moments before. A naked woman whose only words had been the name of the puppy I had helped give birth to.

I must have actually gone insane. Brett was right—anxiety had finally snapped my reality, and now I would be a burden on the state in some mental hospital somewhere.

“Oli, I didn’t want you to find out like this…” Naomi was still talking. I could see her mouth moving, but no words were coming out—just a ringing, loud and insistent. “Oli. Olivia, I need you to say something.”

I looked at her, looked at her golden eyes, and remembered the way Shadow the wolf had looked at me, as though afraid I would just leave her there on the road.

No, not Shadow. It had never been Shadow. It had always been…

“Naomi.”

“Yes.”

“Are you?”

“Yes.”

“Huh.”

Pieces began to fall into place, each revelation hitting me with the force of a hammer to the chest. As the picture behind my eyes became clearer, I realized that everything I thought I knew was crumbling away, leaving only Naomi and the truth she had been trying to protect me from. The wolf with the rose, the endless days of the wolf slinking in to watch me work or sleep in the break room, Boomer’s distrust, golden eyes.

“Nope. This isn’t real.”

I pushed it all away. I was a doctor of veterinary medicine, and this was not in the textbooks.

“It is, and she still needs your help,” Naomi said, her tone still gentle as she reached for me. “Forcing her to shift will slow the effects of the silver, but without your help…”

I pulled back just before her fingers could brush against my shoulder. “I don’t work on humans.”

“Technically, we are born as wolves, so… she’s just half human at best.”

I knew it was a joke, but I wasn’t ready for it.

“Dr. Harris, we can discuss this at a later time, but right now, a member of my pack is slipping away in my hands, and you are the only physician we can trust. Can you do something or not?” Lydia’s voice was firm, pulling me back to the present.

I blinked, reality spinning around me until it finally stopped in this strange new timeline where women were wolves.

“I…” I looked at the naked woman, Sage, and away again, focusing on anything but these women. Finally, with a heaving sigh, I started to move. An IV rack and fluids—those were the easiest place to start.

“Should we move her to the break room? It’s got to be more comfortable than the floor.”

Naomi raised a brow and crossed her arms. “Now that she’s human, the floor isn’t good enough? But it was when she was a wolf? That’s a bit of a species bias, isn’t it?”

Both Lydia and I ignored her, and I hid a small smile from them both. It was so easy to slip into this weirdness, and that should have scared me even more.

“Speciesist or not, I still think we should move her if we can.”

“Sage. Sage, dear, can you get up?” Lydia asked, stroking the she-wolf’s face.

Sage’s dark eyes fluttered but didn’t seem to focus as she stared up at her leader. She whined in her throat, a noise that no human should have been able to make.

“Should I take that as a no?” I asked.

“She can get up,” Naomi said, crouching beside Sage and helping Lydia lift her into an upright sitting position. “Come on, darling, one, two, and up.”

Both women lifted, each with one of Sage’s arms around their necks as they supported her waist. Standing, I had a full view of her naked front, but instead of being embarrassed, I couldn’t take my eyes off her stomach. Not a single blemish marred her abs; it was as though the C-section had happened to someone—or something—else entirely.

As I followed them down the hall at a pace that would have had a snail lapping us, I couldn’t help but ask, “So you heal extra fast, but not from silver. What else can you do?”

Naomi turned her head back and winked. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

CHAPTER 16

We settled Sage onto the break room couch, and I crouched beside her, trying my best to act like I knew how to place a catheter in a human arm. I had donated blood before, and the basic procedure was the same, but this wasn’t just any blood draw. This was a life-or-death situation, and I was painfully aware that I was improvising. Sage’s veins wiggled a lot more in this form than they had as a wolf, and my hands, normally steady, trembled ever so slightly.

I moved the needle a bit to the right after it slid off the vein for the third time, and Sage growled at me, a low, involuntary sound that spoke volumes about her discomfort. Startled, I looked up to find her watching my every move, her eyes shadowed with pain and exhaustion. She noticed me looking at her and glanced away.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to, but that hurts.”

Her voice was just as quiet as I would have expected from the stoic wolf who had whined but not much more while I pulled her pups from her body. I forced a small smile, hoping to reassure her as much as myself. The truth was, I felt out of my depth, like I was navigating a world where the rules kept changing, but I couldn’t afford to let her see that.

“I’m sorry too. I’m not used to, well, any of this.” I pulled the needle out and lined it up again, keeping my focus on the task at hand. I kept talking as I took aim. “Is it true you were all born as wolves?”

She nodded, her eyes following the needle, but she stayed still. “Yes. We are puppies until around age two or three. We start out small, just like any other wolf born to a litter, but as we grow, the call of the moon becomes impossible to ignore. By the time we shift for the first time, it’s like our whole world changes, and suddenly, we’re not just wolves anymore—we’re something more.”

“Into toddlers?” Blood welled at the end of the catheter, and I placed a firm finger over the end to pinch it off while I got the IVs ready to hook up.

She snorted. “Yes. Walking and everything, although still a bit unsteady. Just because we get used to four legs in a matter of a few months doesn’t mean we’re equally as good on two at first.”

“So, Luna will stay like she is for two years before this?” I finished installing the fluids and sat back on my heels, wiping a hand over my brow. I watched as the IV started to flow and inwardly congratulated myself. That wasn’t so hard—maybe I could moonlight as a nurse on the weekends.

She smiled softly, as though reading my mind. “Yes, she will, and she’ll need a good vet to make sure she gets all the shots she needs. Can’t have her running around with worms.”

“Who’s the father?” I hadn’t meant to say it, but when you talk about breeding dogs, the identity of the parents is rarely kept secret. “I’m sorry, that was probably wrong to ask.”

“It’s okay. Her father is Jayne.”

I cocked my head, looking at her curiously. “Jayne?”

“You’ve met?”

“Shaved hair down one side, long on the other. A bit angry.”

There was that smile again, soft but sad. “Yeah, that’s Jayne, all right.” She sighed, turning her head toward the back of the couch. “I wanted a baby so badly. We aren’t mates, but she’s the only one who could help me.”

“How?”

Before she could answer, hurried steps echoed down the hall, and Naomi thrust her head in. “Something is happening at the compound. Lydia is already on her way back, but I need you to stay here and⁠—”

Glass shattered behind her, and she spun, growling as she crouched low, covering the door.

“Little wolf, little wolf, where can you be? Little wolf, little wolf, come out to me.” The singsong words did not match the low, gravelly voice that sang them as metal rang out and more glass shattered.

I shook, terror battling fury at whatever was happening in my clinic beyond the door.

“Little wolf, little wolf, soon you’ll be dead.”

The smoke alarm started to scream, and I could faintly smell smoke from somewhere further toward the front.

“No,” I managed, surging to my feet, but Naomi bodily blocked me. Grabbing me by the upper arms, she held me in place. “Oli, Oli, listen to me. You need to help Sage get out of here. The backdoor—take her and go. I doubt they’ll let you near your car, but go into the trees. We’ll find you.”

“My clinic.” I started to protest, but my shaking knees betrayed me as another crash echoed down the hall, followed by that haunting voice.

“Little wolf, little wolf, come out to me. Little wolf, little wolf, meet your end and see.”

“Take her and go. I’ll hold them off.” She started to turn, releasing me, but now it was my turn to reach out.

“Naomi, don’t. Come with us.” My heart felt like lead, heavy beats that threatened to pull me down.

“I’ll be fine. Now that you know, I have something to live for.” She leaned in, capturing my lips, and it felt like the first time all over again. Silver and gold sparks danced behind my eyes, courting each other, darting together, and then exploding out in an array of fireworks.

For a second, there was only us.

I pulled back, breaking the contact, and looked past her to find a gigantic man with a metal bat striding through the reception door toward us. He grinned when he saw us standing there, but it was anything but friendly.

“Little wolf, what have you got there?”

“Go,” Naomi whispered, pushing me back toward Sage, who was struggling to her feet with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

I went to help her, offering a quick, “Sorry again,” as I yanked the IV back out to give her more freedom of movement. She could live without them, but something told me that if we delayed a moment longer, she wouldn’t live with them.

A growl erupted behind us, and I swung, one of Sage’s arms heavy over my shoulder, in time to see Naomi’s wolf charge down the hall and out of sight. Naomi's howl of rage echoed through the clinic, a battle cry that sent shivers down my spine and bumps up my arms. Her wolf form was a blur of silver and gray as she charged at the intruder with the metal bat. The man’s grin faltered, turning into a snarl of his own as he braced for impact.

Sage whimpered beside me, her weight leaning heavily against my shoulder. I tightened my grip around her waist, forcing my legs to move despite the terror constricting my chest. We had to get out. We had to survive. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing the urgency of the moment. Every instinct screamed at me to move faster, but Sage’s weight slowed us down, each step a painful struggle against the mounting terror that threatened to consume us.

For Naomi.

For Luna.

“Come on, Sage. Just a little further,” I urged, my voice strained but determined. This wasn’t just about survival anymore—it was about keeping a promise, about making sure Sage and Luna would have a future. I couldn’t let them down, not after everything we’d been through. We stumbled toward the back exit, each step a painful effort for the woman at my side. The sounds of the fight behind us grew louder, the clash of metal against claws and teeth a brutal symphony.

A sudden crash made me glance back. Naomi had the upper hand, her powerful jaws clamping down on the man’s arm, making him scream in agony. But he was strong, too strong, and he swung the bat wildly, connecting with her side. Naomi yelped, but she didn’t let go.

We reached the back door, and I fumbled with the lock, my hands shaking uncontrollably. Finally, it gave way, and we burst out into the cool night air. I took a deep breath, the fresh air clearing some of the fog of fear from my mind.

“Just a bit more, Sage,” I urged, guiding her toward the safety of the trees ahead. It wasn’t dark, but if we could make it into them, I was sure we could find somewhere to hide. Somewhere the wolves could find, but maybe the humans wouldn’t. At least, I assumed the man had been human. Given the way the afternoon was going, who could say?

She was barely conscious, her steps faltering more with each passing second. We had to move faster.

“Come on, Sage, think of Luna. Think of Jayne. I don’t know anything about mates or whatever, but I’m betting she doesn’t want the mother of her puppy to die.”

“Jayne wants to pretend to love me, but,” she broke off, coughing and hacking up a lump of something dark. Her eyes glazed over, distant, as if recalling memories she wished she could forget. She weakly wiped at her mouth. “Jayne wants someone to love, to accept her as she is. I do, but I’m not the one she needs. There is no connection between us. Not like what you have with Naomi.”

“There is Luna,” I repeated, placing one foot in front of the other and refusing to look back, even though the sounds of shouting and howls had been added to the chaos behind us.

“Luna,” her tone sounded like a prayer. “Take care of her.”

“You do it yourself. We just need to get you home, or find a wolf, or… something. I won’t let you give up, Sage. You have too much to live for.” We had made it to the tree line, and there was no one following us. The trees, which had once felt so inviting, seemed claustrophobic now. Anyone or anything could be hiding in them, and I could be leading us both right into a trap.

“Safe,” Sage said, as though reading my mind. “It’s safe, for now at least.”

I nodded, my feet dragging as I pushed us on. “How do you know?”

She cocked her head and tapped her nose. “Still have wolf senses, even if I only have two legs.”

A quick thought ran through my head, and I cursed myself for just now thinking to ask—of course, we had been a bit busy since she shifted. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.” She answered, and I laughed. She raised a brow at me, and I struggled to rein it in.

“Sorry, it’s just that you don’t know how many times I’ve looked at a technician over the head of a sick creature and said, ‘I bet if they could talk, they would say they feel like shit.’ And then, here you are—feeling like shit.”

She smiled, and it was a warm, friendly thing that endeared her to me more. “Yeah, well, I bet a good amount probably did but just couldn’t say it. So on behalf of all the animals dragged into that clinic, we feel like shit.”

I giggled again and felt a bit of the tension run from my shoulders. She would make a wonderful mother—patient, funny, smart—I just needed to save her.

“Other than shit, what specifically hurts right now?” I asked, gently helping her prop herself against a tree. We were far enough in that I felt safe to post up and wait. She opened the blanket, draping half over my shoulders as I slid down next to her.

“It burns,” she whispered, the words laced with agony. “In my veins, in my belly… it’s like a fire I can’t put out, no matter how hard I try. I’ve never felt anything like this before, and I’m so scared it’s going to consume me.” She was surveying the trees around us, her voice almost a whisper. “I was running, and then suddenly I smelled a human I had smelled before at the edge of our property line. I slowed down, curious to see who it was and why they were there.” She turned to look at me. “Before you, no human had been to the compound in years. My wolf was curious what had changed and why, so I went to go look.”

“Did you recognize the person?” I asked.

She shook her head, her hair brushing over my shoulder. “No, but I have definitely smelled them before.”

“So, what happened?”

“I think it was a dart.”

I frowned, my eyes already running over her body for any sign of a puncture wound. “Where?”

“It stung in my neck first, and I tried to rub myself on the grass to soothe the pain. Thought I had been bitten by something. Then the burning started, and I went down.” She rubbed her eyes, as though trying to rub the memory away. “Sloane found me and howled for the others.”

I cringed, imagining what a shock it must have been for the young, quiet woman to find her like that. I liked Sloane, though—she had proven to be steady when she needed to be. I half hoped that thinking about her would summon her to find us. “What does her wolf look like?”

“Sloane’s?”

I nodded, moving so I could inspect her neck, gently moving her chin with my fingers. There was nothing, not a scratch on her that would indicate any kind of injection.

“I would have healed,” she said, once more reading my mind. “Under normal conditions, we heal almost instantly. The effect is slower in our human form, but occasionally the act of shifting itself is enough to knit any gashes, and we never catch a cold.” She turned her head to the right, obediently following my silent commands. “You likely won’t find any evidence.”

“Doesn’t hurt to look,” I muttered, running a finger over her flawless skin. Not so much as a tiny mole marred her neck.

“White.”

I glanced up at her. “Huh?”

“You asked what Sloane looks like—she is white. Or almost. She has a dark diamond of black fur on her belly, but otherwise, she sticks out like a beacon at night.”

“She sounds beautiful. I hope I get to see her like that someday.”

“How about now? She’s coming.”

CHAPTER 17

I swung around instinctively, placing myself between Sage and whatever danger might be lurking in the shadows. My heart raced as I scanned the surrounding trees, every rustle of leaves and shifting shadow setting my nerves on edge. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down—not now, not when we were so vulnerable.

“It’s okay, Olivia,” Sage murmured softly from behind me, placing a gentle, reassuring hand on my shoulder. Despite her weakness, there was a calm strength in her touch, as if she were trying to transfer some of her resolve to me. “She found me the first time and howled for help. I’m sure she isn’t here to hurt us.”

A white wolf emerged from behind a cluster of trees to our right, as though summoned. Her pristine winter fur was brushed with a coating of dirt, as if she had just come from somewhere dusty, yet it still caught the last rays of the setting sun. She moved with a fluid grace, her piercing eyes locking onto Sage and then me, and for a moment, I was struck by her ethereal beauty. The wolf barked softly, and Sage made a similar noise in response behind me. I jumped, shooting her a look over my shoulder.

“What the hell was that?”

She shrugged and smiled, but with each passing moment, I could see how much of an effort it was for her. “Mostly human, but there are still some vital differences.”

My mind drifted to Naomi, and I couldn’t help but wonder just how deep those differences went. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, a potent mix of fear and excitement as I imagined her wild and untamed, yet somehow gentle with me. The fantasies that followed were vivid, almost overwhelming, as I pictured her strong, capable hands exploring my body, her touch igniting something primal and fierce within me.

Unbidden, the fantasy grew more and more intoxicating. Naomi’s lips brushed against mine, teasing and demanding all at once. Her hands roamed, leaving trails of heat wherever they touched. My pulse quickened, my breath becoming shallow as I envisioned her taking control, her voice a low, seductive whisper in my ear.

“Oli,” she would murmur, her tone laced with desire. “Let me show you what it truly means to be a wolf. Let me hunt you, taste you.”

A rush of heat flooded my body, and I could almost feel her—every touch, every kiss—driving me to the brink of ecstasy. My mind spun with the possibilities, each one more tantalizing than the last. Her wolf had dark fur—would that match her hair down there…?

But then reality crashed back in—the weight of my responsibilities and the danger surrounding us pulling me out of the fantasy. I felt a flush of embarrassment creep up my neck, my cheeks burning as I realized how carried away I had gotten in a matter of seconds.

Behind me, I heard Sage chuckle, a low sound that was tinged with something unspoken. “You know,” she said, her voice laced with amusement, “we still have a heightened sense of smell as humans. It lets us pick up on more than just physical scents—we can get a feel for your emotional state, too.” Her words hung in the air, and my heart skipped a beat as I realized just how much she might have sensed. “You may want to keep that in mind around Naomi.”

I felt my skin blush deeper and wondered if I was the same burning red hue as the setting sun. Pushing the emotions back down, I ignored Sage and turned my attention to the white wolf, who was still padding softly toward us. She reached out, stretching her neck to sniff Sage first, and then me. She sneezed, blowing hot air and a bit of snot directly into my face.

“Told you, heightened senses,” Sage was laughing again, but this time with little coughs peppered in. “Fuck, I feel awful.”

Cursing myself for not having grabbed a single piece of medical equipment, I gently took her hand, my fingers trembling as I felt for a pulse. Sage’s skin was cold, almost clammy, and I could see the toll the transformation had taken on her. Every beat of her pulse felt like a fragile thread, and the fear that she might not make it gripped my heart like a vise. If she had stayed a canine…

The sound of bones snapping caused me to glance over my shoulder before quickly averting my eyes again. Sloane, now in human form and completely naked, knelt beside me with a grace that belied her vulnerability. There was a quiet determination in her eyes, a fierce protectiveness that spoke of her deep bond with Sage. Despite the dire situation, a small, reassuring smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she placed a hand on Sage’s shoulder.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Sage said, offering her a weak smile. “But I’m alive. Do you know what’s happening?”

I felt Sloane stiffen beside me, but she answered, “No, not much anyway. I was just sent to find you. Can you walk? We need to get back home.”

“It’s miles—there’s no way she’ll make that,” I said. “Maybe if I call—” I stopped, the memory of Brett walking out hitting me hard. In the chaos, I had momentarily forgotten that he had walked out on us without turning back. But maybe there was still a chance, a hope. I had forgiven him so many things—staying to care for the wolf couldn’t have been a cardinal sin.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, my heart pounding as I prayed it still had battery life. Relief flooded through me as the screen lit up, but that relief was short-lived. My thumb hovered over Brett’s contact, a war raging inside me. Could I really trust him after everything? Or was this just another chance for him to let me down?

“Don’t.” Sage placed a hand on my wrist, her fingers chilled to the bone. “You may not know anything about mates, but I do. He’s not the one. We can make it without him.” She paused, her gaze catching mine, and I was reminded of how bright and vivid all of their irises were, even the dark-colored ones. It was amazing I hadn’t noticed before. “You will make it without him.”

“But you—” I started, but she shook her head.

“I’ll at least make it back to my pup,” Sage vowed, her voice filled with quiet determination. Despite her weakness, there was a fire in her eyes that refused to be extinguished—a mother’s love driving her to push past the pain, no matter the cost.

Sloane was watching us, a slight smile tilting one corner of her mouth. She looked like she was about to speak when a howl pierced the grove of trees, causing a murder of crows to take flight above us. Both wolves glanced at each other before tilting their heads back, necks outstretched, and answered in the most inhuman noise I had ever heard or witnessed.

I had watched them shift from wolf to human, and yet it wasn’t until now that it really, truly hit me. These were creatures from another reality.

Another fantasy.

My thoughts once more went to Naomi, and I felt like howling myself—I wanted to call her to me. I needed to know she was alright.

Another howl rang out, this time closer, sending a shiver down my spine. The eerie sound seemed to reverberate through the trees, a chilling reminder that we were not alone. Sage and Sloane tilted their heads back, their howls harmonizing in a haunting, almost otherworldly symphony. The air was thick with tension, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as the reality of our situation settled in.

Sage lowered her face and smiled as her note ended. “She is coming.”

“Naomi?” I asked, hope warming my stomach.

She nodded and looked at Sloane and struggled to get to her feet. “We should go—get a head start while I still have the strength to stand.”

The younger woman nodded, giving me a quick glance. “I’ll take her back to the house. We will see you there?”

I nodded, my heart suddenly thumping wildly at the thought of them leaving me here to await something else coming for us in the woods. Even knowing that it was likely Naomi didn’t make it easier. It might have made it worse. I forced the feeling down, while my head spun and my stomach tried to revolt and nodded, “Yeah. We’ll meet you there.”

If my stomach hadn’t felt sick before, it would have as Sloane’s body once again groaned and stretched. Her face elongated, causing her small smile to become a hideous gaping maw as her jaws stretched to accommodate a new set of sharper, longer teeth. Hair sprouted from her neck, her chest, her belly—everywhere—before she suddenly fell onto all fours and shook herself. When she was done, the white wolf blinked calmly at me.

“I want to say it will get easier, but,” Sage shrugged, leaning heavily against Sloane’s back for support, “I was born into it, so what do I know.”

I watched them take a few steps before calling, “Does it hurt?”

She looked back at me, still moving one step in front of the other. “Not really. Not after the first few times. Those are horrific, but toddlers get over it. I can’t wait for Luna to run free with me.”

I watched as they hobbled away, making quicker progress through the trees than I would have thought they were capable of. As their shadows disappeared, a puff of solid, warm breath hit the back of my neck.

I screamed, falling onto my ass as I pivoted to get away. If it had been a horror movie, it would have been my final scene. Hitting the ground, I tried to scramble backward, but my palms scraped against roots and stone, sliding this way and that as I tried to find purchase.

Naomi was on me instantly, her large, powerful head pressing against my chest as she breathed deeply, taking in my scent as if to reassure herself that I was really there. Her presence was overwhelming, a mix of raw strength and fierce protectiveness that made my heart ache with a strange, unfamiliar longing.

“You’re crushing me!” I complained, but she merely huffed another breath into my shirt before collapsing beside me. My embarrassment evaporated as I flipped onto my knees, crouching over her and running my fingers through her fur. “Oh my God, are you hurt? Where does it hurt?” My voice trembled with worry as I picked up her paws, gently stretching her legs one by one. My fingers trailed down her limbs, searching for any sign of injury, but also savoring the feel of her warm, solid body beneath my touch. “Naomi, what happened?”

She rolled over, showing me her belly, and for a single moment, my hand started to rub as though she were any other patient I saw daily. And then my brain finally caught up, and I pulled my hand back as though it were burned and frowned down into the smiling face of a wolf.

“That’s not funny,” I scolded.

There was no warning—just the sudden, familiar sound of bones cracking and a stirring of wind as Naomi’s body began to shift. It was both mesmerizing and terrifying to watch, the fluid transformation from wolf to woman. As her human form emerged, I found myself captivated by the raw, primal beauty of it, a reminder that Naomi was not just any woman—she was something extraordinary. The belly-up wolf became a lounging woman who apparently had zero shame as she relaxed beside me.

“You can’t blame me for trying. I just nearly died trying to save your clinic,” she said, her tone not matching the words.

My heart stopped for a beat. “The clinic! What happened?”

“What? Not going to keep inspecting me for wounds?” she teased, a playful glint in her eyes as she wiggled a brow at me. Despite everything we’d just been through, she could still find a way to make me smile—something that felt both comforting and infuriating at the same time. I had to hide my grin behind my hand, her lightheartedness doing little to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. “You already rubbed down every limb, but I think they might have gotten a few good blows into my torso…” She rolled toward me, her breasts shifting to sit one on top of the other, pushing them together into a pile that even a monk would have had a hard time not ogling.

“You are,” I shook my head, emotions still running wild inside of me. I wanted to be worried about the clinic, but the woman in front of me was all that I could seem to care about, “incorrigible.”

“See, now that feels unfair. Lydia tells me I am very corrigible.”

“I’m sure she does.” I tried to look away but could only get as far as her face. My eyes kept scanning, but I didn’t see more than a soft bruise here or there. She seemed fine if she was joking about her boss like that.

Jealousy suddenly flared in my chest, an unexpected and unwelcome emotion. I wanted to ask her why Lydia would say something like that—wanted to know if there was something between them that I didn’t understand. The thought gnawed at me, feeding into my confusion and insecurity. What if the kiss we shared was just a fleeting moment for her? What if it meant nothing at all? Maybe it was just a wolf thing.

My train of thought, or at least some train, was clearly leaving the station, and its departure time was written all over my face because she said, “I would love to know what is making you get all jealous and frazzled like that.”

“I am not—” I started, louder than I intended.

“You are, and you should try to keep that horniness to a minimum. This is not the place to be admiring my perfect body. I didn’t kill them, but the fire might have. Or they might have run—either way, it’s best to not shout our location.”

One word finally managed to cut through the fog in my mind: “Fire?” My voice was barely a whisper, the implications of that single word sending a cold wave of fear crashing over me. What had really happened back at the clinic? And what dangers still lay ahead?

CHAPTER 18

Her smirk faded as she nodded, the weight of the night settling on her shoulders. "I’m so sorry, Oli. I don’t even know which one of them started it. One moment, I was kicking their asses, thinking I had everything under control. And then, out of nowhere, the smoke was everywhere. It spread so fast—too fast for me to stop it."

“Fire,” I whispered again, the word slipping from my lips like a curse. My head turned instinctively toward the clinic, but the dense trees blocked any view. Yet, in my mind’s eye, I could see it all too clearly. The building I’d poured my heart into, now a smoldering ruin. The smell of smoke was faint, but it mingled with the acrid stench of burning chemicals, assaulting my senses. My imagination filled in the gaps—flames licking up the walls, my diploma curling into ashes as it fell, Daisy’s corner reduced to melted plastic, the memories, and lives we’d saved going up in flames.

This was supposed to be my dream, my sanctuary. And I had only been able to hold on to it for six short months. Six months of hard work, of late nights and early mornings, all gone instantly. Six years with Brett, and now this… everything I’d built—everything I’d been—destroyed tonight.

Nausea slammed into me like a physical blow, doubling me over as I fell to my knees. The bile rose in my throat, but nothing came up—just dry, painful heaves that wracked my body. Tears blurred my vision, hot and unstoppable, streaming down my face as I gasped for breath. The overwhelming loss, the sheer magnitude of it, was more than I could bear.

A warm hand gently gathered my hair, pulling the wayward strands from my tear-streaked face. Naomi’s touch was tender, grounding me in a way nothing else could. She began rubbing slow, comforting circles on my back, her presence a steady anchor in the storm of grief that threatened to consume me.

A broken, mewling whimper escaped my throat—a sound I didn’t even recognize as my own. I turned, seeking solace, and found myself collapsing into Naomi’s arms. Her warmth enveloped me, her skin impossibly soft against mine, and I clung to her as if she were the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely.

She didn’t say a word, just held me tighter, pulling me further into her naked lap. I cried, my sobs muffled against her chest as she continued to soothe me, her hands smoothing down my hair and back with slow, rhythmic strokes. Her presence was like a lifeline, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I began to calm.

She whispered little things to me, her voice a soothing balm against the harsh reality. “It’s okay, dear heart,” she murmured, her words wrapping around me like a blanket. “We’ll rebuild—better, stronger. You’re not alone, Oli. You’ll stay with me, always with me. We’ll find a way through this together, I promise.”

I didn’t hear most of it, but as she continued to hold me, with the scent of fire growing stronger around us, I started to calm. Finally, as my tears began to ease, I leaned back to find her golden eyes watching me. She looked at me with such concern that I thought I would burst into tears again, but then she smiled—a soft, genuine smile that made the tight rift in my heart loosen just a little. It was as if that simple act stitched together the smallest piece of my shattered soul. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to give me hope, a start toward something better.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them,” she whispered, her head lowering until our foreheads touched. “I should have run with you—maybe they wouldn’t have set it then. But I had to make sure you and Sage had time to leave.”

I remembered the look on Brett’s face and shook my head, the image of his smirk searing into my memory. “They would have burned it anyway. It meant something to me, so he had to ruin it.”

She stroked the backs of her knuckles along my cheek, gently wiping away a few lingering tears. “I promise we will build you a new one. A better one. One that can never be burned down.”

I leaned into her touch, my eyes closing as I allowed myself to believe, even for just a moment, that it was possible. “Are you going to quarry the stone yourself? There is an old, abandoned mine around here somewhere, but it seems like a lot for a fireproof clinic.”

“I would gather every stone in this cursed flatland if it meant you would be happy with me.”

My eyes opened, and before I could say anything, she was kissing me.

Her lips were impossibly soft, the gentlest touch igniting a fire that blazed through the numbness. They tasted of smoke and something untamed, something wild that called to the deepest parts of me. For a moment, I let myself drown in it, the world fading away until there was only us—only this. My hands found her face, cupping her cheeks as I returned the kiss with a desperate intensity that surprised even me.

I felt her stiffen against me for a single heartbeat before she whimpered low in her throat and deepened our contact. It was unlike anything I had experienced before. With Brett, everything had been wet, sloppy tongue that was thrust around like a worm wriggling against my lips. His lips had always been chapped, as though he was constantly dehydrated from nothing but soda all day. Even his hands had never held me without sexual intent, always moving to my breasts or ass. It had never been like this with him—it had never felt like he kissed me for just the pleasure of sharing breath.

I could stay like this forever.

But then reality came crashing back. All my fears and anxieties, the burden of them. They would corrupt her, pull her down, and make her hate me as surely as he did. I was dumb, always making stupid mistakes, and I wouldn’t let this become one of them. I couldn’t do that to her.

I pulled away abruptly, my breath coming in short gasps. "We can't," I whispered, my voice breaking as I felt the tears pooling again. "I'm… I'm too broken. Too anxious, too messed up. I’m not what you need—I’m not even close. I can’t give you what you deserve. You deserve someone whole, someone strong… someone who isn’t falling apart at the seams."

She shook her head, her golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she tightened her grip on my back. "No," she said fiercely. "You’re not broken, Olivia. You’re hurt—deeply—but not broken. And even if you were, I’d spend every day, every breath, putting you back together, piece by piece, until you felt whole again. I want to be the one who helps you heal, not the one who leaves you in pieces."

Her words hit me like a physical blow, and I felt my resolve wavering. But the fear—the fear of being hurt again, of building something together only to lose everything once more—was too strong. "I can't," I choked out. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

I scrambled to my feet, stumbling backward, and she let me go. There was no fighting with her; she just let me do what I needed to. The loss of her warmth was immediate and devastating. She reached for me, her face a mask of anguish, but I shook my head and took another step back.

"Please, Oli," she whispered, her voice raw with emotion. "Please don't run from this. From us. I know you’re scared, that you don’t really know anything about…” She paused, spreading her arms. “Well, any of this. But I can show you a world full of wonders that you’ve never imagined. If you leave, you’ll take a piece of me that was always searching for you with you. You’ll never be alone, but I always will be because there is no one else. You are my heart. My mate. Let me prove that we’re safe together." She paused again, this time pulling a ragged breath. "I promise I’ll never try to break you like he did."

For a moment, I wavered. The pull toward her was almost irresistible, like gravity itself was drawing me back into her arms. I closed my eyes and could see a shimmering golden strand, straining from my center toward where she knelt. But the memory of Brett walking away, of the fighting, flames, and smoke devouring my dreams—of everything I’d built crumbling to ash—was too fresh.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, the words choking me, tasting like dirt in my mouth. They felt final, like the last words of a chapter I wasn’t ready to close. But I couldn’t stay—I couldn’t risk letting her in, only to lose her later. So I turned and ran, leaving her kneeling in the dirt, her outstretched hand grasping at nothing but air.

As I fled into the night, the taste of her kiss lingered on my lips, a bittersweet reminder of what could have been—and what I was too afraid to embrace.

CHAPTER 19

I had nowhere to go. Nowhere to run to, and nowhere to hide from the storm raging inside me. Every step felt heavier, like the weight of my shattered life was pressing down, making it harder to breathe. It was very much like me to run away without a plan, without something to fall back on. Fear, anger, depression… love. All the emotions I’d buried for years were clawing their way to the surface, overwhelming me with their intensity. Each one demanded attention, each one louder than the last, until I couldn’t think straight anymore. So I ran until I reached the road, the moon rising behind me, a silent witness to my flight.

Winded and still leaking tears, I started to walk down the road toward the city. To my right, I could see the fire, its flames licking the night sky like a hungry beast. The orange glow cast eerie shadows across the landscape, turning the once peaceful fields into a scene from a nightmare. But there were no sirens, no flashing lights—no one was coming to help. That seemed strange—wrong. What if the clinic fire spread to the trees, to the fields? Why weren’t the firemen coming?

A car sped past me, heading toward town, but they didn’t slow down. Hell, they might not have even seen me in the dark. But I saw them as they turned onto a county road not even a half mile from where I continued to walk. There wasn’t much in that direction, and I wondered what they were doing out in the fields this late at night.

Another car, this one going so fast it almost knocked me to the side as it screamed past, raced by. It, too, turned at the county road, tires squealing against the asphalt as its lights flared briefly in my direction before straightening out and completing the turn, only to fade quickly into the darkness.

I wanted to call out, to scream for the wolf I hoped was stalking me. I had watched the trees for glimpses of gold, listened for the sound of paws on leaves, but she hadn’t followed. She had let me go, just like everyone else eventually did, and now I was alone in the dark, with nothing but the cold wind and my regrets for company.

“Stupid,” I spat, shaking my head. “I’m so stupid. So, so stupid. Where did I think I would go? Did I really believe I could just walk away from everything and find peace on the other side? What a joke.” I kicked at a rock but missed, cursing my inability to even do that right. “Hell, I’m betting my car is burnt to a crisp too. A little smoldering pile of hatchback. They don’t even make those anymore!”

Frustration welled within me, and I screamed, the sound echoing through the night. I stopped, dropping to sit on the side of the road, not caring if someone ran me over.

I was so buried in my self-loathing that I didn’t hear the quiet shuffle of paws at first—too lost in my misery to notice the world around me. Not until she was so close that she could have closed her jaws around my neck did I realize she was there.

When I felt hot breath on my back, I swung, my fist colliding with dense fur and muscle as the wolf leapt back with a yelp.

Green eyes.

I looked at her, not recognizing the fur pattern of the wolf crouched in front of me. She shook her head before bowing, placing her head to the side, so I had a full view of her neck—submissive. Well, at least she hadn’t come to eat me.

“Who are you?” I asked, before realizing how silly the question was. She couldn’t answer. My next words were just as foolish. “What’s wrong?”

She whined, slowly crawling toward me, her belly scraping against the asphalt. When she reached me, she extended her muzzle to brush it against my thigh and whined again.

I reached out hesitantly, my hand trembling as it hovered over her head. The wolf stayed perfectly still, her green eyes locked on mine, as if she understood the trust I was placing in her. When my fingers finally brushed against her fur, a strange sense of calm washed over me, as if I’d found a connection in the midst of all this chaos. I found myself taking comfort in the simple act of petting her, her warmth and the motion so familiar that it soothed my frayed nerves.

Suddenly, she pulled back and stood, her ears perking up alertly. She took a few steps away from me, then turned back, watching me intently. When I didn’t move, she whined softly and took a few more steps, then looked back again.

“You want me to follow you?” I asked, feeling ridiculous as I almost added, “Is Timmy stuck in a well?”

I would be lying if I said I was surprised when she wagged her tail once, as if in confirmation. She trotted a bit further down the road, then stopped and looked back at me expectantly.

I hesitated. Following a strange wolf into the night seemed like a terrible idea, but then again, I had nowhere else to go. And there was something about her eyes—intelligent, almost familiar—that made me want to trust her. I had yet to meet a bad wolf in this strange little town, even if most of them shouldn’t even be real.

“Okay,” I said, pushing myself to my feet. “But if you’re leading me into some kind of trap to eat me, I’m going to be very disappointed.”

The wolf huffed, almost as if she were laughing at my poor attempt at humor. She waited for me to take a few steps toward her before continuing on, always staying just ahead but constantly looking back to make sure I was following.

As we walked, I noticed we weren’t heading toward the city or the side road where the two cars had sped off just minutes before. Instead, we seemed to be circling back, moving parallel to the road I’d been on but through the fields. The tall grass whispered secrets as it brushed against my legs, and the further we went, the more the fire’s glow faded, until all that was left was the cold, quiet night. There was only one thing in this direction.

“Why are we going back to the compound? I told Naomi I couldn’t…” I went quiet, but of course, the wolf didn’t answer.

We walked for what felt like hours, though it was probably only about thirty minutes. The wolf led me through tall grass, cornfields, around clusters of trees, and over a small stream. Just as I was about to ask if we were there yet, I saw lights in the distance.

As we got closer, I could see the lights of Mayfield Meadows, and an unfamiliar warmth welled up in my chest. I thought it might be happiness, but I pushed it away.

The wolf picked up her pace, and I found myself jogging to keep up.

When we reached the edge of the compound, the wolf stopped abruptly, her ears twitching as if listening for something I couldn’t hear. My heart pounded in my chest, anticipation, and fear mingling as we stood there in the stillness, waiting for something—anything—to happen.

The wolf finally threw back her head, her throat working as a single, long howl split the night. A second, quieter howl answered, and she snapped her jaws shut immediately.

Then we waited.

It wasn’t long before the sounds of paws against grass reached us, and Jayne skidded to a halt in front of me, fangs bared, snarling. The other wolf snapped at his neck, but he didn’t retreat even a single step. Behind him, a huge blonde wolf with red-tinged eyes prowled, each step calculated as she advanced. When she was shoulder to shoulder with Jayne, she snapped, a single lunge that forced him down to the ground, whimpering his submission. Looking almost bored, she turned her eyes back to me—a queen, even in this form.

“Lydia,” I greeted her, inclining my head.

Her wolf blinked at me before she shifted, gathering herself up gracefully as she rose onto two feet.

“Dr. Harris. My apologies, as I am aware, you were not intending to visit us this evening.”

I felt my cheeks burning, the blush so intense it felt like it could light up the surrounding darkness. Naomi. Without waiting for me to acknowledge her statement, Lydia continued, “I’m afraid there has been another incident, and due to the nature of those involved, it is important to keep an eye on you.”

“Another incident?” I asked, the happiness I had momentarily felt gone in those six syllables. “Who? Naomi? Sage? Luna?”

Sadness crossed the other woman’s face, but she replaced it swiftly with a small smile. “We can discuss the specifics at the house. Please, come with me.” She placed a perfectly manicured hand over my forearm. The gesture might have seemed innocent to an outsider, but the steel in her grip told me there was no room for argument. I had no choice but to walk with her, every step feeling like it was leading me deeper into something I wasn’t sure I was ready to face.

It was strange that, over the course of the day, I had become used to walking with naked women. My mother would have called them dirty hippies, screaming about saving the whales and burning bras. I thought it was much simpler than that—for once, my fantasy books had gotten something right. Werewolves didn’t magically grow clothes. However, the truth of it didn’t do much for my embarrassment as the side of one of her breasts brushed over my arm.

She tilted her head, smiling sideways at me, as though she knew what I was thinking.

Shit. Maybe she did.

“Yeah, well, considering everything that’s happened today, I’m going to go with the insanity plea if I ever get back out to the real world.”

Her smile widened briefly. “What makes you think this isn’t the real world?”

I looked around, my eyes taking in the vast landscape, with houses and barns dotting the dark horizon. It was picturesque and perfect, which meant it couldn’t be real. It seemed like the type of set for a horror movie, and I suddenly had a feeling I wasn’t the crowd favorite to survive.

“It’s too perfect,” I finally answered. “Too calm. My boyfriend⁠—”

A sharp growl cut me off, and the hand on my arm turned into a vice. Just as quickly, she calmed again, her hand stroking over what would likely become bruises on my arm. “What about your boyfriend?”

We were about halfway to the house when my eyes darted up the stairs, praying to see Naomi’s golden stare shining back down at me. I had never felt uncomfortable with Lydia before, but the woman beside me seemed to be holding on by a strand, and she still hadn’t told me why. I chose my next words carefully.

“Brett and I split up this afternoon.”

She nodded. “The emergency text.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I think Naomi thought things would go south.” I glanced in the direction of the clinic, almost surprised that I didn’t see smoke or flames in the distance. “I guess they did, but it was after Brett had already left.” I added the last bit quickly and immediately felt guilty. Why was I defending the asshole?

She nodded again, quietly matching me stride for stride for almost a minute. We had reached the first steps leading up onto the porch of the main house when she finally spoke again, but not to me. “Jayne, Rylee. Go scout the perimeter. No one comes in or leaves—not even one of our own.”

Both wolves yipped in response before taking off, shoulder to shoulder, as they headed back the way we came. I watched them until they became shadows in the dark, and a chill crept up my spine.

I turned back to Lydia and found her standing over me, her naked shadow falling across my eyes as I fought to look past the fluorescent lights of the porch and into her face. A million different anxieties ran through my head, each one more irrational than the last, until I could barely think straight. What if this was a trap? What if Lydia was leading me to some dark secret I couldn’t handle? But ultimately, I settled on the simplest, most pressing question, the one that had been gnawing at me since the moment I started walking.

“Why am I here?”

CHAPTER 20

She continued to stare down at me until the door creaked open, and another woman, unfamiliar to me, slipped out, draping a dark red velvet robe around Lydia’s shoulders. She looked absolutely terrifying as she gazed out into the night. Her eyes, still locked on the distant darkness, seemed to flicker with an inner fire, and I could feel the raw power emanating from her.

As if sensing my gaze, she finally turned and smiled—a slow, deliberate smile that revealed the sharp points of her fangs. They protruded from her gums like the blades of a predator, sending a cold shiver of primal fear through me.

Here, there be monsters.

Here, women were wolves.

“Olivia.” Her voice was sharp, commanding, and it sliced through the tension in the air like a knife. I jumped, startled, and almost slipped from the steps, barely catching myself in time. My heart pounded in my chest as I steadied myself, breathing a sigh of relief that at least I hadn’t ended up with a broken ankle. Not yet, anyway—the night was still young.

“Yes?” I stammered, trying to regain some composure, but my voice betrayed the nervousness coursing through me.

“What do you know about us?”

The question caught me off guard. My mind raced as I tried to remember everything I had learned since my arrival at Mayfield Meadows. “Just what you told me,” I began, my voice shaky. “That this is a refuge for wolves, although, I guess that means something different now that I know the wolves are really women.”

“Why?” Lydia’s tone was icy as she turned to face me fully, her gaze piercing. I felt like I was shrinking under the weight of her stare. Though I was only three steps below her, it felt as though I were six feet under, buried alive by her intensity. “Why does it mean something different? Isn’t a refuge a refuge, no matter who it is for?”

There was clearly a trap in her words, but I couldn’t see it. My mind scrambled for a response.

“Sure… it’s just that being a vet on call for actual canine wolves is a little different from wolves that can turn into humans,” I managed, though my voice wavered.

“Is it? Why? Are we beneath you because we are different? Monsters, maybe?”

Her accusation flared something within me—a spark of anger that I hadn’t expected. “No. Of course not,” I replied, my voice steadier now. “It’s just that I’m not a doctor, so treating Sage as a wolf is much different than treating her as a human.”

Lydia’s gaze didn’t soften, and I could feel the tension crackling in the air between us. “I wouldn’t worry about that for much longer,” she said, her tone cold and detached.

A chill ran down my spine. “Why?”

“There is no cure for silver. Your boyfriend knew what he was doing.”

The sudden shift in the conversation threw me off balance. “My—Brett?” I repeated, my mind struggling to keep up. The accusation made my head spin as I tried to find my bearings. “He’s an asshole, sure, but I didn’t tell him about you. There’s no way he’s part of any of this.”

“Really? Think about it, Dr. Harris. The moving from place to place, not knowing what it is he does, the late nights out. You can’t expect me to believe that you really didn’t know what he is.”

“He’s Brett—my ex and a terrible narcissist—but he’s not a whatever, werewolf hunter,” I insisted, though even as I said the words, doubt began to creep in.

“That is precisely what he is.”

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. My thoughts raced back to all those late nights when Brett would disappear, claiming there were problems he had to fix, but never offering details. The 2 a.m. phone calls, the mysterious scratches on his arms and back—things I had once dismissed as signs of infidelity now took on a more sinister meaning. I had always suspected he was cheating, but I had lacked the courage to confront him. I had convinced myself that as long as the other woman didn’t show up on my doorstep, I could turn a blind eye.

But here I was, standing on her doorstep.

“How do you know?” I asked, my voice trembling with the realization that everything I had ignored was coming back to haunt me.

Lydia’s expression softened, and for a moment, she looked almost human. A small, sad smile crossed her features, making her seem older, more worn down by the weight of the world. She reached out a hand, her voice gentler now. “Let us sit a moment.”

Nodding numbly, I placed my trembling hand in hers and allowed her to lead me to a wooden swing in the corner of the porch. The swing creaked as we sat, its gentle rocking motion offering a semblance of comfort that felt out of place in this terrifying reality. I had always wanted a swing like this as a child, but now it seemed tainted—a place where bad news was shared, where the world unraveled.

When Lydia was settled, she stared straight ahead, her eyes distant as she spoke. “Werewolves are pack creatures by nature. Just like natural wolves, we have a hierarchy that must be obeyed, or everything falls apart. In a normal pack, there would be two alphas—a male and female pair—with beta enforcers taking care of any pack business and omegas beneath them.” She glanced at me, making sure I was following before continuing. “That is the natural order of things in most packs. Problems arise, however, when a wolf is born… different.”

“Different how?” I asked, my mind conjuring up images of birth defects and genetic anomalies that plagued the human species.

“Born with different preferences,” she explained, her tone matter-of-fact. “A female wolf’s job is to hunt and give birth. She is to be used by any males higher in the hierarchy than herself. If she refuses, she is either subdued or, in cases where she is too wild to submit, killed. I wouldn’t submit.”

A howl broke through the darkness, its mournful note echoing through the night. Lydia tilted her head back, her vocal cords yielding something inhuman as she responded with a howl of her own. The sound sent a shiver down my spine, reminding me of the primal nature of the woman beside me.

As the last notes faded into the night, she continued speaking as if nothing had happened. “I ran, and my pack chased me. When I left our territory, further than they dared go, they asked other packs to capture me and bring me back. Some tried, all of them failed. Along the way, I found other females like me—those who refused their male alpha’s demands for obedience. Most of us naturally prefer the company of other females and ran to find a safe place to indulge that desire. Some simply will do anything to avoid being dragged back to their packs. We are considered nothing but breeding stock, and if we won’t submit, we are exterminated.”

“So this place, all these women, they are all wolves who have fled their previous packs?” I asked, the weight of her words settling heavily on my shoulders.

“Yes. Lesbians or bi, none of us would submit to the male touch, and certainly not to be used as breeding stock. I turn none away. This is a safe home for any wolves that need it.” Her eyes flared as she turned to look at me, her gaze intense. “When it was clear that we would not return without a fight, our alphas turned to humans to find us. Money speaks very loudly, even when it comes from monsters. Those who don’t do it for the money do it for the thrill. They hunt us, either killing us or, preferably, capturing us in one piece and selling us back to our packs.”

An ache began in the pit of my stomach as the gravity of the situation sank in. “What happens then?”

“Every horror you can think of and more,” she said, her voice heavy with the weight of too many terrible memories. “Rape, torture, being made into slaves. It is better to fight the hunters to the death, to take a silver bullet, than to be returned to your birth pack. This place was safe until you and Brett came.” There was venom in her tone, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at her, guilt and shame washing over me in waves. “Did you know they have a name for him?” I shook my head, feeling a cold dread settle in my chest. “Silver Bullet Brett. His track record is impressive. He has captured and re-enslaved dozens of female wolves across multiple states, and you have followed him blindly each time.”

I stared down at my hands, now clenched tightly in my lap. I had taken an oath as a vet not to harm any living creature, yet, even unknowingly, I had followed a man who did just that. Daisy had once asked me if I had stayed with him because I felt like a martyr. I hadn’t been willing to admit it at the time, but she had been right. Looking back, I realized I had convinced myself that by staying with him, enduring all the spite and cruelty, I was somehow protecting others from his wrath. But in reality, I had been a coward, enabling him by turning a blind eye. My stomach churned with nausea as I swallowed against the bile rising in my throat.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” The words felt so small, so inadequate in the face of the pain and suffering I had unknowingly abetted.

“Of course you didn’t,” Lydia replied, her tone soft, but there was an edge of something else—disdain, perhaps, or pity. It felt like she was mocking me, and I couldn’t blame her. I turned my head slightly, watching her from the corner of my eye as she continued. “Do you know I am the alpha of this pack?”

I nodded, the realization finally settling in.

“Do you know what that means?”

Years of watching National Geographic documentaries had prepared me for this moment. “You keep them safe,” I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.

“That’s right. Tell me, Dr. Olivia Harris. If you were responsible for keeping all these wolves safe, and then it became clear that someone had infiltrated your ranks and stolen away your most precious possession, what would you do with them?”

“What?” I turned to look at her, confusion and fear swirling in my mind as I struggled to comprehend the accusation.

“What should a wolf do to a rat?”

Her once calm and serene eyes now swirled with a dangerous red hue as she stared back at me, her hand lashing out to catch my wrist. She yanked me toward her, pulling me into her chest as she snarled in my face, “Where is she?”

I yelped, instinctively pulling back, but it was pointless. Lydia was far stronger than I had ever imagined and twenty times faster. My heart raced in my chest as I saw her eyes flicker down, as though she could hear the frantic beating of my heart. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“I know you texted me to get me away from the house. You timed it all just right. So, let me ask you again, where is she?” she demanded, her fangs elongating in her gums, making her look more like a nightmare than ever before. If there had ever been any doubt that she was a monster, it was gone now—my dreams would confirm it from now until the day I died.

Which might not be too far off.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let me go!” I wasn’t proud of how high-pitched my voice was becoming as I struggled against her grip.

“Not until you tell me where they took Luna. She belongs to my pack. She was born here. She. Is. Mine!” She snarled again, the sound vibrating in my bones, and I froze.

Luna.

Something had happened to Luna.

“Someone took Luna?” I whispered, tears now spilling down my cheeks. My mind flashed back to the tiny puppy, wet and squirming as she entered the world. I remembered the small sound she had made, an attempt at a howl that was more of a wet gargle. The memory broke me, and a sob tore from my chest. “Where is she?”

Lydia surged to her feet, dragging me up with her until she towered over me, her face contorted with rage. “You tell me. Or would you prefer I let Jayne try to get the information out of you? It’s her puppy, after all.”

Her grip on my arm was the only thing holding me up as my knees gave out beneath me. She let me fall.

I winced as I crumpled onto the porch, but all I could think about was the puppy. “Sage. Where’s Sage?” I asked, desperation clawing at my throat.

“Why? Did your master order you to take her too?”

Claws scraped wood behind me as a voice bellowed, “That’s enough!”

CHAPTER 21

Instinct took over as my arms rose to cover my neck, and I curled in on myself, expecting a blow to come from behind. The heat of the wolf’s rage radiated towards me as she took another step forward, the wood groaning under her weight.

“That is enough, Lydia. She had nothing to do with this, and you know it,” Naomi's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

“She is not innocent until the pup is returned,” Lydia countered, her voice seething with barely controlled fury.

I dared to glance up, catching sight of Lydia, her body half-turned. Sharp claws were extending from her fingers, and her fangs had grown long enough to slightly slur her speech. If she weren’t so terrifying, the slight lisp might have been almost endearing.

“She will be held and interrogated until we find out what happened. I will have the truth!”

“You will not lay another hand on my mate, or I will rip your fucking throat from your body and pull your spine out of the hole,” Naomi snarled, her voice a deadly promise.

I felt the rage between the two women like a physical force pressing down on me. Risking a look over my shoulder, I saw Naomi standing inches away, her body poised protectively over mine. She was caught in that same strange place as Lydia, between woman and wolf, with fangs and claws ready for battle.

“I will take responsibility for her, but you will give her over to me per the Lunar Accord between us,” Naomi demanded, her voice steady and unyielding.

Lydia, still half-transformed, snorted derisively. “Do not invoke the pact with me. She knows nothing of your bond and has not accepted it, or she would bear your mark.” With a swift, angry movement, Lydia ripped the fabric of my shirt cleanly from my shoulder, exposing the skin beneath. “Proof that you have not claimed her and therefore cannot invoke the Accord.”

“Give her to me, have us escorted to my room, and I will claim her before the sun rises,” Naomi replied, her tone calm but filled with an underlying threat.

“Luna might be dead by then,” Lydia retorted, her voice cutting through the air like a knife.

Naomi took a step closer to me, the fur on her ankles brushing against my thighs as she continued her transformation, more fur sprouting like a fuzzy set of armor over her. “They won’t harm her. She is too precious, too young. They could mold her into anything—a hunter or a sex slave—they won’t kill her.”

The truth in her words seemed to shake us all. My heart stopped as Lydia took a small, faltering step back. Sensing an opportunity, Naomi pressed on, her voice firm. “We both know Sage won’t last the night either. She will likely never see her puppy again. If Olivia can give her any peace in her passing, we owe her that much for having failed her so thoroughly.”

I could see from the corner of my eye that Naomi’s claws were slowly retracting, her hands returning to their human form. I didn’t need to look into her face to know her fangs had receded—her voice was clear and steady. “Let me take her. If she had anything to do with Luna’s abduction, I will find out through the bond.”

“And if you find out she was working with him this whole time?” Lydia’s voice was sharp, her eyes piercing.

Naomi didn’t hesitate. “Then I will deliver her to you myself.”

I looked between them, my heart racing. Neither of them looked at me, but I knew if I so much as twitched, they would both know.

Finally, Lydia let out a sigh, her body relaxing as she dropped back onto the swing. “Fine. Take her. If she has not accepted your pact by the morning, you will return her to me.”

“Fine.”

“I will give her to Jayne,” Lydia said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

“I understand.” Naomi’s fangs flashed briefly before disappearing again. She reached down and pulled me to my feet in one swift motion. Without a word, she pushed me behind her, ensuring her body was between me and Lydia. “Walk,” she commanded, prodding me between the shoulder blades. “Into the house and up the stairs. Don’t say anything, don’t look at anyone. They’re all on edge, and I would rather not have to kill a pack sister today.”

I nodded, feeling utterly drained. With one last glance towards where my clinic was likely reduced to ashes, I took a step forward, then another. As we entered the house, almost a dozen women emerged from nearby rooms. Some growled low in their throats, while others just watched in silence. Some I recognized, but most I didn’t, and the weight of their distrust hit me like a blow.

“I didn’t do it,” I whispered, my voice cracking as I pleaded with the nearest woman. I needed at least one of them to believe me.

She spat at my feet and turned away. Behind me, Naomi growled low in her throat and shoved me harder towards the stairs. “Not a word,” she repeated, her voice a harsh whisper.

I couldn’t tell if the command was meant for me or for the wolves in the room.

The stairs creaked ominously under our combined weight as we ascended. The tension in the air was so thick it felt like a living thing, pressing down on me. Naomi's presence at my back was both a comfort and a reminder of the danger I was in. Her earlier words about possibly delivering me to Lydia herself echoed in my mind, sending chills down my spine.

When we reached the second floor, a door further down the hallway creaked open. A young woman with fiery red hair stepped out, her eyes widening as she saw us. For a brief, terrifying moment, I thought she might attack me, but Naomi let out a low, warning growl, and the redhead quickly ducked her head and retreated into her room.

We continued down the hallway, passing several closed doors. Muffled voices and the sounds of movement filtered through the wood, but no one else dared to confront us directly. Finally, we reached a door at the far end of the hall that I recognized as hers. Naomi reached around me, turned the knob, and then pushed me inside.

As soon as we crossed the threshold, she closed and locked the door behind us. She leaned against it for a moment, her eyes closed as she took a deep breath. When she opened them again, her gaze was intense but no longer wild.

"Sit," she said, gesturing to the bed. "We need to talk."

I sank onto the bed, my legs trembling with exhaustion. As the adrenaline began to fade, the reality of my situation hit me like a wave. I was trapped in a house full of werewolves who thought I had betrayed them, with only Naomi standing between me and whatever fate Lydia had planned.

Naomi came forward and sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes locked onto mine. "Oli," she said, her voice softer now, but still edged with tension, "I need you to tell me everything you know about what happened tonight. And I mean everything. Our lives may depend on it."

I shook my head, my emotions swirling in a chaotic storm inside me. “I don’t know anything. You were there, you know.” I forced myself to meet her gaze, something I had always struggled with. “You were there with me at the clinic, Sage was with me when we ran, then you again, and then…”

“Then you went off on your own,” she said, her tone flat and emotionless.

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. "I… I ran. I'm sorry. I was overwhelmed, scared, and… I just ran. I ended up on the side of the road. That's when another wolf found me—not Lydia or Jayne, one with green eyes. She led me back here."

Naomi’s expression softened, but her gaze remained sharp. "And before that? At the clinic? Did you notice anything unusual? Anyone hanging around who shouldn't have been there?"

I shook my head, desperately searching my memory for anything that might help. "No, nothing out of the ordinary. It was a normal day until… until it wasn’t."

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly. “You mean until some women came crashing in, revealing that they were actually werewolves?”

I couldn’t help but laugh, a small, strained sound that bubbled up from the tension. “Yeah, that.”

“Top it off with a super sexy wolf telling you that you’re her mate and…” She wiggled her eyebrows at me, and for the first time in hours, I felt a tiny knot of tension in my chest loosen.

I took a deep breath, and for the first time since the chaos began, I felt a tiny bit of calm.

“What happened here?” I asked, my voice hushed as I stared out the large window overlooking the estate.

“I’m not sure, but we’ll find out soon enough. But first, there’s something you and I need to discuss.”

“Lunar Accord,” I blurted out, my gaze still fixed on the rising moon, a perfect bright orb in the night sky.

“Yeah. Do you know what that is?”

I shook my head. “Not really. Is it like in those furry romance books where you bite me, and I turn into a wolf like you?”

I felt the bed shift as Naomi scooted closer, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the moon. As a child, I had once heard someone say the moon was made of cheese. To me, it looked like velvet—smooth, perfect, and beautiful.

“No,” she replied, her voice flat. “There’s no way for you to become like me. It just doesn’t work that way.”

“But the bite part?” I turned to face her just as she glanced down at my shoulder and then back up. She nodded slowly, as though I were the wild animal in the room. “That part is closer to the truth. A mate’s bite carries with it scent markers that can’t be washed away.” She paused for a moment, a small smile playing on her lips as her eyes took on a faraway look. “The wolf with the green eyes, her name is Rylee. She’s one of the younger women here, and when this is all over and settled, you should ask her for a game of chess—you won’t win, but she’ll love you for trying.”

I furrowed my brows, watching as her gaze refocused on the present. She met my eyes as she continued, “Rylee once told me that she calls the mark a Magical Moon Marker. I’m pretty sure that's not a technical term,, but the name stuck with me.”

“You mean there are no wolf scholars around to ask?” I thought I knew where this was going, but the journey was captivating nonetheless.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we have a shortage of those, as it turns out. Having someone write books about you isn’t exactly conducive to staying secret.”

“But they could be bestsellers,” I pointed out. If there were people who believed in aliens ruling Roswell, why not a group of fantasy lovers eager to learn about the real-life story of Magical Moon Marker Mates?

She shrugged. “But who would write it? You?” She scooted even closer, her thigh now brushing against mine.

A memory of how she looked, naked on the grass, flashed through my mind, and I felt my face heat up. “Maybe,” I said, trying to focus on anything other than the thoughts creeping into my mind.

“Well, then there are a few things you need to know about the Lunar Accord because if you don’t have a mark when you leave this room, Lydia may very well kill you, and I would have to die trying to stop it.”

CHAPTER 22

Lydia.

Fangs, claws, and red-tinged eyes would haunt my dreams for the foreseeable future.

“Lydia believes you had to know what Brett was up to. That there was no way you traveled around from city to city, state to state with him without knowing.”

“She doesn’t know Brett,” I said, folding my hands in my lap so I wouldn’t start picking at the hem of my shirt. It was a nervous habit I had been trying to break for years. “He never told me anything, only that some nights he had to work late.”

“And you just believed him?” From anyone else, it would have sounded like an accusation, but from Naomi, it was simply a question.

“Yeah, silly me, right? I figured there were some things the city would need help with that maybe they didn’t want to do during the day.”

She frowned, her voice cautious as she asked, “Oli… what exactly did you think Brett did?”

I shrugged, feeling stupid, but it was better to have her think I was an idiot than to see the look she gave me when she lay back on the grass, centimeters from scratching her stomach. Her thinking I was an idiot was much safer. “I thought he did odd jobs for cities. I mean, okay, sometimes I wondered if he was a bit like a mafia guy—going in to clean up some dirty politician’s work, but no one ever turned up dead or even maimed on the news, so it didn’t seem likely.”

“But plenty have ended up dead or maimed because of him.” She reached out, taking one of my hands in hers, stroking the back of it with her fingertips. “It just wasn’t anyone the news cared about. He’s a bad man, Oli.”

“I know.” And I did.

“I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“I know.” And I knew that too.

“You are my mate, and while I won’t force you into the Accord with me, you should know that even if you run away tonight, I will always be in your shadow, watching you. Protecting you. Even if you go back to him. Do you understand that, Oli?”

I nodded, but what came out was, “He doesn’t want me back anyway.”

I had no idea why I said that, but it felt like something my mind and heart needed to come to terms with if I was going to move forward.

“He would. You are too important, especially now that you know the truth. A vet who could lure in unsuspecting wolves? It worked once when you didn’t know he was using you. Imagine how many wolves you could help drag back to their packs for rape and torture.”

I pulled my hand back, curling my fingers into a fist in my lap. “I would never!”

She smiled but didn’t attempt to touch me again. “I know, and the fact that you get so upset when I mention it tells me it’s true.” She reached out, using a gentle finger to guide my chin until I was looking at her. “You are a good person, Oli. The best human I have ever known. It’s rare for us to find a human mate, but it does happen when that person is brave in both their heart and soul. You are the bravest person I have ever met.” I started to shake my head, but she tightened her grip on my chin. “Don’t. You are. No other human would have so quickly accepted what we are and still fought for us. You led Sage away even though you had no idea what might be waiting outside.”

“You had it under control,” I whispered, all the fight in me draining out as her thumb rubbed over my cheek.

“I didn’t, though. I just made you think I did. I had at least three broken ribs and a slipped disk when I limped out of the clinic. I tried to stop them from burning it down, but if I had stayed any longer, they would have taken me.”

My hands were moving before she had finished speaking, pushing at her jacket and tugging at the hem of the shirt underneath. “Take this off. Let me see. You didn’t seem hurt earlier, in the grass.”

“I stayed on my back so you couldn’t see the bruising.” She caught my hands with hers and pushed them back to my lap before pulling her shirt over her head. She didn’t have a bra on, but when she turned slightly, patches of yellow marred her sides and just under her shoulder blades, across her spine.

“Naomi,” I breathed, horrified but unable to think of anything to help. If she had been a true canine, I would have had pain meds, maybe a salve, but if I had the same bruises she did, I didn’t think I would even be able to stand.

“It’s fine. Really, it is. They will be gone by morning, assuming I don’t get others between now and then. Remember, we heal a bit more quickly than you do.”

I reached out, running my fingertips over the bruising that covered her ribs. It wasn’t until I was skimming the soft skin just below her left breast that I realized the intimacy of the touch. I began to pull back, but she caught my wrist and pressed my palm against her chest. I could feel her nipple hardening beneath my palm and couldn’t deny the answering clenching between my legs.

“Of course, sex between wolves can be pretty fierce—almost like a fight. If I get hurt, do you think you could patch me up?”

“Always,” I answered, gently squeezing. She was so soft and yet firm. It was the first time I had ever touched a woman, and I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the way her breast felt beneath my fingertips.

“What about if you were pressed down against the bed, being held there by one hand while the other was plunged between your thighs? Think you could still patch me up?”

I tore my eyes away from her chest long enough to find her golden eyes sparkling at me in the darkness. “Is that a challenge?”

“More like a threat.” She answered, reaching out to pull at the hem of my shirt. “You are overdressed for my room, by the way. I instituted a no-clothing policy years ago.”

“Oh yeah? Does Lydia strip down every time she comes to visit?”

She laughed, and it made my heart soar. “The policy is for mates only.” With one tug, she ripped my shirt from my body as though it had been made of wet paper. “My mate, to be exact.”

I shivered, fighting the instinct to cover my chest with my hands. I still had a bra on, though, so I didn’t feel completely… nope, there it went. “That was expensive!” I cried, latching onto the first thing that came to mind instead of, ‘Oh my God, I am naked in front of this beautiful woman.’

“I’ll buy you a new one,” she practically growled, lunging for me and pushing me back onto the bed. The comforter was soft, but also the last thing I was thinking about as her mouth latched over one nipple while one of her hands toyed with the other. She rolled it between her teeth, gently scraping it with her fangs until it was so stiff it hurt. All the while, her hand mimicked the motions, pinching and twisting until my back was bowing beneath her. “Do you want me, Oli? Tell me you want me.”

I hadn’t felt lust for Brett in so many years that I had forgotten what it felt like. The little flutter in my stomach, the small burning in my core, the sharp tingle between my thighs. I had never wanted a woman before, but then again, I had never known a werewolf. “Maybe I just have a thing for werewolves?”

“Want to test that theory?” she asked, licking her way from one nipple toward the other. “I can call Rylee in, but it would be a shame to have to kill her. I think the correct answer is you have something for me.”

“Do I?” I sucked at dirty talk, but anything that kept her touching me had to be good enough.

“Don’t you?” She reached down, her hand skimming over the soft roll of my stomach toward my jeans. She didn’t even try with the button, but just popped it off in a single flick of her fingers. The zipper gave way without a fight. “Don’t you?” she asked again.

“Do I?”

Yeah, I really sucked at this.

“That’s not an answer, Oli.” She pushed her hand down into my jeans, the tip of one finger sliding down my slit over my undies, and I knew it would come back out damp.

I blushed, biting my lower lip as I reached out with both hands to grasp her chest, rubbing my palm over her nipples. “I have never done this with a woman. What do I do?” I whispered.

“Just tell me you want me, and I will handle it all for you,” she answered. She tugged on my jeans, pulling me forward on the bed until our lips met. The kiss wasn’t as fierce as the ones we had shared previously, but the way her tongue gently lapped at my lips, begging for entry, made it feel more intimate. As though I were opening myself fully to her, and she would be able to taste my deepest secrets.

“I’ve never done this,” I whispered against her.

“Sure you have. We’ve kissed a million times in my dreams, and those few times in real life.” She pecked my lips firmly, like a woodpecker—bam, bam, bam, kiss, kiss, kiss—before pulling back. “You don’t know how much effort it’s taking to stop long enough to talk this much.”

I blushed, still feeling like something was off. “If we do this… are we mated?”

Whatever that actually meant.

That made her pause. She sat back, her hand still resting on the hem of my jeans as her thumb traced small, thoughtful circles on my tummy. After a few moments, she answered, “No.”

I nodded, trying to sound okay with it. “Okay.” But I didn’t feel any better. Maybe she had suddenly decided that she didn’t want me as her mate.

“You’re worrying about something silly,” she said, cocking her head in such a canine manner that I couldn’t help but huff a quick laugh. Ignoring my response, she pressed on, “What is it?”

“Nothing.” I couldn’t look at her.

“Oli.” She tugged my jeans, her other hand moving over one breast, squeezing it in alternating firm and soft touches. “Tell me.”

“It’s just…” If I told her, did that mean I wanted to be mated to her?

Did I?

In the short time I’d known her, she had been infinitely more kind and loving toward me than Brett had in literal years. She had never called my anxiety a burden or told me I was stupid. In fact, she picked up on my anxiety and would ask what was wrong instead of making blanket statements like, ‘Don’t you trust me?’—something Brett had started saying every time I mentioned something I was worried about.

Did I trust her?

I forced my eyes up, and she was still sitting there, her breasts bare in the soft moonlight streaming in through the window. The moon had never looked so real to me before, so close that I could almost touch it. And the way her eyes glowed in that gentle light, there was trust there and…

Love.

“Do you want me to be your mate?”

When I say I held my breath, it’s not just some romance writer’s words. I literally couldn’t breathe as I waited for her response.

Beside me, the wolf let out a breath of her own as she laughed hard enough to rock the bed. “Is that what you’re worried about?” She reached out, gathering me up and pulling me into her lap as though I weighed no more than a child. Her hug was fierce, and her fangs grazed over my bottom lip as she kissed me again. When she spoke, her voice was deeper, more primal, and I noticed how her words sounded slightly different with the two fangs poking through her gums. “You are my mate. I will always want you, Oli, but it will always be your choice. If you want me to finger fuck your brains out, I’m happy to do so because it means I will finally get a taste of you. If you want me to finish it with a bite, a real taste, then I wouldn’t be prouder to leave this room moon-blessed by you.”

I knew that what she was saying was important, but I had trouble listening beyond two words:

“Finger fuck?”

CHAPTER 23

Naomi's smile was outright predatory as both of her hands went to my jeans. “How expensive were these?” she asked, but before I could answer, she ripped them down the midline seam. “Just so I know how much I need to get from Lydia as a mating gift.”

I choked a bit as the material shredded in her hands. She tugged this way and that, tossing bits of denim to the floor until I was left sitting on her lap in only my panties. From the slight coolness between my legs, I could tell they were wet, and I fought the urge to hide my face in her hair.

“How about these?” she asked again, her tone teasing as her fingers toyed with the waistband of my panties. Panic surged through me, and I frantically reached for her hands.

“No!”

She immediately froze, going utterly still. “No? Oli, are you okay?”

I bit my lip, steeling my resolve. “I’ve never done this.”

“I know.”

“I’ll be bad.”

“You won’t. You could never be bad.”

“What if you don’t want me after?”

She shifted me, cradling my cheek with one hand as she spoke. “Listen to me, Dr. Olivia Harris. I will always want you. As long as the moon calls and I have a voice to answer, I will always sing your beauty every night and claim you as mine every full moon. I will never leave you, never lie to you, never cheat on you, never belittle you for anything. If you have a fear, I will fight it. If you have a worry, I will help solve it. You are my everything, Oli.”

It was better than most self-written wedding vows.

Tears threatened to spill, and I leaned my head and upper body against her chest, releasing her hands and reaching for the hem of my panties. I slowly started to lift my hips, intending to pull them down when a silly, almost delirious thought hit me. “Naomi?”

“Yeah?”

“Brett bought me these panties.”

She tore them away so fast that I almost didn’t hear the fabric scream as it was shredded from between my legs. A growl rumbled through her as she traced a single, long finger up from my entrance to my clit, then brought it to her lips.

“Mine,” she declared, sucking her finger clean. “I’ll buy you a whole store of undies if you let me rip them from you every night.”

Her finger returned, delving deeper between my folds, grazing her nail over my aching clit, causing my hips to buck up, giving her more access. She chuckled, spreading her legs wide and draping mine over them, forcing me open for her. She enveloped me in her arms, using both hands to spread my lips wide. I shivered and moaned, letting my head fall back onto her shoulder.

“Your human eyes probably can’t see it, but there’s a full-length mirror across from us. I can see you, spread open on my lap, your inner hole winking at me, begging for my finger or my tongue. You look spectacular. I should have you painted like this and hung above our bed.”

I groaned, closing my eyes tightly against the vulnerability of knowing I was on display. Despite that, I couldn’t stop the heat rising in my belly as I softly asked, “Do you really like it?”

I felt her head shift as she looked down at me, planting a kiss on the top of my head. “Do you remember when I said I wouldn’t lie to you?”

I nodded, feeling like a doll as she gently moved me from her lap onto the bed. I watched as she slid down, kneeling between my legs. She spread them, pushing my knees apart until I felt a pleasant stretch in my thighs. Brett had gone down on me a time or two, usually for my birthday, but the moment the tip of her tongue sliced through my outer lips, I knew he hadn’t known a

Single.

Fucking.

Thing.

Breath and the desire to move both left me as she pushed herself deeper, her nose buried in my folds. She worked her way up, lips moving until she encased my clit in a kiss that felt like she was sucking the soul from my body. I moaned, my fingers instantly tangling themselves in her hair. She laughed against me, the vibrations of her breath causing my hips to buck up against her chin.

She pulled back, sucking in an exaggerated breath. “So tasty and wet.” The way her tongue looped over her lips reminded me of a wild wolf cleaning itself after a kill. It was all primal dominance and hunger. “Do you think I like it?”

A playful part of me that I had suppressed for years emerged. “I dunno. Maybe? I can’t really tell.”

“Oh?” The way her brow cocked was the only warning I had before she was back down. This time, her fangs grazed over my inner lips and clit, sending thrills of passion and electricity through me. My toes curled, and I was panting when she pulled back off again, eliciting a little whine from me.

“How about now? Think I like you yet?”

“Someone who liked me would…” I couldn’t bring myself to say it. It felt so dirty, so unlike anything I had done with Brett. I would have never asked him to make me cum. Not in a million years.

“Would what?” she asked, her tone innocent as I felt her hand playing the itsy bitsy spider up my thigh.

I shivered, my mind only able to follow the feel of those fingers as they closed in on my center. I felt my pussy clench, imagining what it would feel like if she slid one in. Just a single⁠—

I gasped, falling back until I was flat against the bed as that single finger wrecked me. I had never been this turned on before, this sensitive. I could feel everything: her nail, her knuckle, her second knuckle, the way she curled the tip against me.

Moaning, I struggled to keep my legs spread, and she laughed, pulling that finger from my core and leaving me mewling for more. She spread my thighs again, pushing them up towards my chest, and I felt the wetness from that single finger dripping down my leg. “Here. You grab these and keep them spread for me.”

I reached down, wrapping my fingers around the backs of my knees and pulling them up as far as I could. The position meant that I was curling upwards, my pussy and ass on display.

“So beautiful,” she praised, running a claw down the back of my thigh and then reversing it when I couldn’t keep still. “What do you want, Oli?”

“I, uh…”

“Need some inspiration?” She ducked down, kissing my inner thigh inward until her teeth were tugging at one of my meaty outer lips. She was so close, but I needed more.

“Yes, there,” I moaned, gripping the backs of my knees more firmly.

“Really?” she asked, her hot breath scalding against my wet pussy. “I would have thought you’d want something between the folds, not above them, but… if this gets you going.” She nibbled the lip more thoroughly, her nose barely missing my clit, and I pushed my hips up to try to move her where I wanted her to be. She wasn’t making it easy.

“Tell me, Oli. Tell me what you want.”

I squeezed my eyes shut but managed in a strangled voice, “Lick me.”

A rumble of approval rattled the bed as she shifted those few precious degrees, and her tongue slipped down where I needed it to be. She licked in slow, languid movements. Nothing was spared as she tasted my pulsing clit, wet core, and even further back as my ass arched up in the air. She used everything—her fangs, her lips, her breath—to bring me to the brink before letting me back down again.

She never let me fall over the edge.

I moaned, the sound becoming more and more aggressive every time her fingers grazed near my entrance or whenever she pushed her tongue in just enough to tickle but not enough to finish me.

“Tease,” I finally let out, surprising myself with the assertiveness of the tone.

“All you have to do is tell me what you want,” she countered.

Finger fuck me, I thought, but couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“Make me cum,” I offered instead, still feeling dirty but secretly starting to enjoy the filth. I bit my lower lip, closing my eyes as she slowly licked from one end to the other, but it still wasn’t enough. I squirmed and pouted.

She laughed against me, her harsh breath just adding to the torment. “That’s a great end goal, but how do you want me to get you there?” She hummed a silent Hmm? against me, and her cocked brow told me she knew exactly what she was doing.

She was going to make me say it.

“Fuck me,” I cursed, hoping it was close enough.

“Details, Oli. The devil—or in this case, the wolf—is in the details.” She pulled back, running a slow, firm finger through my folds. “How should I fuck you?”

The feel of her finger, so close to where I needed it, was enough to push me from good girl to fledgling slut. I opened my eyes but didn’t look at her. Instead, I peered into the darkness toward the mirror where I could see our shadows vaguely reflected. I could definitely ask her back to finger fuck me. That should be easy.

My blush deepened, spreading down my neck and chest until I was sure my entire body was flushed. “I want you to finger fuck me like you promised.”

Her finger stilled, hovering just above my wet, aching entrance. “Did I promise that?”

Did she? In the heat of the moment, it certainly felt like she had, so I nodded, breathless. “Yes.”

A sly smile curled her lips. “Well then, a promise is a promise.”

The instant her finger dipped inside me, my toes curled so hard I almost cramped. But the discomfort vanished the moment she began to move, her finger thrusting in and out with a deliberate rhythm. Her tongue quickly found my pulsing clit again, lapping at me with an expertise that made my head spin. When her free hand grabbed my wrist and guided it back beneath my knee, I understood her silent command and obeyed, pulling my legs up and holding them tight to my chest.

She continued to work me in ways Brett had never even come close to. Had the man ever really known what a clit was?

Passion surged through me, running down my back and up my arms, leaving goosebumps in its wake. As I clenched my stomach tightly, her finger suddenly found a spot inside me that had never been touched before, sending a shockwave of pleasure that left me trembling. I tried to say something, to warn her of how close I was, but all that came out were garbled moans.

“Shhh, Oli, just let it go. I’ve got you,” she whispered against me before latching onto my clit with enough suction to pull my very soul from my body.

I screamed, holding on to my knees for dear life as my back arched off the bed. If I hadn’t been braced like that, I would have kicked her. She kept me anchored, her free hand holding my thighs up as she pulled her finger from me. I felt a rush of liquid follow, and I moaned in a mix of shame and ecstasy. She didn’t seem to notice—or if she did, she didn’t care—as she began to lap up everything, cleaning me from front to back.

“You dog,” I joked, groaning as I slowly released my legs, letting them slide down on either side of her shoulders.

She shrugged with a grin. “Close enough. But Oli,” she said, shifting her position. Slowly, she eased her feet under her and rose up on the bed until she was straddling my chest. Her velvet pants were gone, and the soft, clean-shaven skin of her pussy brushed against my breasts with every pulsing beat of my heart. “We aren’t quite done.”

CHAPTER 24

I was terrible at dirty talk, and what could you possibly say when a wolf goddess crawls up and sits on your chest?

For the first time in my life, I smelled a woman’s arousal, and it wasn’t my own. My mouth watered. I wanted her—every part of her. I wanted to savor her like a carefully curated tasting menu, each new sensation offered up in small, tantalizing bites.

Naomi hovered above me, her hips shifting just enough to let me feel the heat radiating from between her thighs. She looked down at me, her smile predatory yet tender. “You are so beautiful, all cum-flushed and flustered. Did you like it, Oli?”

I blushed but nodded, my voice small. “Yes.”

“Would you like to taste me now, mate?”

A low groan escaped me as I nodded more eagerly this time. At least she wasn’t making me say anything more complicated than yes or no—and I would never say no to this woman.

“Yes.”

Slowly, she moved one knee, then the other, inching up my chest. I stared up at her, an imposing shadow of heat and pleasure that threatened to smother me if I didn’t please her. I liked the narrative playing in my head, the idea that she was a goddess, and I was her devoted worshiper. The thought sent a rush of excitement to my core, and I found myself once again needy, my hips pushing up toward her.

She laughed, reaching back to firmly spank my pussy between my spread thighs. I gasped, and she did it again. “Dirty little human. You do realize I can smell your lust for me, right?”

I had actually forgotten that.

I groaned, licking my lips as I struggled to keep still beneath her. She reached down, stroking my cheek softly before moving the final inches forward, completely obscuring my view. Her pussy lips grazed my cheek, where her fingers had been just moments before, and her juices dripped down, mixing with my saliva as I leaned up to press feathery kisses to her inner thigh. She let out a shaky breath, her exhalations growing more ragged as I trailed kisses upward.

I had never tasted anything like her.

As her clit brushed my lips, she groaned in pleasure, gripping my thighs tightly as if to anchor herself—or maybe to keep me from bucking her off as the first taste of her sweetness sent me soaring. She watched me, her golden eyes wide, wiggling against me, pressing down until I had no choice but to obey or suffocate. I wasn’t as graceful as she had been, but I pushed my tongue up between her folds, sliding easily against her thoroughly slick passion.

I moaned, eyes closing as I let myself take her in. The musky sweetness of her mingled with the light, heady taste on my tongue. I licked her, savoring every moment, until she pressed down more firmly on me, issuing commands I couldn’t hear with her thighs clamped over my ears.

But I didn’t need to hear her. It was clear what she needed.

I began to rock my chin back and forth, feeling the rhythm of her response on my skin. Her moans grew sharper and more insistent, her hips bucking against me to match my movements. I pressed my tongue in, working it as firmly as I could against her slick insides.

She reached down, pulling one of my hands and guiding it up between her legs. I understood immediately and took a final lick of her pussy before pulling my tongue out and replacing it with a finger. She bucked above me, and I smiled, slowly introducing a second digit. Her body was taut with anticipation, her fingers twining in my hair, urging me to keep up with the complicated dance we were tangled in.

I found myself on the razor’s edge of control. Her dampness coated my fingers, and I matched the motion of my movements to the rhythm of her hips, applying just enough pressure to tease her without pushing her too quickly over the edge. I could feel her pleasure in the tightness of her clenching against my fingers, and it became almost a game to see just how far I could push her. Breath by breath, her body stiffened as she neared her peak, and I didn’t have the patience or experience to stop her.

She stilled, her body vibrating above me, and I took the opportunity to add a third finger while sucking on her hard clit. She screamed, and even as she clamped down so firmly on my head that I thought it might split, I could hear the joy in her voice. It sounded almost like a wolf’s cry, and I cried out in response, licking up everything as she came against me. Every cell in my body sang as I tasted her passion in the air, her clit pulsing beneath my tongue.

We managed to regain our breath, my cheeks stinging from the force of her orgasm. Her knees were still shaking as she pushed herself away from me, allowing us both to catch our breath. As the aftereffects of her climax settled, her moans turned into whispers of approval, and the flushed look in her eyes painted a picture of satisfaction as she reached for me.

For the first time in my life, I felt like I had dared to eclipse the boundaries of myself, the walls built by a sheltered, shy life. I felt alive.

And then something snapped into place inside me—something so deep and buried that I had unconsciously left it to rot, giving up on it entirely. I looked at the woman lying next to me, her breathing soft and content, and I think I fell in love.

“Naomi?”

She stirred softly, pressing her face into the crevice of my shoulder and inhaling deeply before murmuring, “Yeah?”

I worked my fingers over her skin, the old anxiety touch response finding a new, soothing target. I wondered if I would ever get tired of touching her or if it would always calm me, make me feel at home.

When I didn’t answer right away, she looked up, eyes still glowing. “Oli, you okay?”

I nodded, letting myself breathe for another second before I said, “I want you to bite me.”

She went still against me, and time seemed to stop. Finally, she groaned, and it sounded like it was torn from the deepest parts of her. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

She was right, but I was a quick study. “I know enough.”

“It’s not like getting married. There’s no divorce from the mating bond if you decide you screwed up.”

I stared at the ceiling, trying not to let her talk me out of it when a thought crossed my mind. “You said you would protect me, right?”

“Always,” she responded immediately.

“Then I know you wouldn’t mate with me if it would eventually hurt me.” I turned, kissing her hair and feeling my chest loosen. This woman, this wolf, calmed me like nothing else had before. “I trust you.”

She made a small, exposed noise in her throat. In that moment, I realized that I held the power, but I would never use it against her. I just wanted her—all of her—and whatever weird moon magic went with it. “Are you sure? Wolves are notoriously the bad guys in fairy tales.”

“You can huff and puff at me all day, and I wouldn’t want to leave.” I would never have said that to Brett, but of course, I had never had the strength to leave, no matter how had he had blown. I had just weathered the storm, alone.

Until Naomi.

Until my mate.

“Protect me, Naomi. Save me from myself.”

She leaned up on an elbow, looking down at me with a small smile. With one hand, she pushed some hair from my eyes as she whispered, “You don’t need saving; you’re perfect the way you are. You’re caring and kind, thoughtful and thorough. You are my mate, and I would be honored to bear any burden you have until the moon calls me back home.”

Tears appeared in my eyes. I might have been a burden, but I was a burden she wanted to carry.

“Please, Naomi.”

She leaned forward, forehead to forehead, and I could practically taste my own sweetness in her breath. “It will hurt, but you must relax. If you try to move or escape, I will chase you, and I don’t want to harm you.”

“I trust you.”

She closed her eyes, tilting her chin forward until our lips met. I felt her hands on my shoulders, massaging them gently as she moved into a kneeling position above me, her tongue playing and distracting me all the while. My eyes had slid shut as she started to slowly kiss away from my lips, following the line of my jaw down to my neck. She kissed, nibbled, and licked her way toward my shoulder, each little touch and taste causing me to sink deeper into her embrace. I had almost forgotten what she was about to do.

Almost.

Anxiety and fear hit me just before her fangs did, and I tensed. Her hands immediately turned to stone, holding me in place as she pierced my skin. I tried to scream, but my vocal cords seemed paralyzed, and all I could do was stare up at the ceiling, my nails digging into my palms as I shook in her grasp.

She sucked, and it felt like she was pulling my very soul from my chest. Pain sliced through my ribs, ripping up between my breasts before arrowing toward where her mouth was latched to my skin. As she continued to suck, humming against me, my vision started to fade, but mercifully, it took the pain with it.

My eyes slid closed again, and it felt like an eternity before something whispered against my mind to open them once more…

CHAPTER 25

At first, there was nothing.

No sound.

No light.

No smell.

But bit by bit, as I focused, things began to appear. It started with the moon. Later, Naomi would tell me everything starts and ends with the moon, but she didn’t need to. At this moment, it was the only thing in existence besides my soul, floating in a dark abyss.

I stared at it, latching onto it like a drowning woman clings to a buoy. It felt warm and safe, the surface shimmering and moving until a scene began to play out before me.

Wolves.

Silver chains leashed them to both the floor and ceiling as they howled and snarled. Shadows moved around them, always just out of reach. There was a murmur of voices that echoed and bounced back as if they were in a cave. And there, in the middle of it all, sat Luna.

She was collared and caged, the bars coated in silver so she didn’t dare touch them. She was curled in a ball, eyes squeezed shut and whimpering softly. Whenever a shadow neared, she squealed, curling even further into herself until she was nothing but a gray bundle of fur, tossed away and forgotten.

Rage filled me, and I threw back my head to howl. My song rose from deep in my chest, golden strands of light swirling around me as I took a breath to call again. My pack needed to know what I saw. As I screamed my anger toward the moon, one of the shadows turned and morphed from two legs onto four.

A wolf.

Free and unchained.

It stalked toward me, sniffing and growling as it came closer. It was within inches of my chest when it leapt, knocking me down, fangs poised to snap my neck and⁠—

I woke flat on the bed, screaming and clawing at a frightened Naomi, who was poised above me. My shoulder screamed in agony, and I felt blood dripping from two puncture wounds.

“Oli! Oli, it’s me. You’re alright. I’m here.” Her eyes were wild as she frantically ran her hands over me, searching for the source of my terror.

I gulped in a ragged breath, groaning at the burning pain that spread from my neck down my throat. The wolf in my vision hadn’t ripped me open, but it felt like Naomi had come close.

“Oli, what did you see?” Naomi asked, gathering me up in her arms, leaning me against her chest as I pulled in uneasy, sobbing breaths. The pain was startling, but the vision of Luna, scared and alone, was overwhelming.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push it away. “The moon.”

I felt her nod. “That is… unusual—but not unheard of.” Her hesitation made me look up, and she continued, rushing her words. “You screamed and then you howled. Oh Oli, how you howled. Lydia and Jayne have been outside the door for the past hour waiting for you to quiet and wake.”

An hour.

I shook my head, immediately regretting it, as I pushed away from her to climb unsteadily to my feet. The moon had continued its march across the sky and was heading swiftly toward the trees to the west. Luna was out there somewhere, if I could just remember anything else about where she was being held.

“It was dark,” I started, my voice cracking and dry. “There were wolves. At least five, all chained to the floor and ceiling. They couldn’t move more than a few inches. It was dark and felt deep. It echoed words that I couldn’t make out. And beyond the wolves…” I stopped, suddenly not trusting the vision. It had to have been a dream, right? Something pain-induced from the bite.

But the look Naomi was giving me, a mix of encouragement and terror, urged me to continue. Even if it was a nightmare, maybe we could banish it together.

“Beyond them was Luna.”

A hand flew to her mouth as she covered a gasp, and outside something heavy hit the locked door. I heard Lydia demanding that Jayne calm down and let me finish. My fists clenched, and I looked at Naomi, who just shrugged, but her eyes were taut and distressed.

I crossed the room quickly, pulling the lock and opening the door. Jayne was on the ground, his furry wolf neck being held to the floor by one of Lydia’s perfect designer heels. The leader of the pack offered me a smile, but there was no guilt in it.

“Congratulations are in order. It seems that not only have you mated with Naomi, but the goddess herself sent you a vision. Most mating ceremonies do not actually end up with a true moon pact.” She cocked her head at me, and I could almost see the wolf beneath her façade, tongue lolling out as she thought. “You really are a remarkable find for us, Dr. Harris. Now,” she emphasized the word with a bit more pressure on Jayne’s neck as the wolf tried to struggle out from beneath her, “What is this about our little Luna?”

I felt Naomi come up behind me before an anchoring hand rested against the small of my back. It wasn’t until then, skin to skin, that I remembered I was naked and blushed. I fought the urge to run and dress—if it hadn’t bothered Lydia, and they ended up naked every time they shifted anyway, I might as well try to get used to it.

The naked distraction helped, and I continued, trying to capture the dream before it completely slipped away. “She was there, in a cage. She was scared but appeared to be physically unharmed.”

“Blessed Moon.”

My head swiveled, breaking open the tentative scabbing on my neck, to find Sage barely standing in the hall. Lydia released Jayne as the large male wolf went to his lover, propping her up with his shoulder. I remembered how Sage had told me they were not mates, but it was clear there was something close to love in their friendship.

I nodded. “There were… shapes. People mostly, but right before I woke up, one of them seemed to sense me. Their shadow,” I paused. This was a whole new world for me, and insinuating that a wolf was helping capture other wolves felt wrong, as though I hadn’t been part of them long enough to start throwing these kinds of accusations. I felt Naomi’s hand press more firmly against me and dropped my eyes, not looking at any of them as I continued, “They shifted. Two legs to four. They were coming toward me, jaws open, when I woke up with Naomi.”

“Bitten, but in the best way.” Sage, with Jayne’s help, had managed to come up next to me. She placed a cold, featherlight hand on my shoulder. “The moon has shown you my daughter. Now it is up to us to rescue her.”

“I don’t know where she is,” I admitted, my voice cracking. “There were no clues, no signs…”

“There had to be something, and they have to be nearby. The accord wouldn’t have shown you something you couldn’t alter in some way,” Lydia said. “Get dressed and meet me downstairs. Jayne, take Sage back to bed.” She turned to walk away before adding over her shoulder, “Dr. Harris. Thank you and again, welcome to my pack.”

I watched her back as she walked away, overwhelmed with emotion. Her words had soothed something jagged in the pain, layering feelings of acceptance and protection over them. Yes, they still hurt, but I was with my pack and I would be fine.

When I turned, I found Naomi smiling softly behind me. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“Which part?” I answered.

She laughed, reaching for my hand and pulling us back into her room before shutting the door. “Our pack, wolves, the moon dream, and the soothing presence of your alpha.” She pushed me towards the bed, going to her dresser and flinging out random pants and tops. “That feeling you have, of everything being okay and the pain becoming less intense—that is Lydia. The presence of your alpha helps soothe and speed our healing. I suspect it won’t be as strong in you, but I felt the way your muscles relaxed when she welcomed you. As one of her own, you share in her strength and magic.”

“But I’m not a wolf.” One of the most true but also one of the weirdest sentences I had ever said in my life.

“Doesn’t matter. You belong with me and to her. That is all that you need. Plus, I suspect it doesn’t hurt being favored by the moon.” Finally happy with her choices, she came towards me, dumping a load of options onto the bed before fishing out a pair of lacy panties. “I may or may not have bought these for you the day we met, and I felt our bond. I hope you like them,” she handed the lacy affront to underwear to me and wiggled her brows, “but not too much since it is highly likely I will rip them off later.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. They really were pretty little things, forest green with roses and thorns woven into the lace. I slipped them on and stood, looking at myself in the mirror. They hugged my ass perfectly. “You better not rip these, they are perfect.”

She chuckled, pulling on a pair of khakis that were so out of place on her that she looked like she was dressing for a role in a play—specifically one about going on safari.

“I didn’t know you owned anything that wasn’t velvet or the occasional jeans.”

“Better to shift and rip out of $5 ugly-ass khakis than my favorite, tailored suit.”

The way she said it, so matter-of-fact, made me laugh again. It felt good. Even after everything that had happened today, it felt good to laugh with my mate. I pulled on a pair of jeans for myself and plucked up a plain t-shirt that she had laid out for me. “So what now?”

“Now we find Luna.”

I felt my chest tighten, old insecurities building under my skin until I was plucking at the hem of the shirt. It was soft and smooth, the fibers silken as my fingertips pressed into them. “But I don’t know where she is. How will we find her?”

“You were shown a moonlight vision. They are rare, but not completely unheard of. There are records that say we used to have priestesses whose only job was to fuck and receive the moon’s blessing and visions their entire lives.”

“Sounds like a good gig.” I grinned at her. “Where do I sign up for that role in the pack?”

She growled, advancing on me in an instant and kissing me until I could feel my lips bruising. Her eyes were glowing and playful as she pulled back. “Don’t even think of offering up that body to anyone but me. Even the moon can’t have you.”

“Gonna fight the moon for me?”

It was so natural with her, this playfulness.

“If I have to. But Brett first. For you and Luna.” She paused, staring at me in the same way my old phys-ed instructor had right before the Presidential Fitness Test. Usually, it ended up with her telling me I was going to bring the entire class’s score down. There had been a certain relief that had gone through me on the day I had learned school kids no longer had to go through that, even if I had to.

“I know you took an oath to do no harm and all…”

Naomi’s voice refocused my wandering thoughts, and I looked at her curiously. “Right. But?”

“Can you fight or use any weapons?”

That same old shame of “can you run any faster? Useless.” flooded through me. I pushed it down, knowing that she didn’t mean it like that, and answered her as confidently as I could. “Kind of.”

She snorted, cocking her head in the canine way that I found altogether too cute. “Kind of?”

I shrugged. “My grandparents got me a bow and arrow set as a kid. I wasn’t a bad shot… twenty years ago. I could probably still make it at least look like I knew what I was doing.”

“Does Brett know about this?” Her eyes twinkled in bemusement.

“Maybe? I know I told him, but he wasn’t very good at actually listening.”

“Well, I don’t know if anyone around here has a bow set to give you, so it might be best if you stayed here with Sage.”

My heart dropped, and I felt my stomach lurch. “No way. I’m the one with the vision, and I know Brett the best. You need me.”

She placed both hands on my shoulders, careful of the bite. “That’s the problem. I do need you. I need to know that you are safe.”

I shook my head, resolute not to let her force me into staying. “You might need a field medic. Or at least someone with two opposable thumbs who can work a bolt cutter if they sling those silver chains around you.”

Naomi’s grip on my shoulders tightened slightly, her eyes searching mine for a moment. Then, with a reluctant sigh, she nodded. “Alright, but promise me you’ll stay close and listen to my commands. No heroics.”

I swallowed, nodding firmly. “I promise.”

A loud crash echoed from downstairs, followed by raised voices. Naomi’s gaze snapped toward the door, her body tensing. “We need to go.”

“Together,” I insisted, grabbing her hand and interlacing her fingers with mine.

She gave me one last, intense look before leading the way. “Together.”

CHAPTER 26

Contained chaos was the only way to describe the scene waiting for us downstairs.

Lydia stood in the center of it, arms crossed, calmly watching as Jayne and Sage practically screamed at each other from opposite sides of the room. Rylee walked over, whispering to Naomi with a mischievous grin, “Money’s on Sage. She’s still gonna be able to kick Jayne’s ass, even hurt.”

“What are they going on about?” Naomi’s voice was low, and the pair of them seemed like a comical cartoon caricature, conspiring as they watched the unfolding argument. I smiled, my chest aching with a familiarity that I knew I didn’t deserve but hoped to one day earn.

This was my pack.

Rylee didn’t need to answer as Sage’s low growl cut through the room. “I will shift right here and now. You can’t stop me, Jayne.”

“It will kill you,” Jayne answered, her voice laced with agony.

“She is my daughter, and you are not my mate.” The last five words were harsh, tearing through Jayne more effectively than any claws could have.

All three of us turned our heads to look at Jayne. She recoiled as though she had been physically struck and looked to Lydia, pleading. “Don’t let her do this.”

The alpha surveyed the scene with an air of indifference, her red-tinged eyes sweeping over us before settling on Sage. Her voice was steady as she delivered her response, “Sage understands the consequences of her decision. Dr. Harris.”

I jumped, not expecting to be called out. Naomi squeezed my fingers, grounding me. “Yes?”

“Is it likely that you can stop the silver running through Sage’s veins?”

I looked from one woman to the other. Sage was pale, her skin almost translucent, doing nothing to hide the blue veins running just beneath the surface. Inside them, a poison I couldn’t control. She raised dark, sunken eyes to me, giving me the same look that dogs near death often gave—defiant, yet resigned. Sage was determined to rescue her daughter. But ultimately, I feared she would give me another look I had seen too often—the look that said it was time.

But not yet.

“I cannot,” I answered, holding Sage’s gaze.

“So she will die from silver poisoning?”

I was grateful that Lydia had given it a name instead of making me say it. My eyes flickered to the woman who was now my alpha, and I gave her a small smile of thanks before answering, “That is correct.”

“It is only a matter of time?”

A lump was forming in my throat, but I nodded, proud of how steady my voice remained. “Yes.”

The alpha, apparently satisfied, looked back at Jayne. “You just heard the same thing I did. There is no saving Sage, only prolonging the inevitable. If she wishes to give her life in the pursuit of saving your shared pup, then so be it.” The look she gave Jayne made it clear that her decision was final as she turned to Sage, “You believe you have the strength to keep up with the pack?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Good. Then go get ready. I want to leave in ten minutes. We are looking for a cave or a hole. Something underground. It’s not likely that they are anywhere in the town itself, so we will leave that for last.”

The wolves in the room nodded, each quickly breaking away to do whatever last-minute preparations they needed. Sage approached me with a gentle smile playing on her lips.

“Thank you, healer,” she said, reaching out.

I let her take my hands and felt something cold and metallic drop into my palm. I opened it long enough to find a small, brass locket. She pressed my fingers closed over it. “For Luna. If I don’t make it back, I want you to give that to her once she is old enough to go through her first shift. It was given to me by my mother, and hers before that.”

I nodded, the lump in my throat returning as I clutched the locket to my chest. “Of course.”

In the movies, there would have been a speech about how she would give it to Luna herself, but this wasn’t the movies. The dark, bruised circles under her eyes told me that if she went with us, she wouldn’t be coming back.

“I will make sure she remembers you and everything you did to get her back.”

“We will get her back,” Naomi added, placing a hand on Sage’s shoulder and squeezing. “I promise.”

“I know.” Sage turned her head, leaning her cheek against Naomi’s touch for a moment before stepping back. “Thank you both. When I am gone, Jayne will be distraught. You must not let her take Luna. If she runs, you will never find her or my daughter again.”

I felt Naomi tense. “You expect her to?”

Sage nodded. “She doesn’t take loss well, and while we are not mates… I am the closest thing she has ever truly had. I never questioned her choice to shift into a female. If she feels this is her real self, her real form, then I support her. But I won’t let her steal my daughter away from the pack that loves her because of grief.”

“We will make sure she is taken care of,” Naomi assured her. No further explanation was needed, but she added, “You were the best wolf for her, and I know she loves you.”

Sage smiled, and for an instant, it was easy to see how beautiful she had been before the silver had poisoned her body. “I know. Take care of her too.” She inclined her head towards me.

“I will.” Naomi answered.

Before they could say anything else, pounding footsteps raced up the porch steps, and a large, dusty wolf slammed into the front door. She skidded to a halt, apparently not expecting to find all of us gathered in the room.

“Sloane?” Lydia asked, one eyebrow raised. “Where have you been? You smell… musky.”

The wolf shifted, her body ripping and reforming. Rylee grabbed a knitted throw from the couch and tossed it over her naked form as she stood to face us.

“I was out looking for Luna.” Her voice was shaky, her chest pulling in deep breaths of air. It was clear she had just run a very long way, very quickly.

“Where did you look?” The alpha’s eyes narrowed as she studied the wolf in front of her.

Sloane hesitated—it was only for a moment, but we all caught it. “To the south. There was nothing. We should go north.”

I glanced at Naomi without moving my head and found her watching me from the corner of her eye as well. Something didn’t seem right.

“South is a big area. Maybe we should start there; it will be quick to retrace your steps with all of us helping. You might have missed something.” Lydia’s tone was casual, with little hand waves here and there adding to the pose.

Sloane’s eyes darted around the room, her unease palpable. Lydia’s piercing gaze didn’t waver, making it clear she was scrutinizing every word. “If that is what you wish, Alpha, but I think we should head north.”

Lydia nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. “We’ll cover both directions. Sloane, take Rylee, Maddie, and Jess. Head north but be careful. I will take the rest south to retrace your steps and meet you near the border of our territory when we are done.”

Two women I had briefly seen around the compound but never spoken with stepped aside, gathering around Rylee and Sloane. Sloane’s face was a picture of unease, and she looked like she might lash out if any of her companions said a single word.

Naomi’s grip tightened on my hand as she turned to face me. “Stay close. If anything seems off, we need to be ready. If I tell you to go, you run.”

I nodded, my heart pounding. “I will.”

As the pack split into two groups, it was eerily quiet. I would have expected shouting, directions being tossed back and forth, but everything was silent as the groups split and headed out. Sage’s eyes met mine, filled with determination and a hint of resignation. “Take care of her, Olivia.”

“I promise,” I whispered. I had taken a single moment to race upstairs, placing the locket in Naomi’s bedside table drawer before meeting my southbound group at the door.

Naomi shifted seamlessly into her wolf form, her dark grey fur gleaming in the dim light. The other wolves followed suit, their forms rippling as they transformed. Sage hesitated for a moment before shifting as well, her eyes flickering nervously, but in the end, there was determination.

We moved out, the waning moonlight casting eerie shadows as we headed into the fields and forest. The night was silent except for the soft, silky rustling of the cornstalks and the distant hoot of an owl. Lydia led the way, her movements graceful and sure, Naomi and Jayne next, then Sage, while I stayed close behind, my senses on high alert.

The journey south was mercifully slow and cautious. Anything faster, and both Sage and I would have been left behind. As it was, every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig had my nerves on edge. The silence was only broken by the occasional whisper of wind through the trees and the soft padding of paws across the fields.

I had always thought haunted corn mazes were spooky, but running with a pack of near-silent wolves through the dried husks was worse.

Naomi’s pace suddenly quickened, her head lowering as she caught a scent. She barked softly, a signal for the rest of us to stay close and alert. My heart raced as we followed her deeper into a dense grove of trees, their trunks closing in around us.

It was only minutes later when Naomi came to an abrupt stop. Lydia, close to her tail, ran into her ass and nipped her in response. Naomi whimpered, lowering her head and stretching her neck towards her alpha before sniffing the ground. She looked up at me, her golden eyes reflecting worry and something else. Anger? I crouched down, touching the ground where she had sniffed, and felt the cold, damp earth beneath my fingers. I wasn’t a tracker, but it felt better pretending than doing nothing.

“What is it?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Naomi shifted back into her human form, her breath visible in the cold night air. “I smell something… familiar. We’re close.”

“Close to what?”

She looked around, her eyes scanning the darkness. “The scent of metal and heat. It’s faint, but it’s here. There must be something underground.”

“And Sloane.” Lydia, who had silently shifted behind me, whispered. Her voice shook with fury as she met my gaze, “She was here.”

“She said she scouted this area,” I said, playing devil's advocate against the anger in Lydia’s normally calm voice.

Beside me, Sage’s massive head butted into my ribs and almost knocked me over. I reached out, my fingers burrowing in her fur to keep from tumbling completely. She woofed softly, nuzzling my neck before turning to look to our right. When she did it again, I took the hint.

“There is something this way,” I pointed, getting the other two women’s attention.

As one, our group began to sneak toward where Sage was now army crawling, in wolf form, on her belly. As she pushed her head through the dense tangle of a bush, she snarled. I pushed through next to her and stifled a gasp. Below us was an open expanse in the ground, at least the length of a football field but with steep and slanted paths leading down through slices of rock and gravel.

Lydia appeared beside me, a twig caught in her blonde hair. It was the most unkempt I had ever seen her, and it seemed out of place until she spoke, her voice still the epitome of quiet assurance. “The Mayfield Quarry and Mine. Closed almost 80 years ago due to a fire in one of the tunnels. I keep us away from here as there is no prey in this area, and it would be dangerous for an excited wolf to accidentally fall in.” She pointed across the bowl toward an edge made entirely of sharp cliffs. “There is an old man in town who will tell you the story of his baby sister who fell in close to that point and never came back out.”

“Dark story,” Naomi said on the alpha’s other side.

“Yet, he told it to everyone.” Lydia added, sliding back the way we had just come. “There doesn’t appear to be many guards. Let’s go.”

“Should we call the others?” I asked, squinting down into the darkness and wondering what their wolf eyes saw that I couldn’t.

Naomi shook her head, tugging on the hem of my shirt to get me backing out of the bramble. “It would only alert the hunters. If we have any chance of this working, it needs to be quick and quiet. There can’t be more than a dozen, two max, or we would have noticed their movements before now.”

Lydia nodded. “Exactly. We go in, get the pup, and get out.”

“There were others,” I blurted, my heart thudding loudly in my ears as my anxiety rose at the thought of leaving those wolves I had seen with silver weighing them down.

“We will rescue who we can.” Lydia swept us all with her gaze, noting as we each nodded in agreement. Jayne and Sage sat, shoulder to shoulder, and nodded their muzzles in unison. “Let’s go.”

CHAPTER 27

Every pebble and stone seemed intent on giving us away, crumbling and skittering down the quarry's side. If I was honest, I displaced most of them; my eyes weren’t nearly as good in the dark as the wolves’.

Before Lydia and Naomi shifted back, it had been decided that I would go with Jayne to find Luna. I would be able to open her cage without needing to shift, while Jayne stood guard. Lydia and Naomi would run point, distracting when necessary, and Sage was instructed to stay above, near where we started our descent, and howl if anyone came. The she-wolf had growled and snapped, but ultimately, she knew she was too much of a liability to bring any further.

Jayne and I moved side by side, carefully navigating the rocky slope. Each step felt like a gamble, every small rock threatening to send us both tumbling down into the quarry's depths—or worse, alert Brett or his thugs to our presence. If this was going to work, surprise was our only advantage. The wolves ahead moved with a grace and silence that left me in awe—and just a bit of envy.

Lydia and Naomi’s wolves were nearly invisible in the shadows, their fur blending seamlessly with the darkness. Even Lydia, the lighter of the pair, seemed like a shimmer of moonlight flitting from boulder to boulder. They were my silent protectors, leading the way and ensuring the path was clear. Occasionally, the alpha would pause, her ears pricked forward as if listening to the quarry itself, before signaling Naomi to move ahead. We followed them, looking for an opening that would lead us inside.

We finally reached the bottom, the sound of my careful breathing almost deafening in the oppressive silence of the quarry. Ahead, the faint outline of the mine entrance loomed, its maw like a dark void against the rock face. I glanced at Jayne, her eyes shining in the dim light as she scanned the area for any signs of movement. Her gaze met mine, and she gave a slight nod. I exhaled slowly, and she snapped silently at my face before trotting off, paws light on the gravel.

Lydia and Naomi had both stopped as well. Lydia was scouting ahead, darting in and out of the shadows as Naomi pressed her massive head into my chest. I stroked her, rubbing her ears and scratching her chin, until she squirmed against me. I lifted her muzzle in both my hands, planting a kiss on her snout. “Be careful,” I whispered.

She blinked slowly at me, her golden eyes serious but hopeful. I let their glow chase away my fears and hugged her one last time before watching her shadow follow her alpha.

Taking a deep breath, I found Jayne already trotting toward the entrance. The air grew colder, more stale, as we approached, and the smell of damp earth filled my nostrils. The wolves remained in the shadows, their presence a comforting but nerve-wracking reminder of what was at stake. I tried to blend in, pretending I was a thief from an adventure book, but there is only so much a chubby, middle-aged woman can do. Instead, I focused on speed.

As we moved through the dark tunnels, the ground beneath my feet leveled out, and the oppressive weight of the quarry walls seemed to close in around me. I imagined a hundred thousand bats hanging above my head and refused to look up. Jayne nudged me with her shoulder, pushing me closer to the wall as she took the outer point. Her muscles tensed, ready to pounce at the first sign of danger. She paused, sniffing the air and tilting her head as if listening for something just beyond the range of my hearing. I held my breath, every sense on high alert.

Suddenly, Naomi's figure appeared from the shadows to my left, her fur bristling as she crouched low, eyes fixed on something deeper in the mine. She moved with lethal precision, signaling something to Jayne with a flick of her tail that made my protector lower her body to the ground. Silently, we followed.

A light appeared in the darkness, dim but noticeable, and growing brighter with each step. It was a break in the tunnel, an opening. Naomi and Lydia slunk forward, their movements synchronized as they positioned themselves on either side of the entrance. They exchanged a glance, and I could feel the tension radiating off them—a silent communication passing between them. I turned to Jayne, who gave me a reassuring nod before pressing closer to the wall, ready to follow her Alpha’s lead.

A low growl rumbled from Naomi, signaling the start of something that only Lydia and Jayne could understand. The wolves lunged into the entrance, their forms disappearing into the dimly lit darkness. I followed as swiftly and quietly as possible, my hands trembling slightly as I clutched my fists, focusing on the need to free Luna. The mine's cool air enveloped me, and the muffled sounds of a scuffle up ahead sent a chill down my spine.

The guard hadn’t stood a chance. Lydia and Naomi were already emerging from the shadows, blood staining Lydia’s white fur as she stood over the fallen hunter. Naomi, ever vigilant, motioned with her snout for me and Jayne to move forward. I gagged at the sight of the man, his neck ripped out, but kept moving. I had known what I was getting into the moment I told Naomi, and the entire house it seemed, about the vision. I couldn’t shy away from the dirtier side of it now.

I pushed forward, ignoring the stench of blood and death, the tang of iron heavy in the air. I couldn’t believe that stale smell was coming from just the single dead guard behind us, and braced myself for whatever was ahead.

We had to move quickly; every second wasted was a second closer to losing Luna forever. Jayne moved ahead, her ears twitching as she listened for any sign of movement. My heart pounded in my chest, the adrenaline coursing through me, making my hands shake even more.

We navigated through the winding tunnels, the flickering light growing stronger. I could hear faint voices ahead, rough and menacing, and at almost every intersection, another hunter fell with pieces missing. My stomach churned, but I forced myself to keep going. Naomi and Lydia remained in the shadows, their presence a silent comfort, even as their paw prints left red stains as they passed.

Suddenly, a loud, long howl echoed through the mine, followed by another. We all turned, Jayne’s hackles raising as she took two steps back the way we had come. It was Sage. Her voice rose in a mournful wail, and then abruptly, it was cut off. My blood ran cold. Naomi’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with alarm. Lydia growled low in her throat, her fur bristling.

“She’s in trouble,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “We have to go back.”

Naomi nudged me forward with her nose, shaking her head in a clear effort to urge me to keep moving. Jayne pressed against my side, her body a reassuring presence even as she trembled. I placed a hand on her shoulder, digging my fingers into her fur. I didn’t know who I was trying to comfort, her or myself. We continued down the tunnel, the light growing brighter until we finally reached a larger opening. Beyond it, I could see a makeshift camp, lit by torches and lanterns. Hunters milled about, weapons glinting in the firelight. I counted eight, none of them Brett.

Five wolves were chained to one side of the cavern, their fur matted and eyes dull. Of the five, I couldn’t see one’s chest moving and felt the same hollow sadness I felt every time an owner got to the clinic two minutes too late. I pulled a small, compact wire cutter from my pocket. Rylee had found it in one of the barns on the compound, and while Lydia had warned it wouldn’t work as well as a bolt cutter, it was all we had. I released the safety, testing out the spring-loaded handle.

A quiet whimper drew my eyes towards the center of the camp, where a small bundle of grey fur was huddled. She was near the fire, and I offered a small prayer that at least she was warm, but that also meant she was surrounded. Her small form curled in the center of her cage as she tried not to touch any of the bars. My heart ached at the sight of her, my confidence growing as the three wolves with me all silently bared their teeth and lowered themselves to the ground.

There was no way we were going to get to Luna without a fight, but we weren’t leaving without her.

Without warning, Lydia burst from the shadows, her powerful form launching into the camp. Naomi followed close behind, their movements a blur of speed and precision. The hunters barely had time to react before the wolves were upon them, teeth flashing in the firelight. Two went down instantly before the deafening blast of gunfire shattered the peace.

Naomi and Lydia angled to the side, drawing the hunters away from the center of the room. Jayne and I darted forward, moving towards Luna’s cage. I fumbled with the lock, my hands shaking so badly I could barely keep hold of the cutters. Jayne growled softly, urging me to hurry. A yelp echoed behind me, and I dropped the cutters, cursing as Jayne snarled in my face.

“Not helping,” I snapped, abandoning the lock and trying the cutters on the bars instead. It was a small cage, the bars thin, and they gave way under the strength of my adrenaline-fueled panic.

“Luna, come on!” I whispered urgently, snipping the bars in a frantic attempt to get enough pulled away for her to fit.

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes wide with fear, before scrambling out of the cage and into my arms. I hugged her tightly, relief flooding through me as Jayne pushed her nose deep into her daughter’s fur and inhaled.

It was only a moment of peace before I pulled the silver collar from her neck and pushed the pup toward her biological father. “Take her. Run.”

The sounds of battle raged around us, growls and shouts echoing through the cavern. Jayne didn’t hesitate as her teeth clamped down on Luna’s scruff, causing the pup to whine and wiggle. With a final glance toward me, Jayne turned and bounded toward the door the way we had come in. I turned to find Naomi to my left, her fur matted with blood as she fought off two hunters at once. Lydia was a blur of white, her teeth bared in a snarl as she tore into another attacker.

Terror eclipsed me, and for a heartbeat, I thought I would faint. Darkness spotted my vision, only to be cut away by flashes of gold and red as both wolves continued to fight. To my right, the four surviving chained wolves had barely stirred, as though escape was something they couldn’t believe in.

Half-crawling, I scrambled towards them. The first looked up at me with sad, blue eyes. Her fur was rusty red and covered in dust and dirt. Her nails were torn, as though she had tried to dig her way to freedom but had failed. I reached out a shaking hand, showing her the cutters. “I am going to try to get you free.” She whimpered, and I saw the silver chains digging into her neck with the same barbed spikes used on bully-breed dogs. Dried blood crusted around the edges, and I cursed, knowing I couldn’t remove them here without damaging her further.

The chains further up were thicker than the bars of Luna’s cage, and as I worked to slice through them, the sounds of battle began to lean towards the hunters winning. There was more shouting, more guns being fired, and more cries from my canine companions.

Finally, the chain snapped, and I gave the wolf a shove to help her to her feet. “Run!” I shouted, shifting my attention to the next wolf in line.

The second wolf was dark, and she licked my hand, brown eyes following as the red wolf unsteadily got to her feet. Her chain took twenty seconds to snip, but it felt like an eternity. As she was hauling herself up, I noticed she limped with one leg bent at an awkward and impossible angle.

I only had time to glance toward the third wolf, whose body lay unmoving, before the first wolf rammed into me, knocking me off balance as a gunshot deafened my right ear. She yelped but turned snarling fangs towards our attacker.

Brett stood above me, his gun pointed down at my forehead, the safety cocked back and ready.

“I should have known you would be involved. Fucking the local wildlife, doctor? Tsk tsk. I think someone should put you down, rabies risk and all.”

His eyes slid from my face toward my neck, and I knew it was too late. No movement would be fast enough to hide the marks proudly healing between my neck and shoulder.

His nostrils flared, but he didn’t look back up at me as I watched his finger squeeze the trigger. “Fucking whore.”

CHAPTER 28

I flinched, hearing the gun go off so close to my ears that they rang. The sound was deafening, a sharp explosion that echoed through the cavernous room like a thunderous rapture. My vision blurred as I stumbled back, the world spinning around me as my hands flew up, trying to protect myself even though I knew the damage had already been done. The force of the sound reverberated through my skull, leaving a high-pitched ringing that drowned out everything else.

For a moment, I was floating in a sea of confusion, my thoughts disjointed and scattered. My legs felt weak, trembling beneath me as I tried to regain my balance. The world seemed to tilt on its axis, my head spinning like I was caught in the vortex of a storm. But nothing hurt, at least not in a way that shouted ‘I’ve been shot.’

Maybe dying really is peaceful once you were mortally wounded…

Then, cutting through the ringing in my ears, I heard it—a pained yelp, the unmistakable sound of a wolf's agony. It was the same noise I had heard the night I had run into Naomi in the darkness. That cry, remembered so clearly in my rattled skull, pierced through the haze, sharp and clear, and my heart lurched in my chest.

Naomi.

I forced my eyes open, the darkness of the room closing in around me as I searched for her. My vision swam, but I could make out the form of a large wolf crumpled on the ground, blood staining her darkened fur. Naomi had taken the bullet meant for me.

Rage flickered in her golden eyes, the pain only fueling the fire within her as she glanced my way. She struggled to her feet, muscles coiled, teeth bared in a snarl that sent shivers down my spine. The predator in her had been unleashed, and she was focused on one thing: Silver Bullet Brett.

Terror surged through me, pushing me up onto my feet, screaming in wordless fury. If the bullet had been silver… oh God, if the bullet had been silver. Gathering my strength, I launched myself at him, intending on beating him back with my bare hands if I had to. It didn’t matter that I had no combat training of any kind, any woman should be able to kick her murderous boyfriend’s ass when the cards were down. It is just programmed in us—our own hidden wolves.

As I coiled my legs under me, about to leap, another wolf stepped out of the shadows.

Sloane, alone and uninjured.

She moved with a swiftness I hadn’t expected in the confusion, her target clear. She placed herself between Naomi and Brett, her posture protective, almost defiant.

“Sloane, don’t,” I managed to gasp out, my voice hoarse, the words barely forming as my mind struggled to keep up with the chaos unfolding before me. But she didn’t even glance in my direction. Her eyes were locked on Naomi, a challenge sparking in her gaze.

Sloane’s stance was unmistakable—she was defending Brett. My heart pounded in my chest, the betrayal cutting just as deep as if I had taken a silver bullet myself. I had just joined this pack, and now one of their own—our own—was betraying us.

Naomi, still growling low in her throat, took a limping step forward, the movement slow and deliberate as her golden eyes locked onto Sloane. It was clear she had already marked the other wolf as a traitor, a threat to her pack and territory.

Sloane lunged first, her speed a blur as she aimed for Naomi’s throat. But my mate was ready. She sidestepped the attack with a grace that belied her injury, her teeth snapping inches from Sloane’s flank as she countered. The two wolves circled each other, muscles rippling under their fur as they snapped and traded feints.

Just as it seemed that Sloane was about to make another honest attack, Lydia’s powerful white form appeared between them, her alpha presence undeniable. She bared her teeth at the smaller wolf, bellowing a roar from deep within her chest that resonated with authority. The command wasn’t verbal, but the force of Lydia’s will was palpable. She was only going to give Sloane one chance to stand down.

Sloane hesitated, her eyes flicking between Lydia and Naomi, her posture tense, but she no longer had the upper hand, and she knew it. It was a standoff, and for a moment, it seemed like Sloane might back down.

But then Brett, seeing an opportunity, raised his gun again, aiming directly at me. Time seemed to slow as I watched him pull the trigger, my mind screaming in horror.

Naomi moved faster than I thought possible. She lunged at Brett, her powerful jaws closing around his arm just as the gun went off. The shot went wide, the bullet burying itself harmlessly into the wall. Brett screamed in pain as Naomi’s teeth sank deeper, the sound echoing through the room. I heard the bones snap, tendons ripping in a noise that was reminiscent of the wolves shifting only, there would be no new limb where his had once been.

Seeing Brett in danger, Sloane growled and made a move toward Naomi, but Lydia was there instantly. She collided with the viper that had been hidden in her pack mid-leap, the two wolves tumbling across the floor in a flurry of fur and snapping jaws.

I scrambled to my feet, my body trembling with adrenaline and fear as I watched the chaos unfold. Beside me, the two wolves I had saved wavered, their strength clearly failing, though they tried to flank either side of me. Naomi, driven by a primal rage, tore into Brett with a ferocity that left no doubt—she intended to end him. His screams turned to desperate gurgles as her teeth found his throat, silencing him once and for all. His head turned towards me as he fell, and he blinked once, his mouth working to say something, but only blood trickled from his lips.

Lips I had once kissed.

Four feet from me lay a man I had once kissed and thought the world of, even though he manipulated and lied to me. I should have felt something. Sadness, grief, even relief, but looking at his unseeing eyes, I felt nothing. There was no love and no remorse that my mate had killed him.

My eyes shifted to Naomi, who was standing with her head low, panting over him as his blood dripped from her fangs to his chest. She licked her lips, turning those same, kind golden eyes towards me, and I could feel again—relief.

As though a spell had been lifted, I moved, running to her, and she took a step away from the body to meet me. My arms wrapped around her neck as a sob tore from my throat.

“You’re okay.”

“You’re going to be okay.”

“I can fix you.”

“I love you.”

“Don’t leave me.”

With every word, I stroked her, feeling her heartbeat against my chest. It wasn’t until a cry echoed from our right that I looked up.

My head snapped toward the sound, just in time to see Sloane lunging at Lydia with everything she had left. Lydia turned just in time to meet Sloane’s charge and rolled onto her side, snapping at Sloane’s unprotected belly as she flew harmlessly over the alpha. Both wolves were on their feet again instantly, leaping towards each other with renewed force. This time, neither pulled back at the last moment, and they collided with an impact that shook the ground beneath them, teeth gnashing, claws slashing as they fought for dominance.

Naomi, still panting heavily, tried to push forward to help Lydia, but I held her back, knowing she was too injured to fight, and she would only be a liability for her alpha. "Naomi, no," I whispered urgently, my grip tightening around her fur. "She’s got this. Lydia’s got this, just watch.”

But it was hard to believe my own words. Sloane was fast, fueled by something dark and desperate. Her teeth snapped at Lydia’s neck, and for a moment, it looked like she might gain the upper hand. But the alpha was older, stronger, and with a snarl that sent chills down my spine, she twisted her body, throwing Sloane off balance. The two wolves tumbled to the ground, a flurry of fur and fury.

Lydia pinned Sloane, her jaws inches from the traitor’s throat. She snapped, saliva glistening over her teeth as she lowered her jaws.

A howl rose through the mine, long and full of pain.

Every wolf turned towards the opening, their ears perking up as the howl repeated again and again, each new cry adding another note until I was shaking with the sorrow that it conveyed. One by one, the wolves around me answered. First the two who had been saved, then Naomi, followed by one of the other wolves chained to the wall. With tears in my eyes, I crawled towards her, but the wire cutters had been lost somewhere in the battle, and I didn’t see them nearby, so I stroked her fur as she shook with the force of her howls.

The room was a symphony of pain and despair. Lydia, whose eyes had moments before only held rage, now lifted her head to join the mournful chorus. As her howl echoed through the cavern, Sloane took advantage of the distraction, slipping away with her tail tucked between her legs, retreating from the room. None of the wolves in the Mayfield Meadows pack seemed to notice or care; their focus was on the heart-wrenching song that filled the air, a lament for their fallen and wounded.

Their voices mingled with the howls of two others outside, and my heart sank. There should have been at least six wolves waiting for us, including little Luna. Why were there only two voices?

I turned to Naomi just as she lowered her muzzle, the last, sorrowful note fading from her throat. She met my gaze and then nodded toward the entrance, struggling to her feet as she came back to collect me.

“We can’t leave her here,” I said, my voice thick with emotion, refusing to move from the side of the smaller wolf still chained to the wall.

The red wolf, the one I had freed earlier, limped toward us, something metal glinting in her mouth. Her wary eyes remained locked on Naomi, as if she expected my mate to attack. But instead, she dropped the object at my feet and pushed it toward me in the dirt—the wire cutters.

I picked them up, bowing my head slightly in gratitude. “Thank you.”

The red wolf mimicked my gesture, her eyes gleaming with a flicker of life that gave me hope she could be saved.

But first, I had to save the wolf still chained beside me. With the help of the cutters, I was able to snip the chains holding her to the wall. The heavy silver collars, however, were another matter. They were too thick for the cutters to handle, and I knew I would need stronger tools once we were back at the compound.

The fourth and fifth wolves — there was nothing I could do.

Together, the six of us—three strangers, Naomi, Lydia, and I—began our slow march toward the exit. Behind us, the bodies of the hunters and those we could not save lay still, silent witnesses to the battle that had taken place. In front of us, the song of sorrow continued, guiding our heavy hearts as we made our way back toward the cold night outside.

CHAPTER 29

Outside, the early morning air was thick with the scent of dew and blood, the sharp contrast a reminder of the life and death scene that had unfolded. Four wolves waited for us—Jayne, crouched protectively over a shocked and shivering Luna; Jess, who stood silently, her gaze fixed on the pup; and Rylee, whose coat was so matted with blood that it was hard to tell if she was even a wolf or a beast from a nightmare. Beside them lay the still body of Sage, her lifeless eyes staring blankly at the daughter she had fought so hard to save.

I choked on a sob, my legs giving way as I fell to my knees beside her. My hands trembled as I gently stroked her fur, once warm and vibrant, now cold and stiffening under my touch. The warmth that once radiated from her, the life that had surged through her veins, was gone.

Beside us, Jayne shifted back into her human form, her eyes red with tears and anger. She buried her face in her partner’s fur, her body trembling with grief. Luna, nestled between Jayne’s knees, laid her small head on one of Sage’s outstretched paws and whimpered softly, the sound a heartbreaking echo of the sorrow that hung heavy in the air.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, choked with emotion as I struggled to hold back tears.

Jayne shook her head, her body quivering in the pre-morning chill. The dew was rising around us, sparkling like tiny diamonds on the grass and leaves, a cruel reminder that life continued even as death took its toll. The world was waking, but nothing could wash away the sight of Sage’s still form, the sight of death that lay before us.

“She didn’t have the strength,” Jayne began, her voice thick with grief. “I told her stupid ass not to come. I begged her to stay behind. But she couldn’t—she wouldn’t leave her, our, daughter.” Her words were laced with a love and frustration that only comes from knowing someone so well, you understand even their worst decisions.

Jayne’s tears flowed freely now, mixing with the dew on Sage’s fur. Luna whined again, her tiny body trembling with the weight of a loss she didn’t fully understand but felt deep in her bones.

“She died knowing Luna was safe,” Jayne whispered, her voice barely audible as she looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. “She was so strong, stronger than me, but… even Sage had her limits.”

I swallowed hard, the tightness in my throat making it difficult to speak. The sight of Sage lying there, lifeless, with Luna’s innocent grief tearing at my soul, made me feel helpless. I knew in my heart that there was nothing I could have done to save her. Sage had been on borrowed time from the moment the silver had entered her veins, but that didn’t stop the doctor in me from feeling like I had failed her.

Naomi’s voice cut through the air, gentle but laced with concern as she glanced at the blood-soaked wolf standing beside Jayne. “And Rylee and Jess?”

My heart clenched as I turned to look at Naomi, I hadn’t heard her shift, but relief battled with sadness as I quickly scanned her body to take in the full extent of the damage. There was a bullet hole in her shoulder, but she turned quickly to show me the twin exit wound on the other side—the silver had passed through.

My shoulders shook with the force of relief, knowing that Naomi would escape the fate that had claimed Sage. It wasn’t fair to Sage, but I couldn’t help the overwhelming gratitude that my mate would live. Naomi’s arms wrapped around me, holding me close as we both took a moment to acknowledge the narrow escape.

Jayne looked at Rylee, a mix of pride and sorrow in her gaze. “She showed up just after Sage died. She fought off the last of the hunters that were on our trail—running from whatever you did down there. Rylee… she’s hurt, but she kept them from getting to us. Jess showed up a few minutes later, but Maddie…” Jayne’s voice trailed off, her eyes searching the forest as if hoping Maddie might appear.

“The hunters, they got away?” Naomi asked, her eyes scanning the area, searching for any sign of the bodies.

Rylee, still in her wolf form, let out a low whine, her body trembling with exhaustion as she looked down at Sage. The blood on her coat, both hers and the hunters’, was a testament to the battle she had fought to protect her pack. I reached out to touch her, my fingers brushing against her matted fur. It was sticky with drying blood, the texture rough against my skin. Rylee didn’t pull away, but the tension in her body spoke volumes about the toll the night had taken on her.

“She protected her own, that’s what matters,” Lydia said, her voice calm and steady as she knelt beside Sage. The alpha’s presence was a grounding force, her words laced with authority and assurance. “We have to go,” she continued, her tone leaving no room for argument. “We need to get back to safety and give Sage the honor she deserves. Once we are back and clean, we can lick our wounds and start to pick up the pieces.”

Naomi, still holding me, nodded, her eyes never leaving the still form of her packmate. I could feel the tension in her body, the need to move, to do something—anything—to make this right. But there was nothing to be done except to honor the fallen and protect the living.

I leaned down, pressing my forehead to Sage’s fur, and whispered, “We’ll take care of her, Sage. I promise.” The warmth had long since left her body, but I clung to the hope that her spirit was at peace, knowing that Luna was safe.

As we prepared to leave, Rylee shifted back to her human form, her legs barely holding her up as she looked at Lydia. “We’ll take her home,” she said, her voice trembling with the weight of the loss they had all just endured.

With that, we began the solemn journey back. The dew-covered ground was soft beneath our feet, the world around us coming alive with the sounds of morning birds and rustling leaves. The songs of nature felt out of place, a stark contrast to the heavy silence that hung over our group—a ragtag band of wolves and one human, united by the loss of one of our own.

Sage’s body was carried between us, the weight of her sacrifice heavy on our hearts. As we walked, I found myself glancing at Naomi, at the strength she exuded even in the face of such grief. The memory of the vision, of the moon and the chained wolves, lingered in my mind, even as I tried to tell myself that our fight was over. The pack would need time to heal, but we had saved Luna, even if it had cost us Sage. The weight of that knowledge pressed down on me, but I clung to the promise I had made to Sage: to protect her daughter, to keep her memory alive, and to fight for the pack that had become my own.

As we left the clearing, the morning light casting long shadows over the forest floor, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted within me. The walls I had built around my heart, the fears that had held me back, were crumbling. I was no longer the outsider, an anxious human among wolves. I was part of this pack, bound by blood and loss, and I would do whatever it took to protect them.

We walked in silence, the only sound the soft rustle of leaves and the distant call of a mourning dove, as we carried Sage home.

CHAPTER 30

It was almost sundown by the time Naomi and I were able to sneak off to bed. I had spent the day patching up not only our wolves, but the three that had survived the hunters as well. They had followed us home, lost and with nowhere else to go. Lydia had accepted them, but after Sloane’s betrayal, she feared that one of them might be an informant. It was still difficult to believe that Brett would have been capable of beating and chaining another living creature to a wall just to be left for us to find and bring back. Hard to believe, but not impossible.

After I had managed to remove the silver collars, each one leaving a burn mark around its victim's neck, they had been moved to a confined and guarded section of the house. They had their own rooms, but they were currently not allowed to leave them for any reason without a guard. I understood Lydia’s concern, but it seemed cruel after what they had been through.

From what we could piece together, Sloane had taken Luna sometime after we had texted Lydia that there was an emergency at the clinic. It would have given her just enough time to whisk Luna away with no one noticing. She had come to collect Sage, whom I had been leading away from the burning clinic, directly after she had delivered the puppy to Brett.

It was horrifying, but as the more senior wolves wove the tale, each adding a theory, it came together piece by piece. Still, Jayne wouldn’t believe that it had all been Sloane alone and refused to leave the prisoners unguarded, and Lydia had agreed.

Exhaustion now clung to each of us like a heavy mourning shroud, each step up the stairs toward the room feeling like a marathon. The house was quiet now, the earlier chaos having died down as the pack mourned and prepared for what was to come. As we reached the bedroom, I hesitated at the door. It was here, in the quiet halls of this house, that I had last spoken to Sage, one-on-one, and promised to look after Luna. Taking a quick, silent moment to collect myself, I silently renewed my promise before stepping inside.

Naomi moved ahead of me, her shoulders sagging with the weight of the day, and, I suspected, the weight of the bandage I had insisted she let me adhere to her bullet wound. I could see the weariness in her every movement, but also the determination that kept her going. She was strong, stronger than anyone I had ever known, but even she had her limits. Today, we had both been pushed to them.

As we finally collapsed onto the bed, I let out a long sigh, feeling the tension begin to ebb from my body. The events of the day played over in my mind like a film reel, each moment more surreal than the last.

"Sage's funeral," I began, my voice barely above a whisper, "It's going to be beautiful. They’re building her pyre now. Lydia told me it's a tradition for the wolves, their way of sending her off to the holy forests beyond. She told me you believe it helps guide her spirit home."

Naomi nodded, her hand finding mine in the dark. “Yes. She will be honored and remembered as her spirit is sent to serve the Goddess Artemis Lykeia, Artemis of the wolves, in a land with never-ending rabbits, the juiciest she has ever known.” She paused, and I felt her body hitch beside mine, tears staining her voice as she continued, “She deserves it. After everything she did… everything she struggled for. She survived the abuses of her previous pack. She brought Jayne back from the brink. And she gave us Luna. She deserves a warrior's send-off."

I squeezed her hand, taking comfort in the warmth of her touch. She continued talking, and I let her, content to know that she was alive and going to be okay. If she needed a moment to fight off the darkness with words, filling the silence, I would let her talk all night.

“Lydia told me that Rylee came back to talk to her just after we got Sage's body back to the house. She told Lydia about Sloane… how Sloane asked her to scout ahead, and she had obeyed without question. Rylee had only been gone a minute before she heard growling behind her, followed by sounds that could only be wolves fighting. By the time she had returned, Sloane was gone, and Jess had been standing above Maddie’s body alone in a field. They haven’t been able to get her to shift, or talk, since she returned. Maddie was gone, just like that. Quick and almost silent. Rylee thinks Jess might know something, but…" She trailed off, the uncertainty hanging heavy in the air. “I told Lydia I would go, but she sent some of the other, younger girls to go retrieve Maddie’s body. They will bring her back, no matter how they find her, and we will burn her alongside Sage.” Her voice laced with bitterness as she finished, "Sloane has betrayed us all. She’s no longer one of us. We will find her and have justice for those she took from the pack.”

I nodded, feeling the anger and sadness mixing in my chest. Curling further into her arms, I tilted my head to look at the moon, waning in the sky, a velvet crescent, draping the night in its soft, silver light. There was so much I still needed to learn about my new life, and likely some very human questions that would be asked about the clinic and Brett’s disappearance. Lydia had assured me that measures would be taken to ensure that no one found the bodies of the hunters we had killed in the mine, and that all I needed to do was say Brett and I had gotten into a fight, and he had left. She and Naomi would back me up, and I guessed that Daisy would be delighted to tell the police that I had finally thrown him out on his ass.

I smiled, thinking of my quick-witted, and smart-assed tech. I didn’t know what I would do now that the clinic was likely a pile of ashes, but I needed to make it right for her.

“What are you thinking?” Naomi’s voice cut into my thoughts.

“About the clinic and what life will be like now.”

“You can rebuild here.”

The answer was so soft, so quick that I knew she had been thinking about my future as well, and it made me love her even more. There was no hesitation, or even that we would need to ask Lydia, just a simple: you can rebuild here.

With her.

I squeezed her, angling my head to offer her a soft kiss, and smiled against her lips. “I would like that. Although I thought wolves were supposed to heal quickly. You shouldn’t need to have an in-house vet.”

She shrugged, a long yawn halting whatever she was going to say for at least five seconds as her chest expanded beneath my palm. I angled it toward her breast, squeezing playfully as she whooshed stale air from her lungs. She swatted playfully at my hand before covering it with her own and pressing it over her heart. “We don’t. Or at least, I hope we don’t need you that often. But it would be good for you to have a valid career and even better for the town to still have vet care. What would Mr. Fisher do if there was no one here to give Boomer his insulin whenever they wanted to go on a sugar bender?”

I laughed, wanting to tell her that one more sugar bender might take Boomer out of the realm of vet care, but decided against it. If the wolves could pretend they were immortal, even though silver could take them out, then Boomer could have the same superpower, just with chocolate.

Probably not—but at this point, no one was going to tell him that.

“Think Lydia will be okay with it?” I asked, picturing a beautiful new clinic, built up near the road so that my clients wouldn’t need to drive all the way into the compound for treatment. I could finally get a new, state-of-the-art dental room and maybe a built-in anesthesia monitor instead of the janky rolling ones I had in surgery before…

“She already said you can use the old barn near the house. The one you can see from the driveway. We will throw down some gravel to make an easy path up to it, and it’s all yours.”

“Oh.” I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice as my dreams of a beautiful new building crumbled to reveal the mid-century barn. “Not quite what I had in mind.”

She laughed, pulling me close and kissing me with a passion that only she could bring after a day like today. When she finally let me up for air, she said, “We can make it into a castle for you if that’s what you want.”

I smiled, settling my head into the crook of her shoulder, and watched the velvet moon outside until my eyes slid shut.

CHAPTER 31

Sage’s funeral was a ritual of magic and mourning. The moon hung bright and full above the clearing, casting a silvery glow over the pyre that burned steadily, its flames licking the night sky with a fierce, unyielding intensity. More wolves than I had known lived at the compound circled around it, their heads raised in a haunting song that reverberated through my chest, pulling at something deep and primal within me. The mournful chorus echoed through the trees, a sound so beautiful and heartbreaking that it made me want to throw my head back and join them.

On either side of me, Lydia and Naomi sat, their heads tilted upward, voices entwined with the pack's as they sent Sage off to the hunting grounds beyond. Next to Naomi, Rylee lay with her head bowed, a low, keening sound escaping her that was as close to sobbing as I had ever heard from a canine. I had treated her that afternoon, seeing to the scratches and bruises that marred her body, knowing that while they would heal, the deeper wounds—the ones in her heart—would take much longer to mend. My heart ached for her, and as I watched her, I silently prayed that time would be kind to her.

Luna, tucked safely between Jess’s paws, slept through the ceremony. The little pup stirred each time the wolves’ song shifted in key or note, and a part of me wondered if she was dreaming of running with her mother in the fields beyond. Jess lowered her nose, nuzzling the pup before raising her voice to join the chorus once more. It was the first time I had heard her make any sound. I felt the small locket, meant for Luna, safely tucked in my pocket, my fingers squeezing it tightly until I was sure the little wolf etched into its surface would imprint onto my palm.

We would keep her safe. We had to.

Just as Sage had predicted, Jayne had not been able to conquer her grief and sit with her daughter at the funeral. She had stayed behind, guarding the new prisoners with a vigilance that bordered on obsession. She was convinced that one of them had helped Sloane try to kidnap her pup and kill her lover. Lydia, Naomi, and I believed Sloane had acted alone, but Jayne was certain there was another traitor among us, and she was determined to root them out.

A part of me felt bitter for Sage—that her lover wasn’t here to sing her on her way to the hunting grounds—but another part of me remembered the look in Sage’s eyes when she had told me that Jayne didn’t handle loss well. Sage had known, and she had been okay with it. It was who her lover was, and while Sage had tried to calm that side of Jayne, she wouldn’t have wanted to chain it down.

As Sage’s body began to disappear within the flames, Maddie’s was brought forth and added to the pyre. The wolves’ song resumed, quieter now but no less mournful. Luna stirred again, her small voice threading through the chorus in a combination yawn and howl. All heads turned, the wolves nearest us leaning forward to sniff and nuzzle her, reassuring themselves that she was safe. Luna yawned again, the force shaking her small body and Jess’s brown eyes met mine. She gently lifted Luna by the scruff, carrying her away from the funeral and back towards the house. No one stopped her or even watched as she disappeared into the night.

As the fire continued, Sage’s body fully consumed by the flames, the wolves’ voices finally quieted, leaving only the crackling of the pyre in the still night. Lydia and Naomi both shifted, taking turns comforting Rylee, petting her behind the ears and assuring her that she had done everything she could.

As the moon began to yield to the morning sun, we made our final goodbyes, leaving the fire to smolder out on its own. Some wolves departed to find solace in the hunt, while others retreated to the small cabins behind the main house. Rylee didn’t move, remaining by the pyre with her head on her paws, eyes slowly drifting shut. I made a mental note to check on her in a few hours, knowing she would need time to process the loss.

Naomi, her arms covered in gooseflesh from the chill, took my hand and quietly led me back towards the house.

“Tired?” she asked softly.

I nodded. “Yeah. But I need to see the clinic, start what I can only imagine is a mountain of insurance paperwork, and—oh my God, I never called Daisy!” Panic surged through me at the thought of my assistant arriving at the ruins of our clinic without any warning.

“Calm down, it’s fine,” Naomi said, letting go of my hand long enough to throw her arm over my shoulders, pulling me into her warmth. “I texted her last night. From your phone, sorry.” She gave me a sheepish look but continued, “I told her there had been an accident and that the clinic would need to be assessed before either of you could start any salvage efforts.”

My heart steadied, and I turned my head to kiss her arm, though a yawn turned it more into a gentle bite. “Thank you.” I should have been upset that she had used my phone without permission, but the fact that she had thought about my assistant at all more than made up for it. “When did you have time to do that?”

“When we were resting last night. You fell asleep, and I just couldn’t stop looking at you and thinking about how lucky I was. Even if I brought disaster and ruin into your life. Then I figured, I should help clean up that life since I now have a major role in it.” She paused, studying the house in a way that told me she was about to drop another bombshell, “I also told her you would keep paying her through the reconstruction.”

Boom. Bomb dropped.

“You what?” I blinked at her, unable to process how I was supposed to pay my tech without my clinic.

“Don’t worry. We will cover the costs, between all of us the compound has a substantial savings. One that you are entitled to a share of, what with the ruining of your life by forcing you to become my mate and all.”

I shook my head, nearly tripping us both as I wrapped myself around her. Rising on my tiptoes, I brushed a gentle kiss over her lips. “You didn’t ruin anything.”

She smiled, a glint in her golden eyes that I recognized as trouble. “Then I haven’t been trying hard enough.”

I laughed, surprised at how easy it was this morning. Another yawn had her pulling me towards the stairs. “Let’s go. You need sleep.”

I let her lead me upstairs, watching as the few women who had come back to the big house headed towards the kitchen or their rooms. The scent of bacon wafted through the air, but it wasn’t enough to pull me away from the lure of Naomi’s bed.

There was one thing, however, that I needed to do first.

“We should check on Luna.” I quickly slid a hand into my pocket, making sure the locket was still there. “I promised Sage I would look after her.”

Naomi nodded. “Of course. We’ll all help take care of her and make sure she never feels alone. Even when she’s sad and missing her mother, she’ll have dozens of others ready to provide a shoulder to cry on or a warm, furry side to snuggle into, whichever she needs.”

Together, we walked towards the room where Sage and Luna had spent their few days and nights together after her birth. A cradle had been set up in the room, with high guardrails to keep even a jumping puppy from escaping. We moved quietly, not wanting to wake her.

The room was silent, and I tiptoed to the crib, only to find it empty.

“Jayne probably came to get her,” Naomi said, squeezing my hand.

I remembered Sage’s warning—that Jayne might try to take her daughter away—and a cold knot of fear tightened in my stomach. If Jayne had taken her… if I had failed… I nodded, trying to push the worry down. There were a handful of wolves in the house right now; no one would have allowed anything to happen to her. We just needed to find her other mother.

Jayne’s room was also empty, and my heart began to sink as we hurried downstairs, running into Lydia on the way up.

“You two look unwell,” the alpha said, her eyes narrowing as she scanned our faces.

“We’re just looking for Jayne. Have you seen her?” Naomi asked.

“She’s ‘interrogating’ the wolves we saved,” Lydia replied, her tone making it clear what she thought of Jayne’s methods. “I ordered her to stop, so she’s probably back to pacing outside their rooms right now.”

“Was Luna with her?” I blurted, a lump forming in my throat.

Lydia’s gaze sharpened as she turned to face me fully. “No. Why?”

Naomi’s grip on my hand tightened almost painfully. “She’s not in the nursery.”

The alpha went still, her eyes scanning us, the stairs, and then the surrounding area as if she might find some trace of the pup. “One of the other girls?”

“That’s the only explanation, right?” Naomi’s voice was steady, but I could hear the underlying tension. We both knew there was another, more terrifying possibility. Luna had been stolen once—why not again?

As if reading my thoughts, Lydia frowned. “Sloane wouldn’t be stupid enough to come into this house again. Not so soon.”

“We were all at the funeral,” I said, my voice shaking slightly.

Lydia’s eyes darkened, and she shouted for the other women in the house to meet in the living room immediately. We had no choice but to follow.

As everyone gathered, a quick headcount revealed that two wolves were missing—Jayne, who was indeed pacing outside the rescued wolves’ rooms, and Jess.

“Has anyone seen Jess?”

“Was she at the funeral?”

“Maybe she’s hunting?”

“Is she with the new wolves?”

“Jess sucks at hunting.”

“She kind of sucks at everything.”

“Has anyone asked Rylee?”

Voices rose, each one louder than the last, until they caught the attention of our other missing wolf. Jayne stalked in, dark circles under her bloodshot eyes. “What is all the yelling about?”

Lydia turned to her, making a downward motion with her hand to quiet the rest of us. “Have you seen Jess?”

Jayne immediately shook her head. “No.”

The room held its breath as Lydia asked the next question. “Have you seen Luna?”

A low growl rumbled in Jayne’s chest, her claws sprouting from her nail beds. She clenched her fists, blood dripping onto the wood floor. “No. Why?”

The room fell silent, every wolf on edge, eyes shifting between Jayne and Lydia. The sharp scent of fear and blood began to creep into the air, mingling with the lingering scent of burning wood from the pyre outside.

“Jess and Luna are both missing,” Lydia growled, her voice barely controlled as she locked eyes with Jayne.

“If she has taken my daughter again,” Jayne spat, her voice shaking with fury, “I’ll tear her apart.”

Naomi’s hand tightened around mine, her tension mirroring the panic that was beginning to settle into my bones. If Luna was gone… if Sloane had somehow slipped through their defenses again…

“We need to find them,” I whispered, my voice barely audible but still cutting through the heavy silence. “We can’t let Sloane get away with this. Not again.”

Lydia nodded, her gaze sweeping the room, calculating, deciding. “Search every inch of the house and the grounds,” she commanded, her tone brooking no argument. “No one sleeps until we find Luna and Jess.”

Wolves began to move, some shifting into their animal forms, others racing to their rooms to gather what they needed for the search. Jayne was the first out the door, her growl echoing down the hall as she tore into the morning light. Her howl of rage and anguish followed, reverberating through the house.

Naomi and I exchanged a glance, both of us knowing what this meant. There would be no rest until Luna was found, no peace until Sloane was brought to justice. This nightmare that Brett and I, although unwittingly, had brought to Mayfield Meadows was far from over, and the hunt had only just begun.

As we followed the others out into the dawn light, my mind raced with questions. Where could Sloane have taken them? How had she even gotten into the house? And most haunting of all—what if they were too late?

The moon hung low over the trees, its silvery glow tinged with red as the sun rose to meet it. It looked ominous, foreboding — a blood moon.

I could feel Naomi’s presence beside me, her strength a silent comfort. But even she couldn’t chase away the growing fear that clawed at my heart.

Luna was out there, somewhere. And so was Sloane.

We had to find them—before it was too late.

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I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR COMPLICATIONS…

Three days.

Three fucking days of pacing this doorway and running the compound’s perimeter, and I was no closer to finding Luna than when we’d first dragged these wolves back from Brett’s mine.

_Saved. We saved these wolves._ Olivia’s calm, ever-patient voice echoed in my mind like a reprimand, and I shook my head sharply as if I could physically dislodge it. Saved wasn’t the word I’d use. Not when it felt like I was still losing everything that mattered.

Where was my _saved_? I had no savior, just myself.

The worn hardwood groaned under my boots as I turned for yet another pass, exhaustion dragging at my muscles like chains. Every step felt heavier, slower. But I couldn’t stop. Stillness meant facing the yawning emptiness where Sage and Luna’s scents used to linger, and I wasn’t ready for that.

My hand found the knob without thought, and I pushed the door open, my boots pivoting as I stepped into the small, sparsely furnished room.

Princess was still there, perched on the edge of the bed like a restless bird. Her fingers twisted the hem of her too-big borrowed shirt, her gaze locked somewhere far away. Her neck bore the unmistakable scars of the Hunters’ silver collar—angry red burns now fading into raw pink. Each time I saw them, my fury reignited, white-hot and consuming.

I didn’t bother softening my tone. I couldn’t.

“Please,” I growled, my voice scraping against the edges of my fraying patience. “If you know anything about where they might have taken her…” The words felt hollow, repeated so many times they’d lost meaning, but I couldn’t stop. Repeating the plea was the only tether I had left.

Princess’s head lifted slowly, her impossibly blue eyes locking onto mine. They were too steady, too clear, and it made something inside me twist uncomfortably. She didn’t look at me with pity—that, I could have handled. It was worse.

It was understanding.

Her red-gold hair caught the early sunlight streaming through the window, making her look more delicate than I could stomach. I didn’t need delicate. I needed answers. Action.

Her fingers stilled, and I caught the faintest movement of her lips, as though she was finally going to speak. My breath hitched, unbidden, and my chest puffed out slightly as I leaned forward. I hated the way my body moved on instinct, the way I loomed without realizing it.

“I—I think I might know,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, but musical and soft in a way that made my wolf stir. “But I’m not entirely sure, and I don’t want to send you on a wild goose chase when Luna needs⁠—”

My hand slammed against the doorframe before I even realized I’d moved. The sound ricocheted off the walls, sharp and jarring, and Princess flinched violently. The reaction hit me harder than any blow could have. Shame clawed at me, but it couldn’t find purchase against the all-consuming anger roaring in my chest.

I stared at my hand against the doorframe, my knuckles tight and white. Sage would have known what to say.

Sage would have been patient.

But Sage wasn’t here.

Sage was dead.

Dead because I hadn’t been there to protect her. Dead because I’d failed. And now, Luna⁠—