Chapter 3
CALDER
I gave up on sleep sometime around six in the morning.
After hours of tossing and turning, I’d realized it just wasn’t going to happen. My damned wolf was far too riled and had been pacing in my head for hours, irritated by the confines of skin and bone. It wanted nothing more than to rip free of my body and go hunting. And not for prey. For answers.
It’d been almost impossible to keep the bloody animal leashed. Especially after seeing those perverse words carved into Thorne’s flesh.
YOU’RE STILL MINE.
The image struck me hard, and my wolf snarled as the words flashed before my eyes.
Thorne didn’t belong to anyone. She never had. She was her own person, her own werewolf. But if she ever chose to be with someone, gods, I hoped it’d be me. She was my mate. We were meant to be together.
Fucking Evander.
If it weren’t for him, I never would have left. Never would have had to let her believe I’d abandoned her for nothing.
The problem was, I doubted she’d choose me again. Not after everything I’d done.
But one thing was certain—whoever had hurt her was going to suffer for it. I would find them, and I would string them up by their guts in the town square for everyone to see.
In the meantime, I needed to work off a little of this excess energy, if only to let me sleep.
Sitting up, I swung my legs over the side of the bed.
I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, and stared at the floor as if the carpet might cough up answers.
It didn’t. Carpets were hardly known for their wisdom.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to get any answers from Thorne.
She’d made that clear earlier this morning when she’d kicked me out.
As much as I wanted to see and talk to her, she needed space.
Finding out I still had her phone number had enraged her, and rightfully so.
Her eyes had blazed gold by the end of our conversation.
One wrong word would have sent her over the edge.
I suspected there was only one way I was going to find out what had happened to her—and it was a terrible idea.
She wouldn’t like me talking to her family, but I was out of options.
Hell, I wasn’t even sure her brothers would help.
I’d seen their faces last night, right before Thorne had kicked me out of the bar.
Ricky had looked about one second away from curb-stomping my face.
Felix had stood there, arms crossed, expression completely readable.
And Cassian… well, his gaze had cut the deepest of all, perhaps because our friendship had been the strongest between the four of us.
There’d been no anger in his gaze. Just pure, unmistakable disappointment.
That was the thing about small towns. You didn’t just hurt one person. You hurt everyone who loved them.
When Thorne and I met, we’d known instantly that we were mates.
There was this overwhelming, undeniable certainty that we belonged together.
The moment she’d introduced me to her family, they’d taken me in and made me one of theirs.
We’d run together, shared the full moon, built a life.
Walking away from Thorne had meant walking away from them too.
And the Wolfe brothers didn’t forgive easily when someone wronged one of their own.
They were feral when it came to their baby sister, fiercely loyal to anyone they considered family, and perfectly capable of making people disappear without anyone asking any inconvenient questions.
I was well aware the only reason I was still breathing this morning was because Thorne had tossed me out before they could get their hands on me.
I’d known what I was walking into before returning to town. I’d expected a not-so-warm welcome. Still, knowing didn’t make it hurt any less. And the worst part was knowing I had no one to blame but myself—a realization that didn’t make me feel any better.
I couldn’t sit here any longer. The more I stewed, the more my wolf paced. The more he paced, the closer I came to shedding my clothes and shifting. This wasn’t the right time for that.
Pushing to my feet, I crossed the room in three strides and flipped open my luggage. I quickly dressed, pulled on my boots, tossed on my jacket, and strode to the door. It was there that I paused, my fingers resting on the handle.
Was I really about to do this?
Did I truly think breaking down doors in search of answers was a good idea?
I didn’t even need to think about it. Someone had hurt Thorne. So, yes. I would push, pry, corner, and threaten every damn person in town if that was what it took.
With that thought in mind, I hurried out of the inn.
The second I stepped outside, I drew in a deep breath of the cool, misty morning air.
Eternity Falls was a mystical town with a wholly paranormal population, and the only place I’d ever truly felt at home.
Nothing in the world could calm my wolf like the air in Eternity Falls.
Except Thorne.
I headed down Main Street at an easy pace, re-familiarizing myself with the sights.
I’d arrived too late last night to really take anything in.
Everyone had closed shop to attend Love Bite’s grand opening.
The only thing I’d noticed was the clocktower, and that was because it’d been glowing a welcoming deep purple. Like it knew I’d returned.
But now? With the rising sun burning off the early morning mist, I could see nothing much had changed.
The same shopfronts lined the single street, the same worn cobblestones ran beneath my feet, and the same ivy sprawled decoratively across the lattice fences and building sidings.
Hell, even Freddie the Ghost was still serving Mrs. Pomphrey her morning tea in the local café.
Not that I expected him to have suddenly moved on.
When ghosts haunted a place, they tended to stick around forever—
A solid body collided with mine, shoulder slamming into my chest hard enough to jolt me back a step.
“Shit—” I muttered, lifting my hands to brace whoever I’d run into.
She staggered back half a step before catching herself with easy, practiced balance. My gaze snagged on bright pink running shoes, then tracked upward. Dark leggings. A fitted tank clinging to sweat-slicked skin. Curly hair piled into a high ponytail that bounced when she moved.
I knew that ponytail.
Knew that scent even as it teased my nose.
Knew her.
Every instinct I had to claim her surged forward, but I tamped it back at the last second.
“Thorne.” The word came out rougher than I meant it to.
She froze, one hand hovering halfway to her ear. For half a heartbeat, just long enough for recognition to hit. Then came the tightening of her jaw. The twisting of her lips.
She yanked an earbud free with a low snarl.
“Well, fuck me sideways,” she growled. “And here I thought last night was just a nightmare.”
She pulled out the other earbud.
“I’m not in the mood for this, Calder.” She angled to the side, ready to keep jogging. “Move.”
“I didn’t know you’d be out here,” I said. “I just—I needed some air and—”
“Yeah, here’s the thing about that. I. Don’t. Care.” She met my gaze with a hard one of her own. “I asked you to move.”
Technically, she hadn’t asked. She’d ordered. And when I didn’t move, she skirted around me, clearly on the verge of bursting back into a run. My wolf growled, desperate to stop her.
I blocked her path. “Can we talk? The café’s open. We could go in, have a coffee. Two minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”
Her eyes flashed. Gold and bright in the morning light. “No.”
“Thorne,” I said. I wanted to reach for her, but instead, I clenched my hands into fists. I knew she wouldn’t appreciate me touching her. “I saw the scars. I can’t unsee them. I need to know—”
That did it.
Her shoulders went rigid, breath hitching once before she mastered it. When she looked at me again, she’d honed the fury into something far more dangerous.
“You didn’t see anything,” she hissed under her breath, her gaze darting around the street. She stepped closer, close enough for her scent to fully assault me. “Do you understand me, Calder Rook? And you don’t need to know anything. Now get the hell out of my way.”
Holy shit, she was pissed. Clearly, I’d pushed her too far. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who had forgone sleep.
Before I could reply, she jammed her earbuds back in, the music loud enough to drown me out, then took off down the street at a punishing pace, her ponytail bobbing behind her.
My wolf’s broken howl nearly deafened me.
I stood there like an idiot, chest tight, watching her disappear around the corner, knowing I’d earned every step she put between us. I deserved her animosity, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Whatever came next, I’d have to earn it. Somehow.
Sighing, I shifted my attention toward the café, maybe looking for a familiar face. Sadly, all I saw was animosity.
Mrs. Pomphrey sat at her little table and stared at me disapprovingly, her teacup cradled in both hands. She pressed her lips into a thin line, then quietly scoffed under her breath. I heard it, though, thanks to my wolf’s heightened senses.
My eyes shot to Freddie. He never looked happy, per se, but right now he wore the same look of disgust as Mrs. Pomphrey. I’d never seen such disappointment on a ghost’s face before.
And they weren’t the only two.
Everywhere I looked, someone glared back. From the dress shop’s stoop. From the hair salon’s entrance. From the post office’s front steps. It was almost as though the entire town had come out to shun me.
I let out a slow breath.
So, that was how this was going to be?
Fine. I didn’t need to stick around to catalogue every glare.
Lingering wouldn’t change anything, and I certainly had no desire to make a further spectacle of myself. I hurried down Main Street, my eyes locked on the road ahead instead of the people passing through my periphery.
Cassian’s place sat three blocks off the main drag. Or at least it had five years ago. Unless he’d sold it since then, but I didn’t see that happening. His backyard bordered the forest surrounding Eternity Falls, which made it the perfect real estate for a werewolf.
It didn’t take long for the house to come into view at the end of the block. Single-story, dark siding, wide porch, and a kitchen window glowing faintly behind thin curtains.
I stopped at the edge of his front yard and breathed in the scent drifting from his house.
Eggs. Bacon. Toast. Coffee strong enough to peel the painted siding.
Breakfast time at Cassian Wolfe’s house.
For a moment, I just stood there, debating whether to knock or leave. I needed answers, but there was no guarantee that Cassian would help me. He was just as likely to throw bubbling bacon grease in my face.
But I couldn’t convince myself to walk away. I had to know what had happened to Thorne.
So, I forced myself up the sidewalk, then climbed the steps. I raised my hand to knock—
And the front door swung open.
Cassian filled the doorway, his muscled body now almost as big as mine.
He wore a faded T-shirt and dark gray sweatpants, bare feet planted on his hardwood floor.
His gaze raked me over, and the familiar Wolfe sneer twisted his lips.
Without a word, he leaned one shoulder against the doorframe, then brought his hands together.
In the right one, he held a knife. In the left, a spatula.
Either could draw blood in Cassian Wolfe’s hands.
His brown eyes—Thorne’s eyes—met mine. There wasn’t even a hint of warmth in them.
“Morning,” he said mildly.
He didn’t say good morning, which wasn’t exactly encouraging.
“You planning on using that?” I jerked my chin toward the knife.
“Guess that depends,” he said.
I waited a moment, and when he didn’t continue, I asked, “On?”
“On whether you’re here to apologize or make excuses.”
I wouldn’t apologize for leaving. I’d done it to keep them alive, even if none of them knew that yet. And I wouldn’t make excuses either. So, I said, “Neither.”
That got his attention.
His grip on the knife tightened. I had a feeling there was no pleasant way through this conversation. He was already angry. And an angry werewolf was a dangerous werewolf.
“I’m here because I saw Thorne this morning, after the bar closed.”
“I’m aware,” he deadpanned.
“And I saw them. Her scars.”
Every muscle in Cassian’s body coiled. I was walking a dangerous line here, but I didn’t care anymore.
“I need to know what happened to her,” I said. “Those scars… Cassian.” I lifted my gaze to his. “I need to know what happened.”
For a long moment, he didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just studied me like I was an ant he was deciding whether to squash.
Then he turned and walked back into the house, knife still in hand. He disappeared into the kitchen, the front door still wide open. Warm air spilled out, carrying the scent of food.
“There’s enough for you,” he called out. “Get in here and shut the damn door. I’m not planning to feed the whole damn neighborhood. Your company is bad enough.”
That was as close to mercy as I was going to get.
I crossed the threshold and walked into the wolf’s den, closing the door behind me.