Chapter 2
Mason
I sat on the forest floor with my knees pulled to my chest. The wolves from Pecan Pines had spread out across the clearing, boots crunching over leaves, their low voices weaving through the trees.
At first, all they talked about was the case.
The missing packless shifters. The broken branches along the path. Whether the drag marks meant someone had fought back.
But once it became clear they were heading back to Pecan Pines to regroup, the mood shifted and conversations loosened.
Someone complained about an early shift at the mechanic shop. Another asked if the Saturday market was still happening in town.
Then they debated what they were grabbing for breakfast once they got back. Pancakes versus breakfast burritos, apparently a serious argument.
It threw me. That was a pack, I supposed. Life moving on even with tension still hanging in the air, as if nothing had really changed.
My eyes never left the man standing a distance away.
The one they called Gino had his phone pressed to his ear, pacing slowly near the tree line. Every so often, he turned his back to the group, lowering his voice further. He had to be the one leading this operation.
From the look of things, my future was sitting in that man’s hands.
There had been pushback. I’d seen it.
When Levi insisted I go back with them to Pecan Pines, a few of the wolves exchanged looks. One of them outright asked if that was wise.
Gino hadn’t argued at first, but he hadn’t agreed either. Then Levi stepped closer to him, jaw tight, and murmured something before guiding him a few feet away from the rest of the group.
I couldn’t hear what they said. I only saw Levi’s shoulders go rigid, saw Gino’s brows pull together, saw the moment Levi crossed his arms like he’d dug his heels in.
He’d been arguing for me. I shifted slightly, focusing on the ground instead of the tightness in my chest.
Eventually, Gino made the call, stepping farther toward the trees. It was obvious he was checking with someone higher up, whoever actually made the decisions.
That had been over twenty minutes ago.
Twenty long minutes of me sitting here, trying not to look like I was waiting for a verdict.
Gino glanced over his shoulder at me now. Our eyes met for half a second before he dragged a hand through his hair and turned away again, continuing the call.
My stomach dropped. That wasn’t a good sign.
I bent forward and picked up a dried leaf from the forest floor, brittle and curled at the edges. I tore it in half, then in half again, the pieces flaking between my fingers.
A small brown duffel sat beside me, packed with the few things I owned—a change of clothes, my toothbrush, and the cheap burner phone tucked into the front pocket.
The second Gino made that call, Levi had told me to pack a bag, just in case.
I’d taken it as a yes, packing before anyone had actually agreed. I felt like an idiot.
My coyote paced under my skin, restless, twitching at every shift in tone from across the clearing. He didn’t like this. Didn’t like being surrounded by wolves. Didn’t like not knowing where we stood.
A warm, familiar scent threaded through the damp earth and pine, something that made my coyote still instead of bristle.
Then the weight of someone dropping down beside me. It was Levi.
The soft ground dipped slightly under him. His thigh brushed mine for a second before he adjusted, but the contact was enough.
Just like that, the noise in my head quieted. I hated how fast it happened.
My coyote, traitor that he was, settled with a pleased little huff. Safe.
Safe? Ridiculous.
I dropped the shredded pieces and wiped my hands on my jeans, forcing myself to stop fidgeting.
Levi leaned back on his hands, long legs stretched out in front of him. He looked relaxed, but there was tension in the line of his jaw. His gaze flicked briefly toward Gino before settling on me.
“What are you doing sitting out here?” he asked. His voice was low, roughened slightly by the cold morning air. “I thought you were back at your cabin packing a bag.”
I swallowed and nodded toward the duffel at my other side. “I already did.”
His eyes followed the movement of my thumb. They lingered on the bag for a beat longer than necessary.
Something shifted in his expression.
“You move fast,” he said.
“I didn’t have much to pack,” I replied lightly. “Figured it was better to be ready.”
God, I sounded desperate.
For a second, doubt crept in. Maybe I’d gotten ahead of myself, already believing something when nothing had been decided yet.
“What if he says no?” I asked before I could stop myself.
Levi turned his head fully toward me then.
His dark blond hair caught the early light, the strands a shade lighter at the ends, like he’d spent too much time outdoors.
Up close, his eyes were sharper than I remembered. Not just the deep mossy green, but the way they held steady on me. Like he was studying something he didn’t quite understand yet.
“He won’t,” Levi said.
“You don’t know that.”
His mouth curved slightly at one corner. “I’d bet on it.”
He said it so easily, like the outcome was already settled. I didn’t know whether to be reassured or irritated by it. Still, some of the tightness in my chest eased.
Across the clearing, Gino finally lowered his phone.
Gino’s mouth was a hard line. Whatever the person on the other end was saying, it didn’t look like a yes.
I gave Levi a weak smile. “Looks like you’re wrong. Guess I won’t be needing that bag after all, huh?”
Levi followed my gaze. His brow furrowed as he studied Gino for a second too long, then he stood up.
Panic shot through me. Without thinking, I grabbed him. “Hey—wait.”
The second my fingers closed around him, I froze.
I hadn’t meant to touch him. The muscle under my grip tightened instinctively, like his wolf reacted before he did. Levi went still and looked down at my hand on his wrist.
Heat rushed up my neck. I dropped his wrist immediately, like I’d burned myself. I rubbed my palm against my jeans.
“I—” I cleared my throat. “You don’t have to push it. I don’t want you guys getting into trouble because of me. I’ll just stay at the cabin. I’ll be fine.”
Levi was still staring at the spot where my hand had been.
For half a second, something flickered across his face. Then he blinked, like he’d snapped out of whatever thought had caught him, and looked at me.
The expression he gave me made my stomach flip.
“No,” he said. “It isn’t safe here.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he shook his head once, sharp and decisive. “And Gino knows it too.”
Before I could respond, he turned and strode toward Gino.
I pulled my duffel onto my lap and wrapped my arms around it, holding it tight against my chest. My pulse was hammering so loudly I was certain every wolf in the clearing could hear it.
Levi stopped in front of Gino and held out his hand.
Even from a distance, I could tell he wasn’t asking politely.
Gino stared at him for a long moment, jaw ticking. Then, with visible reluctance, he handed over the phone and crossed his arms over his chest.
Levi walked a little farther into the trees, turning his back to us as he lifted the phone to his ear.
I couldn’t hear what he was saying. But I could see it.
His shoulders squared. One hand lifted as he spoke, fingers cutting through the air in sharp, controlled gestures. His back seemed to tense each time he emphasized a point.
He wasn’t yelling, but there was restrained intensity in every movement. Like he was holding a line and daring someone to push him off it.
Levi didn’t back down. He was fighting for me again. A packless coyote he barely even knew.
The seconds dragged.
Then Levi’s shoulders eased, just slightly. He gave a small nod and handed the phone back to Gino.
Gino shook his head once, then turned toward the rest of the group. He lifted his hand in a short, sharp signal.
Everything changed in an instant.
The casual chatter of the other two wolves died mid-sentence. Within seconds, they were moving, packing up equipment, slinging bags over their shoulders, heading toward their trucks in efficient, practiced coordination.
Did it work? Was I going with them?
Levi turned back toward me.
The smile he gave me was small at first, then it widened just enough to soften the sharpness of his features. The morning light caught in his eyes, the dark mossy green turning a shade lighter at the edges.
“C’mon,” he said, stopping in front of me and holding out his hand. “Let’s go.”
He stood there with his hand extended like the decision had already been made, that there was no question I was coming with them.
I stared at his hand for half a beat too long before I placed my hand in his.