Chapter One #2
My parents weren’t loving. They were troubled.
Abusive when they drank, and they drank often.
Their erratic and belligerent behavior made my life hell.
It got us ostracized from our pack. Since I was their offspring, I too was shunned.
Because of that, being part of a pack isn’t something I’ve ever experienced.
Instinctively, I know I should want to be a part of a pack, but I prefer my freedom.
Once I have my things in the apartment, I head out to get some food and drink. The Fox & The Kettle’s neon sign glows in the distance two blocks up. Outside the scent of other wolves is much stronger. The musky traces hang in the chilled air, mixed with pine and snow.
This place is claimed. I can feel it. It’s always stressful entering another pack’s territory because you’ll be approached at some point by the alpha.
Although, the sense I have of this local pack is that they’re stable.
Their leader must be a calming influence on them because there’s no overt aggression coming at me from the shadows.
The Fox & The Kettle turns out to be exactly the kind of place I need tonight.
Inside, dark wood, low lighting, and classic rock greets me.
The walls are lined with local photos and memorabilia, everything from old ski equipment to vintage license plates.
It smells of beer, burger grease, and decades of wolves marking their territory.
The bartender is a wolf, tall and broad-shouldered with salt-and-pepper hair and muscled forearms. His scent carries quiet confidence, the kind that comes from belonging to an established pack that has his back. He sets a menu in front of me with a smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes.
“What can I get you?” he asks.
“I’d love a beer. What do you have on tap?” He rattles off several options and I choose one from a local brewery. “Are you still serving food?”
“Yep.” He gestures to the menu. “We’re out of chicken wings but we have everything else.”
“I heard from Ellie Whitaker that the burgers are good here.”
He smirks. “They are. Best burger in Golden Peak.”
“Then I’ll have a cheeseburger and fries, please.”
He takes the menu back. “I’ll put your order in.” Before he disappears into the back he gets me my beer.
I take a sip of the cold brew, aware the humans and wolves are all staring.
I feel their curiosity like an itch between my shoulder blades.
I’ll need to get used to life in a small town.
Pack politics mean more here. In the bigger cities like where I came from, the packs don’t have the influence they do in the rural areas.
There are too many packs in a big city. It’s hard for any one group to win dominance in that situation.
But in a small town like Golden Peak, there will be one main pack that’s above all the others.
There’s a group of wolves at a corner table that I suspect belong to the dominant local pack.
They’re not subtle about hiding their interest in me.
They’re openly watching me while they talk in low voices.
Every now and then they’ll laugh loudly at something, and I suspect it has something to do with me.
The beer is better than I expected, rich and complex. My nerves have me drinking faster than intended, so by the time my burger arrives my mug is empty. Jim notices my empty glass and lifts his brows.
“Another?” he asks.
“Uh, sure,” I respond, popping a fry into my mouth. It’s hotter than expected and it sears the inside of my mouth. I can’t help wincing.
Jim’s lips twitch and he goes to get me my other beer.
A wolf slides onto the stool next to me. He’s probably in his mid-thirties, nice looking with brown hair and mossy green eyes. “You’re new in town.” It’s not a question. I’m sure in a small town like this any stranger sticks out.
I nod. “Yep.”
“I’m Steve.” He holds out his hand, his smile flirtatious.
Reluctantly, I take his hand. “Jude.” I didn’t come to the bar to get laid. I just wanted some food and a beer. But Steve is on the hunt it seems.
“Buy you another drink?” he asks.
“I’m good, thanks.” I keep my eyes on my plate, but he doesn’t take the hint.
“Come on, let me show you a little hospitality.” He nudges my arm. “How about a shot of whiskey to go with your beer?”
I grit my teeth. I don’t want to be rude, but I just want to eat my burger and drink my beer in peace. But since there’s no polite way to say that, I say nothing.
Undeterred by my cold shoulder, he asks, “Are you just passing through?”
“No.” I meet his curious gaze. “You?”
“I’ve lived here for three years.” His gaze drops to my mouth. “It can get a little lonely sometimes.”
You’re not too subtle are you Steve?
I’m saved from answering when a group of humans come in, shaking snow from their coats and bringing a blast of cold air with them. They’re all laughing as they call out greetings to Jim. One of them, a redheaded woman about my age, catches my eye and gives me a friendly nod. I nod back politely.
A very attractive guy enters the bar and joins the group of humans.
He’s a wolf, about thirty with a muscular build, dark hair and eyes.
He’s greeted immediately by the red-haired woman.
They kiss and he slips his arm around her slender waist. His smile is affectionate and she seems to beam under his attention.
I don’t blame her. He’s sexy AF. I have no interest in getting involved with anyone romantically, human or wolf, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind.
The dark-haired wolf’s gaze sweeps the bar.
When his eyes land on me, something shifts in his expression.
It’s subtle, just a flicker of something I can’t discern crossing his features.
His attention lingers a beat too long before he turns back to the redhead, but there’s a tension in his shoulders that wasn’t there a moment ago.
My wolf stirs restlessly under my skin, responding to something I don’t understand.
It’s not fear or aggression. It’s something else entirely.
Something that makes my pulse quicken and my fingers tighten around my beer glass.
It’s like my wolf recognizes him, even though I’m positive we’ve never met.
“So what brings you to Golden Peak?” Steve asks, still trying to get in my pants. His voice pulls me back from whatever the hell just happened between me and the dark-eyed wolf.
“Work,” I say shortly, taking a bite of my burger to discourage further conversation.
The dark-eyed wolf glances my way again, and this time our eyes meet directly. His brow furrows slightly, like he’s trying to solve a puzzle. Then the red-head leans in, saying something that makes him smile, and the connection breaks.
I force myself to look away, focusing on my food. Steve is still talking. Something about the best hiking trails in the area, but I’m barely listening. I’m too aware of the stranger across the bar, tracking his movements in my peripheral vision even as I pretend total disinterest.
Whatever I’m feeling, it’s odd and inconvenient. I’m here to work. To rebuild confidence in my ability to be a good cop. The last thing I need is... whatever this is. Besides, it’s obvious he’s with the red-head. She’s hanging on him like a sweater and he’s eating up the attention.
“...so if you ever want a guide, I’m your guy,” Steve finishes, clearly hoping for some kind of positive response.
“Thanks,” I manage. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I feel kind of bad being so unfriendly to poor Steve.
He seems like a nice guy, but even if I was looking for a hookup, he’s not my type.
His energy is too needy. Unstable. I have too many issues of my own to deal with.
Getting involved with someone like Steve would only make my life more complicated.
No thanks. I’m all about no complications right now.
Across the bar, the dark-haired wolf is laughing at something one of his friends said, but his eyes drift back to me once again. The confusion is still there, mixed with something that might be curiosity. Or maybe I’m imagining that. Maybe I’m projecting my own inexplicable reaction onto him.
I drain my second beer and signal Jim for the check. Steve finally seems to get the hint, mumbling something about seeing me around before retreating to his friends. The check comes quickly and I leave cash on the bar, not waiting for change.
The fresh air outside is a relief from the stuffiness of the bar.
I zip my jacket against the wind and head back toward my apartment.
I need sleep, but my wolf is clawing at my insides, restless and agitated in a way I haven’t felt in years.
I try to ignore it but it eats at me. The truth is I feel like I need to run.
To shift. I feel like I’ll go insane if I don’t.
I reach the Blue Pine Apartments. Behind the big structure, the woods press close, dark pines heavy with snow.
I can smell the boundary markers in the distance, although the immediate area around the apartment complex is neutral ground.
My wolf pushes harder for relief, restless and demanding release.
I probably shouldn’t give in to it, but I’m tempted.
I glance around, making sure no one is outside.
Shifters live among humans, but that only works because most of them have no idea we exist. The only time a human learns the truth is if they marry a shifter or end up raising a shifter child, and by then the secret protects their own family too.
I’m not about to be the wolf who ruins that balance.
Instinct tells me humans wouldn’t take the news well.
They rarely do when something isn’t like them.