Chapter 1
Boaz
“Are you going to make your move?” Hansel asked, his eyes fixed on Lyla.
Both brothers were staring at her, and she was staring right back at them.
She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger as she swayed to the music, the bonfire crackling behind her and sending sparks drifting into the night sky.
She looked stunning in her white summer dress and simple pumps, the firelight making her skin glow.
Boaz couldn’t stop watching her. Every part of him wanted to stand up, walk over, and pull her into a dance.
But he wasn’t brave enough. And Lyla had never actually shown interest in him.
She only ever seemed to notice him when he was beside Hansel, which confused him more than he cared to admit.
Right now, her gaze flicked between both of them, her smile soft, teasing.
And Boaz couldn’t shake the feeling that she wanted Hansel but didn’t want to be obvious about it.
Hansel was the alpha of their pack, after all.
He had no shortage of women eager to get his attention, while Boaz…
well, Boaz struck out more often than not. More like all the time.
Hansel liked to say it was because he didn’t try hard enough, that he gave up too easily.
But that wasn’t true. He did try. It just never worked out, and honestly, he didn’t care most of the time. He preferred quietly working the land, painting the Claremore meadows on his lunch breaks and living his life in peace. He’d never wanted anyone badly enough to change that.
Except Lyla. From the moment she moved to their pack last year, everything changed. He wanted her.
But if she wanted his brother instead…
“Go. She’s waiting for you,” Hansel said, giving his back a firm slap.
Boaz coughed and shifted an inch away. “Fuck, that hurts. Keep your massive hands to yourself.”
“Massive hands,” Hansel barked out a laugh and took a swig of his beer. “Compared to you, I’m tiny. You’re a damn giant.”
Boaz snorted, but he tugged his shirt higher over his shoulder like it could hide the size of him.
His height and packed muscles made him self-conscious.
He always suspected that was why women didn’t give him a chance.
He was too big, too rough around the edges…
and standing next to Hansel, he felt like an ogre.
Nothing about him said charming or handsome.
He rubbed the back of his neck, fighting the urge to bolt and head home. He had promised Hansel he’d stay through the pack’s first full-moon dance, and they still had a run to do afterward.
He wasn’t looking forward to that.
His wolf was a menace. It didn’t play well with others. That was one reason he could never be alpha, well, that and the fact that he preferred being alone.
He couldn’t give the pack what it needed, and Hansel clearly could. Watching him move through the crowd, talking and joking with the others like he’d been born for this, Boaz almost forgot he was the younger brother. Hansel was a true leader.
“No. I think she likes you,” he said finally, dragging the conversation back. The words had to be said, and he needed them out. If Hansel wasn’t interested…then…
“You need the fuck more than I do,” Hansel muttered.
So, he knew. Boaz’s jaw tightened.
It shouldn’t have mattered whether his brother knew or not, a fuck was a fuck. But the thought of being with a woman who didn’t actually want him left a sour taste in his mouth.
Boaz lifted his beer and took a slow sip, his eyes on the bonfire.
Sparks shot upward, drifting into the trees.
The scent of wildflowers rolled in from the meadows.
It should’ve been a perfect night, exactly the kind he lived for.
But when he lifted his gaze to the full moon, its pale light crawling over his skin, something inside him stirred restlessly.
Maybe a run would clear his head. At the very least, it would burn off some of the aggressive energy clawing at his wolf before the others arrived.
He pushed himself up, but Hansel grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“Don’t go,” his brother said softly, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice, like he already knew what Boaz was feeling. “I’m going to get you laid tonight.”
“Don’t bother. I’m fine,” Boaz said, patting Hansel’s hand. “Besides, a pity fuck is worse than no fuck at all.”
Hansel barked a laugh and got to his feet, yanking Boaz up with him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. A fuck is a fuck. Pity or not, you still get to enjoy it. Now I know for sure you’re a virgin.”
“Me? A virgin? I’m—” Boaz sputtered, heat rushing to his ears.
Hansel didn’t give him a chance to recover and dragged him toward the clearing. Lyla was there, dancing with the rest of the pack. She looked radiant under the moonlight, her hair catching the silver glow as she laughed with her friends.
The moment they noticed Hansel and Boaz approaching, the dancing slowed, then stopped. Boaz tried to pull back, mortified.
“Please don’t,” he muttered, ears burning hotter.
Hansel didn’t stop. He kept dragging him forward like a man on a mission.
“Good evening, ladies,” Hansel said smoothly. A gaggle of giggles spread through the group. “May we join you?”
“Of course,” Lyla said, stepping toward Hansel with a bright, breathtaking smile.
The music thumped behind her, the bonfire crackling in the background as she swayed to the beat, dancing around his brother like she’d been waiting for him all night.
Hansel slid an arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear.
Boaz winced. God, what was he saying to her?
He braced himself to turn away before the humiliation swallowed him whole, until Lyla looked directly at him.
Her smile didn’t dim. If anything, it grew softer, freezing him in place.
She left Hansel’s arms and walked straight to him, her fingers sliding against his. Boaz stared down at her hand in his, his heart climbing up into his throat.
“What are…you…I..?” he mumbled incoherently.
“Come,” she said, tugging him gently as she stepped toward the line of trees, her hand warm around his. His chest tightened.
What was she doing? What exactly had Hansel told her? He wasn’t about to accept a pity fuck. Not from her.
“Lyla, you don’t have to—”
“I want to,” she said lightly, glancing back at him. “Hansel said you always swim before you shift into your wolf. I thought it could be fun.”
Boaz blinked, startled. That’s what Hansel told her? And she actually went with it?
“Yes,” he said, a little breathless. “It calms my wolf.”
That, and the hours he’d spend running afterward. It tired the wolf enough that he wouldn’t start unnecessary fights.
Antisocial psychopath, Boaz clicked his tongue.
But a smile tugged at his lips as he followed her into the shadows of the trees. For once, his wolf’s prickly nature had worked in his favor. It had bought him a quiet moment alone with Lyla.
Now all he had to do… was not ruin it
He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to think of something, anything, that would open the door to her heart. Give her a hint that he wanted her. But nothing came. His thoughts were a scrambled mess, and his nerves made it impossible to string two words together.
By the time they passed through the last of the trees and the lake revealed itself in a shimmering stretch of silver under the moon, Boaz felt like his entire body had tightened into one knot of panic.
“Oh, wow,” Lyla breathed. She slipped her hand from his and jogged the last few steps toward the water’s edge. “I can never get enough of how beautiful it is.” She lifted her arms to the sky, spinning slowly, her laughter joyful.
Boaz just stood there, watching her. Thinking of all the things he should say—none of which would leave his mouth.
She began to undress, peeling off her dress, then her shoes until she stood in nothing but her underwear, alabaster skin glowing under the moonlight. Still, he stood frozen.
“Are you coming?” she called, glancing over her shoulder. Her voice was light, teasing. “Boaz?”
“Yes,” he blurted, snapping out of his daze. “Of course.”
He stripped quickly, stopping at his boxers. The moment he straightened, self-consciousness slammed into him. He ducked his head slightly, shoulders rounding as if he could make himself smaller, less… overwhelming.
Lyla turned and waded into the lake, the water swallowing her legs with gentle ripples. Boaz followed, stepping in after her.
A low sound slipped out of him as the cool water rushed over his overheated skin. The relief was instant, soothing.
And still… he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Make your move, he told himself.
Instead of swimming toward her, Boaz sucked in a breath and ducked under the surface, letting the cold silence swallow him whole. Coward.
He couldn’t bring himself to do it, not yet. He paddled through the water, using the movement to steady his heartbeat and calm his wolf, even though he wanted to be doing something very different.
Like kissing Lyla. Like finally having a moment with her that didn’t leave him feeling like a trembling idiot.
But he wasn’t brave. Even thinking about making a move had him feeling off-balance, clumsy.
Fuck, I’m hopeless, he thought bitterly.
He was definitely going to die a virgin. The realization only annoyed him more. He wiped the water from his brow impatiently and glanced over to where Lyla swam circles around him, laughing softly as she floated on her back, completely at peace.
Just tell her you like her, he ordered himself and pushed forward.
Then he froze.
Something shifted along the tree line. Heavy. Menacing. Boaz stilled in the water, nostrils flaring. A scent drifted toward him, faint at first, then it hit him.
The scent of pine buried beneath deep snow and cold mountain air. The scent that had haunted Boaz for years. The one he had dreaded smelling again.
He’s awake, he thought, staring into the darkness.
“Lyla?” Boaz said, already swimming toward her. He reached her in a few strokes and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the shore. She stumbled out of the water, confusion etched across her face, but Boaz stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body as he kept his eyes fixed on the trees.
“What’s going on?” she whispered, following his gaze.
“The vampire is awake. Go call for help,” he said, shoving her clothes into her arms. Lyla barely moved, her eyes wide with shock.
“Go, Lyla,” Boaz said again, more urgently this time. He nudged her forward, needing her gone before the vampire decided to step out of the shadows.
Fuck.
He didn’t even know what state Alexander was in.
Boaz kept his gaze fixed on the dark forest, refusing to look away until Lyla disappeared down the path and her footsteps faded into the distance. Only then did he turn his full attention back to the looming darkness waiting for him among the trees.