6. Cherry
Cherry
In our rental vehicle, we follow Dante in his dark green jeep down a road that looks like it’s seen better days, all gravel and full of holes. We are surrounded by a forest that looks shady and green and good for running.
“I hope he’s not leading us into a trap,” Maddox says from the driver’s seat as his brow pinches in worry.
“I didn’t get any bad vibes from him,” Gage says in reassurance.
Bain strokes my side and I press further against his chest. He makes a great seat. They all do. Sitting on your own is simply overrated. I highly recommend a big, strong mate as a chair, ten out of ten. I feel his lips touch the top of my head, and I let out a sigh, wishing I could shift at will.
I close my eyes and search for the spark of magic, and for the first time in years, I feel the barest hint of it. It’s not enough to grasp onto, but it’s enough to give me hope. That wasn’t there a week ago. Does shifting help it grow? Or is it being in Starfall Haven that’s helping ignite it?
Suddenly, a pulse of power moves through me, making my eyes fly open.
“Fuck! Was that the town barrier?” Chase asks, rubbing at his chest.
“It must have been. Dante warned us about it,” Gage replies. “That means no humans from here forward.”
“I think we’re here,” Hunter says, and I peek around Maddox to look out the front. Up ahead, I can see the heavy treeline ends, and in its place are quaint little buildings.
Dante pulls off into a parking lot on our left that seems to be at the very edge of town. Maddox parks beside him as the guys start to get out.
“Stay close to me,” Bain says before releasing me and letting me jump out on my own.
I wait for him to climb out as I take a look around.
Behind Dante is the edge of a large forest. Thick oak, pine, and maple trees tower above me, and the sounds of birds and squirrels chirping away have me excited to explore.
Something about it feels more inviting than the forest back in Nebraska. Maybe because there are no humans here? Whatever it is, it calms something inside me.
Bain closes the car door, and I stay glued to his side as we approach Dante.
“You felt it when you drove through the barrier, yes?” he asks as he glances around.
“We did,” Maddox answers.
“So as long as you don’t feel that, you know you are safely in Starfall Haven’s protected land.
” He points to the forest behind him. “This is Starfall Forest. Many supernaturals who like to run, such as wolves, can run freely here without worrying about being hunted. I thought I should show this to you first.”
“Thank you,” Maddox says as we all look toward the forest. Does that mean Dr. J and his men can’t find me here?
I’m pretty sure they’re human, but he’d already recruited supernaturals to help him once when he convinced Kane to capture me.
I’m still not entirely safe here, even if it does feel ten times better than Westgrove already.
I press myself against Bain’s leg, and he leans toward me, stroking my head and neck.
Dante watches us, and I see a small pinch of his brow before he glances at Maddox as if trying to piece something together.
But then he seems to shake himself out of it, his casual smile returning as he gestures down the street.
“This is Main Street. You’ll find most of your needs here. There are quite a few restaurants, a bakery that makes delicious treats, a couple of cafes, and even a hotel in the center of town.”
I look where he’s pointing and am pleasantly surprised.
I’m not sure what I expected from the supernatural town, but it definitely wasn’t this.
It looks like something pulled straight out of an old postcard—brick storefronts with hand-painted signs, flower boxes spilling color beneath wide windows, and not a single chain in sight.
Something in my chest loosens. Could this really be as ideal as it looks at first glance?
I learned long ago that evil can hide anywhere, and first impressions aren’t always correct.
“I assume you’ll want to head there first?” Dante asks.
“Actually, could you tell us where to find a realtor?” Gage asks.
Dante’s eyebrows lift in surprise. “You haven’t even been here five minutes, and you’re ready to move in?”
“We may stay at the hotel for a few days, but in the meantime, it will be good to know what’s available,” Maddox explains.
“Peggy is the only realtor in town. She’s an earth elemental, and she’ll definitely be able to help you. She’s actually only a few buildings away from the hotel.”
“Is there a restaurant close by too?” Chase asks. “I’m starving.”
“Yeah. I recommend Yum Yums. It’s an American diner.”
“Thanks, I could totally go for a cheeseburger,” Chase says, rubbing his stomach.
“With fries,” Hunter adds.
“And onion rings!” Chase says with excited eyes.
“Just follow this street for a couple of minutes by car. The hotel is right on the corner of the block. It’s the tallest building in town, you can’t miss it. And Yum Yums is right across the street.”
“Thanks for all your help,” Maddox says, offering a hand to Dante.
He shakes it and nods. “My pleasure. It’s always nice seeing new folks join our town. Oh, but I should warn you. Not everyone is as welcoming as me. I’d recommend keeping your distance from the vampires and demons.”
Did he just say vampires and demons?!
I know Gage had mentioned them in one of his books, but I hadn’t actually considered that other species existed outside of shifters. And what the heck was an earth elemental? Could she move dirt or something?
“Thanks for the warning,” Maddox says. Dante says goodbye, then jumps in his jeep and takes off down the road, leaving us all staring after him.
Maddox turns to face us as he asks, “So what does everyone think?”
“It feels safe so far,” Chase says, glancing down the street.
Maddox nods before giving us his plan. “Let’s stop at the hotel to get rooms for the week, then we’ll grab some food. If we’re still feeling optimistic after that, we’ll go see the realtor, Peggy, to find out what’s available.”
He looks at the forest, then frowns. “I should have asked Dante to introduce us to the town's wolf pack alpha. I need to ask permission to stay here.”
“Maybe someone at the hotel or diner will know,” Hunter suggests.
“Good idea,” Maddox says as he motions for us to get back in the SUV. “And keep your ears open for anything that could help us with the stuff going on with Cherry.”
“I’d like to check out the library,” Gage says as I jump into the SUV and take a seat on Chase’s lap this time. “That’s assuming they have one.”
“We’ll ask at the hotel,” Maddox says as he climbs into the driver’s seat.
Twenty minutes later, after securing two adjoining hotel rooms, we’re sitting in the diner in a large corner booth, with me in the middle, in my wolf form.
I glance around nervously. People glance our way, but they seem more curious than anything, and none of their gazes linger. Do they not find it strange that I’m in my wolf form?
I want to ask my guys, but of course, I can’t shift.
A woman in her fifties walks up to our table with a pen and pad of paper, and a big smile on her face in greeting. I can tell she’s supernatural, but I don’t think she’s a shifter. I’m not sure what she is, though. “Good afternoon, I’m Grace. You all must be new to town. I don’t recognize you.”
“Yes,” Maddox says with a nod. “We just arrived twenty minutes ago.”
“Oh, so brand new then! Visiting or staying?” she asks curiously.
“Hopefully staying,” he replies, and her smile grows bigger as she glances around.
“We’re always glad to have new faces around here,” she tells him. “Can I get you guys drinks to start?”
The guys already know what they want, ordering an obscene amount of food. Grace doesn’t even bat an eye at it, and I realize she’s probably used to it. She doesn’t even throw any strange glances my way.
It makes me a tad uneasy about how smoothly everything’s going so far.
“Hi,” a man says, suddenly stepping up to the table and gaining all of our attention. The second I realize he’s a wolf shifter, I press into Bain’s side, and he quickly wraps an arm around me and lets out a small growl.
The man’s eyes grow wide and he holds up his palms. “Hey, no hostility needed. I just saw you come in and wanted to say hi. I have no interest in your mate.” He avoids looking at me and keeps eye contact with Bain as he speaks, clearly knowing he’s the biggest threat.
“Sorry, we just arrived and we’re still a little jumpy,” Maddox says, trying to smooth it over.
The man looks at him and nods, his hands slowly lowering until he can push them into his pockets.
“I’m Cody. As I said, I saw you come in, so I figured I’d come say hello.”
“Are you the pack’s alpha?” Maddox asks. “I was hoping to speak with him.”
“The pack?” Cody asks with a frown. “No, there are no packs here.”
“What do you mean?” Hunter asks in confusion.
“There are no packs in Starfall Haven.”
“But… wouldn’t that make you a rogue?” Gage asks, a frown pinching his brow.
Cody lets out a loud laugh and shakes his head in amusement. “We don’t use that term here. It’s a little antiquated.”
“What term do you use?” Hunter asks and Cody just shrugs.
“Wolf shifter.”
“But won’t you go feral?” Gage asks, still confused by the whole thing.
“You guys really are new to town,” Cody says with a little surprise. “What they tell us out there, outside of Starfall Haven, is a sack of shit. Wolves go feral from staying in their wolf form too long, combined with a lack of human contact.”
Chase glances at me, and I press a little tighter into Bain’s side. Although I was bound to my wolf form for five years, I saw the human guards multiple times a day. Is that what kept me from going feral?
“And wolves don’t need to live in packs. I haven’t been in one since I was eighteen, and I’m much better for it,” Cody says proudly.
“Is there somewhere we could find out more information like this?” Gage asks. “Like, is it written in a book or something? I’ve never heard anything like that before.”