Chapter 2 - Connor
The timing belt didn’t snap on its own.
I crouch beside Fern’s Honda in Joe’s garage and run my fingers along the frayed edges of the belt.
The damage is too clean. Someone cut halfway through it, and the edges are still fresh—done recently, maybe within the last day or two.
Left just enough intact that it would fail after some distance.
Whoever did this wanted her stranded, and they timed it carefully.
“What do you think?” Joe asks from behind me and wipes grease off his hands with a red rag.
“Someone sabotaged it.” I stand and brush dirt off my jeans. “Cut the belt so it would fail eventually but not immediately.”
Joe’s bushy eyebrows climb toward his hairline. “That’s what it looks like to me, too.”
I point to the cuts, the pattern too uniform to be wear and tear. “Question is who and why.”
“She piss someone off?”
“Don’t know yet.” But I intend to find out. The protective instinct that flared when I first saw her standing on Main Street with Ruby grows into something darker. Someone hurt this woman’s car, which means someone wanted to hurt her.
My wolf doesn’t like that. Not one bit.
“How long for the repair?” I ask.
“Parts won’t be in until Friday at the earliest. Could be Monday if the supplier’s backed up.” Joe scratches his chin. “She got somewhere to stay?”
“Ruby’s handling it.” I pull out my phone and text Ruby. Where’d you take her?
The reply comes fast. Medical center. Meeting Patricia about the therapist job. Why?
Need to talk to her. Keep her there.
Everything okay?
Her car was sabotaged. Need answers.
There’s a pause before Ruby responds. Come quick. Patricia’s about to offer her the job. She just wants a quick chat with her first.
I pocket my phone and head for the door. “Thanks, Joe. Let me know when the parts arrive.”
“Will do. Connor?” Joe’s voice stops me. “Be careful with this one. That kind of sabotage… Whoever did it knows what they’re doing.”
“I know.” That’s what worries me.
The walk to the medical center takes five minutes, long enough for my mind to run through possibilities. Ex-boyfriend seems most likely. The exhaustion in her eyes goes deeper than a few days on the road. Someone’s been making her life difficult.
Someone’s been hunting her.
I push through the medical center’s front door, and the scent hits me immediately.
Vanilla and something floral, maybe jasmine.
My wolf perks up, interested despite my attempts to stay detached.
She’s human. Getting involved with humans always ends badly, and after what happened with the League for Humanity, the pack is still recovering from that particular disaster.
Patricia’s voice drifts from her office. “—wonderful credentials, and honestly, we’re desperate. When can you start?”
“I… I’m not sure.” That’s Fern, sounding uncertain. “My car won’t be ready for a few days, and I don’t have anywhere to stay.”
“The staff cottage is available,” Patricia replies. “It’s small but comfortable. Fully furnished. You could move in today if you wanted.”
“That’s very generous, but—”
“Think about it.” Patricia’s chair creaks. “Ruby, can you show her the cottage? Let her see what she’d be getting into.”
Ruby appears in the hallway, and Fern trails behind her.
When Fern sees me, her mouth opens in surprise.
Her eyes are blue, I realize, a blue so pale they’re almost gray.
Like a winter sky before a storm. Her ash blonde hair is pulled back in a ponytail that’s coming loose, and strands frame a heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and a full mouth that I absolutely should not be staring at.
She’s curvy in a way that makes my hands itch to touch, to map the dip of her waist and the flare of her hips.
The jeans she’s wearing hug her thighs, and her blue sweater clings to breasts that are frankly distracting.
Everything about her screams softness, from the gentle roundness of her face to the way she holds herself like she’s trying not to take up too much space.
Like someone taught her that being smaller, quieter, and less visible was safer.
My wolf likes her. More than likes her. Wants her.
Down, boy. Human. Remember?
“Oh, good,” Ruby says when she sees me. “You made it.”
“I need to talk to Fern. About her car.”
Fern’s face tightens. “Is it bad?”
“Can we talk somewhere private?”
Ruby glances between us, then nods. “Use the break room. I’ll wait out here.”
The break room is small, with just a table and a few chairs, and a coffee maker in the corner.
Fern sits and folds her hands on the table like she’s steeling herself for bad news.
I stay standing and lean against the counter.
Distance seems wise right now, given how much I want to crowd closer to her, to surround her with my presence until she feels safe.
“Your timing belt didn’t break on its own,” I explain, watching her reaction. “Someone cut it. Just recently, judging by how quickly it snapped.”
The color drains from her face. “What?”
“Someone sabotaged your car,” I repeat. “Any idea who might want to do that?”
She opens her mouth, closes it. Her hands tremble before she flattens them against the table. “I… No. That’s crazy. Why would anyone…”
“Fern.” I crouch beside her chair so we’re at eye level. Bad idea, because now I can smell that vanilla jasmine scent even stronger, and I can see the pulse hammering in her throat. See the way her pupils grow larger when I get close. “I need you to be honest with me. Is someone after you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Where are you coming from? How long have you been on the road?”
She looks down at her hands. “New York. Three days.”
“And you’ve been driving this whole time?”
“Sleeping in my car, mostly. Rest stops.” Her voice is barely audible when she adds, “I couldn’t… I didn’t want to leave a trail.”
“A trail for who?”
She wraps her arms around herself and doesn’t answer.
“Fern. Your car was sabotaged recently. Within the last day or two, based on how fresh the cuts are. You’ve been driving for three days with two suitcases and no plan. You can’t call friends for help.” I tick off the points on my fingers. “Someone’s making you run. Someone has been following you.”
Her eyes fill with tears she refuses to let fall. The sight makes my wolf snarl, protective and possessive in equal measure. “It’s not… I can handle it.”
“Look, I’m head of security for Silvercreek. My job is to keep people safe. I can’t do that if you won’t tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s my ex.” The words burst out of her like she’s been holding them back too long. “Robbie. We broke up six months ago, but he won’t accept it. He keeps showing up at my apartment, my office. Calling, texting. I got a restraining order, but it didn’t stop him. Two weeks ago, he…”
She trails off and curls into herself. The gesture is so defensive, so small, that I want to wrap myself around her until nothing can touch her.
“What did he do two weeks ago?”
“He broke into my apartment. I came home from work, and he was just… there. Sitting on my couch like he belonged. He said if I ever tried to leave him again, he’d make sure I regretted it. That I belonged to him. That I always would.”
Rage floods through me, hot and vicious. My wolf snarls and demands I find this Robbie and teach him what happens to men who threaten women. Who claim ownership over someone who doesn’t want them. I force myself to breathe, to stay calm. Getting angry won’t help her.
“So you ran,” I surmise.
She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand and nods. “I packed what I could and left that night. I thought if I got far enough away, he’d give up. But if he sabotaged my car…”
“He’s been following you. Probably tracking your credit cards or your phone.”
“I paid for everything in cash. And I turned off location services—”
“Doesn’t matter if he has access to your cell provider.” I run a hand through my hair and already start thinking through security measures. “He could be tracking your phone’s pings off cell towers. Or he put a tracker on your car before you left.”
Fern looks stricken. “So he knows I’m here.”
“Not necessarily. He knows your general direction, maybe. But Silvercreek is off the beaten path. We’re not easy to find if you’re not looking for us.
” I stand and pace the small room as my mind cycles through possibilities, threats, and defensive strategies.
“The cut was fresh. Done in the last day or two. He’s been following you, got access to your car while you were stopped somewhere.
Rest stop, maybe, while you were sleeping. ”
Fern’s face goes even paler. “Oh God. You think he was that close?”
“Looks like it. But that also means he doesn’t know exactly where you are now. He damaged your car, hoping you’d break down and end up stranded. Instead, you made it to Silvercreek.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” I stop pacing and move back to her chair. “You’re here now, which means you’re safe. He won’t get near you.”
She looks up at me, those pale blue eyes searching my face. “You don’t even know me. Why would you do that?”
“Because this isn’t your fault. He’s the one who broke the law, who threatened you. You did what you had to do to stay safe.”
“I’m not part of your town. I’m just passing through.”
“Patricia just offered you a job and a place to live,” I point out. “Ruby’s ready to adopt you as her personal project. And your car won’t be ready until Friday at the earliest.”
“Friday?” She slumps in her chair.
“Parts are backordered. Could be Monday.” Her shoulders round forward like the weight of the world had just doubled. “Fern, listen to me. Whoever this Robbie is, he won’t find you here. We’re a tight-knit community. Strangers get noticed. And if he does show up…”
“What? You’ll what, scare him off? He’s not afraid of anything. That’s the problem.”
“He’s never met me.” The growl in my voice surprises even me. I clear my throat and try to rein in the wolf. “Point is, you’re safer here than out on the road alone. Take the job. Stay in the cottage. Give yourself time to figure out your next move.”
“Why do you care?” The question isn’t accusatory, just tired. Genuinely curious. “You don’t know me.”
Good question. Why do I care? I should be telling Nic, our Alpha, about this and running a background check to make sure she’s not bringing trouble to the pack.
Instead, I’m practically begging her to stay.
My wolf is circling her scent like a shark and memorizing every note of vanilla and jasmine, taking note of the way her breath catches when I get close.
“Because you need help,” I answer. “And I don’t like bullies.”
She studies me for a long moment. Therapist eyes, I realize. She’s used to reading people, finding their secrets. What does she see when she looks at me?
Finally, she nods. “Okay. I’ll stay. For now.”
Relief washes through me, stronger than it should be. “Good. Let’s go find Ruby and check out that cottage.”
We leave the break room and find Ruby waiting in the hallway with Patricia. Both women look up expectantly, and I catch the knowing glance they exchange. Great. Ruby’s already plotting something.
“Everything sorted?” Patricia asks.
“Her car won’t be ready until Friday, maybe Monday,” I explain. “She’s going to need somewhere to stay.”
“Well, the staff cottage is still available,” Patricia offers. “Fern, you’re welcome to stay there while you think about the position. No pressure. Just give yourself a safe place to rest and consider your options.”
Fern looks surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Ruby, why don’t you show her the cottage and help her get settled?”
Ruby loops her arm through Fern’s. “Come on. Let’s get you fed and into an actual bed. You look exhausted.”
Fern glances back at me as they head for the door. “Thank you. For… everything.”
“Just doing my job.” But we both know that’s not entirely true.
After they leave, Patricia appears beside me. “That was kind of you.”
“She needs help.”
“Sure seemed that way to me.” Patricia crosses her arms. “Are you going to tell Nic?”
“Yeah. He needs to know we might have an angry ex-boyfriend showing up.” I rub the back of my neck. “I’ll handle it.”
“I’m sure you will.” Patricia’s smile is knowing. “She’s pretty.”
“She’s human.”
“So?”
“So humans and shifters don’t mix well. We’ve learned that lesson enough times.” I think of the League for Humanity attack, of Dylan’s brother dying in the street, of the paranoia and fear that followed. “Can’t afford to forget that.”
“Some humans,” Patricia corrects. “Not all humans are like the League for Humanity. And from what little I overheard, Fern’s running from a monster. Maybe she could use some real protection for a change. The kind that doesn’t come with conditions or control.”
I don’t answer as I head for the door. Outside, the sun is starting to set and paints Silvercreek in gold and orange.
I can see Ruby and Fern walking toward the eastern edge of town, where the staff cottage is.
Fern’s blonde ponytail swings as she walks, and even from this distance, I can see the curve of her hips, the way her jeans hug her thighs.
She moves like someone who’s been hurt for moving too freely.
My wolf rumbles approvingly, possessively.
This is a bad idea. Getting involved with her, even just as her protector, is asking for trouble. She’s human, she’s running from danger, and she’s vulnerable and scared and probably not thinking clearly about anything. The last thing she needs is a werewolf with control issues sniffing around her.
But when I remember the fear in her eyes when she talked about her ex, the way her hands shook, and the exhaustion that seemed to radiate from her very bones…
Yeah. I’m already involved.
I pull out my phone and text Nic. Need to talk. Got a situation.
His reply is immediate. I’m in my office.
I head toward the pack house and already start composing what I’m going to say. A human woman with a dangerous ex-boyfriend just moved to Silvercreek. We need to be prepared for potential trouble. Standard security briefing. Nothing personal about it at all.
But in the back of my mind, my wolf is circling that vanilla jasmine scent and memorizing it, claiming it.
Mine, he whispers.
Not mine, I tell him firmly. Just someone who needs protection.
The wolf doesn’t believe me. And honestly? Neither do I.