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He jumped out the truck and jogged into the bar. Mid-morning, the bar and grill wasn’t open for business yet, but I presumed Liam was there setting up as Noah had each day.

It all started at this bar. I first met Noah here. I came with such a clear plan and once I stepped into that bar, my world fell off its axis.

If I’d met Ashton somewhere else, would I have run into Noah?Probably. I suspected not only destiny, but Joan had a hand in ensuring Noah and I reconnected. A plan fifteen years in the making.

What if Noah’s theory was true? What if by mating with him, we broke the hunter curse? I still had no urge to kill him or his brothers for their blood. Was this what Joan planned all along? Was this why she left me the house and not my mom?

I stared out the windshield to the road leading out of town.

What awaited me back in Seattle?Nothing. I’d lost my job. I’d almost burned through my savings by paying my share of the rent on my tiny apartment. I had no idea where my mother was, somewhere, with someone, most likely hunting shifters.

Nothing awaited me back in Seattle.

Everything that meant something to me was…right here in Woodland Falls. Everything Noah loved and cherished was here, too.

He told me wolves valued family above everything else. Yet, when it came down to it, he chose to leave his family for me. He chose to walk away from his life to be with his mate.

I clawed at my chest as the pressure increased so much I struggled to inhale.

I loved this man, more than I ever thought possible. I couldn’t let him leave all this for me.

In the summer I spent here with Joan, I felt more connected with her than my own mother. With Joan’s death, the Coles no longer had the concoction masking their scent. Without that protection, they were vulnerable to attack from other hunters. Ones that would kill them.

Joan wasn’t just a hunter. She was the descendant of a powerful witch. We were so alike, not just in looks but I now suspected in values, and the belief to do what was right.

What if I…stayed? I had Joan’s grimoire. I could use it to study, practice magic and develop my skill to protect the Coles and the entire shifter community. I could continue Joan’s legacy and break the hunter curse for every family line of the original coven.

I’d no longer be a failure. I’d finally become a woman I was proud of.

A woman Joan would be proud of.

Reaching over to the ignition, I grabbed the keys to Noah’s truck and got out. Inside the bar, I found Noah talking to Liam, pointing at various bottles with a clipboard in his hand. The scene threw me right back to the beginning, to that first night I came to Woodland Falls and saw him standing behind the bar.

I slid onto the same stool I sat on that night.

Noah glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Sorry. I just need a few more minutes.”

I dismissed his concern with a wave. “I’m staying right here.”

He turned back to Liam, paused, then glanced at me. “What did you say?”

I placed my forearms on the bar top and settled in. “I think you should have a cocktail night every Friday. Maybe from seven? Start with a few classics to see if the locals like it before you go crazy ordering fancy glassware.”

He moved closer to stand before me, a slight frown on his face. “Okay.”

He didn’t get it. I needed to be more obvious. “Maybe I could help, you know, we could test them before adding the cocktails to a menu. I could also help clear tables. You could teach me how to pour a beer.”

“Mia, what are you saying?”

Deep breath.

For the first time in my life, I was about to put down roots. Not where I expected. In fact, somewhere totally unexpected. I didn’t have a job, but given I still owned Joan’s house, I could take my time finding work.

I glanced past Noah at his brother, who watched our exchange with a warm smile on his face. From the second I walked into this bar four weeks ago, the Cole family had been nothing but kind and welcoming.

Being here felt right. Staying here with Noah had never felt more right.

Liam’s slight nod was the final reassurance I needed, to know I’d made the right decision.