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Chapter One

Connor

Luna had changed everything.

She’d slipped into her place in our family—and the pack—with a quiet strength that caught me off guard.

Six months ago, she was still finding her footing.

Now, she moved through our lives like she belonged.

Not just as Ash’s bonded mate, but in a way that stirred something unspoken between her and me.

Nothing official, nothing defined—just real enough to make my skin prickle.

Ash and I had been living a half-life when we’d met her. We’d shared a mate once, by some cruel twist of fate, and lost her over three years ago. Sometimes, I felt that bond snap in my chest, like a phantom limb twitching.

Luna blew fresh air into our quiet, cobwebbed home. Metaphorically speaking, our place was far from messy, but the weight of old grief had dusted the corners.

She perched on a tall kitchen stool, her feet dangling above the footrest. It was adorable.

We gathered here most mornings to have breakfast together.

We had many meals at the counter, over on the large dining room table, or our laps on the couch together.

We spent many days watching TV down here or in Ash’s room.

“Phoenix is back,” she said, her eyes bright. We’ll need to debrief.”

My heart stuttered at the name. Phoenix. Hot, messy, intense—brief but unforgettable. I hadn’t even known where I stood with Ash just over a year ago. We’d been more like flatmates between losing Claire and meeting Luna in those three years.

Luna’s long brown hair, flecked with auburn highlights, was tied in a loose ponytail that had fallen over her shoulder.

She wore a Moonglen Gym t-shirt and jeans—the same ones she’d been living in since she turned the old storage room into a café and secondhand bookshop.

She had thrown herself into it, and into the task force, too—a group trying to find wolves out there, alone and unprotected.

There were more than we realized. Orphans and abandoned wolves who didn’t even know what they were.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine—how many females had already been killed by enemy shifters we never even knew existed?

Luna had almost been one of them. Phoenix was helping with the task force.

Ash moved closer, a smirk pulling at his lips. “Sounds so professional and sexy when you say ‘debrief.’”

Luna tipped her head back to meet his gaze. “You might need to debrief with me when I get back.”

They fit together, still cast in the honeymoon glow. I sat stiffly, pretending to sip my coffee, trying not to watch.

Ash and I had this house built. We designed it to blend in with the forest rather than being a modern eyesore that juts out. Though the outside blended in, the inside was modern—tall ceilings with skylights, tall windows. Every way you looked, you could see the forest.

Then Ash’s heavy hand landed on my arm, jolting me out of my thoughts. He grinned—lighter somehow these last few months. “You nearly ready?”

“Yeah,” I forced a smile. Luna gave me a soft one back, bright blue eyes searching mine.

She reached for my hand, small and warm.

I turned my palm up, wrapping my larger fingers gently around hers.

One of the small gestures she’d started since growing more comfortable around me—quiet moments I treasured.

She headed to her room to finish getting ready. Ash’s eyes locked on me. Taller, broader, built solid like a lumberjack, he stood there, the dark oaf Luna teased him for. I was her chiselled Adonis—blue-eyed, fair-skinned, a little less rugged.

We drove to the gym in easy silence, the unspoken questions hanging like a thick fog.

I watched the trees blur past, my wolf itching to run.

The town was a peculiar but also fairly regular small town.

There were the small specialty stores—the diner where most of us gathered at one point or another during the week.

The garage, school, and gym were in a reasonably tight block.

I loved this town. And the people were good.

I had a feeling some of the nonshifters knew something of our secret.

But as long as we helped keep the town and forest safe, no one asked too many questions.

When we pulled into the parking lot, Luna kissed Ash and waved at me before slipping inside the café.

Ash lingered. “Luna seems to throw herself into the task force.”

“Yeah. Luna’s passionate.” I fought down the knot twisting in my gut. I hated that she was working with Phoenix.

“She keeps talking about going on trips with the local contacts.” Ash’s jaw tightened.

“Surely no one would approve of that?” Our enemies had targeted female wolves for decades—vulnerable, hunted. Most alphas guarded their own fiercely, making it hard for females to live freely outside the pack’s shadow.

“Approve, maybe not. Stop Luna? No.”

She was proving herself indispensable, maybe too much. Different from Claire in every way, but the old problems seemed to follow us no matter what.

I exhaled slowly, feeling the familiar weight settle back on my shoulders. Some things never change.

Luna had changed everything.

Grab book two , A Place Within the Pack , now.