Chapter Two

I stepped toward the voices, carefully placing each foot to avoid twigs and dried leaves. The path became slightly narrower, winding between a large oak and a tall birch that gleamed pale in the dimming light.

The voice grew more distinct. Male voices. Angry voices.

This wasn’t what I signed up for. I came to Birchwood Hollow for peace and quiet… for safety, not to wander into the middle of some confrontation in the middle of the woods on my first night in town.

I hesitated, then made an abrupt decision. I needed to go back for my phone. If this were something serious, something I didn’t want near my property, I’d need to call the police.

I turned toward my house, but paused before taking a single step. Curiosity won out, and instead of going back to the house, I crept closer to take a better look at what I was dealing with. The last thing I wanted was to bother the cops and be known as a pest. I’d lived in Chicago and never once had to call the police.

As I got closer, I positioned myself behind a thick tree trunk and peered out into a small clearing. Two men stood face to face — only inches apart — backlit by the darkening sky.

They were both big, muscular men, well over six feet tall with broad shoulders. One had a full beard, neatly trimmed, and the other had short, dark brown hair. The man with the beard wore a red flannel shirt, making him look like a lumberjack in the middle of the woods.

“You’re making a mistake,” the bearded man growled, his voice deep and authoritative. “We have boundaries for a reason.”

“They need our help,” the dark-haired man shot back. “We can’t just?—”

“You’re not thinking clearly,” the bearded man said, poking his finger into the man’s chest. “We have to protect our brothers first and foremost. Remember your place.”

The dark-haired man shoved the bearded man hard. His eyes glimmered, almost glowed, a brilliant amber. “They were our family once, Ryder, were they not?”

“That was a long time ago,” the bearded man, Ryder, said through his teeth. “Why are you fighting me on this?”

“I’m sick of it, Ryder. I’m sick of all of it,” the dark-haired man spat. “I didn’t ask for this life. I want out.”

The dark-haired man took a step back, running his hand through his short hair as he stared at Ryder. He shook his head before lunging forward, knocking the slightly bigger man to the ground.

“You’re going to regret that,” Ryder roared, his voice dropping to something almost inhuman. “Don’t you see I’m trying to protect all of us?”

“Screw you,” the dark-haired man said, spitting on the ground near where Ryder was pushing himself back to his feet. “And screw the pack. I’m done.”

Ryder brushed himself off. “Take it back while you still can.”

None of their argument made any sense to me. It sounded like they were talking in some kind of code. My stomach dropped. I hadn’t left Chicago to find myself in the middle of rural gang disputes.

Ryder glanced up at the sky, and I followed his gaze. I hadn’t realized how quickly darkness had fallen, and the only thing lighting the surroundings was a bright, low-hanging moon.

“I’ll give you a minute to think this through,” Ryder said, his eyes glued to the dark-haired man. “You know what happens if you want to leave.”

“I know what it means and I don’t care,” the dark-haired man said, jerking abruptly. His body contorted in a strange and unnatural way. His shoulders hunched, and his head dropped forward as a guttural sound escaped from his throat.

From the trees behind him, three enormous wolves emerged, and I blinked hard to be certain I wasn’t seeing things. They were massive — nothing like pictures I’d seen. Their shoulders rose higher than my hip would stand, and their eyes gleamed with an unsettling intelligence.

This wasn’t possible. Wolves this size didn’t exist. And even if they did, they wouldn’t just calmly walk into a clearing with two arguing men.

I needed to leave. Or maybe I was still on the couch, dreaming.

As I shifted my weight to back away, my foot caught on an exposed root. I stumbled backward, crashing through a cluster of dried branches. The sound was deafening in the quiet forest.

I could see enough between the trees to notice the wolves were melting back into the shadows. The dark-haired man stopped his strange convulsions. He looked hard in my direction, then turned and strode away toward the lake, his movements stiff and awkward.

My breaths came quickly as Ryder kept his eyes on me. His face was filled with rage as he moved toward me with impossible speed, crossing the distance between us in seconds.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” he growled, his nose wrinkling as his breath washed over my skin.

I scrambled to my feet, holding up my hands as I backed away. “I… I live here.”

“You don’t live here,” he said, his bright blue eyes almost glowing.

“No, I mean, I live in that house,” I said, pointing back over my shoulder. “I moved in today. The path from my house leads here.”

He stopped, and his eyes narrowed as he studied me. “Old Man Harrison’s place? That sold?”

“Yes,” I said, my heart hammering. I forced a smile and stuck out my hand. “I’m Everly Montana, the new homeowner.”

What the hell was I doing giving this beast my name? And my location. I wasn’t thinking clearly… in fact, the only thing I was thinking about was how I was going to get back to the house and lock my door before he caught me. The big man was fast.

“Where are you from?” he asked with a grunt as he looked down at my nice jeans and what had been a clean t-shirt.

“Chicago.”

“What did you see?” Ryder demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

I shrugged. “Nothing. I didn’t see anything.”

“Lies,” he said, his eyes flashing with something primal.

“Okay,” I said, swallowing hard. “A little spat between two grown men, but if I learned anything living in Chicago, it’s that you don’t see anything. But to be fair, I have no idea what the fight was even about.”

It was the honest truth.

He sniffed the air as he studied me. “You shouldn’t be wandering the woods at night.”

“Well, it wasn’t night when I came out here,” I said, taking a careful step backward. “Not to mention, I thought I was moving somewhere that it would be safe to be out at night.”

I could tell by his expression that he didn’t find me even a little amusing.

“Please, sir, I’m sorry,” I said, taking another step back. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I heard voices, and I was just exploring my new property.”

“You’re too nosy for your own good,” he said, grabbing my arm and turning me back toward my house.

“Please remove your hand from my arm,” I said, keeping my voice firm.

He let go, rolling his eyes. “Whatever you think you saw tonight, forget it. All of it. Mention it to no one, or we’re going to have problems. Is that understood?”

“I know how to not make someone else’s problems my problems,” I said, meeting his eyes. “And to be totally honest, I don’t care.”

In the city, there were many times I had to look the other way — drug deals, gang violence… suspicious people and activity. It was just insane that I was still going to deal with all that, even in a small town.

“See that you do,” Ryder said, following me. “I’d hate to have to make it your problem.”

“Right,” I said, pushing my shoulders back. “Neither of us wants that.”

He stepped back, and I felt like I could breathe again. “Go home. And stick to daylight walks from now on.”

I nodded, already backing away. He stepped along with me, staying back several feet.

“Please stop following me. I know my way back,” I said, drawing in a shaky breath.

He pressed his lips together. “I’ve got my eyes on you.”

I paused, feeling a flare of indignation cut through my fear. I’d moved here to escape men who thought they had any right to control me or make threats.

“I wish you wouldn’t,” I said, surprised by the steadiness in my voice. “Instead, it might be better if we just avoid each other going forward. I’ll pretend I never met you, and you pretend you never met me.”

His eyes widened slightly, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth twitch into almost a smile. But it was gone so fast, I might have imagined it.

“You didn’t meet me,” he said, slinking back into the shadows.

Then… he was gone. He was right, though. I didn’t meet him, and I hoped that I never would. Next time, I might not be so kind, especially if I’m not cornered in the middle of the woods.