Page 15

Birdie

I shouldn’t have come back. But I couldn’t sleep. Not after Eliza talked about them being shifters, and Knox and Rocky tried so hard to convince me otherwise.

The trees loomed taller than I remembered, casting long, tangled shadows as the sun dipped low behind the mountains. The wind picked up, rustling the underbrush in a way that made my stomach twist. Every instinct screamed this was a bad idea, but here I was anyway, back at the campsite where it all went to hell.

Besides, my GoPro was out here somewhere. If it survived the attack, it could have the creatures on camera.

Closure, I’d told myself. One last look. A way to prove I wasn’t crazy, that something did happen out here that night. That I hadn’t imagined glowing eyes in the dark, claws raking bark, the sound of growling just beyond the reach of firelight.

But standing there in my boots and denim jacket, in the middle of the damp pine and the musk of mossy earth, I felt like Little Red riding into the damn wolf’s den with a flashlight and too much sass.

“I’m not scared,” I said aloud, mostly to hear my own voice.

It sounded a hell of a lot stronger than I felt.

The ashes of my old campfire were still there, kicked into a sad circle of charcoal and crushed beer cans like some frat had used it. My gear had been long hauled off by park rangers. But I’d hidden a camera. Something I hadn’t told Rocky about.

I crouched down and ran my fingers through the soot, trying to find it.

But I remembered the amber eyes. The warmth of thick fur. A beast that moved like smoke and shadows… that never hurt me. That protected me.

And something inside me hadn’t stopped thinking about that ever since.

Something low and sharp broke the silence, a growl. Not from a bear. Not from anything I knew.

I straightened slowly.

“Hello?” I called, voice wobbling. “Is someone there?”

Nothing.

I reached for the pepper spray in my coat pocket, just in case.

That’s when the breeze changed.

The hairs on my arms stood up. My spine locked.

Another growl echoed, closer now. And this time, I saw them. Eyes . Not human. Gold-flecked. Intelligent.

They blinked, then vanished behind the tree line .

I turned, heart slamming against my ribs. My feet moved before my brain did, crashing through underbrush, slipping on wet leaves, limbs grabbing at me like the forest wanted to keep me.

And then something hit me. Hard.

I landed on my side, gasping, pain flashing through my shoulder.

“Fuck” I wheezed.

It was on me before I could move, a blur of muscle and fur and teeth. Not a wolf. Black and bigger than anything that should’ve existed in Tennessee.

Its breath steamed against my cheek.

And I knew this was it.

This was how I died.

Until the other one showed up.

From the shadows came a growl . Deep and strong. I turned my head just enough to see another beast launch itself from the dark, a blur of gray fur, fangs bared.

The thing pinning me yelped, knocked sideways by the force of the new attacker. They tumbled together in a clash of snarls and fur and blood, teeth snapping and claws tearing.

I scrambled back, watching in horror and awe as the gray wolf, the same one from that night, I knew it now, fought like something feral. Deadl y . But controlled.

A protector.

My protector.

It won. Ran the monster off. Then, right before my eyes, the thing warped out of existence.

One second, fur and fang. The next, bones snapped. Skin shimmered. Limbs twisted.

I gasped, falling back against a tree.

The wolf morphed , shrinking, cracking, folding in on itself like clay, and standing there, naked, bloodied, chest heaving in the moonlight...

Was Rocky.

My heart stopped.

His light hair was damp clumps. Blood streaked his ribs and hands. And those eyes, still amber, still burning, locked on mine as they settled to blue.

I couldn’t move.

Couldn’t breathe.

All I could do was stare at the man. The wolf . I’d been trying to forget.

What the hell are you, Rocky?

He took one step toward me, muscles tight, still half-wild .

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

He raised a hand slowly. “Birdie…”

Everything went black.

I woke up with a start. The lamp barely lit the room, making shadows dance on the walls. I blinked, wondering where I was. The last thing I recalled was the woods, the attack, and then... Rocky.

“You're awake,” a familiar voice said softly.

I turned my head to see Eliza sitting in a chair beside the bed, her face etched with concern.

“Eliza?” My voice was hoarse, my throat dry. “What happened? Where am I?”

“You're at the clubhouse,” she replied gently, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “Rocky brought you here after... after what happened in the woods.”

The memories came flooding back, the snarling creature, the fear, and then Rocky transforming before my eyes. I sat up abruptly, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my shoulder.

“Easy there,” Eliza cautioned, placing a hand on my arm. “You fainted.”

I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all. “Eliza, I saw... I saw something. Rocky, he... he changed. One minute he was a wolf, and the next...” I trailed off, unable to find the words.

Eliza sighed, her expression unreadable. “I know. It's a lot to take in. I tried to tell you. Knox is the same.”

I stared at her, my mind racing. “So, what? You're telling me that Rocky and Knox are... werewolves?”

“Shifters,” she corrected. “They prefer the term shifters. Knox is a fox.”

“Right.” I let out a humorless laugh, running a hand through my tangled hair. “This ain't normal, Eliza. This ain't normal at all.”

“I know,” she said softly. “But it's our reality now.”

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, testing my balance. “I need to talk to Rocky.”

Eliza hesitated. “He's... he's giving you some space. He thought you might need time to process everything.”

“Process?” I repeated, my voice rising. “How am I supposed to process finding out that my best friend's fiancé and his buddy turn into critters?”

“Bird, please,” Eliza implored. “I know it's overwhelming but yelling ain’t going to help.”

I took a deep breath, trying to rein in my emotions. “I'm sorry. I just... I need answers.”

“Then let's go find them,” Eliza said, standing up and offering me her hand.

Together, we made our way through the dimly lit halls of the clubhouse. The place was eerily quiet, the usual rowdiness absent .

We found Rocky in the back room they called, the chapel, staring into the fireplace, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked up as we entered, his expression blank.

“Birdie,” he grumbled.

“Rocky,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. “We need to talk.”

He nodded slowly, setting his glass down on the mantel. “I figured you'd have questions.”

“That's an understatement,” I shot back. “Why don't we start with what the hell you are?”

His eyes flashed briefly as if to remind me.

I stepped back. “You—you were a damn wolf,” I whispered.

He winced. “Yeah, Sunshine. I am.”

“WHAT the actual fuck, Rocky?! You turned into a fucking wolf!” I shouted, arms flailing. “That’s not something you spring on someone.”

“I get that you’re scared,” he said, voice low, even. “But I wasn’t gonna let that bastard hurt you.”

“And didn’t you consider that I should’ve known you were some kind of supernatural creature before you stripped down and went full Twilight on me?”

Eliza tried not to laugh.

“It’s not exactly first date conversation,” he said .

I just glared. “So, everyone’s in on it? Everyone but me?”

“No. So, keep your voice down. I was tryin’ to protect you,” he said.

“That went well.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I'm a shifter. A wolf shifter, to be exact.”

“And the club?” I pressed.

“All the officers are shifters of some kind,” he admitted. “Their ol’ ladies. Some others. Wolves, mostly.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “So, all this time, I've been hanging around a bunch of supernatural bikers, and no one thought to clue me in?”

“It wasn't just my secret to share,” Rocky said, his tone defensive. “Eliza found out because of Knox. We don't just go around telling people what we are.”

I turned to Eliza, betrayal evident in my eyes.

“Honestly, I just found out. I told you first thing. Not that they wanted you to believe me.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “This is insane. Absolutely insane.”

“I know it's a lot to take in,” Rocky said, stepping closer. “But you needed to know the truth.”

I stared at him, wondering if he was telling the truth after all the lies. “Why now? Why tell me now? ”

“Because you’re in danger,” he grunted. “And I couldn't protect you without revealing what I am.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. “So, what happens now?”

“That's up to you,” he replied. “I understand if you want to walk away from all this. From me.”

I stared at him, my emotions a whirlwind. Part of me wanted to run, to pretend none of this was real. But another part, a deeper part, felt drawn to him, to this world I'd been thrust into.

“I don't know what I want,” I admitted.

“Take all the time you need,” Rocky said, his gaze intense. “I'll be here.”

I nodded slowly, turning to leave the room. Eliza followed me, her presence a comfort amidst the chaos in my mind.

As we stepped outside, the cool night air hit me, grounding me. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts.

“You okay?” Eliza asked gently.

I let out a shaky laugh. “No.”

She smiled, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “We'll figure this out together.”

I leaned into her embrace, grateful for her friendship. “Yeah. I guess.”