Page 21 of Wolf’s Providence (The Shadowridge Peak #3)

TWENTY

Caleb

Willow’s eyebrows disappeared into her hairline at my suggestion, a flicker of doubt in her expression. I saw her reservations, and I braced myself for the argument, but to my surprise, she gave a slow, careful nod.

“Bait, huh?” she repeated, her teeth worrying her bottom lip, but there was something steely in her gaze—the kind of courage I’d seen before in her but never truly appreciated. This woman would walk into danger head-on if she thought it would help, and that worried me more than I cared to admit.

“You’re not freaking out?” I asked, reaching for her hand. “They’ve been quiet, but does that mean they’ve gone away? I don’t think so, and we can’t afford to wait around, hoping we’ll be ready for their next move.”

Willow looked down at our entwined fingers and then glanced back up, searching my face. “So…your idea to counter that is you want me to be bait?” She obviously wasn’t liking the idea, but she hadn’t said no.

“It’s not about making you a target,” I assured her, though the irony wasn’t lost on me. “It’s about controlling the situation. If I set this up right, we lure them out, on my terms.”

I could see the gears turning behind her eyes as she studied me, her lips pressed in a thin line as she weighed every risk, every possibility. I knew that, more than anything, she wanted to face this down and reclaim her life. Willow didn’t want to be looking over her shoulder, and that was why I thought she was considering it. But she also didn’t want to act recklessly.

“What if something goes wrong?” she asked, almost reluctantly.

“I will be beside you,” I assured her and then thought about it. “Or as close as possible for it to work.” I saw a moment of doubt, and something fierce flared in me. “Nothing will happen to you, Willow. Not again.”

She nodded slowly, and I could feel the bond between us pulling tighter, making me even more confident that this was the right thing to do. The pull was what kept me close to her, in this town, trying to fit into her life, even as I craved the freedom of familiar territory, like Shadowridge Peak, where I could see any threat coming for miles. But if I couldn’t root out these threats and uncover who was coming for her, it wouldn’t matter where we were.

“You think it will work?”

I nodded, feeling a surge of relief—and something else. Admiration. She trusted me, and I didn’t deserve that, but it was more than that, she was ready to fight alongside me. I wanted to shield her from every ounce of danger, but to keep her safe, I had to put her at risk first.

I knew my plan sounded unhinged, but I truly believed it would work. Sometimes you had to take big risks to win big.

I wisely didn’t say that. I knew she was brave and she was being so strong, but I also didn’t want to scare her. I could almost hear my father in my head asking me if I was crazy.

“I’ve been gathering information,” I told her, letting her take a breath. “I’ve been talking to anyone in town who’s noticed anything strange, and trying to piece together something that made sense.” I began to pace as I told her what I’d been doing. “You’ve potentially seen two of them. Can you draw them again?” When she nodded, I felt a surge of pride when I looked at her. “I also have…someone who might have seen them or know of them.”

“Who?” Her eyes were wide with curiosity.

“A contact,” I replied, purposely evasive. “If there’s outsiders who don’t belong here, he’ll find them.”

She opened her mouth to ask another question, but she picked up on my reluctance to share too much detail. I couldn’t tell her everything, I knew that. But the fact she was drawing again, scenes of my past—one of a future I would never have—I knew I wasn’t imagining the prickling under my skin, sensing our enemies were closing in, or the instinct gnawing at my gut, telling me to get her out of here before it was too late.

And I knew I definitely could not tell her that my wolf was aching to return to my packlands. Even if they were filled with darkness, they were mine, my territory.

My packlands. My Willow.

Yeah, maybe I’d tell her everything one day, but the fact that I was a possessive asshole, I think she maybe already knew. For now, I needed to focus on one thing at a time.

Reaching over, Willow squeezed my hand. “Okay then, let’s do it. What do you need me to do?”

Pulling her over to the couch, I started to lay out my plan so Willow had a clear picture of exactly how I wanted this to go down. She listened intently, a crease furrowing her brow, but she kept quiet as I explained.

“Well, first step is simple recon,” I told her plainly. “I’ve started that, looking at familiar places, your walk to work, the stop you make for coffee, anywhere you’d normally go. Your routine is really easy to pick up,” I added. It was how I had known when she wasn’t home after all.

“But I haven’t been in my routine,” she told me. “I’ve been with you.”

“I know, and we need to stop that,” I told her, seeing the slight flare of panic in her eyes. “Move through town like you would, keep to your routine, but without me. I’ll be close,” I added.

“So you stay out of sight…” She looked me over quickly, refraining from mentioning it would be hard for me to blend. “And I just act like there’s nothing wrong?”

“Yes.” I held her gaze. “I won’t be far. The idea is to see who follows you. If they do, I’ll be close enough before anything happens to you.”

“That’s not as reassuring as you think it is,” Willow murmured, smoothing her hands over her thighs. “Alright, so I go about my day…then what?”

“If, and I appreciate it’s an if, if we get a lead, we’ll escalate.” She didn’t react to my use of the word escalate , so I continued. “I’m talking about a more deliberate move to draw them out—maybe a rumor, something that would get back to them.”

Willow bit her lip. “You mean, like I’m leaving town, so they think this is their last shot?” She sounded doubtful, so I didn’t tell her that sounded like a good idea.

“Or…that I’ve left town,” I told her slowly, trying to keep my tone calm so as not to alarm her. “They’re already watching us, Willow. I can feel their eyes on me. Us. They’ll take the bait if they think I’m gone. They won’t know when I’ll be back, so they’ll act.”

She looked away, staring out her window, and I saw a flicker of fear cross her face. She was so much stronger than she knew, but she wasn’t oblivious to the risk involved.

Glancing back at me, her eyes clear, she folded her arms across her chest. “And what about you, Caleb? When they realize that you’re here to protect me after all?”

“Then there’ll be a fight,” I told her firmly. “They may not know exactly what I am, but they’ll know enough to be cautious. As long as I’m here to make sure they never get close to you, they’ll learn real fast what happens when they try.” I held her gaze. “I’ve killed two of them already; I’m just getting started.”

Willow’s lips quirked in a small, wry smile. “Well, that sounds incredibly bloodthirsty.” Blowing out a breath, she shrugged. “Intimidation first though, right?”

“Sure.” I saw her flat stare and smiled. “I’ll do my best, but I won’t promise. They want to hurt you to hurt me .” I became serious once more. “Never going to happen, Willow. Never . If intimidation doesn’t work, then we end this the other way.”

Willow looked down, her focus on her crossed arms, and then she unfolded them, clasping her hands instead. I could see her mind racing, torn between accepting the plan and the fear of what could go wrong.

“Okay,” she finally said, her voice soft. “We do this, but I need to know you’ll have an escape plan if things go sideways.”

“You’ll be fine.” I reached out, covering her hand in mine, the warmth of her skin settling me like nothing else could. “But you—if anything ever feels wrong, anything at all—you go to the most populated place, and you stay there until I tell you it’s safe. No second-guessing it.”

She nodded, but there was a hard determination in her eyes. “I didn’t mean me, I meant you. Do you have an escape plan? Who has your back in this, Caleb?”

I didn’t have an answer. I’d been so focused on making sure she only knew what she needed to. The more dangerous parts, the corners I might cut, those would be on me. But to ask who had my back? I wasn’t prepared for that.

“Um…”

“No one?” Willow’s eyes narrowed. “What about this ‘contact’ you have?”

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking him,” I told her honestly.

“Fine,” Willow said with a tone I’d never heard from her before. “I will. Who is it?”

Fuck.

“Does it matter?” I asked quietly.

“I’m risking myself for this plan, but I have you protecting me. Who’s protecting you, Caleb? I want to know. If we are drawing these people out, if there are people to draw out, then I want to know you’re covered just as much as I am.”

Leaning forward, I caught the back of her neck, pulling her forward, my lips claiming as my mouth devoured hers, as I poured everything I felt about her into that kiss.

When I pulled back, I looked into her eyes. “You’re amazing, Willow Harper, do you know that?”

Her cheeks were flushed, and I knew it would be a mix of pleasure and praise. “Nice try,” she whispered, leaning up to me and kissing me softly. “I still want to know his name and meet him.”

“His name, maybe,” I conceded. “You don’t need to meet him.”

She was going to argue, but I got off the couch, pulling her after me. “Come on, you need to get ready to go to work. We need to let as many people know, this morning, that I’m leaving town for a few days and you’ll be alone.”

“I’ll find out,” she taunted as I led her to the bathroom.

Her confidence was so much more than when I’d met her. I wondered if she knew how much she’d blossomed in such a short time. In the shower, I reminded her how precious she was to me.

She was all that mattered. I would find out who was targeting her, and if it meant letting a little of the beast within me loose, then so be it.

The worn floorboards creaked under my boots as I stepped into the dimly lit bar. The scent of cedar and old leather hit me, mingling with the familiar scent of whiskey. Across the room, seated alone at a corner table, was a man I hadn’t seen in years, but he was instantly recognizable. Eamon looked up as I approached, his sharp eyes cutting through the low light, the all too familiar smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Caleb Foster,” he said, looking me over as he leaned back in his chair. “Heard you’d gone loco. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

I sat down across from him, crossing my arms. “Your mouth’s still spouting out shit, I see.”

Eamon chuckled, raising his glass to me. “What can I say? You’re so fucking straightlaced, when I heard you’d lost your mind, I had to check what I was drinking.” He took a deep pull of his whiskey. After setting the glass down, his tone sobered. “So…is it true? You’ve shacked up with a human?”

I kept my expression unreadable. “Not here for the small talk, Eamon. I need your eyes and your instincts.”

“See, there he is, straightlaced, all-business Caleb Foster.” He sniffed like he’d smelled something bad. “A human, man? Like for real?”

“You got a problem with humans?” I asked him with a raised eyebrow. “How’s Britt?”

“Fuck you,” he muttered, downing the rest of his drink. “She was my best friend.”

“Yeah. Sure. Heard her screaming your name real friendly like far too many times,” I told him. “You want to throw shit, or you want to get to it?”

His eyes danced with laughter, his grin growing. “I’ll take all business for twenty.” He nodded to the bartender, raising his glass in one hand, holding up two fingers with the other. “Alright, Alpha, what do you need?”

“Don’t call me that,” I grumbled.

“Why? You’re still an alpha.” His hard eyes held mine. “No matter the fact you have no pack, that’s your choice.”

I glanced around the bar before answering. Even here, among strangers, it felt risky to speak so openly, but if there was anyone I could trust with Willow’s safety, it would be Eamon. He had never run from a fight, and his loyalty was to himself, but once…once it had belonged to me.

“Willow is human,” I confirmed. “She’s gotten tangled in something, and it’s putting her at risk.”

“I heard she was tangled around you,” he told me, pausing while two glasses of whiskey were placed in front of us.

“Will you shut up?” I hesitated as I registered what he’d said. “You heard? Heard from who ?”

“Shifters talk, always have. Talk travels.” He took a drink, and when I didn’t resume my conversation, he sighed dramatically and leaned forward. “You were on packlands with a human; everyone who’s a shifter knows that .”

“That may be so,” I admitted. “But who did you hear it from?”

Eamon considered me as I waited. “One of the males from Blackridge Peak was running his mouth at a drop-off a few weeks ago. Said you and her took the tourist route to the ridge, and when you got there, your scent was all over her.”

Because we’d had sex in a car, my scent was all over her. “His name?”

“No clue.” Eamon shrugged. “Know his pack, know his alpha, he was with the alpha’s brother. He shut him up before I could.”

“Willow is important to me,” I told him through a clenched jaw. “Her knowing me is putting her at risk. I don’t need gossiping pack to run their mouths about her.” I felt my anger building. “I need her safe, Eamon, but I can’t watch her every second.”

“Which is where I come in?” he guessed. His curiosity was piqued, and I knew I had him. “You want her involved in this?” The look in his eyes shifted from amusement to serious. “You serious about her? A human?”

I held his gaze. “This is more than that. Willow’s tied to…something.” I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. “She’s connected to things she doesn’t understand, and honestly, neither do I.” I lifted the glass and downed the whiskey in one go. “There’s something about her, something worth protecting.”

Eamon watched me, his gaze intense. “Alright. So, what’s the plan?”

Briefly, I ran through what had happened up to this point. Eamon listened, his demeanor changing as he took his task seriously.

“So it’s a trap?” he surmised. “You’re using this girl—who’s important to you—as bait?”

I felt the sting of rebuttal in his tone. “It’s a trap,” I confirmed. “We need her to go about her life as usual, but I know she’s being watched. I don’t know who or why. Or even how many. But if they think I’ve left her vulnerable, then they may strike. I need you close. Keep an eye on her, but keep your distance. I’ll track down anyone suspicious.”

Eamon nodded, his expression thoughtful. “And this Willow, how much does she know? Really know?”

“About this? She knows it’s a trap to draw out my enemies.”

Eamon rocked back in his chair as he watched me, letting out a low whistle. “Your enemies, huh?” His fingers drummed against the table. “And does she know why you may have enemies?”

“She does.”

“Alright then. You’ll owe me big for this, Caleb.”

It was my turn to smirk. “You’ve always known where to find me.”

“Have I?” He looked up at me as I stood, his eyes guarded. “You’ve been alone too long, man. I’ll do this for you, but if this is your paranoia because you’ve lost your marbles, I walk.”

“I’m not imagining the threat to her,” I growled.

“Yeah? As long as the threat isn’t you , you mean?”

“We doing this?” I demanded. “Or are you going to shut up and do the job I ask of you?”

“Well, look at that,” he said, downing his drink. “There’s an alpha in you after all.”

Eamon stood, holding out his hand, the silent agreement hanging in the air between us. I took the offered hand and shook it once. Pulling him into me, I lowered my head to speak in the shorter male’s ear.

“She gets hurt on your watch, I’m taking it out on your hide.”

“Stop flirting with me, man. I told you before, your dick’s too small to satisfy me.”

I huffed out a laugh as he stepped back. “Good to know you’re still an ass,” I said grudgingly.

I felt better though. Knowing Eamon was watching Willow’s back meant I could focus on what I needed to do.

Now, all that was left was to see who it was that I was baiting.