Page 46 of Monster. Me.

I drive back toward the facility along the forest road, my thoughts still spinning. My usual doubts try to creep back into my mind, but this strange state I've slipped into in the presence of the people of Rainbow Springs seems to be somewhat holding them at bay.

Getting involved in veterinary work… maybe it's a nice escape, a way to take my mind off things for a while, but should I really be doing it? Looking for distractions instead of focusing on sorting out the mess my life has become?

Suddenly, a large logging truck appears, coming from the opposite direction. The road is already narrow enough that two regular cars have trouble passing each other here. A truck that wide? Yeah, this is going to be rough.

I edge as far to the side as I can because the ditch along this stretch is pretty deep, but then I realize my side mirror is about to scrape against the truck. And this is a rental car. Panicking, I instinctively correct my steering just a little more.

Big mistake.

I feel the wheel slide off the shoulder.

"Goddammit!" I curse as the car drops into a depression much deeper than I'd expected. The whole vehicle tilts hard to one side. The tall grass had hidden how deep the ditch actually was.

Frustrated, I slam both hands against the steering wheel. Then I notice the truck driver must've seen what happened because the vehicle comes to a stop about fifty yards ahead.

I glance at it through the rearview mirror, trying to assess the situation. Two men climb out and start walking toward me. One is an older beta, while the other is a young, tall alpha.

Fine. If things somehow go sideways, I can handle two people, right?

Shit, I hope my arrogance doesn't come back to bite me one day.

I climb out of the car too, already preparing to give them a piece of my mind, but the worried expression on the beta's face takes some of the wind out of my sails.

The alpha is almost absurdly handsome, like somebody straight out of a catalog. He has auburn hair similar to mine, only darker, and dark hazel eyes. He hangs back behind the beta, looking at me without much visible interest.

Thanks to the damned Allure pheromone blockers, I can't smell anything from either of them.

"We're terribly sorry," the beta says. "This damn road is ridiculously narrow here. We've been asking the local council to do something about it for years. Our trucks can't pass each other, and sometimes even regular cars struggle."

"Yeah, well, it definitely sucks," I reply, still irritated. "But what am I supposed to do now? This car is rented, and unless I'm missing something, there's no tow hook on it, so I don't exactly see how we're getting it out."

A brief silence follows.

Then something strange happens.

The beta slowly turns toward the alpha standing behind him. Their eyes meet for a moment, and I could swear the beta gives the tiniest nod.

Then he turns back to me.

"I think we can handle that. Don't worry. But first, why don't you come over to the truck with me? I'll give you one of our business cards. If your vehicle has any damage, our insurance will cover it."

The beta gestures toward the truck.

I don't sense any danger from him, and the handsome alpha doesn't seem to be giving off any energy that puts me on guard either.

So… why not?

To be honest, I don't know why I even follow him. It's almost like there's something oddly convincing about his voice, something that smooths away my doubts. As I walk beside him, I keep wondering why the hell I'm going along with this instead of objecting. For a second, I even start wondering whether some weird magic is involved.

We reach the truck, walk around the cab, and the beta climbs inside to grab a stack of business cards.

That's when I notice the alpha didn't follow us.

And from where I'm standing, my car is completely hidden by their vehicle.

The beta flashes a wide smile and hands me several cards.

"I'm Renato Santoro. My family owns several large sawmills around here. But that's not all we do," he continues in a salesman's tone. "We also build vacation cabins, rent cabins, and construct custom log homes for clients who want that kind of lifestyle."