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The ringing of my phone breaks my train of thought and I force a smile, trying to sound cheerful as Lucia’s gentle voice fills the truck.
“Hey,” she whispers softly. “How are you doing?”
Lucia knows how hard this is for me. Hearing the compassion in her voice, I can picture her sitting in her room, curled up elegantly in her armchair with her brow furrowed in concern.
“I’m fine,” I lie. Sighing, I correct that statement. “I will be fine.”
“It’s going to be okay, Ethan. Just get here and relax. Your wolf will settle in quickly, and I know the rest of the pack will love you.”
She doesn’t go as far as to say they'll love me as she loves me, but that’s okay. We’re not there yet. Lucia has just lost her mate, and even though she had severed her end of the bond before he died, Toby never accepted her rejection and so his passing was still painful for her. She suffered both emotionally and physically. We’re taking things slow and to be honest, while my head is a mess and I'm focused on my quest to flush out those responsible for targeting our pack, that suits me just fine.
“I know,” I agree, although I don’t really know that at all. Maybe my wolf will hate it here. He is stubborn and fiercely loyal to the Joneses. Maybe the pack will hate me because I’m from Grey Ridge and they’ll blame me for the loss of Toby, even though he was the architect of his own downfall.
“Will you get here tonight?” she asks, and I can hear the eagerness in her voice. We might be taking things slow, but we’ve still been enjoying each other's company. She’s lonely in a pack that isn’t sure she has what it takes to take over from her much-loved father, and I crave the connection, the sense of belonging that I haven’t had for as long as I can remember. What a pair we make.
Even though I’m not far outside the pack territory, something stops me from immediately saying yes. Passing a sign for log cabin holiday rentals, an idea pops into my head. I hadn’t planned to leave Grey Ridge as quickly as I did. Maybe a night or two on my own to gather my thoughts will improve my mood and help me make a better impression. No matter how loud I blare the music, I haven’t been able to shake myself out of the funk I’m in. This isn’t the way to meet your new pack. Some time on my own to recharge my batteries might be just what I need.
“No, sorry. I have a couple of other things to tidy up.”
It's not exactly untrue. I have some work for the brewery I own with Cooper to do. The least I can do after leaving so abruptly is stay on top of that.
“I miss you,” she says softly and my heart clenches. Am I being an ass for not going straight to her? Looking at the sign again, the appeal of time on my own to regroup is instant.
“Me too,” I reply. “But I’ll be there tomorrow. And I’ll take you out for dinner to make it up to you,” I offer.
“I can’t wait.”
There's a promise in her sultry voice as she hangs up. Normally, that would be enough to make me reconsider but for some reason, even the prospect of enjoying her beautiful body isn't enticing me to get there faster. As I turn around and follow the signs, smiling for the first time since I left, I know this is the right decision. The cover of the trees breaks and I see five quaint cabins set back in a semi-circle from a small reception and parking lot. It’s quiet, and it’s isolated. It’s perfect.
The cabins are rough and ready, with a small porch out the front of each. Warm lights glow from behind the curtains of four cabins, but the last is in darkness. I might be in luck. Parking up, I get out and stretch, instantly feeling less stressed. A crackling radio draws my attention to the shack doubling where an older man with a shock of white hair sits patiently, waiting for me to approach.
"Evening. $100 for one night," he rumbles, going straight for the sale with no attempt at making small talk. I love this guy. Handing over enough cash for a night's stay, the old timer stationed behind the welcome desk barely looks in my direction as he hands me a set of keys from a hook behind him.
"Five."
Leaning out the window, he points to the cabin at the end and shoves a welcome pack with some essentials for the night at me. Milk, bread, butter, eggs, and fruit. Clever.
“You got an adult version of this?” I ask, gazing longingly at the can of beer sitting on the table beside him. It’s out in plain sight. He must be the owner if he has no fears about getting caught drinking on the job. Scratching his chest through his red and navy check shirt, he eyes me suspiciously before sighing and reaching into the fridge behind him. Pulling out four chilled cans, he hands them to me with a huff.
“You look like you could do with them.”
Holding his hand up to say no when I try to pay, he struggles to his feet.
“I’ll only get in trouble with herself indoors if I drink them all, anyway.”
He winks conspiratorially at me before he steps outside and locks up the reception.
“If you need anything, I’m down there. If you’re leaving early, throw the key in the letterbox.”
With a tired salute, he trudges down the hill toward a larger, more modern cabin set apart from the rest. There are brightly painted flower pots and wind chimes tinkling in the soft breeze. It doesn’t suit him, butherself indoorsprobably calls the shots. I chuckle to myself as I tuck the precious beers under my elbow and carry the bag of supplies to my sanctuary for the night.
The sky is bright, with very few clouds to block out the stars or the light from the moon. The air is crisp and fresh. It calms me as I suck in deep lungfuls, scanning the forest around me and mentally plotting the layout of the site in my mind. It’s isolated, and located just outside the border of Lucia’s pack. it’s private.
My nose twitches and I frown, turning in a circle to work out what’s caught my wolf’s attention. I don’t hear anything other than the quiet murmur of conversations taking place within the neighbouring cabins. As my foot hits the bottom step of my porch, I freeze. A shiver runs down my spine as the wind shifts and I pick up the scent of another wolf, one I don’t recognise, but that calls to me on a primal level. My heart pounds in my chest and the noise of rushing blood fills my ears.
Trying to remain calm, I drop everything in my arms onto the wooden porch and turn slowly, scanning the row of cabins. My senses sharpen as I use my wolf’s abilities to track what I’m sensing. I creep back the way I came, and my eyes fix on an open downstairs window in the cabin next to mine. Another breeze blowing through the curtains carries the mouth-watering scent in my direction again and adrenaline pumps through my veins. She’s here.
Flexing my hands and cracking my wrists to relieve the tension, I pause outside cabin number four, unsure what to do next. My wolf wants to burst through the door and pledge his undying devotion to whoever is on the other side. But I’m here on a mission, and I’ve given up my role as beta. How is this going to work when I’ve left my pack and I’m on my way to a new one to work for my girlfriend?
