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Gwen offered a sympathetic half-grin. “Just get it to me Monday. Don’t even sweat it.”
Harlow thanked Gwen for her understanding and then proceeded back outside, after being thanked again by the woman in the petticoat and the man with the Labrador.
She felt waves of calm wash over her, having secured impossibly fortunate living arrangements and then found a job. Harlow reminded herself that it was only a trial, and she had no idea how it would develop. But it was something she loved doing and was good at, and that made all the difference to her.
Then as quickly as the calmness settled in, an unsettling panic crept over her. Something wasn’t right. She rushed back to the inn, glad to put her enhanced cardio to good use. She couldn’t explain it, other than as simple intuition.
When she arrived in the parking lot, she was able to make out the wafting scents of sandalwood and jasmine. She confronted Dave in the lobby to see if he had seen anything strange, but the only strange thing he had seen was how well the Giants played last night. She wished she knew anything about sports, but she did her best to humor him.
For a solid minute, Harlow’s hand hovered over the door to room two thirteen. With some effort, she talked herself into scanning her room key and turning the doorknob.
Chapter 7
Harlow
Harlow’s hand shook as she opened the door, and her worst fears were confirmed. There, in the room she currently called home, were three men not even bothering to conceal themselves. She felt her heart accelerate, her mind adrift with a stream of possibilities, each worse than the last. Were these men robbing her room? Were they sent by Vincent to end her life? She could only speculate. Her mouth was dry, her hands clammy as panic consumed her.
She prepared herself for the worst-case scenario. The only thing she wasn’t prepared for was if they had a weapon. Oh god. What if they had a gun? In that case, she had no solution. She ran through a list of people she could call, other than nine-one-one, if she were backed into an emergency situation, and then realized she was hundreds of miles away from anybody who could help her.
When nobody attempted to move toward her or harm her in any way, she grew confused.
“Umm… this is my room.” Perhaps it had been a misunderstanding.
“Yeah, we know,” the muscular one in the white shirt said. His eyes were mesmerizing amber with a ring of obsidian. She ran over the curves of his muscles with her eyes. They were perfect. At some point, too many muscles became unattractive and unwieldy, and his physique had stopped slightly before “monstrous” and just after “godly.”
“Oh.” She looked from the man speaking to the two men in T-shirts, who were also quite well-built, more like swimmers than bodybuilders. She felt guilty, objectifying men who by all intents were currently breaking and entering. “Well, could you please get out?”
This time, the blue-eyed one spoke. His voice had an intricate, almost poetic, rhythm to it. His sandy blond hair would have been positively blinding in any other light.
“It’s a sad day when a wolf loses their senses. You’re a bit out of practice. Aren’t you?”
Harlow’s eyes widened, at first panicked. How did they know? Had they been sent to find her after all? No. That wasn’t it. They didn’t smell like home. She took a deep breath and focused for a moment, closing her eyes. When she reopened them, she found something she didn’t know she missed. It was like seeing again for the first time.
“You’re a beta wolf,” she gasped. He chuckled, as if terribly amused by what she had said. Then she looked at the taller, sterner, dressier man. “You’re the alpha.” He nodded, somewhat unfazed. She turned her attention to the last member of the group, who seemed like he barely belonged. “And I have no idea what you are.”
“I’m the chauffeur,” he said before receiving a nudge in the gut and a nod of acknowledgment from the alpha. “I’m Zachary, head of security for the Gravecrest pack. It’s okay that I told her that, right? You wanted me to tell her that?”
“You did good,” the beta said. “I’m Colt, your resident beta shifter.”
“Atlas,” the alpha added. He was terse and seemed very guarded, crossing his arms in a way that accentuated the muscles in his arms and chest. Harlow couldn’t help but admire them despite her current anxiety.
“So,” Atlas broke the silence as Harlow caught herself obviously staring at him. “What brings you to our neck of the woods? Forest Crest isn’t exactly a booming travel destination.”
Harlow could feel overwhelming suspicion from him and couldn’t help the feeling of unwelcome that draped over her. The other two also seemed very guarded, but Atlas in particular made Harlow want to double back into her car and leave this town in her rearview mirror.
But she had to try to advocate for herself as best as she could. Right now, Harlow was on trial. She had stepped into rival territory without a show of good faith or any kind of outreach.
“Honestly…” Harlow could feel the words tumbling out of her mouth and wished she had more control over them. “I had no idea this was pack territory. I had been driving for a long time. I was exhausted. I saw the name Forest Crest, and it just… called out to me.”
“It ‘called out’ to you?” Atlas questioned.
“I don’t really know how to explain it.” Harlow frowned.
“I get it,” Colt said. She could feel his support subtly starting to undermine Atlas’s inquisition.
“And why were you driving so far out of your way?” Atlas quirked a brow, the suspicion in his voice only intensifying.
“I was trying to find a new start. My pack let me go.” Harlow had more to add to that story, but she wasn’t interested in offering her autobiography up for any stranger who violated her personal space.
