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“Don’t you think you deserve the break?” Gwen asked. “You always seem so uneasy.”
The reason Harlow seemed so uneasy was that only weeks ago, she had been confronted by a dark figure from her past. Echo Hall, a runt from the Hollow Grove pack, had approached her with a message and tried to drag her away by force.
A lot had happened since then. She had kissed Colt, been intimate with Atlas, agreed to see them both, and was now staying out in a protected home under surveillance in a pack that still, at least in part, mistrusted her.
It was all very exciting, but it made her nervous not knowing what was going to happen next. She felt like she was a victim to circumstances well beyond her own agency, and like in this moment of calm, she was only biding her time for something truly awful to happen.
Today was both a full moon and Harlow’s birthday. She had been invited out to the full moon run, where wolves roamed freely together in their natural state. But she hadn’t told anybody it was her birthday and hated the stress of going out.
“You know how it is,” Harlow replied. “New town, not a lot of money yet. Got to keep my head down and work.”
“That’s pretty smart.” Gwen nodded. “Counterpoint, though. We need paper towels and cleaning supplies. Why don’t you come into town with me?”
“Sure,” Harlow said. “There’s this guy, though. He kind of just tags along wherever I go. I hope that’s okay.”
“I’ve noticed that,” Gwen said. “What’s that about?”
Harlow pursed her lips, not sure where to begin to explain. “It’s a long story,”
“We’ve got plenty of time,” Gwen replied.
She left a surprisingly earnest sign on the door, explaining the slow business day for any potential clients and offering her cell phone number in case anybody needed help.
They traveled around town, stopping initially at the general store and then entering irrelevant stores that felt more like luxury shopping than errands. Gwen stopped at a yarn store, explaining that she’d recently taken up knitting but wasn’t very good at it yet.
The entire time, Gwen asked questions that probed deeper and deeper into Harlow’s personal life. Harlow wanted nothing more than to be honest with her, but she knew the kind of secrecy she was expected to keep, especially with her old pack still lurking somewhere. She guilted herself for putting Gwen in danger but felt comfortable that the watcher would protect them if needed.
They returned to an empty office. Nobody had called in the two hours Gwen had been away. Harlow looked uneasily around the street. Her watcher had waited outside the yarn boutique, but he had vanished in the time since. Harlow was worried for Gwen’s safety.
“Well, I think we can call it an early day,” Gwen said. “Sorry there’s not more work. Would you like a ride home?”
“I’m not sure—”
“Where your friend went?” Gwen finished. “Yeah, I wondered about that. You never explained what his deal is.”
“I’m sorry,” Harlow said. “I can’t.”
Gwen smiled, clearly not bothered. Harlow wondered why she wasn’t worried by her sketchy answers or the holes in the stories she told. To an impartial observer, Harlow must have seemed entirely suspect.
“It’s okay,” Gwen said. “So… since your friend isn’t here, you want that ride?”
“I suppose I don’t have much choice,” Harlow replied, chuckling in spite of herself.
The entire ride there, Harlow peered out the window, terrified of who might be following them. Under her watcher, she still felt trapped, but at least she was safe.
When Gwen missed her turn and passed Harlow’s protective home, Harlow panicked.
“Uhh… you passed my home…” Harlow meekly protested.
“Actually, not to worry you,” Gwen said. “But I have other instructions.”
“Oh.”
All types of thoughts ran through Harlow’s head. Had Gwen been coerced by Hollow Grove to take her home? And if so, how long had Gwen been talking to them? Where was Gwen taking her?
When they reached the outskirts of town, and Gwen pulled into the familiar orchard, Harlow was visibly confused.
“Come,” Gwen said. “I’ll walk you in.”
