nic'
by towering evergreens and winding dirt roads that refused to be tamed by asphalt. The residents were few but close-knit, bound by the unspoken understanding that their smal
wind tugged at his dark hair and carried the familiar, earthy scents of the forest, but he barely noticed. His thou
e view couldn't ease the tension coiling in his chest. The pack was restless. Rogue wolves had been sighted on the outskirts of their land, and though Dominic's patrols had dealt with them swift
aut and ready for a fight, but the intruder was only Marcus, one of his most trus
ul. We've found tracks near the eastern border
s something else. The scent... it's strange
next sweep myself. Marcus hesitated, then added, There's one more thing. A new
n wasn't just physical; it was a barrier against outsiders who might stumble upon things they weren't meant to
c said curtly. If she's tr
s thoughts were divided. The rogues were a pressing threat, but the arrival
from the smog and exhaust she'd left behind in the city. She glanced around, taking in the quaint little town that would be her new home. The streets were quiet, l
cut through the dense darkness, and more than once, she'd considered turning back. But she'd pressed on, driven
nder her boots. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, and for a moment, she allowed herself to imagine t
room was furnished with a worn sofa and a bookshelf that begged to be filled. The kitchen was quaint
ive, a leap of faith after everything she'd been through. She'd wanted to disappear, to leave behind the pain and betrayal that had shatt
iver down her spine. She rose cautiously and moved to the window, peering out into the darkness. The forest loomed beyond the po
l and broad- shouldered, its movements deliberate and fluid. Lily's breath caught in her throat. She c
r brain told her it was probably a local, maybe a hunter or someone out for a late-night walk. But another part o
the soft glow of a lamp inside. She moved with a quiet grace, her expression thoughtful as she unpacked her belongings. There was an air of vulnerability a
d happened. A pull. Subtle at first, like the faint tug of a current, but it grew stronger with each passing moment. It wasn't just curiosity
te
logic and reason. But he'd never believed it would happen to him. He didn't want it to happen to him. He'd built his life
f her cottage, completely unaware of the
ousand questions swirling in his head. Who was she? Why had she come here? And, most imp
ic knew one thing for certain: nothing in