Mag-log inI was halfway through writing a particularly satisfying argument between two fictional characters when someone knocked on my door. I stared at it. "No."Another knock."I am not accepting visitors today!""Um... Alora?"That wasn't Wyatt. Interesting. I opened the door to find a young woman standing on my porch, looking nervous. "Lena?""Hi."I recognized her from my visit to the werewolf neighborhood. She'd been one of the few people there who hadn't looked at me like I was carrying a contagious disease. "Everything okay?""Not really. I was hoping you could help."I stepped aside. "Come in. Unless this involves somebody's wolf wanting to marry me, in which case I'm closed."Lena blinked. Then she laughed. "Oh. You've heard."I closed my eyes. "Please tell me that isn't public knowledge."She didn't answer."Fucking fantastic."Lena followed me into the kitchen. "I actually came because we need the Keeper."That got my attention. "Okay. What's happened?""One of our younger wolves, O
I woke up alone.For the first time in what felt like weeks, nobody was knocking on my door, threatening to kill anyone, or informing me that their wolf had apparently chosen me as a life partner.It was wonderful.I lay in bed for another ten minutes, enjoying the silence.Then I remembered yesterday.Oh, for fuck's sake.I'd had sex with Zeke. Really, really good sex. The kind that made me smile at inappropriate moments and seriously reconsider my opinion of men who carried swords.And then Wyatt had shown up.Because apparently even my sex life required werewolf supervision.I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling.The worst part wasn't even that Wyatt had heard us. Although that was horrifying enough that I intended to spend the rest of my life pretending it hadn't happened.No, the worst part was that both men had decided the appropriate response was to start punching each other in my yard.Zeke had reached for his sword.His actual sword.Over an argument about who had t
For once, my life was going exceptionally well.I was naked on my couch, curled up against a very naked Zeke, with a blanket draped over us and absolutely no intention of moving. His arm was around my waist, my head rested against his chest, and his fingers were lazily tracing circles over my shoulder.Just me, Zeke, and the pleasant discovery that my couch was considerably more comfortable when occupied by a handsome Huntsman.“I think we should stay here forever,” I murmured.“Sounds good.”“We’ll have to order food.”“Fine.”“And you’ll have to quit being a Huntsman.”“That might be a problem.”“Don’t ruin this with practical considerations.”He laughed and kissed the top of my head.I was just beginning to drift into a very satisfied nap when someone pounded on the front door. Not knocked. Pounded. Three enormous thuds that made me jump.“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”Zeke tightened his arm around me. “Ignore it.”From the other side of the door came a familiar voice. “I heard that!”I cl
We drove in silence for a while. The forest blurred past the windows, dark pines and late-afternoon light that was already starting to thin. Zeke’s hands stayed steady on the wheel, but the muscle in his jaw kept flexing the way it did when he was turning something over too many times.I didn’t push. Not yet.When the truck finally turned onto the narrow track that led to my cottage, the familiar shape of the place settled something in my chest. Smoke still drifted from the chimney I’d left banked that morning. The porch light was on. Home. Zeke killed the engine. Neither of us moved.I looked at him. He was staring through the windshield at the trees, but I could tell he wasn’t really seeing them.“Do you want to come inside for coffee?” I asked.He glanced over. “Alora.”“What?”“Do you actually want coffee?”I considered that.“Not particularly.”His mouth curved.“Good. Neither do I.”We got out. I unlocked the door and held it open. Zeke stepped past me, close enough that I caugh
We left the hunting shelter with more questions than we’d arrived with, which was becoming a theme.Nathan had refused to tell us anything else, insisting he’d already said more than Grandma would have wanted. Zeke had suggested that withholding information about a dead Huntsman wasn’t particularly wise. Nathan had reminded him that threatening a funeral director was generally considered poor manners.Eventually, Nathan had left, and Zeke had taken another photograph of the stain before putting the floorboard back in place.Now we were walking toward his truck. Quietly, which was unusual for me, but I had plenty to think about.Thomas Hale might have been attacked somewhere other than where his body was discovered. Grandma had suspected someone was deliberately provoking a war between the Huntsmen and the werewolves. A Hollowling had been carrying one of her secret notes.And Wyatt thought I was his mate.That last one was particularly offensive.I made it another fifty feet before I
The next morning, I woke up with two things on my mind.One: a Hollowling had told me to find out where Thomas Hale’s blood had been discovered.Two: apparently, I was Wyatt’s mate.I wasn’t sure which was worse. At least the Hollowling had been polite enough to leave after threatening to eat me. Wyatt had stayed in my kitchen for nearly an hour.I made coffee and considered looking up how to reject a werewolf mate bond. Unfortunately, I wasn’t entirely sure Google covered supernatural divorces between people who had never been married.Instead, I called Zeke.“Morning,” he answered.“Do you know where Thomas Hale’s blood was found?”A pause. “Good morning to you too.”“Sorry. Good morning. Where was the blood?”“You’re thinking about what the Hollowling said.”“Yes. It was a very memorable conversation.”“I’m at the lodge. Come over. Mara might be able to help.”“Great.”“Alora?”“What?”“Please drive here without investigating anything along the way.”“Wow. You take all the fun out







