Chapter 2

ERIN

The Silver Ridge brewery was nothing like I'd expected.

The place hummed with energy, even at ten in the morning. The smell of hops mixed with coffee from the attached café, and servers rushed between tables carrying steaming plates of breakfast. My stomach growled, reminding me I'd barely eaten in two days.

"You here about the job?"

I spun around to find a woman watching me, maybe early thirties, with short red hair and knowing green eyes. She had that confident stance that screamed wolf shifter, and probably high-ranking too.

"Yes," I said, straightening my shoulders. "I saw the help wanted sign."

She looked me up and down, and I fought not to fidget. My clothes were wrinkled from sleeping on the bus, and I probably looked exactly like what I was—desperate.

"When can you start?" she asked.

I blinked. "Don't you want to interview me first? Or see my resume?"

"Honey, you're a wolf shifter who needs work badly enough to take a brewery job, and you look like you haven't slept in days. I'm guessing pack troubles?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I'm Maya. I run this place, and I don't ask questions about the past. You show up, you work hard, you get paid. That's the deal."

"I can start right now," I said quickly.

Maya grinned. "That's what I like to hear. Come on, I'll show you the ropes. You ever wait tables before?"

"No, but I'm a fast learner."

"Good enough for me."

She handed me an apron and spent the next hour showing me around. The work was simple enough—take orders, deliver food, smile even when customers were jerks. My wolf didn't like the submissive nature of service work, but I reminded her we needed this. For the baby.

"You're doing great," Maya said as I successfully delivered my fifth order without dropping anything. "Natural talent."

"Thanks," I said, but then the door chimed and my whole body went rigid.

Three wolves walked in, and even though I'd never seen them before, I recognized the type immediately. Enforcers. They moved like predators, scanning the room with systematic precision. Looking for someone.

Looking for me?

No, that was paranoid. Marty had kicked me out. He wouldn't send enforcers after me. Would he?

"Table twelve," Maya said, nudging me. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm fine," I lied, grabbing my notepad.

I approached the table carefully, keeping my head down, letting my hair fall forward to partially hide my face. "What can I get you gentlemen?"

"Coffee," the biggest one said. "Black. And information."

My pen trembled slightly. "Information isn't on the menu."

He chuckled, but it wasn't a friendly sound. "Funny. We're looking for a girl. About your height, actually. Dark hair. Recently left Shadowcrest territory."

Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Lots of girls match that description."

"This one would be... upset. Emotional. She had a disagreement with Alpha Marty."

Disagreement. Is that what he was calling it?

"Haven't seen anyone like that," I said, proud when my voice didn't shake. "Just coffee then?"

The enforcer studied me for a long moment, and I held my breath. Then he nodded. "Three coffees."

I escaped to the kitchen, my heart pounding so hard I was sure everyone could hear it. Maya appeared beside me as I poured the coffee with shaking hands.

"Those guys bothering you?" she asked quietly.

"They're looking for someone," I whispered. "Someone from my old pack."

Maya's eyes hardened. "Are you in danger?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

She took the coffee pot from my hands. "Go to the back office. Lock the door. Don't come out until I tell you it's safe."

"But—"

"Now, Erin."

I'd told her my name was Emma, but somehow she knew. I didn't argue, just slipped through the kitchen and into the small office. Through the thin door, I could hear Maya's voice, bright and cheerful, serving the enforcers.

Twenty minutes passed. Thirty. Finally, a soft knock.

"They're gone," Maya said when I opened the door. "But they'll be back. They're sniffing around all the businesses in Silver Ridge."

"I should leave," I said. "I don't want to bring trouble to your door."

"Nonsense." She crossed her arms. "You're not the first wolf who's shown up here running from something. Won't be the last. But if you're going to stay, you need to tell me the truth. What does Alpha Marty want with you?"

I bit my lip. Could I trust her? I'd only known her for a few hours, but something in her eyes reminded me of Beth. A protector. Someone who understood what it was like to be vulnerable.

"He doesn't want me," I said finally. "He threw me out. Rejected me for someone with better bloodlines. But..." I placed a hand on my stomach. "There's something he doesn't know. Something that might change things if he found out."

Maya's eyes followed my gesture, understanding dawning on her face. "Oh, honey. How far along?"

"Just found out yesterday."

She whistled low. "And you think he'd want you back if he knew?"

"Not me," I said. "But an Alpha heir? Yeah, he'd want that."

"Over my dead body," Maya said fiercely. "You're under my protection now. Silver Ridge might be neutral territory, but this brewery? This is my domain. And I don't let anyone hurt my people."

My people. When was the last time anyone had claimed me as theirs?

"Thank you," I whispered, tears threatening again.

"Don't thank me yet," Maya said. "We need to be smart about this. First, we're changing your appearance. Hair color, style, everything. Second, you're moving into the apartment above the brewery. It's small, but it's safe. Third, we're going to make sure you have everything you need for a healthy pregnancy."

"I can't afford—"

"You work, you get room and board. That's the deal for all my special cases." She winked. "And trust me, you're not the first pregnant wolf I've helped disappear."

As she led me up to the small apartment, I wondered what I'd done to deserve this kindness. But maybe that was the wrong question. Maybe the right question was: what was I going to do to earn it?

One thing was certain. Marty's enforcers would be back. And when they came, I needed to be someone they'd never recognize.