4: The Golden Cage

Alaric is still holding her shoulders. His grip is steady, and the heat from his palms is seeping through her denim jacket.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Juniper says, stepping back to break his hold. She tries to look brave, even though her knees are still shaking from the night before. "I appreciate you checking on me, Mr. Sterling, but I have a life here. I have a shop to run."

Alaric’s jaw tightens so hard she hears his teeth grind. "Juniper, look at your door. Look at your greenhouse. You were almost killed last night."

"By a stray animal!" she snaps. "I’ll call animal control. I’ll buy a better lock. I don't need to move into a stranger's house like a lost puppy."

Alaric takes a step into her kitchen, his presence making the room feel tiny. He looks at the iron poker sitting on the counter. "You think animal control can handle what’s in these woods? You think a new lock will stop something that can rip a door off its hinges?"

"How do you even know about the door?" Juniper asks, her eyes narrowing. "I didn't tell you it was ripped off. I just said a wolf tried to get in."

Alaric freezes. He realizes his mistake. He saw the door last night when he was in his wolf form, but he can't tell her that.

"I can see the splinters from here, Juniper," he says quickly, his voice dropping to a low, persuasive rumble. "Listen to me. I’m not asking you to be my guest. I’m telling you that you are in danger. The people I work with... they aren't kind. They saw me in your shop. They think you are a weakness they can use against me."

"Why?" Juniper demands. "Because I sold you tea? That's ridiculous."

"It doesn't matter if it's ridiculous. It's the truth." Alaric moves closer, his amber eyes intense. "Please. Just for a few days. Until I can make sure the woods are clear. My estate is protected. You can bring your tools, your herbs... whatever you need to keep working."

Juniper looks at the plywood over her door. She thinks about the red eyes of the beast from last night. She thinks about the black wolf that saved her. If that black wolf doesn't come back tonight, and the red-eyed one brings friends...

She shudders.

"I have a cat," she says quietly. "And I have three rare Orchids in the greenhouse that need constant misting. I’m not leaving them to die."

Alaric exhales, and for the first time, he looks relieved. "Bring the cat. Bring the plants. My driver will help you pack."

"I'll pack my own things," Juniper says, pointing a finger at his chest. "And I want my own room. With a lock. A real lock."

Alaric looks down at her finger, then back at her face. A strange, dark spark flickers in his eyes. "You'll have whatever you want, Juniper. Just get in the car."

It takes an hour to load her essentials into the back of the SUV. Juniper feels like she is dreaming as they drive away from her little cottage and deeper into the Iron-Wood. She has lived on the edge of these woods her whole life, but she has never seen the private roads they are on now.

Eventually, the trees open up to reveal a massive estate. It looks more like a fortress than a house. It’s made of dark stone and heavy timber, surrounded by a high iron fence.

"Welcome to the Iron-Wood estate," Alaric says.

As the gates open, Juniper sees people walking around the grounds. They are all tall, fit, and moving with a strange, synchronized grace. When the SUV passes, they stop and stare. Their eyes follow the car with a hunger that makes Juniper’s skin crawl.

"Why are they all looking at me?" she whispers.

"They aren't used to visitors," Alaric says shortly.

The car stops in front of the main house. Before Alaric can even open her door, the house door flies open. Vesper steps out, looking even angrier than she did at the shop.

"You brought her here?" Vesper screams, her voice echoing across the courtyard. "Are you insane, Alaric? A human in the heart of the pack? The Council will have your head for this!"

Alaric gets out of the car and slams the door. "The Council doesn't run my house, Vesper. I do."

Juniper climbs out of the car, clutching her cat carrier. She looks at Vesper, who looks like she wants to rip Juniper’s throat out.

"I'm not a 'human,'" Juniper says, her temper finally snapping. "My name is Juniper. And trust me, I didn't want to come to your gloomy club house anyway."

Vesper’s eyes flash that strange yellow again. She snarls, a sound that is way too deep to be human. "You have no idea where you are, little girl. You're just a snack in a denim jacket."

"Vesper! Enough!" Alaric roars.

The sound is so loud it feels like a physical punch. Vesper flinches and steps back, her lip curling in a silent growl.

Alaric turns to Juniper, his expression softening instantly. "Ignore her. Torin!"

A younger man with sandy hair and a friendly face jogs over. He looks much more "human" than the others, though he still has that same athletic build.

"This is Torin," Alaric says. "He’s my... assistant. He will show you to your room and help you set up your plants."

"Hey there," Torin says with a lopsided grin. "Don't mind the neighbors. They haven't had their coffee yet."

Juniper likes Torin immediately. He feels safe. She follows him into the house, but as she crosses the threshold, she stops.

On the wall of the grand foyer is a massive painting of a black wolf. It’s the same wolf from her garden. The same eyes. The same power.

She looks at Alaric, who is watching her from the doorway.

"That's a beautiful painting," she says, her voice trembling slightly. "It looks just like the dog that saved me last night."

Alaric doesn't blink. "It’s a family symbol, Juniper. Nothing more."

He’s lying. Juniper knows he’s lying, but she doesn't know why. She follows Torin up the stairs, but she can feel Alaric’s gaze on her back the entire way.

She is in the lion's den now. Or rather, the wolf's. And she has the sinking feeling that no matter how many locks are on her door, she isn't as safe as Alaric promised.