CALLUMA lot of little boys idolize superheroes. I’ve always identified more with the villains.It’s not like I had designs on growing up to become some sort of evil mastermind, but some part of me has always recognized that desperate darkness that lurks beneath the surface of the villain in the story. The tortured soul behind the manic façade.Nobody roots for the villain, and nobody has ever rooted for me, either. My stepdad ensured that by painting me as the black sheep of the family from the moment I took my first breath. I was always the problem child, the nuisance he was forced to live with but never wanted. The product of an anonymous hookup that my mother regretted before I was even born, because she met the love of her life when she was six months pregnant with another man’s child. A man I’d never meet, because apparently, he didn’t want me either.Ain’t life a bitch?The villain in the story never comes out on top, but you’ve gotta admire their tenacity. The world’s against

CALLUM When the party finally starts winding down, Nessa and her friend take off, and I’m oddly disappointed when she goes. Not that I expected her to linger in hopes of an invitation to stay. A lot of girls pull that move at the end of the night, but that doesn’t seem to be Nessa’s M.O., if she even has one. I still can’t figure that girl out. Everyone has damage, but she must be really good at hiding hers, because I’m stumped. She just seems so… pure. And I have no idea why the fuck she chose to spend her evening with me, of all people, because I’m decidedly not. So, I can only conclude that she’s either a danger junkie or honestly can’t see the monster beneath my skin that’s so apparent to everyone else. Either way, she held my interest all night, and a girl hasn’t done that since… ever. When she leaves, it’s like she takes all the energy in the room with her. I’m about to call it a night, but then Miles sparks up a joint and I’m compelled to linger a little longer. It’ll help me

CALLUMThe Cedar Ridge ski resort is a winter tourist trap that sits just outside the edge of the six-pack’s territory, owned and operated by the six shifter packs that reside within. Since we generally keep to ourselves, the ski resort was built as an income stream to keep our towns afloat, as well as the Cedar Ridge brewery just down the road. The ski resort is shuttered in the summer months, but the brewery is open all year round so we have consistent revenue. It’s a smart setup, but it also tempts us into wandering off-territory more than we probably should.My boys and I spend a lot of time at the ski resort in the winter, though we generally stay away from the human tourists as best we can since one of the fundamental rules of shifter culture is to keep our existence a secret. We’ve all been snowboarding for years, and we take full advantage of the fact that we’ve got a full-service ski resort right in our backyards. The runs here are second to none, and while the guests staying

VANESSA“I’ll be out of your hair in a few days,” Vienna explains to my mom as she takes a dish of green beans from her hands.“Oh, stop,” Mom scolds, swatting Vee on the butt with a kitchen towel. “You know you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. We love having you here!”I pick up a basket of rolls, shooting my friend a wide grin. “Yeah, just think of it as an extended sleepover!”She smiles wryly, following me to the kitchen table to deposit the food. The whole house smells amazing- my mom always cooks hearty dinners, but she pulls out all the stops when we have company. Although Vienna can hardly be considered ‘company’- she’s practically family. This isn’t the first time Vee has crashed at my house, but it’s the first time she’s arrived with a duffel bag in tow and expressed her intention of staying for longer than a single night. I’m glad she did. When she called me early this morning, I could tell by the tone of her voice that something was wrong, and when she showed up a

VANESSALike always, I feel him before I see him. The energy in the air shifts somehow, almost crackling, and I know he’s nearby. I glance toward the tall rocks that line the outer edge of the natural hot springs, listening to the sound of crunching snow as he strides closer, still out of sight. I blow out a slow breath that fogs the air in front of me, mingling with the steam rising from the pool of warm water.Callum finally comes into view as he rounds the rocks, brows lifting as he takes in the sight of the crystal-clear water and my state of partial undress. “Well… this is a surprise,” he drawls, stalking closer.I sent him the location by dropping a pin so he could use the maps feature on his phone to find his way here. This place is technically off-territory, located on the grounds of the Cedar Ridge ski resort. It’s easy to get turned around in these woods, so the resort offers guided trips out here for guests who want to take a dip in the natural hot springs- but since I work