Becca I found a comfortable Inn in the neighboring town, despite Jason’s mom insisting I take Jason’s room, and soon fell into my new daily pattern in my new jobs. I get up early every day to start my day with Jason as his apprentice, then work in a Diner, and then back to Jason again. Even though my days are long and exhausting, I eagerly anticipate our nightly runs. This is unequivocally the best part of being here. The forest becomes familiar as Makya shows Bliss interesting places and teaches her everything she doesn’t know. Our wolves are so fond of each other, and their relationship grows even stronger with every passing night. The way Bliss follows him without question shows how she trusts Makya with her life and looks up to him for guidance. These weeks have been crucial in allowing us to get to know each other before facing those challenges leading to the Crystal Ice Pack. The first project was a massive office building. We painted the interior for five weeks. Despite wor

Becca My skin burns from the beaming sun above. We weren't gifted with clouds today. The parched ground under my boots craves the rain, just like me. The dirt road we took to get to the forest seems endless, and I swear I see things that aren't there. On one side are fields of harvested corn stalks stretching for miles, while on the other, there is a vast cattle pasture. The forest is visible in the distance but still too far to provide any relief. I reach into the side strap of my backpack to retrieve my water bottle, unsure whether to drink from it or pour it on my head. "Why did we think coming on foot was better than by car?" I ask Jason, whose steps are getting heavier beside me. "I'd say no clue, but we both know you were the one who insisted that a little walk can’t hurt," he replies with a grumble. I drink from my water and pretend he didn't say that, but my self-defense gets the best of me. "It didn't look this far on the map," I say defensively. "I guess we lear

Jason I beat my forehead on the steering wheel. Once, twice. Frustration bubbles up in my throat, but I keep the vibrations of growling inside my chest. I cannot believe that they are leaving on that fucking bus, that Becca would simply throw all our plans for this kid. She was like, hey, would you- a complete stranger- want to move in with me? And I had no idea how to stop her without being a total asshole. Of course, I saw the guy was underfed and lived in a tent in the forest. Of course, I wanted to help him. That’s why we were teaching him how to hunt and cook. But he is a goddamn werewolf. With a few more days of practice, his wolf would’ve become natural, as he should’ve been already. Why the hell his wolf didn’t know how to hunt? I ask no one in particular, yet Makya thinks it is time to budge in with his wisdom. ‘He was alone. While we had the pack for a few years, he had never seen another wolf.’ Yep. I just knew he would be a smartass about it. How the hell he isn’t fu

BeccaJason steps next to me as I hide behind a tree. He peeks forward, sniffing for any danger again.“Yes, I know. But only a human,” he replies with a frown on his forehead.There’s no one in sight. Everything is silent, but the creaking of the fire and the scent of stew cooking.We move forward, slowly and carefully, looking around. The forest is the same wild as all day: animals scrape about without fear of being hunted down.As we reach the back of one bungalow, and as Jason touches it, his face turns sour. His shoulders slump, and his head falls over sadly. “There aren’t any werewolves here,” he whispers with conviction.I frown at his statement. We’ve already established that. I can smell only one human, a male, to be precise.“If there aren’t any werewolves here, why do we smell them?” I ask in a hushed tone.Jason frowns before answering and caresses the bungalow. “Is it possible to smell the memory of someone?” he asks, still in a daze.“The memory?” I ask, copying his move

BeccaDinner went smoothly as we ate and discussed our day jobs. Brock showed us the trail he uses with his motorbike when he leaves. Although it’s not an official road, he made it usable by repeatedly riding on it.“I drove up and down for days to make it usable while my son cut the vine and cleared the leaves. I thought we’d never finish,” he sighs, shaking his head.It leads to an official hiking trail we can follow to reach the nearest road. He even points out a cliff on a map that hikers like to visit, and we plan to check it out on our next day’s trip. We pretend we need his help in planning a trip.As soon as we step inside the bungalow, the same chilling energy rushes through me, leaving me with goosebumps again. Despite trying to shake it off, the sensation only intensifies as we move around the building. The energy is so powerful in the bedroom I have to force myself to step inside.‘Werewolves died here,’ Bliss explains, and I nod, but the movement is jerky.Outside, while