SableRidge’s growl finally fades, but I swear I can hear an echo of it bouncing off the stark walls of the large building.The room has grown so silent, I feel as if I can hear every breath being taken. Beyond the breathing, I can also feel the weight of every gaze latched on to me, made heavier by the thick tension that clogs the air.I don’t like being the center of attention like this. I don’t like all these eyes on me—not Ridge’s concerned gaze or Lawson’s pissed off one or any of the different levels of emotion in between.My heart pounds with such force that I’m sure every predator here can hear it or sense the blood pumping overtime through my veins. I stand with my feet shoulder width apart, ready to run at the first glimpse of violence, even as fear threatens to turn my knees to jelly. Lawson left the door open, and I will absolutely make my escape if it looks like my only option.Two nights ago, I decided to live life on my terms for once.If it comes to it, I’ll die on my

SableThe elder’s words send a rush of surprise through me, and I blink away some of the daze.There’s a wolf in me?Looking around at the men who are watching me, I try to work through the detachment I feel. Ridge, Trystan, Archer, even the two elders, these men are all wolves.Wolf shifters, specifically.Part man, part animal.I was able to work through the initial shock when Ridge revealed the truth to me while we sat on his bed this morning. It still sounded bat shit crazy, but I saw that man in his living room shift into a wolf. Seeing is believing, right?But… me? I can’t even process the possibility. I’m just a girl. A girl with an uncle who’s been vicious, cruel… and inhuman.The thought jogs my brain and shakes away the last of the cobwebs. Could Clint be a shifter, too? Were my parents? They must’ve been, if I am.“How?” The word comes out choked and almost too low to be decipherable. “Wouldn’t I know? I’ve… I’ve never shifted in my life.”Elder Jihoon places his metal rods

SableArcher’s golden, boy-next-door good looks are even more devastating in the oranges and purples of sunset. I have to work hard to focus on his words and not get lost in his brilliant green eyes that remind me of fresh cut grass. He’s taller than Ridge, though not by much, but his presence isn’t as imposing. He doesn’t loom like the other wolves. He doesn’t wear his beast as close to the surface.Despite everything that’s happened, I’m drawn to him. It’s a stupid thing, really. I shouldn’t be drawn to him. I should be drawn to those damn woods and getting the hell away from this mess before I’m too deep to get out. But something about the weight in his voice tells me he’s not lying. He’s not feigning empathy just to keep me from leaping off this ledge and racing away into the sunset.Archer’s been through some things. Some really heavy things. The same kinds of things I have.They… hurt me. When I was young.I can’t help but wonder at his story. What did the witches do to him that

RidgeIt’s been a while since I last ran—the full-out sprint of a wolf with a mission or a wolf at play, sprinting through the mountains as if every hill is a racetrack.It’s a freeing kind of run, cosmic and powerful.When I’m on patrol, I keep my steps measured and even. It’s too easy to let the landscape slide by without seeing potential threats if you don’t stop and smell the fucking roses, as my father used to say.My paws thud against the ground and the cool mountain wind whips past my ears. Archer and Trystan flank me, their keen gazes aware of our surroundings even as the trees and rock flash by at lightning speed. If I had to be alone in the wilderness for any indefinite period of time, I have to admit, these two men aren’t the worst backup a wolf could ask for. They’re both strong and smart. Trystan’s attitude problem makes me want to gut him with my bare claws sometimes, and Archer bears more pain than I think he realizes he lets on to the world. Between his abduction as a

SableTrystan makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like distaste, but Ridge shoves him toward the door. “Let’s make sure the cabin is stocked.”As Archer passes me, he offers me a small, shy smile. “Take your time. We’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready.”I spend an inordinately long time beneath a cold shower, wondering where the water came from this deep in the wild, and if the water could go even colder to wash away the desire that still burns through me with a vengeance.Ridge’s friend Amora gave me a bag full of clothes, including comfy sweats and nightshirts. Right now, baggy cotton pants thick enough to hide all my curves seem like the safest bet, and I top them off with a long-sleeved nightshirt that hangs off me like a potato sack. I know I probably look ridiculous, but the less skin I have showing in their presence, the better.For all of us.The more I have to take off, the more likely I won’t give in to the insane desire to press my bare skin against theirs the way m