by Maia Starr
Stopping dead in her tracks, Addison stared at May. Flint… left a message for her? She’d thought he might have written her off as a one-night stand, but if he left a message for her, then maybe not. Addison nodded eagerly and awaited the message as May leaned forward.
“Flint wants you to know,” May said, “that he’ll see you very soon.”
A genuine smile curled Addison’s lips, and a wave of elation filled her.
“Well, now that you know, go scamper off,” May said with a smile, shooing her out. “Go on, get your day started.”
Addison thanked May and rushed out the door, a spring in her step. She couldn’t wait to hear Lindsay’s reaction when she called her later to spill the news.
He came in about an hour after Addison left. A beast of a man. May caught his scent before he fully ducked inside, and she recoiled as she scrunched up her nose. Other wolf shifters in the lobby reacted much the same, each member staring discreetly at the man as he walked through the door. Regular humans caught the strange tension forming and regarded the whole scene with uncomfortable looks.
May straightened on her stool, closing her magazine as the man stood just inside the door, gazing around, his nose twitching and his brows furrowing. When he caught her staring, his scowl deepened, but he came closer. Every hair on her body stood up. Something about the man unnerved her.
May had never seen this man on Silverwood Island before. Tall and burly, the man filled out a dark trench coat that covered his entire body, save his neck, head, and shoes, his muscles bulging underneath. A ragged beard that hinted at once being neatly trimmed concealed his tight-lipped mouth, and beady black eyes glared down at May.
She tried not to gulp, but she couldn’t help it. “Who are you?” she asked. “I never seen the likes of you roaming the eastern side of the island.”
“Just arrived,” he said, his voice was gruff and powerful. “I’m looking for someone. A woman. Skinny, long brown hair.”
Addison. A shiver wracked May’s body. Why was a man like this looking for Addison? She scoffed. “That’s not much to go on. There may not be a ton of people living on Silverwood Island, but we’re still numerous enough to have multiple people matching that description.”
The man grunted. “Then how about this? She’s an investigative journalist, came from Seattle recently. Young. She may have a locket with her.”
May scowled. He definitely meant Addison. May wasn’t sure about the locket, but the rest matched what Addison had told her about herself. In any case, May wasn’t about to give information to a strange man.
She brought a finger up and tapped her chin, glancing at the ceiling and pretending to think hard. “Maybe… I don’t quite remember. If you check back later, I might have more information for you.”
Growling low in his throat, the man backed away toward the door. “No, I’ll find her on my own. If she’s in this town, she’ll pop up sooner or later.”
Before May could say anything else, the man disappeared through the front door, but his smell lingered. Frowning, May beckoned to one of the wolf shifters sitting on the nearest sofa. “Jonas, run to the other side of the island and talk with the bears. Tell them a suspicious man showed up… it could be someone they know. And hurry!”
Jonas nodded and left, running out the door. Another shifter, Jonas’s mate, Kai, came up to May. “Want me to go tell Flint?”
May shook her head. “Nah, I’ll go myself. Just watch the inn for me. And make sure that if Addison comes back, you keep that man away from her. I’m heading to Wolf Den to round up some trackers to follow him.”
With that, May stalked around the front counter and out of the Silver Inn, praying Addison would stay safe.
Chapter Seven
Construction
Despite only walking the path once before with May, Addison remembered the way to the site of her future house. A dirt road starting at the edge of town and winding its way through the myriad of trees, it was hard to miss and easy to follow. A few howls on the passing wind alerted Addison to a pack of wolves prowling nearby, but she tried not to think about them.
She swore she saw movement between the trees, shapes darting through the bristling foliage. The sensation of being watched by many pairs of eyes stayed with her while she walked, and she wrapped her arms around herself to suppress her shudders, her head swiveling back and forth in a search for approaching wolves.
She sighed as she realized that, if she planned to stay in Silverwood, she would need to get used to the idea of wolves living alongside her. Still, she wouldn’t get over that primal fear today, so she focused her eyes on the path ahead and marched forward. The walk took longer than Addison remembered, probably because May had talked her ear off the first time around, and she grew antsy with nothing to focus on but the quiet forest.
To drown out the silence, Addison thought of Flint, the man who promised to see her again. Smiling to herself, she thought about his delectable mouth, the touch of his hands, his mouth-watering physique, his hungry gaze when his eyes roved over her body. She already anticipated spending another night with him, but she also hoped he would ask her out on a date, that he would want to talk to her and not just sleep with her. Sure, she’d liked the sex—okay, loved the sex—but she wouldn’t mind him expressing an interest in more than her body.
Then, Addison thought of Lindsay, still waiting back home in Seattle for an update. She couldn’t decide whether to tell Lindsay right out of the gate that she had hooked up with the sexiest man she’d ever met or if she should tease the information. Addison chuckled to herself. Lindsay might not even believe her; Addison hadn’t so much as gone on a date in over a year.
Thoughts of Lindsay turned to thoughts of Seattle, her old job, her coworkers, her ransacked apartment, and, last but not least, the man who’d promised to hunt her down and ruin her life, Maric Devoy. She hoped the police had caught him and had just kept the news under wraps, but that wasn’t likely. The longer her mind lingered on the dangerous man, the more depressed she became, and she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket. When she touched something metal, she realized it was the locket she’d meant to return to the victim’s family. The locket that had gotten her into this mess. She didn’t bother to take it out.
Soon, the path widened and turned to the clearing where her house would stand.
The clearing was still mostly empty, but a crew of construction workers at the far end of the property were setting foundation beams in the ground. There were around twelve workers, each one clad in an orange vest, brown gloves, a yellow hard hat, and a tool belt slung around each waist. They chatted and rough-housed with each other as they worked as if they were a band of brothers. Addison watched from a distance as the group’s leader motioned for another member of his crew to lay a foundational beam on the ground.
Something about the leader caught her eye. He stood a little back from the rest of the crew as he gave out orders. Although his back was to her, something about him seemed familiar. The broad shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist and hips, maybe, or the way he moved. She guessed that wasn’t too big a deal; she’d probably glimpsed him in town or at Pete’s Bar & Grille. Addison stepped forward, picking her way toward the crew, but as she did, the man turned, and she realized why he’d seemed so familiar.
His hard hat concealed his hair, and she couldn’t really make out his eyes from this distance, but she knew it was him. Flint.
As if Flint had heard her thoughts, his gaze shot directly to her. Addison held her breath as he smiled and motioned her toward him. Feeling her heart beat increase, Addison obliged and strolled forward as she wondered why no one had mentioned to her that Flint was one of the men building her house.
“Nice piece of land you got here,” Flint said as Addison came to a stop in front of him. Looking up at him, Addison realized how much shorter than him she was—and how much smaller than him she felt. When she didn’t speak, Flint continued, “May picked it out for your house, r
ight? She’s got a good sense for living out here.”
“She did…”
“Something the matter?”
Shifting from foot to foot, Addison glanced up. “No, I… I just didn’t expect you to be part of the team building my house. When May gave me your message, I didn’t think I’d see you this soon.”
Flint chuckled, earning a few surprised glances from his crew. “I’m not just part of this crew, you know. I’m the head honcho. Meaning I’m the guy overseeing everything about your new home. You’ll be seeing plenty of me in the coming days,” he finished with a wink.
Addison blushed, the prospect of seeing Flint all the time making her head spin a little. “Well, I wouldn’t mind that at all.”
He grinned. It was amazing to see Flint now, so much tamer than he was in her bedroom at the Silver Inn. Even so, just the sound of his voice made her blood pump faster.
Accidentally catching the eye of one of the crew, she looked past Flint and scanned the workers, noticing that every one of them was staring at her and Flint.
He followed her gaze, turning and calling to the men, “Hey! Enough staring! Get back to work, guys. Let’s not make Addison uncomfortable, alright?”
Without a word of argument, each man nodded and turned away, never glancing back once. They went about their work with a new vigor, and they even stopped chatting amongst themselves.
Amazed, Addison turned back to Flint. “How do you do that?”
Flint chuckled. “Do what?”
“What you just did! Everyone listens to you like you’re… like you’re some sort of…”
“Alpha?” he finished, raising an eyebrow.
Addison scoffed. “That’s the second time you’ve said that. But that’s not a thing. It’s not like you’re a wolf or something.”
Flint leaned toward her, his eyes darkening. “Maybe I am. A big, bad wolf. Would you run from me if that was the case?”
Flustered, Addison gulped, her heart racing as he came closer. His voice was rough again, almost a growl, and the feral look in his eyes made her knees weak. Just before his lips brushed hers, he backed off, leaving Addison gasping in the aftermath of her anticipation.
A mixture of emotions rushed through her as Flint stared at her, his lips curling into a smile. Why was it so easy for him to take her breath away? And what was with the teasing? Was he toying with her?
Her annoyance quickly subsided as Flint turned to call out orders to his men, instructing them to place a beam here and another there, to nail two pieces together on one side while a truck backed up to bring even more materials on the other, and so on. Addison watched his every movement, taking in the magnificent sight he made; the way Flint commanded his men—like he truly was some pack alpha—was so unbelievably hot. The way his muscles rippled as he pointed, the way his jaw moved as he spoke, the light breeze as it ruffled the bit of his hair sticking out from under his hat—he was gorgeous, and as Addison watched him, an unintentional smile formed on her lips.
While she watched Flint work, Addison caught something strange out of the corner of her eye: a couple coming out of the woods and walking toward them. Addison had never seen a couple randomly appear out of a forest before, but she supposed she needed to get used to these new types of surprises. Maybe they knew about a trail Addison hadn’t yet seen. But, upon closer inspection, she realized they were a strange sight for another reason: they were both half-naked.
The man, who looked a lot like Flint, wore only a pair of frayed jeans. He had the same golden-brown hair as Flint, the same leanly muscled build, and he walked the same way as Flint did. He had his arm around the woman, who wore only a dark tank top and a pair of panties. They wore neither shoes nor socks. Addison vaguely thought they must be freezing.
As they came closer, Addison stared at them, her mouth agape, and Flint swore under his breath as his nose twitched. The rest of the crew didn’t seem to notice the new arrivals.
“Brother!” the man said, sharing a fist bump with Flint. “How’s the construction going? For the new girl in town, right?” The man looked past Flint, smiling wide when he caught Addison staring. “And this is the new girl, I take it?” He brushed past Flint, grabbing Addison’s hand and bringing it to his warm lips, kissing it in greeting as if Addison was a princess. She blushed bright red as he raised his head. “It’s wonderful to meet you! I’m Ash, Flint’s younger brother.”
The woman pushed past Flint then, grabbing Ash by the scruff of his neck and pulling him back. “Ash, knock it off. You’re flustering her.”
Ash chuckled and scratched his head, obviously pretending he didn’t realize what he was doing.
“That’s right. Don’t bother her,” Flint interjected, stepping in between Addison and the odd pair. “Ash, Callie, what are you two doing here dressed like that?”
Ash and the woman—Callie—each raised an eyebrow at him, and then at each other, and then at Addison’s confused expressions, and then finally down at themselves, realizing that maybe they should have put on more clothes.
“Sorry, Flint!” Ash said sheepishly. “We were just going for a jog, stretching our legs—”
“Without shoes or socks?” Addison blurted out.
Ash and Callie exchanged a look.
“Uh, yeah,” Ash said. “We’re weird like that, I guess…”
Flint sighed and glared at the couple. “You two. Leave. Now. There’s no reason to reveal how weird you are to our new neighbor. You wouldn’t want to scare her off, would you?”
Both Ash and Callie hung their heads like school children getting scolded and nodded, but they winked at Addison as they walked off, hand in hand.
“See ya, new girl!” Ash called over his shoulder. “We’re all counting on you to keep Flint company, alright?”
Blinking, Addison glanced back at Flint as the duo vanished into the woods again. “Um, can I ask you… what just happened?”
Crossing his arms, Flint’s expression softened as he looked at her. “Ignore them; my brother and his wife are more… free-spirited than most on the island. It gets hard to keep them under control.”
Addison raised her eyebrow skeptically. “And do they really go for runs half-naked and without any footwear? In a forest? I know there’s not a ton of people around, but…”
“Like I said, free-spirited, more so than the rest. Don’t let them get to you.” After a moment, Flint added, “We won’t be doing that if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Are you saying you thought about us running half-naked in the woods?”
“Please, if I saw you half-naked in the woods, running wouldn’t be the exercise I’d choose for us.”
Her cheeks aflame once more, and her mind diving straight into the gutter after Flint’s last comment, Addison grinned like a fool.
“Either way,” Flint continued, clearing his throat. “I think it’s about time I asked you out. How about dinner with me? And some of my family and friends?”
Caught off guard, Addison nodded. Then, she regained her voice. “Of course! When?”
“Tonight? I’ll pick you up from the inn.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
He grinned. “Good! Now we can move on to business. Let’s talk about your house.”
Addison smiled, her mood soaring. “Yeah. Let’s.”
Chapter Eight
Warning
For once, Flint genuinely enjoyed himself during work. It was like he finally had a reason to be excited about building someone a home on Silverwood Island.
For the better part of an hour, Flint and Addison chatted, reviewing the plans for her future home and discussing the fine details; they talked about potential paint colors for the inside and outside, the kinds of fixtures and furnishings she wanted, if she wanted to add a balcony or porch. And when they’d covered all that, they flirted nonstop.
Flint’s inner wolf became difficult to control while he chatted with Addison; he couldn’t help but notice how soft her skin looked, how s
he’d pulled back her hair and exposed the elegant expanse of her neck. Each time she smiled, his human heart raced, and her slight curves, accentuated by her tight sweater and jeans, made his wolf howl with longing; he had to concentrate very hard to keep himself from pulling her to him.
It didn’t help that the longer they stood there, the more her scent permeated the air, swirling around them and tickling Flint’s nose with its sweetness. The wolf inside grew more frantic as time went on, snapping and snarling for release so he could devour Addison whole.
Flint had almost reached his breaking point when Addison glanced at her smartphone to check the time. “Oh, geez, I need to go… sorry, Flint. I didn’t realize how long it had been. I’m starting at a new job today, and if I don’t leave now, I’ll be late.”
“A new job?” Flint asked. “That was fast. Didn’t you just arrive yesterday?”
Addison chuckled. “Ah, well, I called and asked for an interview before I came to Silverwood. I got the job over the phone instead, I guess since the store manager was excited for a new face. The guarantee of a job was one reason I chose to come to Silverwood.”
“Figures,” Flint said with a grin. “You seem like the type of woman to take charge in life. I like that about you.”
Addison shyly smiled at him, his words having had the desired effect. “Well, I need to get going…”
She turned to walk away, and Flint meant to let her go, but his inner wolf growled hungrily, and without thinking, Flint grabbed Addison’s arm and pulled her back toward him. With an arm around her waist, he pressed her body to his as he captured her lips. Addison’s body stiffened in surprise, but she melted against him as he nipped at her bottom lip, and she let out a soft moan as he deepened the kiss.
Flint panted as he released her a moment later and stared into her eyes, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone as he cradled her face in his hand. She leaned into his touch, reaching up and placing her hand over his, holding it in place. For a long moment, they stayed silent, their bodies still pressed together.