I hated that Tucker, who had been practically a baby when our father left, never knew what it was like to have a man around the house. Sure, he knew what it felt like to be abandoned, but I had been old enough to know what it was to be rejected. I’d never forgotten that day my father left us.
I remember sitting at the kitchen table, eating a ham and cheese sandwich that my mom had made. Tucker had been about four years old and was taking a nap.
My father stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a small duffle bag dangling from his hand. “You be good. Take care of your brother.”
I’d nodded as though he were simply going off to work, but I knew better. I’d been ten years old at the time. Old enough to understand that the duffle bag meant he wasn’t coming back. And he didn’t. Not for about eight years. By that time, the hatred I harbored for him for leaving had grown astronomically.
Halfway through the forest, we slowed to an easy trot, the anger, the hate, easing a bit. We should be used to it by now—the absent father, whose memory of our youth conflicted so much with reality.
I glanced over at Tucker. The shoulders of his lean, brown wolf, the color lighter than mine, slumped as he trotted. Maybe it was the age difference, or perhaps it was merely that I had my dad’s features, his dark hair and olive skin. The Italian genes were much more dominant in me than in Tucker. Thank God I hadn’t inherited the old man’s integrity. Or lack thereof.
The run managed to burn off some of the anger, but it never really left me, not entirely. Tucker had every right to be as pissed off as I was. When we reached the other side of the forest, I huffed out a breath of frustration and shifted back to my human form. I glanced at Tucker, still in his wolf form. “You heading to the Wolf Inn?”
He nodded.
“Maybe I’ll see you there.”
He took off and I watched the easy stride of his wolf disappear into the thicket. I shifted back to my own four-footed self and headed to my truck that I’d left at the restaurant.
* * *
I eased my 2017 Chevy Silverado truck into the parking lot of the Wolf Inn and slowly pulled into the one and only space left, near the rear of the building.
Several guys were hanging out by the backdoor toking on cigarettes. Correction, weed, from the smell that assaulted my nostrils as I opened the truck door. One could get high just by standing within ten feet of the group.
I waved at the “Hey Milo” shout from one of them, most likely my younger brother, Tucker, and strolled in the opposite direction, heading toward the front door of the Inn. From the looks of the parking lot and the booming music resonating from inside, it could be a fun night ahead.
Excitement built within me at the prospect of finding the perfect distraction. Something blonde or brunette. I wasn’t picky. Some entertainment to take my mind off of the events from earlier. But first, all I wanted was a cold brew to remove the nasty burn in my gut, which was courtesy of the man who’d left us without so much as a pot to piss in, so to speak. Actually, I always hated that stupid saying. But yeah, he’d pretty much left us dirt-poor.
The Wolf Inn was packed, and it was standing room only. I weaved my way up to the bar, and squeezed in between a woman and a guy who had their backs to each other. I figured they weren’t together, so I slid between them and leaned my arm on the edge of the counter to secure my spot. A couple of seconds later, I got Lyall’s attention with a nod. The owner of the Wolf Inn shot me a wide grin and held up a finger. A minute later, he set a bottle of IPA in front of me.
“On the house.”
“Thanks. What’s the occasion?”
“Just glad to have you back in town. That’s all.”
“I’ve been back for a week now. But thanks, I appreciate it.”
He nodded. “You’ve kept yourself on the down-low. But you’re still here. So that’s worth the free drink.”
I’d been away for seven years. Getting used to not going to classes or studying for the bar and simply enjoying my brother’s and mom’s company had taken precedence over re-acclimating myself with the town folk. I left for Stanford when I was eighteen, thanks to not only my father’s money but excellent grades in high school. After graduating with my Bachelor’s in history, I was off to law school.
I was the first in my family to graduate with any kind of college degree, let alone become a lawyer. I’d picked up an undeniable itch to devour everything I could about the law. It fascinated me, always had, even when I was a kid.
Now I was trying to talk my younger brother into pursuing a college education. But he wasn’t interested. He was too busy partying with the riffraff crowd he hung out with in high school. A group of kids with no foreseeable future, in my opinion. I wanted better for Tucker. We had the means, now that the estranged father who’d wanted nothing to do with us or our mother when we were kids had made it big in some highfalutin capital venture. Suddenly, he wanted to give us the world.
At first, I declined the help for my education. I didn’t want anything from the jackass. But I’d never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth, plus my mom insisted I take it. He might be an asshole, but damn, we deserved everything he wanted to shower us with. And I wanted to be an attorney.
I turned when a firm hand gripped my shoulder. “Excuse me. Can I slip in here to order a beer?”
I looked up into a face I hadn’t seen since I was a junior in high school. “Cooper? Cooper Bennett?”
He stared at me and then grinned. “Milo?”
“What the fuck? You’re back in Dark Moon Falls?” Cooper had been a year ahead of me in school, but we’d hung out at parties and stuff together. When we were younger, his girlfriend would babysit Tucker since I’d had a job with the local paper and wasn’t home much during a lot of my mom’s shifts at her job. Plus, I’d always wanted to make myself scarce during those times. Kassidy was a hot babe, and I’d had a super bad crush on her and always took off as fast as I could whenever she showed up to babysit.
“In the flesh.”
“I heard you became an Army Ranger.” An impressive endeavor that I’d admired about the guy. Though I’d heard he’d left without even a goodbye to everyone. A spur of the moment calling, I supposed.
“Yep. But that’s the old me. I’m out of the Army now, and I’ve taken over my grandfather’s ranch.”
“Oh. Yeah. Sorry to hear about your grandfather. That was sudden. He was a great man.”
“Thanks.”
“I heard you passed the Bar?” He patted me on the back.
“Yeah.” I grinned.
“Congrats! What are your plans?”
“I’m hoping to practice in one of the nearby towns.”
“That’s great. Have you talked to Elias yet? I bet Dark Moon Falls could use some legal guidance once in a while.”
“Yeah. I touched base with him a few hours after I returned, and I’m counting on that.”
“Good. You should come to the pack meeting tomorrow night. Just because you were away becoming smart”—he chuckled—“you never stopped being a pack member.”
I raised an eyebrow at the invitation and smiled. “Thanks. I’m still getting used to the fact that I’m here and not in California, but I’ll make it a priority.”
Pack meetings were for discussing important pack diplomacy. Not every wolf who was a member of the pack attended. It would be a great way to get involved. I had high hopes of opening Dark Moon Falls’ first law practice. Unfortunately, this town wasn’t the best place to have a law firm if an attorney wanted to make the big bucks due to the fact that it was so small. I’d sent out several resumes to other nearby towns, even though I’d studied my ass off and knew a great deal about the law, a knowledge I knew the pack could benefit from. Maybe Cooper thought that too.
“Good.” He patted my arm. “I’ll see you there.”
“Looking forward to it.”
While he ordered his drink, I turned to face the crowd. My gaze settled on a tall, raven-haired woman with skin as white a
s cream. She was talking with some guy whose attention was making her uncomfortable, based on the way she reacted to him. She took a step back from his too-close proximity and held her hand up when he moved closer. Then he whispered something into her ear. She frowned and turned away. He grabbed onto her arm, and she flung herself back around to face him, her face scrunched up in a furious frown that would make most men recoil and think twice about wanting to get to know her.
Normally, I wasn’t one to get involved in a couple’s spat, but something felt off about this interaction. So, I casually strolled over and stood close by, listening. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and I heard her say, “Don’t touch me. I told you I’m not interested.”
I stepped up beside her. “Hey. There you are. I’m glad you could make it.” I gave her the best sexy grin I could muster.
She glanced at me with the widest, most amazing blue eyes I’d ever encountered.
“I … uh.” She glanced back at the creep who’d been bothering her, then back at me. “Yeah. I made it.” She gave me a puzzled smile, with beautiful red lips. Those lips, coupled with the thick gorgeous dark hair and the smooth white skin, all I could think was … Snow White.
“And you are?” This, I directed toward the asswipe still hanging around as though he thought he had a chance.
He frowned. “Dillon. Who are you?”
“Her date.”
He was a wolf shifter; I could smell his scent the moment I stepped up to them. After a moment’s pause, he turned and walked away, which almost seemed too easy, knowing how territorial we could be. At any rate, I was glad he was gone. I wasn’t in the mood for confrontation. Don’t get me wrong, I was a competent fighter and could hold my own when challenged, but I’d rather spend my time with the lady than rolling around outside beating the snot out of that guy.
I focused my attention back to her and smiled, pleased to have her to myself.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
“I don’t know how you got him to leave so easily. He was a creep that wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“I can be rather …”
“Intimidating?”
She had no idea. I let it go and stared at her eyes, which were almost level with mine and were the color of the sky on a bright summer morning. I liked that she was tall since I was six-four. “I like to think I’m persuasive. I’m Milo Hart.” I held out my hand for her to shake, but she simply stared at it.
“Well, thanks, Milo Hart.” She glanced at the phone she held in her hand and then picked up a stemmed glass from the shelf along the wall and finished the contents. “If you’ll excuse me …” She tilted her empty glass toward the bar and proceeded to walk in that direction.
“Hey, let me get you another glass of wine.”
“If you’d like, but don’t think that’s going to get you into my panties.” My wolf stirred at the thought. She offered a smirk. That was rather ballsy. She hadn’t seemed so self-assured when the asswipe had his grubby paws so close to her.
I practically swallowed my tongue and couldn’t come up with a witty comeback as I followed her to the bar, my tail between my legs like a lovesick puppy, trying not to think about her panties.
It was clear to me that she didn’t want to be bothered. And I certainly wasn’t going to bark up a tree where I wasn’t wanted. But since I’d offered to buy her a drink and she accepted, I ordered her one and then flipped a ten out of my wallet and placed it on the counter before stepping a few feet away. There was no way I was going to be that guy.
2
SKYE
What in the world possessed me to say something so bold? The fact that I even mentioned my panties should alarm me.
That wasn’t like me. Especially to a guy I didn’t know. The only thing I knew about him was that he had a smooth way of moving in, so that other creep left me alone. I liked that, but still, I shouldn’t let down my guard so soon. Plus, like the moron, he was a wolf shifter. I had a sense about those things. But I smiled when he followed me to the bar and pulled out a stool for me to sit on.
Watch out, Skye. Shifters are dangerous, the voice in my head warned. My father’s voice, though only a memory these days, it always stayed with me.
After Milo ordered and paid for my drink, he’d moved a few feet away, clearly giving me space. I should have let him go. But manners and guilt overruled, and I closed the distance between us until I found myself standing in front of him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He glanced around the room as though he was looking for someone, then turned his attention back to me. “How long have you been in Dark Moon Falls?”
His question surprised me, but it shouldn’t have. It was the sort of question one asks someone they’ve never met before, but I wasn’t used to telling people my business. Especially in a town inhabited by a pack of wolves. I picked up the new glass of wine that the man behind the bar placed in front of me and held it to my lips, but before I took a sip, I asked, “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want to know how long I’ve been in this town?”
He frowned and swiped his hand over his scruffy chin. “Sorry, I’m not trying to pry, just trying to have a conversation. I’ve recently returned to town after being away for several years. Most of the folks here have lived in Dark Moon Falls for most of their lives, and I know them, but I don’t recall ever seeing you before. And believe me, I would have remembered your face.” He raised his bottle of beer to his lips, nice, smooth, and thick lips, and tilted the brew back to take a swig.
He seemed nice. Genuine. I liked the way he smelled too. But, regardless, I needed to be careful. I had trust issues. Especially with wolves. He may have saved me from that jerk, but what did that really prove?
He placed his bottle on the counter and shrugged in a relaxed manner. “You have a nice face.”
I smiled. Okay, he was charming. Not many people said I had a nice face. I was very pale, and no matter how much makeup I used, that didn’t change. It looked strange whenever I tried to use bronzer on my cheeks because the rest of me was so pallid.
I took a sip of wine to give me a minute to study him before answering. He was extremely handsome. A rugged chin with a sexy scruff that I had to stop myself from reaching out and running my fingers over. His short hair was dark, like his eyes. Oh, his eyes. So dark, I wanted to lose myself in them. I pulled my glass away from my lips. “I arrived here last night.”
“Where from?”
I wasn’t sure how much information was safe to reveal. It was a high possibility that there were people looking for me. Bad people. Telling him where I’d come from could give my identity away if I were talking to the right person, or should I say the wrong person? And this guy might seem friendly and safe, but I’ve only known him for a whole three minutes.
Definitely not long enough to tell him anything about myself. Just conversation or not, I needed to keep myself safe by keeping my personal life vague, so I simply shrugged and lied about where I was from. I blurted the first city that I could think of, “Seattle.”
It wasn’t too much of a lie since we’d lived in a small town just outside of Seattle. I’d moved here after my parents’ deaths. Murdered. Butchered. Whatever you wanted to call it. It made my stomach ache thinking about it.
He nodded. “A big city girl. No wonder you’re a bit cautious. I get it. There are plenty of guys in big cities that you don’t want to mess with. Dark Moon Falls is a small town, and I’ve lived here all my life, well, except for when I was away at school, but other than that jerk who was pestering you, you’re fairly safe in this town.”
One full of wolf shifters. The very creatures I was running from had me landing in a town that was practically ruled by them.
I forced a smile and placed my elbow on the bar. “It’s the fairly part that bothers me.” I finished my drink and stood. “Thanks for the interference earlier.”
“You mean rescue?”
> “I’d hardly call that a rescue. Besides, I didn’t need rescuing.”
“Well, from where I stood, you sure needed some help.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that. But I think rescue is a bit much.” I pulled the strap of my purse over my shoulder and stood to leave.
“Wait.” He placed his hand on my shoulder, and I glanced down with a frown, so he removed it. “Sorry.” He held up his hands with his palms facing me. “You never told me your name.”
“No, I didn’t.” I walked toward the door. As much as I would have liked to stay and get to know Mr. Milo Hart a bit better, I sighed when I stepped outside alone.
I supposed I shouldn’t have been such a bitch. But the last thing I needed was some horny pup, or whatever type of shifter he was, trailing after me. Most likely, a wolf. Sexy stubble or not, I had enough problems without some wolfman trying to pick me up.
* * *
Fog slithered across the dark asphalt, making it difficult to see the highway. I’d only driven this road once before and that was last night. It was dark then too. Of course, I always drove at night.
I was used to the dark. After all, my father had been a vampire. We’d spent all of our time in the dark. In fact, I was allergic to the sun. Go figure. I had that stupid attribute that all vampires have, except none of the cool stuff that goes along with being a vamp. Well, the sun didn’t kill me, at least I didn’t think it would, but it made it damned uncomfortable for me. I’d never stayed out in the sunlight long enough to find out precisely what it might do to me long-term. The possibility of dying wasn’t on my current to-do list.
I may not be immortal, but I had my strength, not quite as strong as a complete vampire, and maybe not as strong as a large shifter male, but more than a normal five-foot-eight human female. And the three years of martial arts training had helped tremendously, compliments of my father’s insistence. But wouldn’t it be nice if I had cool vampire traits like compelling someone? Now that was a gift worth having, and my mind raced with the possibilities of convincing someone to do something they had no intention of doing, as I headed down this lone, dark stretch of road toward the small cabin I currently called home. I let out a heavy breath of air, because unfortunately for me, I didn’t possess that particular gift.
Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2 Page 58