A strong breeze knocked his hat back. Then a bigger force pushed, stronger than he anticipated, sent his body flying through the air. Seconds later, the thick fog from above closed in on him, a trap that he had been too much of a fool to see. Maya’s curled body disappeared from his sight because it wasn’t her but an illusion, and now the space where she had been filled up with fog, too, until he could see nothing. He pushed to his feet and tried to run away. Every time he did, an invisible barrier slammed into him until he felt it closing around him on all corners. Pain sliced down his legs, then banged his head repeatedly. A shadow lurched above, the menace so unsettling that it felt like he was staring death in the face—The growl stopped his trail of thoughts. The shadow forming into a wolf before him snapped him into movement, but it was the clamp of jaws on his body that made him understand one thing: this wasn’t an illusion. Recognition blazed as he moved until he was riding the

The woman didn’t question her excuse, already too preoccupied with the seeds lined up for planting. Maya took advantage of it and was out of there, walking at first before she burst into a sprint as far away from the center of the territory as possible. She avoided the guarding spots, too, and headed straight for the mansion, then snuck towards the back until she arrived in the greenhouse. The empty rows of wooden stands indicated that it hadn’t been used in a while, but a sweet scent drew her towards the back where pots of colorful blooms lay. She stopped in her tracks, eyeing the budding stems.An image of the little girl who had once been so real popped into her head, holding a flower just as small. The dam she had been holding on to broke so hard that she could only fall and curl up on the ground as she was hit with memory after memory of how it felt when she had first given birth: that same unbearable joy whittling at her defenses before everything had been torn away from her. Sh

“Space?”“I need to be alone. I need to think.”Luke examined her, trying to figure her out. Then he let it go and trusted, nodding. “You can shop in the city. Book a hotel. Unless you want to stay in our territory….”“The city sounds good.”She swallowed down her guilt at not telling him yet but felt like her state of mind would ruin the moment. So, Maya returned the kiss he gave her and walked away, but not before assuring him of one thing.“I will be back. I won’t leave New York.”“I know,” was his reply. Then, “Call if you need help. Lie low.”Despite how light his tone sounded, there was no missing how he struggled with letting her go, his worry apparent. Having Reese escort her outside felt like a relief as the younger man didn’t ask questions, just as preoccupied. When they arrived on the streets, she turned to him.“She wasn’t with anyone?”“What?” Reese snapped out of his reverie. “Oh, Hannah. Yeah, alone. I tailed her until she left the city.”“Hmm.”“Would you like to come

“I promise to check it out. Please believe me.”“I believe you.”“Now, tell me what you got.”She blinked. Then she looked down at the boxes. “Oh.” Maya visibly struggled to get back to normal conversation, but she succeeded as she nodded. “Food. For everyone. Different kinds. But the cupcakes with the cartoon toppings are for the kids.”This was the woman who was after his heart without her even knowing it. He held it close, keeping silent instead of pointing out how much she loved the children already. Casually, he picked up the boxes.“Thank you. So, just food?”Silence.“Yes. Just food.”“Cool. Let’s take it to the others, then.”She smiled. But the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.***Maya still accepted him in her tent or slept in his bedroom, their unofficial relationship more open to the rest, but the details were still private. His kin just seemed to accept it, anyway, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. They still made love, and she still mingled with the oth

He skipped the new room that Angelo used and went to the room containing older files, dating back more than five years and dusty from being stored for so long. It was a mess, clearly not as organized as the new room had been, but the dates and general titles gave him guidance as to where to start. He sifted through his memories while he opened folders and read their contents, detailing most of the previous clan leader’s business practices and information. They were all closed now as Angelo had decided to nourish his brewery business instead, refusing to touch something that Dan Bennett’s dirty, racist hands had allowed to flourish.He read the clan reports next, not as detailed as the business side but with keywords that revealed a lot of things: enemy encountered, territory seized, mission success, and failures. Then he found a folder with a map, and his heart pounded, anticipation bubbling that he was close.“West. The Western Cub. Now, where is…?”A sticker with smudged scribbling