Grayson’s eyes crinkle slightly above his mask—the only sign he might be smiling. He moves to the kitchen with silent efficiency, returning with a bottle of beer.
“How are the wilds treating you these days?” I ask, trying to regain my composure. “Still sleeping under the stars more often than not?”
The man spends most of the summer avoiding tourists by roughing it in the mountain woods, only returning to town in the off-season when things quiet down.
Grayson tilts his head, considering. “Grizzly bear took my favorite camping spot.”
“You could try, I don’t know, sleeping in an actual bed in an actual house,” I suggest. “Like most humans.”
“Too soft,” he replies simply.
Despite his reserved demeanor, I can read him as well as I ever have. The tension in his shoulders, the vigilant scanning of the room—habits formed in combat zones that never fully fade. Grayson had left for the military right after high school, while Kai and I headed off to college. When he returned years later with those scars and that mask, he’d retreated further into himself, preferring the solitude of the wilderness to human company.
“Jenkins been asking when you’re coming back to manage the store for the winter,” Kai mentions, restarting his game. “He wants to go visit his daughter in California next month.”
Grayson just shrugs.
I watch him, this man who is my closest friend, now more comfortable tracking wildlife than talking to people. The three of us—different as we are—somehow maintain this orbit around each other. A constellation held together by history more than daily interaction.
“You staying for dinner?” I ask him.
His eyes meet mine briefly and he grunts a response that I assume means he already ate.
Of course he did. Probably caught and skinned whatever it was himself.
Though I do appreciate how nicely his sudden appearance provides a distraction from any more uncomfortable questions about my new resident.
FOUR
HOLLY
I pushthrough the frosted glass door of the pharmacy, a little bell jingling cheerfully above my head. The space is smaller than I expected—about a quarter the size of a standard chain pharmacy back home. Shelves crammed with over-the-counter medications, toiletries, and what appears to be a bizarre collection of fishing lures line the narrow aisles.
The scent of antiseptic and old carpet fills my nose as I scan the store. No automated prescription pickup kiosk. No digital screen announcing wait times. Just a single counter at the back with handwritten signs on either end for drop-off and pickup.
Thankfully, Jackson is nowhere to be seen. I’d hoped that coming during the lunch hour rather than the busier time after work would limit the likelihood of running into him. Behind the counter stands a woman with purple-streaked hair pulled into a messy bun. She looks up as the bell announces my arrival, eyes widening with interest when she spots me.
“Well, hello there.” Her smile is genuine, almost eager. “You must be the new doctor everyone’s talking about.”
Everyone? I’ve been here less than twenty-four hours. The small town rumor mill must work with terrifying efficiency here.
“Holly Chang,” I confirm, approaching the counter. “I need to fill a prescription.”
“Aspen Ward,” she introduces herself, leaning forward on her elbows. “Pharmacy tech, gossip central, and your go-to guide for anything Heat Mountain related.”
I force a smile I hope seems natural as I slide the emergency prescription my doctor back home faxed over this morning. “Nice to meet you.”
Aspen takes the paper, eyes scanning it quickly. Her expression shifts, eyebrows rising slightly before she glances back at me with obvious curiosity.
“Heat suppressants?” She keeps her voice low, though we’re the only ones in the store. “Pretty strong ones too.”
My stomach drops. “Yes. How soon can you fill it?”
She taps the prescription paper against the counter, looking apologetic. “That’s the thing...we don’t have these in stock.”
“What?” My voice rises sharply before I can control it.
“We only keep a small supply of designation medications. Most omegas here fill in advance, if they use suppressants at all.” Aspen offers with an apologetic smile. “I can order them, but it’ll take at least two weeks with the shipping delays we’ve been having.”
