2
TORIN
His lip curled in distaste, he watched from the shadows as Wolfcraig’s newest arrival left the train station and headed into town. A human. An outsider entering his territory uninvited. Unwelcome and too damned loud, grumbling under her breath, the wheels of her large suitcase bumping over the cobblestone street. Besides that, she was a danger to herself with her complete lack of awareness as to what stalked her in the night.
Padding after her on silent paws, Torin Matheson, Alpha of the Wolfcraig pack, licked his chops. His nose twitched as he scented her. She smelled of travel, exhaustion, and too many other humans. But there was something beneath that overlaying stench of humanity that made his inner wolf perk up, intrigued.
Torin bared his teeth at the very idea, a low rumble starting in his chest.Stop, he told himself.We can’t let how interesting she smells distract us. No humans, remember? Never again. He gave himself a full-body shake. As curious as he was about her, he wanted her out of his territory as soon as possible. This was not the time to have an outsider poking her nose into places she didn’t belong.
The last human he allowed to get close to him betrayed him, drained their shared bank account, and abandoned both him and their three-year-old daughter fourteen years ago, never to be heard from again. They were flighty, deceitful liars, caring only for themselves, not for the good of the pack or for him.
Cath — beautiful, blonde Cath with clear blue eyes and a soft, deceiving voice — was a prime example. She came into his life during a period of upheaval. His mother had just passed, and his father, having lost his mate, retired as alpha, leaving the pack in disarray. Despite his own grief, Torin stepped up and took the pack in hand. Cath was there by his side, comforting and supporting him as he pieced his life back together. He’d fallen for her, trusted her with his heart and with his pack’s secrets. In return, she cheated on him, stole from him, and stomped all over his heart, destroying his faith in humans. The only good to come of his relationship with her was his daughter.
He huffed out a breath, his tail swishing in agitation as he trailed behind the newcomer. How did she even come to be here? And where was she staying? Locals knew well enough not to invite outsiders to town this time of year. The Wolfcraig Highland Games, held the first weekend of June, was for shifters and locals only. The long weekend gave everyone a chance to let their hair down and show off their strength and agility in a safe setting. Having an unfamiliar human in the area was dangerous, and he wasn’t willing to put the invited visitors at risk. It was in his best interest to get rid of her, and fast.
But first, he needed to find out more about her. In particular, he wanted to know where she was staying so he could rip whoever allowed her to come here a new one. His lips curled up in a snarl, sharp white teeth flashing in the darkness. Someone had blatantly disobeyed his orders, and that couldn’t stand. His growl deepened.
The woman stopped short and whipped her head around, her eyes wide as she stared into the darkness. With a little huff, she muttered, “Stop jumping at every little noise, Sophie. There’s nothing out there. And there’s no way he followed us all the way to Scotland.” Hitching up her backpack, she tugged the end of her red braid free and flipped it over a shoulder.
Sophie, he thought, turning her name over in his mind. Slipping behind a neatly trimmed hedge that blocked a recycling bin from sight, he cocked his head as he parsed her quiet words. Who was this ‘he’ and why was she worried he’d followed her? She may be an unwelcome visitor to his territory, but until she departed, he would see to it that no harm came to her. Not from any of his pack and certainly not from this unknown man who made her voice tremble.
The visitor was a tall woman, long legs encased in faded jeans, a fuzzy pink scarf tucked into a bright blue peacoat. The golden glow of the streetlights highlighted the soft planes of her face, a high forehead sloping down to a snub nose, and rounded cheeks. Her tongue darted out and licked her full lips as she checked her phone and turned down the road towards the bright lights and noise of the local pub.
Moving deeper into the shadows close to the row of tidy houses lining the street, he kept pace as she moved with determined steps towards sanctuary from the dark, towards noise and people.
A keening howl split the night, a call to the pack. Torin ignored it. His beta was more than capable of running tonight’s hunt. He had a human to deal with.
3
SOPHIE
The pub was packed. A few blocks from the train station, The Three-Legged Wolf sat off the main roadway. A long, two-story building with a thatched roof, its whitewashed exterior was wrapped in warm lighting, a welcoming hum of conversation drifting out into the night each time someone opened the gleaming black door. The wide gravel parking lot held a few cars and some empty picnic benches, their bright red umbrellas closed.
As she reached for the handle, the front door swung open, noise and heat spilling out into the night. Off-balance, she stumbled forward, her one free hand landing on a warm, immovable surface. Muttering a curse, she looked up to see a tall, broad-shouldered man in the doorway, backlit by the soft light within. His salt and pepper hair was trimmed short on the sides and swept back off his high forehead. Heavy dark scruff shot with strands of silver covered a firm jaw. If she had to guess, she’d put him at around her age, maybe mid-forties, and in damned good shape. A black, long-sleeved shirt stretched across his chest, the fabric straining to cover his muscles. His brows drew together as he glared down at her.
Her jaw dropped at the sight of him, and she hoped she shut her mouth before he noticed her gaping at him like a fool.Damn, but they make them attractive up here. She clenched her thighs.
He huffed at her.
She snatched her hand back as if she’d scalded it on the surface of his muscle-bound chest.Did he just growl at me?she thought, her heart giving a pitter-pat at the sound. A flash of heat rolled through her body, and she had to repress the urge to fan herself. Stupid hot flashes. Always coming at the most inopportune times, like when one of the most handsome men she’d ever stumbled into stood in front of her, blocking her entry to the pub. Unbuttoning her coat, she pulled off her scarf and wove it through the lower part of her backpack’s straps.
“Um, hi,” she said with a little finger-wave. With his jean-clad legs spread like he was guarding the entrance against invading Vikings, there was no way past him unless she planned on elbowing him in the stomach and shoving him out of the way. Even then, she doubted she’d be able to shift him more than an inch, if that. “Can I get inside, please?” She slid over a bit, giving him space to exit.
He didn’t move. Dark eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward, inhaling.
She froze.Is he… smelling me? What in the world?Her pulse sped up, though not from fear. She cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she said, pointing towards the interior, hoping he’d take the hint and move out of her way. She didn’t want to start her time here being rude to a local, especially in a town as small as this one. She knew exactly how fast gossip spread in places like this, and it would suck to be named a pariah at the start of her first solo adventure.
Moving faster than she expected, he picked up her heavy suitcase as if it was feather-light and dropped it over the pub’s thick stone threshold. She backed up, stumbling against the edgeof a picnic table as he moved in on her, his big body stopping mere inches from hers, his hands gripping the wood on either side of her hips. He was even bigger than she first thought, looming large as he glowered down at her, a low rumble in his chest. The waves of heat coming off him chased away any vestiges of the night’s chill. His head dipped, and for a second, she thought he might kiss her. Instead, he sniffed her again.
She jerked back, her lips parting.
With a growl and a glare, he pushed away and disappeared into the night.
What the actual hell?Was this some kind of strange dating ritual known only to the residents of Wolfcraig? Or was the hot man who looked like he could snap her in half — or perhaps crack her back in the best possible way — just a weirdo? Alas, she’d probably never know. She was here for only two weeks. And since she planned on spending most of her time curled up with a good book in her cottage and wandering the countryside on solo hikes, what were the chances that she’d run into him again? Miniscule, obviously.Unfortunately, her addled brain added as she traced the edge of her bottom lip.
Dismissing the interaction with a shake of her head, she squared her shoulders and maneuvered her large bag through the throng of people, apologizing the entire way to the bar. She got a few growls, but most gave her an understanding nod and did their best to spare her an inch of room to scoot by. Tucking her wheelie bag between her feet and wedging herself between the bar and a sliver of open space next to a closed door, she raised a hand to let the staff know she needed help and settled in to wait.
The happy drone of conversation swirled through the room, weaving around her as she took in her surroundings. With its low ceiling criss-crossed with sturdy beams stained dark from the ages and heavy plaster walls covered in old photos andephemera from times gone by, the pub had a weight to it, solid in the knowledge that it had survived centuries and would stand for hundreds more years. Dark gray slate, ruts worn deep from thousands of feet tramping over it for ages, covered the floor. Framed by thick beams decorated with horse brasses, the oak bartop gleamed in the warm lights strung from the ceiling. It was a corner bar, running half the length of the long room before making a sharp turn to the right. A built-in bench sat along the wall opposite Sophie, square tables and chairs pushed close, leaving a narrow passage through the space.
