Page 2 of First Love

Glancing out the plane’s window, I bid a silent farewell to the only home I’d ever known. My heart would always be in the Montana woods with all of my packmates. I hoped the land that wandering pack stole from my family was overrun in poisonous plants and hungry predators that would decimate those greedy wolves. The death of each of those asshole wolves, however, couldn’t make up for what I’d lost today.

I rested my head on the back of the seat and closed my eyes. My earbuds were in, but nothing was coming through them so I could still hear what was happening around me. Somewhere nearby a baby cried. Another child chattered on about his new puppy. Laughter sounded behind me.

Then I felt a tap on my forearm. I opened my eyes and found the woman in the aisle seat hesitantly smiling at me. Reluctantly, I pulled out one earbud.

“I wanted to tell you that you have the most gorgeous hair, honey.” She beamed me another smile, this one big and crinkling the skin at the corners of her eyes.

“Thanks.” I fingered my long, golden-blond waves. It wasn’t the first time I’d received such a compliment. Even in wolf form, my hide was a similar color with a slight ripple to it on my hind quarters.

“Traveling all alone?” she asked.

If she only knew how alone. “Yes.”

“Me too. I visited my sister who lost her husband last week.” She shook her head, her brows lowered and those eye crinkles long gone now. “Damn cancer.”

I gave her a sympathetic look. I’d seen the damage cancer had done in the human population. Fortunately as a werewolf, I was immune to such things.

Not immune to being wiped out by enemy packs though.

Every species had its darkness.

“Have you been to Vermont before?” the woman asked.

I shook my head. “This is my first time.” My first time anywhere. I’d lived my whole life in Montana. Never had any reason to be anywhere else until now.

“You’re going to love it.” The woman’s smile was back. “I’ve lived there for fifty-five years and wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else in the world.”

I hadn’t dreamed of living anywhere besides Montana, but things changed when you let your pack get killed. My eyes stung over that thought so I plugged my earbud back into my ear and turned my head to look out the window, effectively stopping further conversation with the woman.

The flight lasted forever, especially because I couldn’t take a nap. Not when every time I closed my eyes, the scattered, broken bodies of my pack haunted me. Those images were sure to stay with me for the rest of my life, which unfortunately was longer than the human lifespan.

Unless I was attacked by enemy wolves, of course.

When we finally landed, I grabbed my bag and followed the other passengers off the plane. I shuffled along with them until I reached the car rental area. After securing a vehicle, I turned on its navigation system and punched in Moon Valley, Vermont. It didn’t take long for me to be flying north on I-91 toward my destination.

I stopped at the first source of food I found once I hit the small town. A little burger joint that claimed to have “The Best Burgers This Side of Burlington.” I immediately missed my favorite burger joint back home in Montana, but the bacon-loaded burger and sweet potato fries the waitress brought me did wonders to alleviate that homesickness.

At least a little.

I devoured the burger and the fries and guzzled two ginger ales. The waitress asked if she could get me anything else.

“You wouldn’t happen to know anyone with the last name Sinclaire, would you?” I asked.

The woman grinned. “Oh, if you mean Archer Sinclaire, Moon Valley’s hottest firefighter, then yes, I know someone with the last name Sinclaire.” She fanned her face with her order pad. “I’ve actually considered setting this place on fire a few times just to get him to bring that fine ass and all that tattooed muscle over here.”

Okay, then. “So I can probably find him at the fire station?”

“What’s today?” She looked up to the ceiling. “Wednesday, right? Wednesday is his day off, but someone at the station will know how to find him.”

“Thanks.” I paid my bill and headed back out to my rental car only to find it not where I’d parked it. I hit the alarm button on the keychain, but no warning siren answered back. After searching the lot, car by fucking car, I trudged back into the restaurant.

“Forget something?” The same waitress glanced back at the booth where I’d been sitting.

“Only to lock the doors on my rental car. Someone lifted it from the parking lot.”

“Dammit.” She pounded a fist onto the hostess podium. “That’s the third car this week to get stolen from here. Was it a gray SUV?”

“It was.”

“This thief apparently has a hard-on for gray SUVs.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can give you the sheriff’s number, but don’t hold your breath. None of the previously stolen SUVs have been recovered.”

I took the number, relieved when the waitress told me the fire station was within walking distance. Fortunately, the spring weather was mild and werewolves rarely got cold anyway. I hiked my purse onto my shoulder and headed for the fire station.

“Sinclaire took off for a few days,” the fire chief told me when I inquired about Archer. “He lost his father and got married all in the span of a few days back in October. He went on a little honeymoon because he didn’t get the chance to in the fall. He’s scheduled to be back at work on Monday.”

Monday?What the hell was I supposed to do until then?