Page 20 of Easy, Tiger

My hands shake in worry and anger as I reach for my phone, scrolling through Owen's photos again. Those scattered pencils lie so innocent against the forest floor, but they might as well be a death sentence. Professional art supplies don't lie scattered randomly through the woods. Any hunter worth his salt would recognize them as evidence of a witness.

The walls of the workshop seem to close in around me. Protecting the enclave and calculating risks consumed my years, culminating in brutal decisions about who lives and who dies. But this is about strategy and territory taking a backseat. This is about Halsey—the woman who knelt beside a wounded predator and chose compassion over fear.

Bringing up the contact list on my phone, my thumb hovers over Sadie's number. Part of me wants to call the entire enclave and mobilize every shifter we have to hunt down this threat. Exposing everything to Halsey would mean thrusting her into our world of violence and secrets before she is ready. She deserves a gentler truth.

Instead, this requires a different approach.

Closing the phone, I walk to the back room where I keep my hunting gear. The rifle case sits in the corner, gathering dust since I prefer dealing with problems in tiger form. But tonight calls for human weapons and human patience.

My reflection catches in the workshop window as darkness falls over Red Pine. The man staring back appears haunted, more desperate than I've felt since my father stepped down and left me responsible for everyone's safety. But this desperation harbors something new—a fierce protectiveness that goes beyond duty or obligation.

She's mine to protect. The mating bond ensures that, but even without it, I'd move heaven and earth to keep her safe.

Grabbing my jacket, I head for the truck, a plan crystallizing in my mind. Starting tonight, Halsey won't spend another moment alone and vulnerable. I'll embed myself in the tree line around her cabin, close enough to respond to any threat but far enough away that she won't detect my presence.

The hunter can search all he wants. Asking questions and following leads are options for him, or he could even stake out the forest. But if he comes within a hundred yards of Halsey's cabin, he'll discover exactly what happens when someone threatens my mate.

I've killed before to protect the enclave. Killing to protect her will be even easier.

The truck's engine turns over with a rough, familiar rumble as I drive onto the darkened street. Halsey's cabin sits right outside town, surrounded by enough forest cover to provide perfect concealment. She'll never know I'm there, monitoring and waiting.

No one will ever hurt her again. I'll make sure of it.

9

HALSEY

The morning light filters through my cabin windows as I spread yesterday's sketches across the kitchen table, each illustration capturing another piece of Red Pine's wildlife. Before I begin, I slide open a small desk drawer and glide my thumb over the copper-jacketed bullet I dug out of the tiger's shoulder. I keep it safely hidden in a false bottom—a physical reminder that what I saw that day was real. A pileated woodpecker mid-flight, wings spread wide against white paper. Three chickadees clustered on a pine branch, their black caps gleaming. The work flows easier here than it has anywhere else, like the mountains themselves guide my pencil.

"Knock, knock."

Catching the movement, Nolan stands framed in my doorway, cradling what appears to be a small wooden box and wearing that dangerously familiar half-smile.

"You know most people wait for an actual answer before walking in," I say, though I'm already clearing space at the table for whatever he's brought.

"Most people don't leave their doors wide open while they work." He strides inside, boots muffled against the wooden floor. The stiffness of the past two weeks vanishes as his left shoulder rolls in a fluid motion. "Amelia gave me a clean bill of health this morning. Stitches are out. Good as new."

I stare at his shoulder, a brief wave of shock washing over me. It hasn’t been that long since his hunting accident. His arm moves with a strength that defies injury, hauling lumber as if nothing is wrong. Medical expertise is beyond me, but his youth and robust physique suggest a body capable of exceptional healing. I force myself to brush the anomaly aside.

"Thought you might want to see this before I deliver it to Ben."

The box in his hands presents intricate carved scenes when he sets it down—tiny hikers following winding trails, complete with miniature pack animals and camp gear. Every detail emerges from the wood with unreal exactness.

"Trail markers for the new hiking guide. Ben commissioned them for the visitor center, but I wanted your opinion on the proportions."

I marvel at the craftsmanship of the carved figures. "These are incredible. The scale work alone must have taken you a while."

"Been working on it since we worked in the marsh. Worth it if they help people navigate safely."

"Always thinking about safety, aren't you?"

A flash of tension tightens his features, too quick to fully interpret.

The past week has solidified into a pattern between us. Nolan turns up at my cabin with perfectly reasonable excuses, stays long enough for conversation to flow naturally, then departs again before things grow complicated. One afternoon, he delivered the custom frames I ordered—flawless pieces of walnut that made my sketches resemble museum exhibits. Another day, he fixed the loose step on my porch. Twice now I've caught him at the wood's tree line while I sketched alone, always with some excuse about checking a snare line or clearing deadfall, though I've started to realize he only ever seems to appear when I'm deepest in the woods and farthest from town. Each visit feels both casual and purposeful, like he's tacitly orchestrating reasons to check on me without ever admitting that's what he's doing.

"Actually," I say, gathering my sketches into a neat pile, "I was about to head into town anyway. Ellie's organizing another harvest dinner tonight, and I promised to help with decorations."

"Mind if I walk with you? I need to drop these off at Ben's office."