The giant gray wolf snarled at me, baring its fangs. As it pressed its heavy paw on my chest, I knew I’d feel those fangs sinking into my flesh at any moment.
A wolf howled, but it wasn’t the one baring down on me.
Another wolf suddenly hurtled through the air, knocking the mangy one from my chest.
I clasped my hands over my ears as high-pitched howls permeated the empty air.
Fur and blood covered the ground as I watched the wrestling wolves attempt to rip each other apart.
I scrambled through the dirt, trying to get to safety as the two wolves snarled and snapped at each other just feet away.
This new wolf was larger—with shiny, pitch-black fur. And it was tearing into the other wolf like it was a chew toy.
I wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
I stumbled to my feet and tried to escape the clearing, but the mangy wolf lunged toward me, bloodlust in its eyes.
It let out a piercing yelp as the black wolf dug both of its claws into its matted fur.
I looked on in horror as the black wolf pinned the gray one down and tore out its throat with a single bite.
It was over.
The black wolf stalked toward me, and I stumbled backward, bracing myself against a tree.
I thought for sure that I was next until I noticed something odd…
The black wolf’s eyes were emerald green—just like…
“Liam?” I asked hesitantly.
The wolf sat on its haunches and stared at me for a moment, its demeanor calm and non-threatening.
As I breathed a sigh of relief, I instantly sucked the air back in because before my very eyes, the wolf began to change.
Fur was replaced by flesh—naked flesh.
Liam was standing right in front of me, baring it all.
I desperately tried not to stare between his legs, but what was hanging between them was hard to miss.
“Sorry, my clothes don’t shift with me,” he said, noticing my embarrassment.
“You’re a…a…” I stammered.
“A werewolf, yes,” he said, helping me out. “And I’m not going to harm you.”
“Wh-what are you doing out here?” I asked, my eyes darting around for a possible escape route.
“Investigating the wolf attacks,” he replied.
A crackling sound drew both of our gazes to the gray wolf that Liam had killed.
The mangy body shifted into another naked human—now a corpse.
She was young and athletic, in her mid-twenties. She matched the description of the missing hiker from the news report.
“Oh my God,” I murmured, covering my mouth. “What the hell is happening?”
Liam looked concerned too. “I think someone is illegally turning humans,” he growled under his breath. “This is bad.”
I started to back away, and Liam returned his attention to me.
“Lea, I can explain everything to you, but you need to stay calm and trust me,” he said, holding out his hand.
The only thing I needed to do was get as far away from here as possible.
I turned on my heel and took off down the dirt path, running as fast as my legs would carry me.
“Lea, stop!” Liam shouted after me. “If you go, you’re putting yourself in danger! I can protect you!”
Maybe he was telling the truth…
He did save my life, after all.
But my fight-or-flight instincts had already kicked in…
And I chose flight.
I paced in circles around the corpse of the slain werewolf, trying to figure out my next move.
The news reports about wolf attacks were full of red flags, and I’d expected to find a rogue skulking about, but now I wasn’t so sure that’s what was happening.
This wolf had been feral…it had no experience, no control.
Almost as if it had just been turned recently.
They’d bring the entire royal family down on themselves.
I wondered if this was an isolated incident—a rogue making a foolish mistake—or if it was something more…
I knew I needed to investigate further.
But I had a new problem to deal with…
One that could potentially spiral out of control.
And her name was Lea.
If I hadn’t been here, she could’ve become the next hiker to wind up dead.
I couldn’t blame her for running away after what she saw, but she had no idea how much danger she was in now.
And that was partially because of me…
I should’ve never shifted in front of her. It was forbidden.
And now she knew my secret.
But there was no way I could’ve just stood by and let her die.
When she’d recognized me and said my name…I’d thought I could trust her.
But maybe I was wrong…
I was always too trusting. It was one of my biggest downfalls.
Trust always seemed to lead to me getting fucked over.
If anyone found out that I’d revealed my true nature to her, we’d both be on the chopping block.
I shifted back into my wolf, grabbed my discarded jeans in my jaws, and bounded through the forest, making my way to my family’s remote, lakeside condo.
I could better get my bearings there.
Formulate a plan.
They’d likely be coming for us.
And I needed to be ready.
I’d opened her eyes to a whole new world today.
I hugged my knees tightly as I sat on my bed, reading Liam’s texts.
I was still trying to process what I’d seen in the forest.
Like, an honest-to-God, movie monster brought to life.
Except there were no special effects or directors yelling “cut.”
My whole world had been turned upside down.
I tried to shake off that thought.
This was way too dangerous to get involved in. If there were werewolves out there, God only knew what else was stalking around Seattle.
It would be better if I just tried to forget this had ever happened. No one would believe me anyway.
I could just go back to my normal life as a bartender.
Nothing had to change. Except that…
It already had.
Everything had changed.
I could never go back to normal. Not knowing what I did.
And the worst part was…
Liam had offered to explain everything to me, and while I still wasn’t sure I trusted him, I was seriously considering the offer.
He was offering me a peek behind the curtain to a magical world that I didn’t even know existed up until this morning.
It was a world that already felt hostile to a human like me, but would that stop me from crossing the threshold?
I took a deep breath, having made my decision.
Regardless of the consequences…I’d pull back that curtain…
And venture into the unknown.
I stuck to the shadows of the dense forest, careful not to be seen.
I’d followed Lea when she left on her run because I couldn’t get her out of my head. I needed to see her again—even if it was from afar.
Our connection was real. And it was growing…as much as I tried to deny it.
But after what had just transpired…
I knew it was foolish of me to get involved with another human, and my fears had come true.
As I watched the werewolf shift into his human form, right in front of Lea, I knew it was over.
My fascination with her…
The flirtatious exchanges…
All of it.
Because now that Lea knew about the Immortal world…
She had to die.
