ers. The coffee. The footprints. That thing in the medallion. If you can explain any of it, t

th her hand on

r blouse down. Fixed her eye

xpressio

ooked

etween existing and not existing. Faint purple veins trac

like a h

tared

ng to something between wonder and alar

out flat. "How

he ancient wolf's spirit from the medallion. He was trapped in wolf form for centuries, h

me coffee. If he only has consciousnes

itement st

. "The seal has awakened but it's not complete yet,"

on its own. And it had arriv

" she

looke

He made the coffee. He's followi

Alpha's body. He's a beta. The Alpha is so

nd if he tries anything tonight, he'

mean

t his black pickup truck in front of the house, hands i

inside," she said, voice flat, "maybe you could have made us coffee again. It's

mo

off the ground, spun her around, and set her o

she forgot to be angr

me, you mountain bear! W

r knees, close enough that his breath rea

a bear is too clumsy for me." He laughed, and i

er ash-blonde hair behind her ear. His

," he murmured. "Wrong decision,

adbutt

ing forehead-first into a stone wall. Pain exploded

brainless

d laugh. "I warned you last time," he said. "

grinning. S

is face. Not mockery now. S

murmured, studying her. "Rare, Eva. So defiant, an

to my door again. Don't come to my house. If y

snow, and walked toward her door like a

g behind her all the way u

r had

tention of surren

n went down, Eva h

she wasn't going to wait

lt across every doorstep in an unbroken line. Did the same at every window. Then s

eavier than she expected, cold, and the silver of i

a self-defense situation. If those wolves are real...

ir with the dagger in her l

rackled. The cl

tes to m

wa

hest. Not painful, but spreading, like wa

n she h

e her

Masculine. And someh

rations for me,

eet before she'd

tch a breath. "Who are you?" she shoute

d out. Pitch black. No amber eyes.

the house. S

oice was

said. Quiet, resonant, filling

here for a

stood. The Alp

about to

in her hand, eyes locked on the door. The

ound from

d, hating that her voice shook.

pa

e said. Deeper now, more present, as though it were

there fo

alked to t

he sa

ive wolf. Thick fur shimmering between brown and red. This was the wo

consciousness, with meaning. It stood the way a

looking dir

lungs had stopped

spoke through the glass.

didn't

came from somewhere deep

tanding at her door. A wolf was tal

athed. "I'm lo

ard the door. She was now cert

was about t