6

Emily spent the next hour wandering through Black Hollow, taking in every storefront along Main Street.

There was something charming about the town.

Nothing felt rushed.

People actually smiled at one another.

Children played in front yards without parents constantly checking their phones.

The bakery smelled like cinnamon and fresh bread.

The bookstore had rocking chairs on the porch.

Even the hardware store displayed pumpkins and mums outside its entrance, despite autumn still being weeks away.

It reminded her of the kind of small towns she'd only ever seen in movies.

As she walked, she pulled out her phone.

No Service.

She frowned.

"Seriously?"

She checked again.

One lonely bar appeared before disappearing.

"Great."

She laughed to herself.

"Jessica is going to think I've died."

---

A small bell chimed as she stepped inside the bookstore.

The scent of old paper and cedar instantly wrapped around her.

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined every wall.

A black cat slept peacefully in the front window.

An elderly woman looked up from behind the register.

She had soft white hair braided down her back and warm green eyes behind thin reading glasses.

"Well," she said with a smile.

"I've been wondering when you'd come in."

Emily smiled politely.

"I didn't know anyone was expecting me."

The woman chuckled.

"Oh, dear...people around here notice newcomers."

Emily relaxed.

"That makes more sense."

"I'm Margaret."

"Emily."

Margaret's smile lingered a second longer than normal.

"What a lovely name."

Emily wandered through the shelves while Margaret returned to reading.

She found herself drawn toward the local history section.

One title caught her eye immediately.

The Legends of Black Hollow

She picked it up.

The cover showed a full moon rising over the mountains.

Inside were stories about early settlers.

Native legends.

Disappearances.

Old mining accidents.

Then she noticed a chapter title.

The Wolves of Granite Ridge

Emily smiled.

"So every town has ghost stories."

"You like folklore?"

The voice came from behind her.

She turned.

A tall man stood at the end of the aisle.

He looked to be around thirty.

Broad shoulders.

Dark blond hair.

Easy smile.

He wore jeans, hiking boots, and a forest service jacket.

There was something effortlessly friendly about him.

"I've always liked reading local legends."

He nodded toward the book.

"My grandmother used to tell me those stories."

"Were they scary?"

He laughed.

"Depends on who was listening."

Emily smiled.

"I'm Emily."

"Noah."

He extended his hand.

His grip was warm.

Surprisingly warm.

"You must be the new environmental consultant."

Emily blinked.

"News travels fast."

"It always does around here."

"I'm beginning to notice."

Noah grinned.

"If you stay long enough, you'll know everyone's business before you know their last names."

Emily laughed.

"I'll try not to contribute."

"I'm afraid that ship already sailed."

She looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

He realized what he'd said and quickly recovered.

"I mean...new people are exciting."

Emily accepted the explanation.

Noah silently thanked every deity that might be listening.

---

Across the street...

Kael watched through the café window.

Lena stepped beside him.

"You sent Noah."

"He talks to strangers better than I do."

She smirked.

"That's because you glare at strangers."

"I do not."

She raised an eyebrow.

"You've been glaring through that window for twenty minutes."

"I'm observing."

"You're brooding."

Kael sighed.

"There's a difference."

"No."

"There is."

"No."

He finally smiled.

Just a little.

Lena noticed immediately.

"There it is."

"What?"

"The first real smile I've seen from you in years."

Kael looked back toward the bookstore.

Emily was laughing at something Noah had said.

The sound carried faintly through the open door.

His wolf stirred again.

Not with possessiveness.

With relief.

She was smiling.

She wasn't frightened.

That was enough.

For now.

---

Meanwhile...

Emily left the bookstore carrying two novels and the local history book.

Margaret waved from the register.

"Come back anytime."

"I definitely will."

As Emily stepped outside, Noah was waiting on the sidewalk.

"Can I show you something?"

She hesitated.

"What?"

"The overlook."

"What overlook?"

"Best view in town."

Emily glanced toward the mountains.

"I suppose I have a little time."

"It's only a ten-minute walk."

She smiled.

"Lead the way."

---

They followed a narrow trail that climbed behind the town.

As they walked, Noah pointed out landmarks.

"That's the old church."

He pointed toward a white building with a tall bell tower.

"It was built almost a hundred years ago."

"It's beautiful."

"Nobody uses it anymore."

"What happened?"

He shrugged.

"Lightning."

Emily looked up.

The steeple looked untouched.

"Must've been repaired."

"You could say that."

---

The trail eventually opened onto a rocky overlook.

Emily stopped walking.

"Oh..."

The word escaped before she could stop it.

The entire valley stretched beneath them.

Black Hollow looked tiny from here.

The river shimmered through the center of town.

Mountains surrounded everything like ancient guardians.

The late afternoon sun painted the forests gold.

"It's incredible."

"Told you."

Emily walked closer to the edge.

She couldn't stop smiling.

"I've never seen anything like this."

Noah watched her instead of the view.

He understood why Kael had waited.

She carried herself differently than anyone he'd ever met.

Curious.

Kind.

Completely unaware of the power sleeping inside her.

---

A cool breeze drifted across the overlook.

Emily suddenly closed her eyes.

Without realizing it, she turned her face toward the wind.

She inhaled deeply.

Something about the scent...

It was familiar.

Not in the ordinary sense.

It felt like remembering a song she hadn't heard since childhood.

She opened her eyes.

"That's strange."

"What is?"

"I feel like I've been here before."

Noah's heart skipped.

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know."

She looked around the valley.

"It doesn't make sense."

"I've never even been to Montana."

She laughed softly.

"But..."

She pointed toward a distant ridgeline.

"I knew that river was there before I saw it."

Noah followed her finger.

It pointed directly toward Crescent Ridge.

The heart of Kael's territory.

His expression became carefully neutral.

"Maybe you've seen pictures."

"Maybe."

But Emily didn't sound convinced.

---

Hidden in the trees just below the overlook, Kael stood perfectly still.

He had followed at a distance, never intending to interrupt.

When Emily turned toward the wind, his wolf surged forward so suddenly it nearly forced a shift.

She had caught his scent.

Not consciously.

Not yet.

But some part of her recognized it.

His heart pounded.

For the first time since she'd arrived, he allowed himself to believe.

The bond wasn't one-sided.

Somewhere deep inside...

She felt it too.

Then Emily laughed at something Noah said, and Kael quietly slipped back into the forest before she could ever know he had been there.