7

The sun had nearly disappeared behind the mountains by the time Emily and Noah made their way back into town.

The streets glowed beneath strings of warm white lights stretched between the old brick buildings. Music drifted from somewhere down Main Street, and the smell of barbecue and fresh-baked bread floated through the cool evening air.

Emily smiled.

"I don't think I've seen anyone in a hurry since I got here."

Noah laughed.

"That's because no one is."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Around here, if you're five minutes late, people assume you stopped to help somebody fix a fence or pull a truck out of a ditch."

Emily shook her head.

"Boston would never survive."

"Neither would Black Hollow."

They both laughed.

---

As they reached the center of town, Noah stopped.

"You hungry?"

"I could eat."

"Good."

He pointed across the street toward a large log building with wide front porches and flower boxes overflowing with bright red geraniums.

A wooden sign hung above the entrance.

The Timberline Grill

"The food's the best in town."

Emily looked around.

"I've noticed there's only one restaurant."

"Exactly."

"So it's either the best or the worst."

"It's definitely the best."

She smiled.

"I'll trust your judgment."

---

Inside, the restaurant buzzed with conversation.

Families laughed over dinner.

A group of ranchers occupied one corner, still wearing dusty boots and cowboy hats.

Children raced toward the dessert counter before their parents called them back.

It felt...

Comfortable.

Like everyone belonged.

The hostess smiled warmly.

"Evening, Noah."

"Hey, Claire."

She looked at Emily.

"You must be Emily."

Emily blinked.

"I really need to stop being surprised people know my name."

Claire laughed.

"You'll get used to it."

---

They were seated beside a large window overlooking the mountains.

Emily ordered grilled trout with roasted vegetables.

Noah chose a steak.

"So," Emily asked after the waitress walked away, "what exactly do you do?"

"I'm a wildlife biologist."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"I work with the conservation office."

Emily smiled.

"So we'll probably end up working together."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

She laughed.

"I'll admit, it's nice already knowing someone."

Noah smiled.

"You'll know everyone before the week is over."

---

Across the restaurant...

Kael sat alone in a quiet booth tucked into the shadows near the back.

A cup of black coffee rested untouched in front of him.

He wasn't there to eat.

He was there to make sure Emily's first night passed peacefully.

Lena slid into the seat across from him.

"You've officially become creepy."

Kael didn't look away from Emily.

"I'm making sure she's safe."

"From what?"

He didn't answer.

Lena sighed.

"You've checked every entrance twice."

"I know."

"You stationed patrols around town."

"They volunteered."

"You had Noah escort her."

"Yes."

"You've been sitting here for forty minutes pretending to drink coffee."

Kael finally looked at her.

"I am drinking coffee."

Lena glanced at the completely full mug.

"No...you're thinking about drinking coffee."

---

Emily noticed movement across the room.

Her eyes briefly met those of a man sitting alone near the back.

Tall.

Dark hair.

Broad shoulders.

Flannel shirt rolled to his elbows.

There was something familiar about him.

Not his face.

The feeling.

Like she'd seen him somewhere before.

The man looked away almost immediately.

Emily frowned.

"Do you know him?"

Noah followed her gaze.

His stomach tightened.

Kael.

"He keeps to himself."

"What's his name?"

Noah hesitated just long enough for Emily to notice.

"Kael."

"Is he from here?"

"Yeah."

"He looks..."

She searched for the right word.

"...sad."

Noah glanced toward his Alpha.

"He's had a difficult life."

Emily nodded quietly.

Something about the man tugged at her heart.

She couldn't explain why.

She'd never met him.

Yet seeing him alone made her want to walk over and ask if he was okay.

The thought surprised her.

She looked away.

---

Dinner arrived, and the conversation turned to work.

Noah spread a map across the table.

"Our conservation area covers almost sixty thousand acres."

Emily's eyes widened.

"That's incredible."

"We've got elk, black bears, mountain lions, wolves..."

"Wolves?"

He smiled.

"A healthy population."

"I've never actually seen one in the wild."

"You might."

"I'd love that."

"You may regret saying it."

She laughed.

"I doubt it."

---

At that exact moment...

Every light in the restaurant flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then went out.

The room fell into darkness.

A few children gasped.

Someone laughed nervously.

"It's probably the old generator," Noah said.

Before anyone could move...

Emily heard it.

A howl.

Long.

Deep.

Haunting.

It echoed through the mountains.

The restaurant became eerily quiet.

Then another howl answered.

And another.

Soon the sound rolled across the valley like waves.

Emily felt goosebumps rise along her arms.

"Wow..."

She whispered.

"I've never heard wolves before."

Noah forced a smile.

"They're closer than usual."

Across the room, Kael was already standing.

His expression had changed completely.

The calm man Emily had briefly noticed moments earlier was gone.

Every muscle in his body had gone rigid.

Lena appeared beside him almost instantly.

"That's not our pack."

"I know."

Kael's voice was barely audible.

The emergency lights flickered on, bathing the restaurant in a dim amber glow.

Outside, the howling stopped as abruptly as it had begun.

Then...

Kael caught it.

A scent drifting through the open front door.

One he hadn't smelled in nearly fifteen years.

His jaw tightened.

"Magnus."

Lena's eyes widened.

"Here?"

"He crossed into town."

She instinctively looked toward Emily.

"So he knows."

Kael nodded once.

"He knows exactly where she is."

---

Unaware of the silent exchange, Emily looked out the restaurant window.

A figure stood across the street beneath one of the old streetlamps.

A man in a long black coat.

Too far away to make out his face.

He seemed to be looking directly at her.

She blinked.

A pickup truck drove past.

For just a second, its headlights blocked her view.

When it passed...

The man was gone.

Emily frowned.

"That's strange."

"What is?" Noah asked.

"I thought I saw someone."

He looked out the window.

The sidewalk was empty.

"Probably just someone heading home."

"Yeah..."

Emily nodded, though she wasn't entirely convinced.

For reasons she couldn't explain, a chill settled deep in her chest.

Somewhere outside, hidden by the darkness at the edge of town, crimson eyes watched the restaurant one last time before disappearing into the forest.

Magnus smiled to himself.

"So that's the girl everyone died to protect."

He turned and vanished between the pines.

"Tomorrow," he whispered into the night, "we finally meet."