Page 1 of A Wolfe in the Woods

CHAPTER 1

BLANCHETTE

Iran through a forest shrouded in fog, the frigid air wet against my skin. Darkness pressed in on me from all sides as howls in the distance sliced through the night. They grew louder with every ragged breath I took.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears, louder than my footsteps, more painful than the branches that whipped at my arms and face as I stumbled forward through the blackness. The howls increased and then multiplied. Then came footfalls—several. A pack.

My legs dragged as if stuck in mud. In dreams, you could never run fast. Speed was an illusion. They were gaining on me. I could feel them right behind me. Smoky breaths at my heels, claws scraping the forest floor.

And then, miraculously—light!

I broke through the tree line, gasping desperately, narrowly escaping the claws of the dense forest, stumbling into a clearing. For a moment I was relieved. Thank the gods, I was safe. Until I realized I wasn’t free.

In front of me stood a mountainous tower of granite rising from the earth that extended to the dark skies above. There was no way out…no escape this time.

I turned to meet my fate.

Theyhad arrived.

Eyes glowing. Muzzles low. Steam curling from their mouths into the frozen air. Their monstrous jaws salivating, dripping as they closed in around me.

I curled into a ball, crouching low, trying to make myself as small as possible, hoping to disappear. My arms wrapped around my head, a fragile shield against what was to come.

But I couldn’t block out the largest of them. His majestic gray, silver, and white fur, his gold flecked eyes locked onto mine. Those penetrating orbs pierced right through me, finding what they hungered for. Fear.

He came closer.

His muzzle brushed my neck, breath hot against my skin, jaws forming a wicked grin.

His sudden snarl tore through my ears?—

BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!

I bolted upright, heart pounding, breath ragged.

My phone’s alarm screamed on, its shrill blare still echoing with the sound of the beast’s growl. My skin was damp, my sheets twisted around me like a death grip. I looked at the alarm.

“Shit!”

I was going to be late.

Ahead of me, the monolithic gleaming glass tower of Skoll Corp loomed, just as imposing and intimidating as it had been the day I’d arrived for my interview. Back then, I’d been hopeful, driven, and determined. Now, eight years later, it only stirred dread in me.

As I approached, a wave of dizziness tilted the world. For a moment, the tower seemed to sway. I blinked hard and fixed my gaze on the glass doors, using them as a tether. My body and soul were wobbly, weak, the effects of too many sleepless nights obsessing over this damn presentation—the one that could make or break everything—and what I feared was a pretty nasty stomach bug.

I’d barely slept two hours, which was still more than the night before. No sleep coupled with a fever…I wasn’t even certain caffeine would’ve helped. It might’ve given me a much-needed jolt, but I was running on fumes already. Even those were evaporating.

In the plaza, people milled by with familiar vacant expressions or always in a rush. Above them, holo-screens flickered to life across the glass towers—ads shifting midair, faces bright and too perfect, tracking movement as they recalibrated for passing eyes. One person was suited and emotionless, the next wore hungry eyes, fixed on their next transaction or destination. There was a kind of lifeless grace to the flow of bodies, a desperate efficiency that pulsed through the city.

That was the thing about Graymore: It didn’t do moderation. You were either ravenous or numb. There was no in-between.

And when it came to the inhabitants of this city, I often felt that I couldn’t see their faces even though I was staring directly at them. It was as if the city had hollowed people out—left only the shell, still moving but barely functioning.

On the worst days, I’d catch my own reflection and wonder when the hollowing had started in me too. Not all at once. Just…little pieces, quietly falling away.

It was a muggy and humid day, the peak of summer having hit. The heat sunk low, crawling like vines between the towers and concrete pavement of the Vault, the financial district ofGraymore. When I reached the automatic doors of Skoll Corp, they whooshed open. The icy air of the lobby would’ve felt nice if not for the way it made my sinuses immediately seize up.

The line for the security gates crawled forward, bodies shifting impatiently. As I fumbled for the key card in my tote, I felt a dull throb in my temples, a migraine that had been forming since I’d left my apartment. With the retina scanners down this week, the lobby felt even more chaotic. Security lenses tracked every movement, the silent sweep of biometric sensors seeming to hum beneath it all, like the building itself was watching. My fingers brushed receipts, lip balm, an old mint—then a small vial of medicine.