Page 45 of A Wolfe in the Woods

Forged from divine regret and wild grace, they were doomed to struggle between two worlds—civilization and the call of the woods.

It was largely recognized that Lycans were more prone to giving into their animal instincts. Their tempers ran hot. If their territory was threatened—be it their physical home or their workplace or their pack—they were known to ruthlessly and mercilessly defend it. They were notorious for latching onto an idea or a person or an argument…and never letting go until they got what they wanted. Everyone else was prey—and they were, more times than not, at the top of the food chain.

Unless, of course, vampires were involved.

Then I thought of Billy, the vampire Meg had dated, remembering his sheepish smile, though a little fang-y, and the thick-rimmed glasses that he always had to push up the bridge of his nose. Incredibly handsome, befitting his race, but he couldn’t frighten a pixie, much less an arrogant, egotistical Lycan.

Nothing was ever black and white. And I was being close-minded, I chided silently.

And yet…the worry that Jonathanwasa Lycan lingered. Because I’d felt something stir in me last night, carefully being stoked to life. While I hadn’t liked someone in a long time, I still recognized what had fluttered in my chest, delicate and, perhaps, ephemeral like a gladelace butterfly. I would bedisappointed to squash the feeling before it could develop into something more.

Last night had been…magical. Most of it felt like a dream. Even the frightening bits.

And it had been entirely unexpected.

The ringing bell of the landline telephone startled me. I sloshed a bit of my iced coffee over the rim of the glass but set it aside, shaking off my hand when I stood from the rocking porch chair, hurrying back through the open door of my cabin.

I frowned when I picked up, wondering who it could be. “May?”

“You can’t be mad at me because this was for your own good. Remember—I spy because I care. You may want to sit down because you’llneverbelieve what I found out.”

Meg.

I nearly groaned at the tone in her voice. “What now?”

“I thought his name sounded familiar and, of course, my suspicions were right. He’s Jonathan Wolfe!TheJonathan Wolfe.”

“I know his name, Meg,” I said slowly, frowning. “But what’s your point?”

She groaned. “My gods, Blanche. This was abigscandal about five or six years ago…don’t you remember the Helix Trust case?”

Something wiggled into my mind. Flashes of headlines and coworkers gossiping over news articles in their cubicles. “Vaguely. Why?”

“It was a circus, Bee. Helix was dripping in fraud—embezzlement, extortion, blackmail, bribery—the works. Then the whistleblower ‘died mysteriously’ just before testifying. Officially? Suicide. Realistically? Please. Everyone knew he was silenced. The law firm was corrupt and the whole thing reeked ofa cover-up. And guess what? No one went to prison. Not one of those bastards.”

A chill went down my spine. “What does this all have to do with Jonathan?”

“He was the lead defense on that case,” Meg told me, her voice strangely calm. I could hear her worry. I felt my stomach drop out, an empty gnawing pit taking its place.

“What?” I asked softly. “No, that…that doesn’t any sense.”

“He was the face of their defense. He was front and center the whole time and protected those corrupt bastards until the very end. I wouldn’t be shocked if he knew exactly what happened to that whistleblower. Hell, maybe he didn’t just defend it. Maybe he helped bury the whole thing.”

My mind flashed back to last night, to Jonathan’s warm, strong palm on my back, pulling me away from the cliff’s edge. I thought of his greenhouse, the way his expression had shifted in the butterfly sanctuary. One of peace, calm. Even wonderment. I thought of all the beauty he’d created…and I wondered how he could be the monster Meg was describing.

“It was really dark stuff. This guy is bad news, Blanche. Youneedto steer clear. I’m serious. In fact, you need to come home. Today.”

“Maybe it was another Jonathan Wolfe,” I suggested, shaking my head. “I mean, come on, Wolfe is a common enough family name, even for Lycans…like Smith for humans.”

“I’ve got the rightWolfe. Bee, it’s him. I’m sorry.”

I thought about what Jonathan had told me last night at Cryer’s Point.

I used to live in my head. Tried to control every outcome. Tried to measure life like it was a case to win or lose,he’d said.

“I feel so stupid,” I said quietly before biting my lip in worry. The confession tumbled from me. “Last night, me and him?—”

“Oh gods, you hooked up with him?” came Meg’s shriek.