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Taking a step towards Blake’s car, I can’t see him inside. The windows are dark and covered with a layer of ice. I cup my eyes, squinting against the glass. Nothing inside moves, not even when I rap my knuckles against the door.

I bite my lip as a growl rips from my chest, my knuckles cracking as I clench my fists. “You said you’d stay in your car. Where are you?”

The snow has filled any tracks he might have made, and the pine trees are so thick beyond the parking lot that I can’t see any sign of a tent. My body tenses, and I’m overwhelmed with the need to yell out his name.

In any other circumstance, I’d feel painfully uncomfortable being this concerned for a stranger. But with the temperature still dropping and the sky darkening over my head, I can’t help but feel terrified for this young man. Especially this young man who’s somehow piqued my beast’s interest.

I know he isn’t prepared, nor equipped to camp in this storm. I saw right through his lie back at the shop when he told me he’s been camping all his life. No one in their right mind would camp in this weather, especially without a hot tent or beyond their car.

My nails elongate as fur thickens through my skin and my bones ache. My beast howls through my chest as I fight against the shift. I can’t let myself go just yet. If I were to change now, I wouldn’t fit in my truck to drive it home. And I highly doubt Blake would trust a ten-foot-tall Sasquatch to carry him to the cabin.

Shit!

With time against me and my beast desperately breaking through to the surface, I scramble back to my car and haul ass from the parking lot.

My tires screech, and my engine rumbles as I speed all the way up the mountain until finally, with the last of my strength, my cabin rises from between the trees and snow. I park my truck behind the shed, cutting the engine and throwing myself out the door.

As if a switch is flicked, my vision narrows as every cell of my body morphs and changes. The shift usually feels like stretching my legs after a long-haul flight. It’s the ease and comfort of finally feeling free. But this time, as I stumble onto my hands and knees, with the buttons of my shirt popping open and the seams of my jeans shredding, my shift is desperate.

I retreat into myself as my inner beast howls and explodes through my skin. Fur bristles; my hands grow along with my feet as I kick off my boots and socks. My canines rip through my jaw, biting into my upper lip, and every nerve in my body comes to life.

It’s tiring shifting this fast after being confined for all these months. But I don’t take a second longer to breathe into my new form. Instead, I’m charging down the hill. My thick fur repels tree branches and snow as I barrel into the storm.

The smells of the forest slam into me as I use my beast’s senses. Despite the wind and the thick wall of snow that floods the mountain, I can smell him. I can smell his deodorant and the fresh linen scent of his clothes. But I can also smell his fear. That knowledge alone has a roar ripping through my chest.‌

“I’m coming, Blake. Hold on a little longer.” I follow my nose, chasing after the man who’s captured my heart.

CHAPTER 2

BLAKE 4 HOURS EARLIER

Damn, the forest smells amazing up here!

I stand with my hands on my hips as I look down at the view below the parking lot. With pine trees hugging the rugged mountainside and sharp streams cutting between rocks, I can practically taste the earth in the air. The clouds sweep past the midday sun, and I smile to myself as I pull my backpack from the trunk and sling it over my shoulders. My new tent sits bundled up in its bag, and for a moment I pause.

Chewing my lip, I think back to the handsome hunk of a man who served me at the mountaineering shop. Arden. That’s his name. With warm, amber eyes and luscious brown hair trailing down his shoulders, I couldn’t rip my gaze away from those bulging biceps and pecs that strained the fabric of his shirt. Hot damn, he was just my type. Big and burly, but with a kind smile who smelled like pine needles and spoke with command.

Heat pools in my stomach and I adjust my hardening dick. “Not yet. Get camp sorted first, then you can rub one out,” I growl to myself before snatching the tent and shutting my trunk.

The hike from the parking lot isn’t for the faint of heart, and by the time I find a flat enough spot between two thick pines, I’m panting. Despite the dotted piles of snow clinging to the shaded spots, I’m also sweating up a storm. Yuck!

Arden had warned me of terrible weather, but as I look up between the branches of the canopy above, the sun is still shining amongst the clouds. So I shuck my backpack and pull open the tent bag.

I internally cringe as I lay out all the tarps and poles and pegs. I’ve never set up a tent before, and this one is the only option within my budget. Of course, I didn’t let Arden know that the hot tent was too expensive. I could see the worry in his gaze as he rang me up. If he were to ever find out my financial situation, I don’t doubt he’d offer me a cheaper price. But I don’t have it in me to accept such kindness. I don’t deserve it.

After a few failed attempts and curse words, the tent sits perched upright and ready for tonight. I grin ear to ear as I throw my backpack inside and kick off my boots, feeling the earth between my toes. It’s been a while since I’ve had a moment to myself. A moment of peace. From crowded buses and busy hostels, over the past year I haven’t had a huge amount of time to myself.

Sure, traveling around the country has been a dream come true. From meeting fresh faces to trying new foods, I have loved every minute of it. But now, to be alone, with a mountain to myself, with the sounds of the forest and the smell of winter in my lungs, my thoughts align.

Slipping my feet back into my boots, I make my way higher up the rocky slope towards the lookout. Ice slithers across rocks, and clumps of snow pile at the base of trees as I pass by with my sights set on the bright spot between the canopy. It’s close to my tent, and the overhang has the perfect view for me to spend the afternoon looking out onto the vast forest below.

Finding a smooth rock warmed by the sun, I plonk down, picking up a pinecone from the floor beside me. My fingers dance across the many bumps and grooves as my thoughts drift with the breeze.

It’s bittersweet. I was never meant to find this kind of peace. My childhood was a chorus of structure and discipline. From the moment I could dress myself to the day I graduated from law school, I’ve had someone meticulously watching over me. And that specific someone can’t leave me alone.

Speaking of the devil, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I flinch, already knowing who the caller is. The anxiety that runs through me has bile sliding up the back of my throat, as it shakes my hands and stiffens my spine.

For a second, my mind tells me not to answer. To let the call ring through. But I’m swiping to answer and holding my phone to my ear.