† Sage †

I sniffed the lavender oil, reminding myself to breathe, but even in the stillness of the room with my sister and a teenage wolf girl still snoring, it felt like the walls were closing in.

After a restless night of slipping in and out of my crazy dreams,

where a certain wolf man made more than one unmentionable appearance, the reality of our situation this morning would have sent any normal person spiraling into a panic attack.

Apparently, we weren’t normal though.

Nope. We were in a civilization that shouldn’t exist and hadn’t died from radiation poisoning but maybe we’d get eaten by magic mutant wolves.

I wasn’t discounting the very real possibility that this was some kind of hallucination brought on by the toxic air.

The only thing that was keeping me grounded was how well Coral was taking all this.

If the pack was her extended family, I wanted her to be at home here.

For far too long, the worry about being discovered one day had less to do with fears for my own safety if I’d been kicked out of Ethica and was

more about Coral. Who would protect her if I had to go?

Dr. Bradley had sworn to keep his eye on us, but what if I’d been kicked out before he discovered her Lycan DNA? I probably wouldn’t have notice before he sent her to the research facilities and I don’t think he’d

have given her time to flee on her own.

From the snippets of arguments I could remember between the good old doctor and our father, I knew his take on the matter. Dr. Bradley was just like the rest of the purists. He believed mutants had no place in our society despite my father’s pleas.

And sympathizers were met with…

I pushed down the grief before it could swell in my chest and instead envisioned the young sapling that grew from my father’s ashes in the

communal garden, watching in my mind’s eye as it spread its branches to the sky over the past twelve years.

I’d give anything to be sitting there right now, leaning against the bark and picking errant weeds from the grass. It was the one place I could dump my worries and speak my true emotions without giving away the

secrets I carried.

Damaged. Different.

Not like Coral. She was perfect. Until, I guess, she wasn’t.

I looked over at my sleeping sister with my heart breaking, but she laid there in silent peace.

If she was okay with it, I also had to be.

I made my way quietly off the bed and tiptoed through the room. The wolf girl lifted her head with a sleepy yawn and I froze, but she lowered her snout back to her paws without looking at me.

Releasing a tense breath, I closed the door to the bathroom and the single lightbulb flickered as I clutched the porcelain sink. The mirror

reflected my puffy eyes lined with dark circles and my tangled long brown hair that needed a comb. I stared at my face, hating how scared it seemed, but I forced myself to think of only the facts that would keep us alive.

We’re not dead.

So, we were off to a good start.

Unless I wanted to figure out some sort of under belly deal in the Fringes or black-mail Dr. Bradley then we were stuck here for a while.

Did I want to go back there?

Not really.

So, it looked like we were staying.

If Lennox could control his creepy manner, maybe we could stay in the inn for a few days while I looked around for a job.

Maddock said something…

I refused to think about the ridiculously hot wolf man. When I spoke with him again, we were going to have a serious discussion on rules for engagement. Preferably ones where I didn’t swoon when I looked into his eyes.

I was better than that.

In the meantime, I needed to figure out their trade and barter system. We’d have to learn their customs and laws. Then we’d find out if there was some kind of school or something that could teach Coral about herself.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the slightest bit worried about her turning into a wolf.

But I’d protect her like I always did. This was no big deal. A new life.

A chance to start over. We would be okay, as long as I didn’t black out again.

There was a knock at the door that had me cursing science under my breath as both the girls woke up. I’d hoped to have a few more minutes of alone time before I started the day.

Kera wolf was pawing anxiously at the door and Coral had the blanket pulled up to her chin when I stepped back into the room.

“I’ll get it.” I marched over to the door intending to give the manager of this inn a piece of my mind about respecting boundaries. He’d just ruined my quiet time, I didn’t have coffee, and it looked like we were eating

snacks again for breakfast.

I was ready to take on the big, bad wolf.

But not that wolf.

My heart thudded against my ribs as I swung the door open to see Maddock standing in the hall. He wore dark blue jeans that barely contained his muscular thighs and a gray t-shirt that stretched over his broad chest.

My gaze traveled down and then quickly back up as I re-imagined for the hundredth time what he looked like standing naked in the hall last night.

Heat flushed my cheeks when I took in the curve of his lips and chiseled

jaw stubbled with a short and neatly trimmed brown beard that matched the mess of unruly curls on his head.

We locked eyes and the heat in my face spread to my core, shooting into my hands. My vision tunneled as stars danced in it.

Ice water. I took a steadying breath, imagining being doused with the cold. There was no way I was going through this again. Man or wolf, no

one had that kind of control over my emotions.

Only I did.

Right?

Thankfully, Kera-wolf came bounding out of the room and rubbed her body against Maddock’s legs, putting some much needed distance between

us.

I couldn’t meet his eyes again, which infuriated me because it made it

seem like I was intimidated. He wasn’t intimidating.

Even if he was massive.

A smile tugged at the lips I was staring at and he cocked his head slightly to the side. The simple action sent another surge of warmth to my stomach.

Hungry.

That’s all this was.

I was hungry and acting stupid.

“Did you sleep alright?” Maddock broke the awkward silence with his deep baritone voice. The sound of it vibrated down my spine.

“We slept fine.” I took a step back, looking to Coral to ensure she was decent. “Thank you for the concern, but we got started on the wrong foot. I plan to stay here at the inn with my sister and earning my own keep. You didn’t have to pay for last night and I’ll pay you back however you accept

payment.”

Foot. In. Mouth.

I did not just word it like that.

A low growl came from Maddock’s chest and I whipped my head to the side, making the mistake of meeting his steely gaze again. Those blue eyes were unnatural, but they didn’t seem like a mutation.

They were magic that pinned me to the spot. I took another step back.

“No need.” He scratched his jaw and the way he looked at me made me wish I hadn’t slept in my clothes or had run a brush through my hair.

Or that I was holding a knife. It was a look of hunger.

Maybe he was hungry too.

I clung to that thought, straightening my shoulders as I met his eyes full on and daring him to back down. I ignored the heat for what it was, just a passing intense emotion.

“That’s not going to work for me. I don’t do debt to anybody, but we all need breakfast and if you know of a place that accepts gemstones for payment or will let me work off a meal in the kitchen, then I’ll pay you

back with that. Also, we can discuss this ridiculous situation where you forced your niece to keep us here last night like we were prisoners.”

The smile that lit up his face had me less than amused. Did he even hear what I said?

“Be nice, Sage.” Coral rushed to my side, still in her pajamas, and poked me in the ribs. Kera-wolf padded over to my sister. She reached down to pet her fur. “Maddock isn’t attacking us. He’s trying to keep us safe.”

Whose team are you on?

“Coral, go get dressed while me and Mr. Maddock have an adult conversation in the hall.” I ignored her whines of protest as I closed the door behind me, trapping her in there with the wolf girl. That one had proved she wouldn’t kill us.

I wasn’t sold on the uncle yet.

He didn’t even move as I thrust my finger against his chest. I pulled my hand back quickly when static sparked where I touched him.

“This is serious. I refuse to put my sister in any sort of danger, so if

there are prejudices against people from the purist city then you need to tell me now.” I knew I was jumping to conclusions, but it seemed like the only rational explanation for why this stranger wanted us to stay in the room all night.

The sexy wolf-man just looked at me with a smile on his face.

I blew out a breath of frustration, trying to release the emotion before it took control.

“Are you always like this?” A playful spark lit up his eyes as he took a step closer.

Distance, man. I moved a step back. “Always like what?” He sniffed the air and smiled again.

Mortified, I crossed my arms over my chest. I hadn’t taken a shower yet and was sure my clothes still reeked from the car trip here. “Are you saying that I stink?”

“Not at all.” His pupils dilated as he lowered his gaze to meet mine. “You smell good enough to eat.”

This time, I was ready for the intensity of his stare and I tried to focus on the little information Kera had given us about shifter customs. She’d said

they were flirty. I didn’t want to disrespect his culture by pointing out that his statement gave off some really dark Little Red Riding Hood vibes.

“So you are hungry.” I raised my chin. “Let’s get back to the conversation about breakfast and how you need to explain why we were forced to stay in the room. I don’t know how things work around here, but if I wanted to lock my sister away from society then I wouldn’t have escaped with her in the middle of the night.”

His expression darkened and the illogical urge to reach out and soothe the anger from his face confused the shit out of me. “Did they hurt you?”

“What? No. Why is that even relevant?” I kept my hands pressed firmly against my sides. “But I refuse to ever live a life where I’m told what to do again.”

As I spoke those words aloud, a sense of freedom lightened the burden on my chest.

That was the truth of it. We were free.

It was like waking up from a bad nightmare and knowing I didn’t

have to hide anymore. All my life, I’d been playing their game and fighting the system in silence as I lived among them with my own secret, always worried something would happen to me before Coral was old enough to

take care of herself.

It was over.

This was the first day of the rest of our lives. And I wanted life to be better now.

As if he could sense my newfound peace, Maddock’s shoulders relaxed. “I’ll make you breakfast if you want to pack up your things and I’ll take you to your new home.”

I eyed his larger than normal hands and then sized him up again. He didn’t look like a man who could cook, but maybe he had secrets too. “What do you mean by new home?”

“I would have taken you there last night, but you seemed stressed.” His chuckle was deep and made me smile despite the circumstances. “It gave me some time to get it set up for you though.”

“Excuse me?” I wiped the grin from my face. “Why would you set up a home for us?”

“Let’s just say that the fates demanded it.” He reached out, brushing his thumb under my chin. The touch was too intimate and left a tingle along my skin.

I took a step away. “I already told you that I don’t do debt. What’s the price of this home?”

“Let me feed you and we’ll call it even.” He shrugged. The boyish action somehow made the giant and intense man more approachable, but I’d been around enough players to know the insinuation behind his words.

“No dice.” I shook my head even as butterflies danced in my stomach. Hunger pains. “I’m not that kind of woman.”

A growl vibrated in his chest and I looked to his face expecting to see anger, but was met with a sheepish smile instead. “Alright. I need your help with something. My aging mother lives alone in the woods and doesn’t get visitors much. I think she’ll get along with you. So, if you can check on her once a week then the home is yours.”

I arched an eyebrow. This was too good to be true, so there had to be a catch. “Why do you think she’ll get along with me?”

“Because she is the only one in our pack who is also a witch and hasn’t had another witch to speak with in years.” Maddock leaned against the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets.

I didn’t realize we’d moved so close together until I felt the electric inch of space between our arms.

“About this witch thing,” I shifted my weight to my other foot, increasing the distance by another inch, “I don’t know what that is. I don’t cast spells or ride on broomsticks. The only thing wrong about me is my assessment scores saying I fell off the normal spectrum of emotional regulation and amiability which doesn’t work well with the purist society.”

“There is nothing wrong about you.” His voice was husky and dark.

The urge was there again to soothe the wolf-man I’d only just met.

But he raised his eyes and smiled, letting the emotion pass before I continued to worry. “Then maybe you and my mother can help each other out.”

I didn’t let on how much that idea intrigued me, but for Coral’s sake, I had to play this right and push my own desires down deep. “We can try it on a temporary basis, but before I agree to anything, I need to know why you insisted we stay in the room all night. Is Coral in danger here?”

“You will always be under my protection. No harm will come to you or the pup.” His smoldering tone made my toes curl even as my brain was screaming for me to run.

This was a whole lot of macho possessive vibes that I wasn’t ready to deal with. I ignored the assumption that I couldn’t take care of Coral on my own as I leaned into his space.

He’s just being flirty. It’s their culture.

Two could play this game.

“And why do we need protection from a big strong man like you?” Okay. That did not come out as sarcastic as I intended.

“I thought you weren’t that kind of girl.” His eyes lit up as he smirked, but he couldn’t hide the flash of surprise on his face.

This man was frustration. Couldn’t he give me a break?

I was trying–and obviously failing–to be civil and adapt to their world for my sister’s sake.

“I’m not.” I shrugged, adopting his nonchalant stance. “You aren’t being very open with your answers so I tried to play it your way.”

He leaned even closer, his face hovering over mine as if this was some kind of challenge. “As much as I’d love to play it my way, I don’t

think you’re ready. But in answer to your question, no one will hurt you or Coral while you’re here. It’s just that I don’t trust Lennox to keep his hands to himself and I figured your sister could use a friend to talk to after everything she has learned.”

Relief flooded through me for a reason I couldn’t explain, like I instinctually trusted Maddock’s words. “Then we are in agreement. Lennox is a creep.”

A goofy smile split his face in two and he stared at me with blue eyes swirling with their rings of gray.

He really was a beautiful man to look at.

Oh, yeah. Hunger. Right.

“Well the least you could have done was let us go to a restaurant. I’m still serious about buying you breakfast.” I turned to the room, needing

distance again to calm the rush of emotions.

His hand caught mine, pulling me back as sparks of fire shot through my skin and warmth coiled in the pit of my stomach. My breath caught in

my throat as I plastered a fake smile on my face, trying to stay in control. “Breakfast?” I asked hopefully, an uncharacteristically high pitch to

my tone.

“We don’t have any restaurants operating in town anymore,” he said this like it made him ashamed. “But get your things and I promise to feed you.”

“Okay,” I agreed, turning back to the door. This was starting to make sense.

There weren’t many people out last night and if there were no eateries or places to gather in the small town, then Coral and I would have been walking the streets alone with only Lennox to know our whereabouts.

I could forgive the niece for being a teenager and a little dramatic. I’d been dealing with Coral for years.

“Sage,” Maddock spoke my name reverently like a precious whisper.

I spun around to face him. My breath was coming a little too fast and my body was light with all the possibilities. I’d check on his mother in

exchange for lodging. Maybe I could start my own restaurant here. That was something I’d always wanted to do.

The smile that lit up his eyes was otherworldly, transforming his face from a man into a textbook god.

“I’ll wait downstairs.” He broke the spell, shaking his head as he turned away. “That smile looks good on you.”

He left me standing there like an idiot while he walked down the hall.

I touched my lips to find that I was smiling from ear to ear.

The awkward silence didn’t last for long as the door to the room flew open. Coral and Kera came tumbling out, talking a mile a minute.

“We’re already packed.” Coral dragged the suitcases behind her.

Kera carried the bags of food. “Let’s get going. This place sucks. I hate being so far off the ground.”

I turned to look over my shoulder. Maddock was already gone. Inhaling deeply to center myself, I caught a whiff of my own odor and grimaced.

“Give me a minute.” I grabbed my suitcase from Coral and rushed back into the room.

“I want to go now,” Coral whined.

“And I want to take a quick shower.” I rolled my eyes as I closed the door in her face.