ONE
Abe
I’ve always beenthe kind of man who prefers to remain on the edges of life.
The outskirts of town.The quiet trails no one else bothers with.The jobs that don’t come with applause or gratitude.
That’s probably why Christian knew I wouldn’t say no.
I stand at six-foot-four, built solid from a lifetime of manual labor and stubborn survival, with dark hair that never quite behaves and a beard I keep trimmed more out of habit than vanity.My hands are scarred.My knuckles are thick.I look like what I am—a man who’s learned how to endure.
My wolf paws at me, impatiently waiting to be let out so he can run off some steam.
I hush him.We need to finish our patrol, and then he can run.
I didn’t grow up in a pack.Didn’t have elders or traditions whispered over campfires.I grew up learning to rely on myself, my wolf, and the instincts that have never once failed me.My parents believed that relying on others or a pack made you weak.They said you had to have skills and be self-sufficient to make it in this life.
Then, when I was seventeen, they died.
They fell into a ravine, and I wasn’t able to find them in time.Ironically, if we’d been part of a pack, they would’ve sent out a search party, and my parents would’ve been rescued.
For years, I was bitter about my upbringing and the way they died.I felt guilty for not finding them in time, angry that I was all alone.
So I threw myself into working and building a life for myself.
I joined the military, was recruited by the CIA, and spent a few years working for the government.I retired last year and settled down in Night Grove Falls.It seemed like a good place to live.Small town, strong pack.I started up my own security consultant firm, and things have been running smoothly ever since.
I’ve made friends here with the Alphas and other pack members.The town doctor, Christian, and I are neighbors, and we became close as soon as I moved in.We have dinner together at least once a week and hang out when we’re both free.He’s my best friend, the closest thing I’ve ever had to family.
He’s also the reason I’m out here in the forest in the middle of the night.
When Christian first asked me to join Midnight Haven, I hesitated.Not because I didn’t believe in what it stood for, but because I don’t belong anywhere easily.
Midnight Haven is a sanctuary and a rescue group.We help those who need it, and formed the group when a cult moved into the area north of Night Grove Falls.They’ve been stirring up trouble ever since.
“Daydreaming?”Christian asks as we stalk through the forest.
“No.Wondering how I let you convince me to do this.”
He laughs.“You know it’s the right thing to do.”
I sigh.“Yeah…”
We walk down the hiking trail in silence for a few minutes, scanning the tree line for any sign of movement.
The forest is too quiet.
I move silently through the trees, boots barely disturbing the damp earth.The moon hangs low overhead, pale and watchful, filtering through branches thick with pine needles.My wolf is close to the surface, a constant presence under my skin—massive, alert, restless.
Christian walks a few yards to my right, his expression serious, dark eyes scanning the shadows.He doesn’t look like a doctor out here.No lab coat.No stethoscope.
Then he freezes.
My wolf perks up inside me, and I tense alongside him.
“You hear that?”he murmurs.
At first, I hear nothing.Just the wind whispering through the leaves.An owl calling somewhere in the distance.