Chapter 3

3

BECK

T he forest was quiet, the kind of stillness that set Beck’s senses on high alert. He moved through the trees with practiced ease, his steps soundless against the soft, mossy ground. The crisp mountain air filled his lungs, tinged with the faint and familiar scents.

And something else. Something unfamiliar.

A stranger—female—had arrived at the Bristlecone Bed her steps were deliberate, her gaze sharp as she studied her surroundings.

When he spotted her in a clearing, Beck stopped, slipping into the cover of the trees. She was kneeling by a group of boulders, her fingers brushing over the weathered carvings etched into the stone. The sight sent a jolt through him. Those carvings weren’t common knowledge, known only to locals—or to those who knew what to look for.

What’s she doing? Beck’s eyes narrowed.

The sun broke through the canopy above, casting golden light over her red hair as it fell in loose waves from a high-set ponytail down her back. Her eyes were focused, her expression a mixture of determination and fascination. Something about her drew his gaze and refused to let go. The way she moved, the way her lips pressed together in concentration—it stirred something deep within him, a primal pull he had never felt before and had never expected to feel. But what he was feeling—mild disorientation and dizziness—were the same ones Knox had described when he'd met Ruby.

Beck shook his head, forcing himself to look away. Human. She was human. And as beautiful as she was, the strange pull he felt had to be a fluke, an anomaly he couldn’t afford to entertain. Not when he had a town full of shifters to protect and questions about who she was and what she was up to, to answer.

Still, he couldn’t stop himself from watching. There was an energy about her, a confidence that didn’t align with her supposed reason for being here. She wasn’t just hiking—she was searching for something.

The realization sent a flicker of unease through him.

This is going to be trouble, he thought grimly, but the wolf in him growled in disagreement, urging him closer to the mysterious woman. In fact, the wolf inside him stirred, restless and intrigued. His instincts told him she didn’t belong here, but something about her—the way she moved, the way her hair caught the dappled sunlight—pulled at him in a way that had nothing to do with being sheriff.

He shouldn’t have followed her this far. She was human. A visitor. Nothing more. But the way her scent felt... muted, like she was hiding something, set him on edge.

She hadn’t just stumbled onto those carvings, Beck thought. She had to have been searching for them.

He shifted his weight, the forest floor soft beneath his boots. She was too calm, too deliberate for a casual hiker. If she was lying about why she was in Silver Falls, he needed to know why—and what danger she might bring to those for whom he was responsible.

A growl rumbled low in his throat, unbidden but deliberate. The sound was deep, guttural, and unmistakably more wolf than human. He wanted to see her reaction, to test her nerves.

The effect was immediate. She froze, her fingers pausing mid-trace on the stone. Slowly, she rose to her full height, her head tilting slightly as she scanned the trees. As he stepped closer, the snap of a twig beneath his boot broke the silence. Her head snapped up, her eyes scanning the trees with an expression of wariness and alarm. Beck froze, holding his breath as she rose to her feet, turned from the boulders, her hand slipping into her jacket.

His sharp gaze caught the glint of metal—a knife—as she withdrew it. His wolf stirred, growling softly in approval at her readiness. And the pull he felt toward her—that strange, undeniable magnetism—only grew stronger.

“I’m not here to hurt anyone,” she said, her voice steady and calm despite the tension in her posture. “Just passing through.”

Beck blinked, caught off guard. That wasn’t the kind of thing a human would say to a purebred wolf. Most people would panic, scream, or try to run. But she didn’t flinch. She didn’t plead. She spoke like someone who knew what they were dealing with.

His wolf bristled with curiosity, pushing against his control. How does she know?

The seconds stretched as he studied her, his mind racing. Her body language wasn’t defensive or overtly fearful—it was measured. Controlled. If she was human, she had no reason to choose those words. And if she wasn’t...

The thought sent a jolt through him. He wanted to believe she was nothing more than an odd tourist with an unsettling scent and a bad sense of direction. But her calm response, her steady voice—they painted a very different picture.

She took a cautious step back, her eyes scanning the tree line with a sharpness that belied her seemingly casual demeanor.

The wolf growled again, but this time Beck silenced it with sheer force of will. She was armed. Smart, considering the woods. He couldn’t decide if he was impressed or frustrated by how well-prepared she seemed for someone who had supposedly come to hike.

She took another step back, then turned and started toward the trail, her movements careful but quick. Beck let her go, his instincts warring with his reason. Everything about her screamed caution, mystery, and trouble—a combination that should’ve set him on edge but instead ignited a deeper, far more primal interest.

He waited until she was out of sight before stepping into the clearing. The scent of her lingered, faint and faintly... wrong. He couldn’t place it, but it gnawed at him, pushing him toward a truth he wasn’t sure he wanted to face.

Kneeling by the boulders, he brushed his hand over the carvings, frowning. They were old, cryptic, and deeply tied to the town’s history. Only someone with specific knowledge would know to look for them.

“She’s not just here to hike,” he muttered, his voice low.

The wolf inside him growled in agreement, eager for answers. Beck stood, staring in the direction she’d gone. She was far more than she seemed. He didn’t know what her game was, but he was damn sure going to find out.

And if she was a threat to Silver Falls—or to him—he’d handle her. No matter how beautiful or intriguing she was.

The bell above the Rusty Forks’—the local diner—door jingled, a cheerful sound that clashed with Beck’s tightly wound mood. Sitting at the corner booth, his back to the wall, he had a clear view of the door and the counter beyond. As sheriff of Silver Falls—and the alpha of his pack—it was second nature to keep his senses tuned to every shift in his surroundings.

When the stranger walked in, though, everything else faded.

She wasn’t like the usual hikers who passed through town, all bright smiles and loud chatter. Irene carried herself differently—like someone used to being watched. Her every move was calculated and deliberate. Her red hair, loosed from her ponytail, fell wild around her face and shoulders. It caught the light streaming through the windows, and her eyes swept the room like a predator sizing up its prey.

Beck’s wolf stirred again as he felt his cock tighten behind his fly.

She didn’t seem to notice him at first, her focus on the chalkboard menu above the counter. But Beck’s gaze lingered. He had to know more about her—the woman who had wandered into his town, poking around places she had no business being, with a scent that didn’t add up.

When Irene stepped up to the counter, the chatter of the diner hushed for a moment. Even small towns like Silver Falls had their fair share of curious eyes and wagging tongues, and strangers were a novelty. Ruby’s description of her had been dead-on: beautiful, with an edge that hinted at secrets.

He didn’t have to wait long to catch her attention.

“Coffee, black,” Irene said to the waitress, her voice low and smooth. “And the roast beef with horseradish sauce sandwich, to go.”

“To go?” Beck’s voice cut through the quiet. He leaned back in his seat, his eyes meeting hers as a slow smile curved his lips. “Shame to waste a good meal by not staying to enjoy it.”

Her gaze flicked to him, sharp and assessing. There was no mistaking the way her body tensed, a flash of something unreadable crossing her face before she settled into a polite, neutral expression.

“I’m on a schedule,” she replied evenly, her tone guarded but not unkind.

Beck raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. “Busy day hiking?”

“You could say that.”

Her short answer didn’t bother him. If anything, it intrigued him more. She was cautious—guarded in a way that spoke of someone who had been through enough to know better than to let her guard down.

“Silver Falls has some of the best trails in the Rockies,” he said casually, standing and strolling toward her. He didn’t miss the way her eyes flicked between him and the exit as he approached, her stance shifting slightly, as if preparing for... what? Flight? Fight?

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard,” she said, brushing a loose strand of red hair behind her ear. She held her ground, her shoulders squared despite the undercurrent simmering between them.

He extended a hand, his wolf humming in the back of his mind, urging him closer. “Beckett Grey. Sheriff.”

“Irene,” she replied, shaking his hand briefly before releasing it. “Just passing through.”

“Passing through,” Beck repeated, his tone light but probing. “That’s a shame. You seem like someone who’d appreciate what this place has to offer.”

Her lips quirked in a faint smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Do I? I guess I’m just one of those people who blend into a crowd and make myself at home.”

Before he could say more, the waitress returned with Irene’s coffee and sandwich. She handed over a few bills, her movements deliberate, as if calculating how to escape the conversation without drawing attention.

“Sure you won’t sit down?” Beck asked, tilting his head toward his booth. “I don’t bite.”

She laughed softly, a sound that sent a thrill down his spine. “Appreciate the offer, Sheriff, but I’ve got plans.”

She turned and headed for the door, her scent lingering in her wake—a maddening mix of something familiar and just out of reach. Beck watched her go, a slow growl rumbling low in his throat as he fought the urge to follow.

The bell above the door jingled again as she left, and the chatter of the diner returned. Beck watched her with narrowed eyes, his wolf pacing restlessly in his mind.

Knox sidled up to him, his sharp eyes following Irene’s retreating figure. “That’s her. Irene Blakiston. Ruby said she was a mystery. I think she might be right.”

Beck didn’t answer, his mind replaying every detail of their brief interaction. The way she moved, the way she deflected questions without giving too much away. And the way his instincts—both as a wolf and a man—refused to let him dismiss her as just another passerby.

He nodded to Knox, tossing a few bills on the counter. “Let me know if she comes back to the B&B.”

“Planning to scare her off or keep her close, Sheriff?” Knox asked with a knowing grin.

Beck’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Knock it off. I just want to make sure she’s not here to cause trouble. That is, after all, part of my job.”

Trouble. That’s exactly what Irene Blakiston felt like. Beautiful, intriguing trouble.

As he stepped outside into the crisp mountain air, Beck scanned the street, but Irene was already gone. The wolf inside him growled in frustration. She was hiding something—he could feel it—and he wasn’t about to let it slip through his fingers.

This wasn’t the last time they’d cross paths. He’d make certain of that.

The wolf in him snarled, his suspicions solidifying into certainty. Whatever Irene was hiding, Beck was willing to bet it wasn’t just innocent secrets. It was something far more dangerous.