2. Nolan

Chapter 2

Nolan

T he cabin is only there sometimes.

It’s the weirdest thing. I’ve been patrolling this section of pack territory for the last few months at Thorne’s request, and every time, I smell the best smell ever. It’s like… if jasmine and cherries exploded in the air. I swear I can smell some kind of emotion, too. Joy? Sadness?

You’re losing your shit, Nolan.

I huff, marching forward, trying to follow the route that Thorne assigned to me. I’m not usually on tap for patrols, but a couple of weeks ago, he told me to help protect this section of the Oakwood boundary. And now, I’m here.

It’s better than just hanging around my house alone. Or trying to play third wheel to my sister and my best friend.

It’s just weird for me to be around them right now, because no one wants to see their sister make out with anyone, let alone their best friend. I’m happy for Jasper and Amara, I really am. But that doesn’t mean I want to watch them kiss or make puppy dog eyes at each other. Constantly.

They’re all lovey-dovey in their new house together, which is fantastic. For them. I would hang out with them more, but every time I do, I’m subjected to the very clear and persistent message that I’m not mated. I’m alone.

I’m on the brink of my thirtieth birthday, when I’ll lose my powers without a mate. I have no prospects, because I don’t really love to socialize with the pack much.

All of these problems appear when Amara and Jasper are blissfully happy around me. And I’m… very, very over it.

So yeah. I’m all about guard duty right now. And the weird little cabin in the woods, housing one interesting female, is a problem that I’m definitely interested in solving.

Thorne assigned me this area because of the inhabitant of the cottage. Coral. She’s fae, which is weird because up until recently, I hadn’t even been made aware that we had a fae on pack lands. Much less this type of a cabin. It’s like something out of a fairytale.

I call it a cabin, but I think ‘cottage’ comes to mind as well. White-washed walls, a green roof that I’m ninety percent sure is moss. Flowers that explode all around it in a riot, a circle of amazing smelling plants that are so thick and pretty, it’s hard for me to believe that it’s all natural.

Honestly, it looks like magic. Not like the magic that makes me change from a wolf to a human, but real, honest-to-goodness, bedtime story magic.

Also, it smells fuckin’ incredible.

The floral scent is always there, whether the cabin is visible or not, and it’s not sickening or too sweet. It’s literally like… the freshest of smells. Nature. Sunshine. The wind on a beautiful spring day.

I knew that Coral was in there, but the fact that the little cottage is there some days, and not others, seems like it’s a little odd, even for a fae.

I should probably ask Thorne about it. But I’m kind of worried that if I do, he’ll think that I can’t handle the job, and he’ll pull me off of it. And then I’d be at home, alone, or third-wheeling with Amara and Jasper…

I pause. Today, the cabin’s there. And I see two people sitting in front of it.

What the fuck?

I pad a little closer. As a wolf, I have better eyesight than in my human form, but the strength of being a wolf is my sense of smell. And through the overwhelming, delicious smell of flowers and nature, I pick up a scent I know.

Lyra .

I’ve never had much interaction with her, but I recognize her scent. She works at the library, which sometimes hosts these… events for young pack singles. Drink and read. That kind of thing.

My sister knows her more. Amara and her friend often go to the library’s “Midnight in the Stacks” stuff, so she’d know more about Lyra than I do.

But the person sitting with Lyra? It’s Coral.

I haven’t seen her socialize with anyone, until now. I actually don’t see her that frequently but had always assumed that she was here.

And now, I’m thinking that the amazing nature smell is coming from her.

I creep closer. The fae woman sitting there is definitely the source of the smell. She’s basically a walking meadow, and damn it, she smells amazing.

This is the first time I’ve gotten close to her, and I use it to study her. She’s petite, in a way that makes her look kind of small and fragile, like she’s a doll or something. She has skin that seems to glow slightly in the sunlight and long brown hair that cascades over her shoulders in two thick braids. I think there are flowers in those braids.

She’s wearing some kind of dress that also looks like it easily could be woven from flowers or grass or some shit like that, and it shows off her delicate looking shoulders.

In my wolf form, I resist the urge to growl. I don’t want to eat her. I don’t feel aggressive toward her, necessarily. But I feel like I want to consume her. Which is fucking weird.

I’m close enough that I’m within earshot. I overhear snippets of their conversation, and the word Nolan pops up.

I freeze. Shit. How does she know that I’m here?

They’re upwind of me, so Lyra shouldn’t be able to smell me. I don’t know how good of a sense of smell this fae woman has, and I need to play it safe. I wonder how the pack doesn’t stick their nose here all the time, or that people don’t smell her out here and immediately wonder what the heck is going on and come to investigate.

She definitely doesn’t smell like a wolf. Wolves don’t smell like nature itself.

I hear my name again, and I panic. Quickly, quietly, and with all the skill I can possibly manage, I lope away.

When I get to the edge of that wildflower circle that borders the little cottage, though, I pause. I look back.

Coral has been a job up until now. I kind of assumed that she just wanted to live separate from the pack, alone. But after seeing her talking to Lyra, I feel guilty.

I’ve been guarding her, and I know nothing about her. Not even why I’m here.

Finding out more about her has just become top priority, and over the next few days?

I’m going to do just that.

A week later, and I’ve seen the little cottage every day. It’s like the more that I’m around, the easier it is to see.

I’ve also seen the fae woman.

Every. Damn. Day.

She’s more than just pretty, I’ve come to realize. She’s fucking gorgeous. She’s always out in a dress that barely covers anything on her, that looks like it’s made with fucking spiderwebs and leaf bones or grasses or some shit. It’s not that it’s indecent, and I guess that there’s technically no problem with the amount of clothing she has on, but it’s like she just stepped out of the fucking house, and the meadow reached out and tossed clothes on her, and I can’t get over how goddamn good she looks all the fucking time.

It’s getting to be a problem.

Thorne has asked me to come in to discuss how the guard duty is going, and I keep putting it off. I don’t have much to report. Nothing really goes on out here. However, I told him that I need a little more time to gather information.

Because I want to see the fae woman in the meadow. Every day.

You’re being fucking weird, Nolan.

I rise from my hiding spot at the edge of the meadow, shaking myself off. I need to stop.

I agreed to this as a way to get out of my head about my own problems, and to help Thorne out. With all the unrest around our pack, he wanted additional security, and I was happy to do what he asked. His concern for Coral at the time seemed odd, but now I get it. I’m not usually someone who engages with pack business like this, but Coral looks like a stiff breeze could blow her away, much less a rogue shifter.

It’s not that much of a burden, really. I’m always happy to help.

However, it’s time for me to check in with Thorne. I can’t in good conscience tell him that this is worth the daily guarding, because nothing happens. At this point, it’s just me, and my curiosity, and I can’t fucking stalk this poor woman on a daily basis and call it helping.

I finish up my shift, making sure that there’s nothing amiss anywhere else along my patrol route, before heading back to the alpha’s offices. I shift, putting on the pack sweats that I keep in a locker here, and knock on Thorne’s door.

“Enter,” he rumbles.

I step inside.

Thorne is sitting at his desk, frowning with concentration at something on his computer. He closes it when I walk in, nodding at the chair in front of him. “Report.”

I sit, straightening as I look at him. “Nothing new. No action.”

“And everything is… normal?”

The way that he says it makes me suspicious. “Yes. Normal.”

“You haven’t seen anything that you want to tell me?”

Fuck. Does he know that I’ve been straight up creeping on the fae woman in the meadow? I stiffen. Is Thorne going to be pissed…

“I’m being a little obtuse, I guess. Coral and I have a bargain that we made a long time ago. I’m wary of how a fae bargain works, and I’ve been hearing… rumors.” He frowns. “If she’s hurt, I don’t hold up my end of the bargain.”

That makes sense.

Thorne continues. “I know you’re thinking nothing is going on, but I can’t just leave her alone right now.”

I blink. “Uh…”

“She’s been helpful to the pack, but I’m not exactly trying to advertise her location. She’s a faerie, after all, but more than that, she’s been through a lot, and she doesn’t really want to be present in pack life.”

“I’ve seen her,” I say.

Thorne looks at me, one of his eyebrows raised. “Have you?”

“Yeah. Uh. She… I notice the cottage, some days. And then I saw her talking to Lyra.”

That’s it. He doesn’t need to know anything else. He definitely doesn’t need to know that I obsessively stalk by her place multiple times in a day, even when I don’t have to…

Thorne drums his fingers on the desk. “Coral is a wonderful person. She was here when we first moved, and given her past, I’ve been happy to let her stay. That’s the nature of the bargain. She stays, I watch her back. She also supports the pack. In exchange for her living here, she is my last resort for some things that only a faerie can do.”

“Why did you agree to the bargain?” From what I know, faerie bargains are not always a good idea.

Sighing, Thorne stops his fingers. “Can I trust you with this information, Nolan?”

If he doesn’t tell me what happened, I’m going to find out, one way or another. “Of course, Alpha.”

Nodding, he leans back. “A pack of rogue shifters, mostly lions, destroyed her hive outside of Seattle. Coral is the only survivor that I know of, and she’s requested to keep her presence here under wraps.”

I have to choke down the feeling of rage that’s crushing my throat.

Someone hurt her.

“Nolan?” Thorne says, looking over at me with eyebrows that are so far up on his head, they’re pushing at his hairline.

“Yeah. Uh. She… she seems pretty solitary.”

“She’s solitary, but she definitely prefers it that way. I’m happy to oblige, since I don’t want to stir up even more trouble.”

Spying on her makes you that much more of a dick, Nolan.

“Are there specific threats you were worried about, Alpha?” It’s a shit way for me to ask if I should be looking for something specific to keep her safe, but…

The rage that’s simmering inside me is absolutely not going to be contained. I need to do something with it. And beating the shit out of the shifters who did this to her is absolutely something that would satisfy this anger.

“Not particularly. Well. I’m not sure,” Thorne says, glancing at his computer. “I’m hearing some rumblings that make me apprehensive, but nothing concrete yet.”

Great.

I lean back in the chair.

Thorne opens his computer. “I know that I’m keeping you busy with this.”

“You are,” I say. It’s the truth, even if I’m fine with it.

“Well. I’d like to have your continued support with this, but if you need to tap out?—”

“No,” I cut him off.

Thorne raises his eyebrow again.

“No. I mean. I’m fine with it. If Coral’s still at risk and you think that there’s reason to believe she needs the additional protection, I can do it.”

“Are you sure? Evander can definitely assign more of his crew to head out there…”

“I’m happy to. I can definitely do it,” I say again. It’s something that he should be used to me saying. I say it all the time. Everyone knows that Nolan is always up to help the pack out.

Still, Thorne hesitates a minute before he nods. “Good. I’d like to ask her to set some protections around the pack lands as well.”

I freeze.

Seemingly oblivious, he continues. “One of her specialties is creating boundaries, so I’d like to use that to see if there’s anything going on at the edges of our land that I should know about. I’m not certain, but I have a hunch that someone has been trespassing, and not in a particularly harmless way.”

“I see,” I say, trying to remain natural. Something inside me balks at the idea of Coral having to earn her keep. She’s been through enough, if what he’s telling me is right. She should be allowed to just exist in her happy meadow without…

“When you’re up there tomorrow, can you give her this?” Thorne reaches for an envelope and hands it to me.

I frown. “Yes.”

“Good. Thank you. I appreciate your dedication to the pack, as always. “

As always.

I stand, going to leave, when he stops me. “Nolan.”

“Yeah?” I turn to look back at my alpha.

“Be nice when you talk to her. She won’t bite.”

I laugh. It’s a little too loud.

Thorne crosses his arms and looks at me, a smirk playing across his lips.

“I’m sure she doesn’t want me to bother her. I’ll be back tomorrow with a new report, and I’ll deliver this. Thanks, Alpha,” I say.

With that, I hustle out of the door. Thorne doesn’t need to know that I’m more than just ready to fulfill my pack duties.

I can’t deny it. I’m excited to see Coral tomorrow.

And if there’s anyone nearby who is even thinking of coming after her… I’ll finally have an outlet for the rage that’s burning a hole in my stomach.