Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

T he tires of Caleb’s truck crunched over gravel as he drove down the winding mountain road. The early morning light cast long shadows over the landscape. The towering Moonridge Mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks draped in the soft mist that lingered from the night. The ironwood trees, ancient and steadfast, stood like sentinels along the edges of the road, their silvery bark gleaming in the sunlight.

He glanced into the back seat where a handmade lantern, crafted by one of the kids at the moon festival last night, rolled gently with the motion of the truck. Its crude form was endearing, fashioned from twigs and leaves. Caleb’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel as memories of the festival flickered through his mind—smiles, laughter, the warmth of the pack gathered around him. But as always, there was an empty space beside him. A space only she could fill.

He sighed, focusing on the road ahead. The scenery blurred by, but his mind was elsewhere, drawn to what waited for him in the valley below. The valley—a human town, far from the pack, from responsibilities, from the weight of everything that came with being a wolf. Of being an unclaimed shifter in the light of the full moon.

The road descended, curving sharply as the trees gave way to sprawling meadows and open skies. Down in the valley, the hotel sat nestled at the edge of the woods, small and unassuming, its wooden facade weathered but sturdy. Caleb parked the truck and stepped out, the crisp morning air brushing against his skin. He grabbed his duffel from the back before heading toward the hotel entrance. The front door creaked as he stepped inside, the familiar scent of dust and old wood greeting him.

Behind the desk, the human clerk looked up. “Back again?” the man said, his eyes gleaming with a hint of knowing.

Caleb only nodded, his expression neutral. There was no need for words. The clerk knew what Caleb was.

“You know the drill,” the clerk continued, sliding a key across the counter. “Room’s ready. Enjoy your run.”

Caleb grunted in acknowledgment, swiping the key before heading back out. He didn’t linger. His wolf was already stirring beneath his skin, itching to break free. The tension that had built over the last few days—weeks, months, even—demanded release. And there was only one way to find it. He set his items just inside the room and left the key inside the unlocked door.

The woods at the edge of the valley beckoned as he crossed the parking lot, the scent of pine and damp earth growing stronger with each step. He moved swiftly, his boots crunching over the leaves and underbrush as he ventured deeper into the forest, leaving the human world behind.

Once he was far enough, the air around him felt different, charged with something wild. He stripped off his clothes, tossing them aside in a pile before letting the shift take over. His bones cracked and stretched, the familiar sensation rippling through him as his body transformed. Fur sprouted, claws lengthened, and within seconds, his human form was gone. In its place, a massive wolf stood, black fur gleaming in the shafts of sunlight that filtered through the trees.

Caleb let out a low growl, testing his muscles, feeling the raw power thrumming beneath his skin. Then, without hesitation, he took off, sprinting through the woods with a speed and grace that was impossible in human form. The wind rushed past him, carrying with it the scents of the forest—wild, untamed, and alive.

His wolf reveled in the freedom, the sheer joy of running with no purpose other than to let go. His paws pounded against the earth. His breath came in deep, steady bursts. The trees blurred around him as he leapt over fallen logs, dodging branches with instinctual precision.

Then he caught the scent. Familiar. Pack.

The other wolf joined him. Its fur was a sleek mix of brown and gray. They ran side by side, their wolves moving in sync, chasing each other through the woods. There was no need for words, no need for explanations. Here, in the wild, they were free of the complications that tangled their human lives. Here, they could just be.

They played, darting between trees, weaving around each other, testing their speed and strength. Caleb’s wolf let out a playful growl, nipping at the other wolf's flank as they dashed through the underbrush. The other wolf responded with a snarl, quickening its pace.

As the sun began to set and the moon rose higher in the sky, Caleb felt the familiar pull of the man inside, wanting to take the reins. Slowly, he made his way back toward the hotel. Caleb shifted, finding his pile of clothes and slipping them on, his skin still humming with the residual energy of the run.

The hotel room was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight spilling in through the window. Caleb left the door open as he entered, his breath still uneven from the exertion of the run. Moments later, the soft click of clawed paws on the forest floor approached. He didn’t turn as he heard the shift behind him, the familiar sound of bones cracking and skin stretching.

Then there she was.

Rochelle walked into the room, her hair tousled, cheeks flushed from the run. She was still catching her breath, but there was a wildness in her eyes, a spark that hadn’t been there earlier.

Caleb’s heart was usually a slow, steady rhythm that he could control. But not tonight. Not after the run through the woods. Not after feeling the undeniable pull of the bond that tethered him to Rochelle, no matter how far she tried to distance herself.

Rochelle's gaze met his. Her eyes—those eyes that always managed to undo him—locked on to his. There was no hesitation in her gaze. No guarded wall of independence she’d worked so hard to maintain. Not here. Not now.

The calm facade Caleb had worn for years—the mask of patience, of quiet waiting—slipped. The knot of restraint he’d carefully tied to keep his wolf in check loosened with every step she took toward him. His senses flared with the scent of her skin, earthy and wild from their run, mixed with the faintest hint of lavender from whatever soap she used. It was intoxicating.

He didn’t speak. There were no words that could cover the depth of what he felt. No words that could convey the pull that had kept him tethered to her, silently waiting, even when she turned away from the bond. But tonight… tonight, his patience was gone.

In one swift motion, he crossed the room and pulled her to him. Her soft gasp filled the air as their bodies collided. The heat between them was unbearable. He felt the rise and fall of her chest against his. The rapid beat of her pulse matched his own. For a heartbeat, they stood frozen, inches apart, eyes locked.

And then it broke.

They rushed each other. Mouths met in a desperate, hungry kiss. It was chaos and fire and need all wrapped in one. It was years of tension and longing bursting through in a single, explosive moment. His hands tangled in her hair, fingers threading through the wild strands as he pulled her closer, pressing her to him as if he could fuse their bodies together.

Rochelle's hands clutched at his shirt, pulling him toward her like she’d been waiting for this just as long as he had. There was no hesitation in her movements. No walls. No distance. Just raw need.

Caleb groaned low in his throat, deepening the kiss. His wolf surged beneath his skin. The bond flared between them, hot and electric, crackling with a force neither of them could control. It pulsed in every cell of his body, the connection that had always been there but was now impossibly strong, undeniable.

He backed her up against the wall, the sharp sound of her back hitting the wood sending a jolt through him. She didn’t pull away. If anything, she pulled him closer. Her fingers curled into his shoulders. Her nails dug into his skin as if she feared letting go.

Their kiss was frantic, all-consuming, the years of pent-up desire spilling out in waves. Every touch, every brush of lips and skin, was a wordless confession— I’ve waited for you. I’ve always been yours .

Beneath the rush of adrenaline, there was something more. Something deeper. The bond. It was always there, simmering beneath the surface. But tonight it roared to life, wrapping around them both and pulling them together in a way that was so much more than physical. It was primal, instinctual, a connection that had been written into their souls long before either of them had the chance to deny it.