Chapter 1

Surrounded by neon lights and pulsating country music, alpha wolf Remy Mayfield nursed a beer, his blue eyes scanning the room. He’d found the bar in the southern part of Indiana and stopped his travels for long enough to stretch his legs and get a feel for the small town.

His wolf didn’t like it.

No matter how quaint the downtown area that boasted a diner and bookstore was, it was clear that the town wasn’t keen on shifters, because he hadn’t scented a single one when he’d come to town the day before, and some subtle questioning to the locals revealed they liked their town the way it was—sans-shifters.

He’d left home in February after the full moon. He was born alpha-powerful, meant to lead and not follow. His home pack had an alpha named Jason and it was a hereditary pack, meaning that his son Bram would take over after he stepped down, and then Bram’s son, and so on throughout the generations.

Remy was born to a wolf father and an Angel Mate mother. His father was ranked high in the pack, but Remy didn’t get his alpha nature from his father, he got it from his mother. As an Angel Mate, the perfect mate for a wolf, any sons she bore were alphas and any daughters would become Angel Mates, their nature leading them to their truemate once they reached twenty-one.

He had a younger brother named Lennox, and three sisters—Brenna, Dakota, and Kendall. Brenna and Dakota were waiting for Kendall, the youngest, to turn twenty-one, and then all three would head out into the world and wait for their Angel Mate natures to lead them to their mates. Their mom, Karly, was from a pack in Virginia, and had found their dad, Linus, one wintry night.

The air shifted in the bar as tensions rose between two groups of males. Remy could feel the anger radiating from the males and watched them in the mirror behind the bar as two burly males squared off, nose to nose, and spoke angrily.

Remy put a twenty down on the bar. “Thanks, man.”

“I’ll grab your change,” the bartender said.

“Nah, keep it.”

“Thanks. Be careful out there.”

Remy slid from the stool and nodded toward the brewing fight. “You be careful in here.”

The old male chuckled and put the bill in the cash register. Remy strode from the bar and headed for his motorcycle, strapping on his helmet and starting the engine. As he pulled away from the bar, he could hear the sounds of the fight he’d known was coming and was thankful he’d hit the door before any punches had been thrown.

Not that he couldn’t handle himself, particularly against humans. As a shifter he had superior speed and strength, and his father had taught him to fight in his human form at a young age, and he’d learned to fight in his wolf form once he’d been old enough to shift as a teenager.

But he didn’t want to fight anyone. And shit could happen in a fight, and well-trained people could get badly hurt, and he wasn’t interested in spending any time in a hospital or a jail cell.

He drove to the RV that he’d called home for the last three months, which he’d left parked outside town at a large department store that allowed RVs to park overnight for free. He’d spent just two days scouting the town and had known it wasn’t right for him.

He was looking for a place to settle down.

Well, mainly he was hoping he’d find his truemate, but so far that hadn’t happened.

When he’d left his hometown of Allen and the Tressel Pack in February, he’d headed west first, then detoured south for a while, his bike strapped to the back of the small RV he’d bought from a pack member. He missed his family, but his wolf hadn’t been able to handle being in Allen and with the pack any longer. His wolf wanted to be alpha of a pack, and too many alphas in one pack was a recipe for trouble.

He didn’t know exactly what he was looking for, but he knew he’d know it when he saw it. Maybe he’d find his truemate first and they could start a pack together. Or maybe she would be part of a pack that needed an alpha and he could step in and take over.

One way or another, he knew he’d be alpha eventually.

He bought a sandwich, chips, and drink from the deli inside the department store. Then he locked his bike onto the back of the small RV and slid the side door open, entering the small space and locking the door behind him. He sat at the tiny table to eat dinner.

His phone buzzed, and he saw a text from his friend Kash.

Kash was half-wolf, half-fae, but wasn’t able to shift. They’d grown up together in the pack, and Kash had reached out and asked if Remy would consider coming back to Allen for his mating ceremony, and he’d agreed after getting the all-clear from Alpha Jason.

In the morning, Remy would head home and stay the night at his folks’, spending time with his family before heading out the day after the full moon to continue on with his search.

When are you getting in tomorrow? Kash asked.

Around lunch.

Where are you now?

Indiana.

How’s life on the road treating you?

It’s not too bad.

I can’t wait for you to meet my Bella at the ceremony tomorrow night.

I’m happy for you and looking forward to meeting her.

See you tomorrow. Drive safe.

I will, thanks.

He closed the app and opened a streaming service, finding his favorite comfort show about an office with a crazy cast of characters. He’d never worked in an office. He’d been turning a wrench and fixing cars since he was old enough to help his dad. It had served him well while he traveled, since he could pick up odd jobs whenever he needed cash.

Maybe when he settled somewhere he’d start a garage like the one in Allen, but he’d call it Remy’s after himself.

As the night grew deeper and the hours ticked by, Remy stared at the ceiling of the RV, his thoughts on the future.

Something was stirring inside him, and he wondered if he might find his truemate soon. Or maybe he’d find the perfect town to start a pack in, a small town like he’d grown up in, with a dense forest filled with furry creatures to hunt and a human population that didn’t mind shifters sharing the town.

Whatever the future brought, Remy just wanted to get started now. He didn’t want to keep waiting, keep wondering; he was a male of action and ready for whatever was coming.

Hopefully the one right female for him.

Closing his eyes, he let sleep overtake him.

Tomorrow was a new day and who the hell knew what the dawn would bring?