[BOOK ONE] When hunter-gatherer Adele Shepherd comes across an injured werewolf in the woods, it's up to her to take him in and save his life: in a remote town dedicated to killing the creatures, she's the only one left who wants to help no matter t...
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A DROP OF water splashed into the empty sink, hitting the porcelain with a soft pop as it burst like a blood splatter. Another fell, slapping the water it hit with a tiny ripple that reverberated through the pool of liquid. A third drop surrendered its fight to cling to the lip of the faucet. The leak was small, inoffensive, and yet it filled the room. When the crackle of the fire faded it was replaced by the sound of the tap's tear plummeting to the cold basin.
A remorseless east wind penetrated the forest like the stab of an icicle. The bitter cold bayed through the branches of the stoic pines that stood tall against the stormy shriek, a violent gale that threatened to batter down the rattling door with its cruel fists. The fire fluttered when the wind swirled down the chimney with a howl, flames dancing as they fought to say ablaze amidst the darkening wood.
Caleb curled up in front of the heart, his chin resting on Ainslie's knee as he watched Adele eat. She sat cross-legged in the armchair, a plate of buttered potatoes and vegetables balancing on her lap as she ate slowly, her mind distracted by like the buzz of a fly crashing against the window pane. Ainslie rested her back against the wall, the heat burning her arm as she stroked Caleb's fur with one hand and held her phone in the other, deftly texting her mother with her left thumb. As she finished, dropping her mobile into her lap, so did Adele, unfurling her legs to drop her bowl into the sink with a clatter.
"I'm exhausted," she said as she filled cracked glass with water and tried to drown the fizz in her head as she downed the entire glass. When she dropped back into the seat, Caleb lazily stretched out and stood, padding across the kitchen to rest his face in her lap. His tail slowly wagged, brushing dust across the floor. Adele rubbed his head and scratched his chin. "I bet you are too, huh? Shifting probably wears you out."
He nodded and sighed, blinking up at her before he lay down, curling around her feet like a giant slipper. She wiggled her feet against his stomach, his fur soft between her toes, and she smiled down at him.
