The Wolf 🐾

Chapter One:

Zoe:

The first thing Zoe Poe Tull noticed about her new home was how quiet it was.

Not the uncomfortable kind of silence that made a person feel alone, but the gentle kind. The kind that settled around her shoulders like a warm blanket. After eighteen years of living in neighborhoods crowded with barking dogs, loud traffic, and people constantly coming and going, the little cottage tucked at the end of Willow Lane felt almost magical.

Towering oak trees surrounded the property, their branches stretching overhead like protective arms. Wildflowers grew along the edges of the gravel driveway, and beyond the backyard lay an endless stretch of forest that seemed to go on forever.

It was beautiful

Because for the first time in her life, she was completely on her own.

College.

The word still felt unreal.

She had spent years dreaming about becoming a veterinarian. While other girls had imagined wedding dresses and fairy-tale romances, Zoe had spent her childhood carrying injured birds home in cardboard boxes and convincing her parents to let her foster abandoned kittens. Every animal deserved care. Every creature deserved kindness.

At nineteen years old, Creek Valley University was finally the first step toward making that dream a reality.

Unfortunately, her first official day was already turning into a disaster.

“Oh no. No, no, no.”

Zoe stared at the glowing numbers on her phone and nearly choked on her coffee.

8:21.am

Orientation started at 9:00.

Her stomach dropped.

The university was only fifteen minutes away, but she still needed to find the correct building, navigate an unfamiliar campus, and somehow avoid looking completely clueless.

Panic immediately took over.

She rushed through the cottage gathering everything she needed. Her backpack sat open on the kitchen counter while textbooks were stacked haphazardly beside it. Notes. Pens. Laptop charger. Wallet. Keys.

Everything seemed determined to disappear the moment she needed it.

After several frantic minutes of searching, she finally located her keys beneath yesterday’s grocery receipt.

“Found you.”

She shoved them into her bag and hurried toward the front door.

The smell of fresh coffee lingered behind her as sunlight spilled through the kitchen windows. For a brief moment she paused, glancing around the small cottage.

This was hers.

Her first home.

Her first real step toward adulthood.

A smile touched her lips.

Then she heard a tiny meow.

Looking down, she discovered the neighborhood’s gray kitten sitting directly in front of the doorway.

The tiny thing had been hanging around her porch since she’d moved in two days ago. Zoe hadn’t learned whether it belonged to anyone, but she already found herself leaving little bowls of water outside whenever she saw it.

“There you are.”

The kitten blinked up at her.

“You’re adorable, but I am very late.”

Another meow.

The kitten took two tiny steps forward.

Directly into her path.

“Oh, sweetheart.”

Trying not to step on the little animal, Zoe carefully adjusted her footing and attempted to maneuver around it while balancing her backpack, coffee tumbler, and textbooks.

The kitten moved again.

Unfortunately, so did she.

Her sneaker caught the edge of the welcome mat.

Everything happened at once.

The books shifted.

The coffee tilted.

Her balance disappeared.

“Oh!”

The world lurched.

Three wooden porch steps waited below

Her heart jumped into her throat as she pitched forward.

The coffee flew from her hand.

Her textbooks slipped.

The ground rushed toward her.

Then suddenly…

She wasn’t falling anymore.

Strong arms wrapped around her.

One beneath her knees.

The other supporting her back.

Instead of crashing face-first down the porch stairs, Zoe found herself suspended several feet above the ground.

Safely held.

For a moment she simply stared.

The man holding her seemed impossibly large.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Muscular.

A fitted gray shirt stretched across a powerful chest, while dark tattoos disappeared beneath both sleeves. Morning sunlight caught against short blond hair and highlighted the sharp angles of his jaw.

He looked like someone carved from stone.

The first thing she noticed about his face wasn’t how handsome he was.

It was his eyes.

Gray-blue.

Intense.

Focused entirely on her.As though she’d become the only thing in the world worth looking at.

The realization sent unexpected warmth through her chest.

Neither of them spoke.

For one strange heartbeat, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Brice

Brice Chambers had spent most of the night running the northern border of Creek territory.

A rogue scent had crossed onto pack land three days earlier, and Alpha Creek had wanted answers.

Brice was usually the one sent to handle problems.

He preferred it that way.

The woods made more sense than people.

People lied.

Animals lied.

Wolves didn’t.

After returning home shortly before sunrise, he’d intended to grab a shower before heading to campus.

Instead, he found himself walking out onto his porch just in time to witness his new neighbor nearly launch herself down her front steps.

His instincts reacted before his mind did.

One second she was falling.

The next, she was in his arms.

The moment he caught her, everything changed.

Brice inhaled.

Wildflowers.

Honey.

Rain.

The scent struck him like a physical blow.

Inside him, Ivrick exploded awake.

Mate.

The word echoed through every part of him.

Brice froze.

No.

Not possible.

Not now.

Not her.

Mate.

His wolf’s certainty rattled him.

For twenty-six years he had never found her.

Never sensed the pull every wolf talked about.

Many never did.Yet here she was.

Standing on a porch in a tiny cottage.Holding veterinary textbooks.Looking completely unaware that she had just turned his entire world upside down.

And she was human.

Ivrick didn’t care.

Ours.

Brice tightened his grip slightly as she stared up at him with wide brown eyes.

Human or not, every protective instinct he possessed surged to life.The need to keep her safe hit him so hard it nearly stole his breath.

She blinked.Then laughed.

A soft, nervous sound.“Well.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “This is embarrassing.”

The corner of Brice’s mouth twitched.The first smile he’d felt in weeks.Maybe months.

“You almost flattened the kitten.”

She looked horrified “The kitten!”Immediately she twisted in his arms to look for it.The tiny gray menace sat safely near the flowerbed, completely unconcerned about the chaos it had caused.

Relief flooded her face.“Thank goodness.”

Then she realized she was still being carried.

Heat rushed into her cheeks again.“You can put me down now.”

Brice didn’t want to.

The realization surprised him.

He barely knew her name.Yet every instinct inside him rebelled at the thought of letting her go.

Slowly, carefully, he lowered her back onto her feet.

The moment she stepped away, the space between them felt wrong.

Zoe’s feet finally touched the gravel again, though she wasn’t entirely convinced her balance had returned

“Brice Chambers.” He Spoke

The name fit him somehow. Strong. Solid. The kind of name that belonged to someone who could casually catch a falling woman as though she weighed no more than a feather.

For a moment neither of them moved.

The early morning sun filtered through the trees, casting golden light across the narrow space between their neighboring homes. Somewhere overhead a bird chirped while the guilty gray kitten rubbed itself against Zoe’s ankle, entirely pleased with the chaos it had caused.

Brice glanced toward the scattered textbooks lying near the bottom of the steps.

“Veterinary medicine?”

Zoe followed his gaze.

“Oh.”

She bent to retrieve them but Brice reached them first.Of course he did.

The man looked capable of outrunning traffic.

He gathered the books effortlessly and handed them to her.His fingers brushed hers.

A strange warmth danced up her arm.

“So you’re studying to be a vet?”

His voice was deep enough to make the question sound far more interesting than it probably should have.

Zoe smiled.

“I am.”

“That’s a lot of school.”

“I’ve heard.”

“You nervous?”

“A little.”

“A little?”

She laughed. “Okay. A lot.”

That earned a genuine smile from him.Brice folded his arms across his chest.“You’ll be fine.”

The certainty in his voice surprised her.

“You don’t even know me.”

“No.”

His eyes held hers.

“But you seem like the type that doesn’t quit.”

The compliment caught her off guard.Nobody had ever described her that way before.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Thank you.”

Brice glanced toward the road.

Then back at her.

“What time does orientation start?”

Her stomach immediately dropped.“Oh my gosh.”She looked at her phone.“Twenty-eight minutes.”

His eyebrow lifted.“You’re not walking there in twenty-eight minutes.”

“I can jog.”

He looked at her books.

Then her sandals.

Then her.

“No.”

She laughed.

“No?”

“No.”

The corner of his mouth twitched again.

“You’ll be late.”

She shifted her backpack.

“Well that’s encouraging.”

“I have a truck.”

Zoe blinked.

“A truck.”

Brice nodded.

“I can take you.”

For some reason her heart skipped.

It wasn’t as though he had asked her on a date.

It was a ride.

A completely normal ride from a neighbor.

Yet something about the offer made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

Maybe because he was handsome.

Maybe because he had literally caught her in his arms five minutes ago.

Or maybe because despite looking intimidating enough to frighten most people, there was something unexpectedly gentle about him.

She smiled “I’d appreciate that.”

“Good.”

The answer came a little too quickly.

Brice cleared his throat.

“Let’s go.”

A few minutes later they were climbing into an all-black pickup truck parked beside his cabin.

The vehicle suited him perfectly.l.

The inside smelled faintly of cedar, leather, and something distinctly masculine.

Zoe buckled her seatbelt as Brice started the engine.

The truck rumbled to life.For a few moments they drove in comfortable silence through the winding roads leading toward town.

The trees flashed by outside her window.

Sunlight filtered through the branches overhead.

It was strangely peaceful.

Brice glanced toward her.

“So.”

She turned toward him.

“So?”

“You moved here alone?”

Zoe nodded.“I did.”

His grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.“That’s a big move.”

“It was.”

Something in his expression softened.“Do you have Family nearby?”

Zoe looked out the window briefly.

The familiar ache settled quietly in her chest.

“My grandmother lived here but She passed away last year.”

“I’m sorry.”His voice was sincere.

Zoe offered a small smile.“Thank you.”

A moment passed.

Then another.

“My parents died when I was fourteen.”The words came easier now than they once had.

“What happened?”

“A collision.”She swallowed.“It was raining.”

Brice didn’t say anything.

“My grandmother raised me after that.”

Her smile softened.

“She was amazing.”

“I can tell.”

Zoe laughed quietly.

“How?”

“You’re still smiling when you talk about her.”

The observation stole her breath.Nobody had ever pointed that out before.She looked at him differently after that.

Maybe there was more beneath those broad shoulders and serious eyes than she originally thought.

The conversation shifted naturally afterward.Eventually she found herself talking about animals.

Her favorite subject.

The one thing she never got tired of discussing.

“I don’t know.”She shrugged.“I just feel connected to them.”

Brice glanced toward her.

“What do you mean?”

“Animals don’t pretend.”She smiled.“They are exactly what they are.”

A strange expression crossed his face.

One she couldn’t quite understand.

Almost amusement.

Almost sadness.

“I like that.”

Zoe continued.“When I was younger I used to bring injured animals home all the time.”

“Your parents loved that.”

“They absolutely did not.”

Brice laughed.

The sound startled both of them.

Deep.

Warm.

Rare.

And unexpectedly attractive.

The university came into view before either of them realized how much time had passed.

Students filled the sidewalks.Cars crowded the parking lots.

Brice pulled smoothly toward the drop-off lane outside the orientation building.

The truck rolled to a stop.

For a moment neither of them moved.

Zoe suddenly found herself disappointed the drive was over.She gathered her books.“Thank you for rescuing me.”

His eyebrow lifted.

“Which time?”

She laughed.“The fall.”

“You sure?”

The teasing glimmer in his eyes nearly made her blush.

“I’ll let you know if I require additional rescues.”

Brice leaned back in his seat.“I’ll keep my schedule open.”

Their eyes met.

“Have a good day, Brice.”Finally Zoe opened the door.

His gaze lingered on her.

“You too.”

She stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Before she could close the door, his voice stopped her.

“Zoe.”

She turned.

“Yeah?”

A slow smile touched his lips.

“Good luck on your first day.”

Her heart fluttered.

“Thank you.”

Brice nodded toward the neighborhood they now shared.

And with a look that made her stomach do something entirely unreasonable, he said,

“I’ll be seeing you, neighbor.”

For some reason, the words followed her all the way into orientation.

And long after she sat down, she couldn’t stop thinking about the man in the black pickup truck waiting back at the end of Willow Lane.

~Later that night~

The steam billowed from the bathroom door like a ghost, curling around the frame of Zoe Poe Tull's bedroom as she emerged,

her long auburn hair dark and damp against the bronze tan of her shoulders. The blue towel wrapped around her body barely contained her curves, the terrycloth clinging to damp skin as droplets of water traced paths down her legs.

Nineteen years old and drowning in veterinary textbooks, Zoe moved with the exhausted grace of someone who'd spent twelve hours memorizing bone structures and digestive systems.

She didn't notice the slight movement behind the dark blue curtain of the upstairs window across the narrow space between their duplexes.

Brice held his breath, his body frozen in the shadows of his bedroom. At twenty-seven, the rogue werewolf had learned patience through years of controlling the beast that thrummed beneath his skin.

But watching Zoe—his unknown mate, his reason for choosing this specific duplex in this specific college town—tested every ounce of that control.

The towel slipped. It wasn't a deliberate tease, just an absent gesture as she reached for something on her dresser, but the fabric pooled at her feet and Brice's dick responded instantly, thickening against his zipper with a force that made his hips jerk forward.

Her skin glowed in the dim lamplight, the bronze tone deepening where shadows collected between her breasts and thighs.

Zoe hummed to herself, a tuneless little melody she always made when moisturizing. She squeezed coconut-scented lotion into her palm, the white cream disappearing as she smoothed it over her arms, her shoulders, the dip of her waist. Brice watched her hands move, imagining them on his own skin, his fingers curling into his palms.

His dick strained toward the window, toward her, as if it could bridge the twenty feet of darkness between their homes. If only she knew. If only she could smell him like he smelled her—vanilla and something uniquely Zoe that made his wolf pace behind his ribs.

The nightie was delicate, white with pale blue ruffles trimming the hem and sleeves. It barely skimmed the tops of her thighs when she pulled it on, the thin fabric doing nothing to hide the dusky points of her nipples or the shadow between her legs.

She climbed into bed, the sheets rustling as she settled, but restlessness quickly took over.

Zoe tossed and turned, punching her pillow, sighing in frustration. Brice's hand moved to his belt, the leather whispering as he unbuckled it. He could smell her arousal even through the glass—a subtle shift in her scent that made his mouth water.

Her fingers disappeared under the ruffled hem of her nightie. Brice freed his dick, the heavy length springing into his waiting hand.

He gripped himself firmly, his thumb spreading the bead of pre-cum over the crown. Jesus, he wanted to touch her. To replace those small, manicured fingers with his own, to feel her wet heat clench around him. His werewolf hearing caught every sound—the soft whisper of fabric against skin, the slick sounds as her fingers moved, the little catch in her breath.

"Ohh baby, do it, get there," Brice whispered, his voice rough in the darkness. He stroked faster, matching the rhythm he could see in the movement of her arm beneath the sheets. Her small chest rose and fell rapidly, the ruffles of her nightie dancing with each quick breath.Her wet squeezing sounds grew louder, more frantic. His dick jerked in his hand, thick and aching with need.

"ohhhh Brice," she moaned, so quietly he almost missed it. The sound of his name on her lips while she touched herself sent a jolt through his entire body.

Her back arched, her body jerking as orgasm hit her. That was all it took. Brice's own release ripped through him, thick ropes of cum shooting from his dick to splatter against his bedroom wall near the window, marking the space between them with his desire.

"Fuck pretty," Zoe groaned in the aftermath, her voice husky with satisfaction. "I can't wait to make you cum myself, my beautiful mate." Brice stared through the curtain, his heart hammering against his ribs.