Chapter 1: The Deer That Wasn't
It was almost midnight, and I was driving home from the bakery with a box of day old cinnamon rolls when the universe decided to ruin my life.
Technically, it was a deer.
At least, that's what I thought as the shadow cut cross my headlights.
"Seriously?" I swerved, my little 2007 Kia Rio hatchback fishtailing until it crashed nose-first into the ditch. The impact rattled my teeth and sent the cinnamon rolls flying.
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect," I muttered, biting my lip as if that would somehow fix my bumper. "This is how I die. In a ditch. Surrounded by old pastries."
I killed the engine and fumbled for my phone, but before I could even unlock the screen, I heard it.
Then came the growl.
Low. Rumbling. Predatory.
Every hair on my body stood on end.
That wasn't a deer.
"Okay," I whispered to no one, "that's fine. Probably just... a dog. A very large, very terrifying, dog."
Claws on asphalt.
My grip tightened on the steering wheel, my body screaming at me to stay still. "Nice... doggy?"
Then I saw it. A creature stepping into the pale glow of my ruined headlights.
A wolf.
No. Not a wolf.
A monster.
It was enormous -- at least the size of a horse -- with fur blacker than midnight and eyes that glowed like molten metal. Those eyes locked on me, unblinking, unrelenting, like it had already decided where to start eating.
My breath hitched.
My lip was between my teeth before I realized I was doing it.
"Okay," I said again, because apparently I narrate my own death. "This is fine. Just... a weird dream. Yeah. Totally dreaming."
It padded closer, slow and deliberate, each step silent as if it owned the ground itself.
And with it came the smell.
Musky. Sharp. Like pine needles crushed underfoot and smoke clinging to leather. The kind of scent that didn't belong on a country road. The kind of scent that belonged to something wild. Something dangerous.
"Please don't kill me," I whispered.
It cocked its head.
And then -- God help me -- it bowed.
Not like an animal. Like a man.
"What the hell..."
The wolf's growl deepened, vibrating through the night air until it was in my bones.
And then I heard it -- a voice.
Deep. Rough. Possessive.
Mate.
My mouth opened to scream, but the sound never came.
Teeth. Pain.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
And just before I blacked out, I swore I felt a warm, rough tongue drag across my throat.
