“Don’t even think about it.”

  Idrissa stepped up beside me and shot me a warning look complete with a razor-sharp smile.

  “I’m just getting some air,” I said.

  “Right.” She snorted. “And I’m just Adan’s booty call.”

  “Are you saying you’re finally ready to come to terms with the fact that you have a fated mate?”

  “Oh, I came to terms with it weeks ago.” Her red lips curved in an evil smile. “But pretending to resist is so much more fun.”

  I shook my head. “Poor Adan.”

  “Oh, no, do not feel sorry for that man,” she said firmly. “Trust me, he likes it exactly how he’s getting it.”

  I laughed at that. From the lovesick look he wore around her, Idrissa wasn’t wrong about that.

  “And speaking of getting it,” she said, her voice taking on even more of an innuendo as Isaac walked up.

  I whistled. “You look hot,” I told him, kissing his cheek as he joined us on the back terrace.

  “Damn right I do,” he said, striking a pose that, while cheesy, also could have made the front cover of a magazine.

  “But not as hot as your mate,” I said, pointing.

  We all turned to see Presley engaged in what looked like a deep conversation with Crater, the only guy who could make any of our pack leadership look scrawny in comparison.

  Presley’s sleeves bulged with the new muscle definition he carried, a fact that only made him more handsome in the cuffed sleeves and slim-fit dress pants he wore. His shiny shoes gleamed underneath the candelabras. And when he caught us all looking at him, he winked—at Isaac.

  “You two are so cute it’s gross,” Idrissa said, pretending to gag.

  Isaac grinned, and I could feel the love emanating between him and Presley even without my extra-sensory alpha powers.

  “He’s taking me on a honeymoon trip,” Isaac whispered. “He thinks I don’t know, but I heard him talking to Claudia about how to get a passport on short notice.”

  “Wait. He’s using my mother for an illegal passport?” I asked.

  “She does have connections from all those years on the run,” Idrissa said. “Though it’s not very becoming of an elected official.”

  “Shhh.” Isaac glared at us. “Wolf hearing, remember?”

  “His hearing isn’t the only thing that’s heightened,” Idrissa pointed out. “Who knew being beta came with so many perks.”

  She was right.

  Muscles. Heightened hearing. Confidence. Presley had come a long way in the three months since the curse had officially and completely broken. And it wasn’t just him. As betas, his and Idrissa’s changes were more pronounced, but the entire pack had grown into a stronger, steadier version of themselves.

  Calmer too.

  Not a single line of graffiti had been painted, and no bar fights had broken out. Well, unless you counted Gordon falling off his barstool after too many drinks and taking Teddy and a full tray of empty glasses down with him.

  Bo’s had been rebuilt, and Gordon had christened it—every day since.

  Some things never changed.

  We’d opted not to reconstruct the barn out back where Silas and Kai and the others had insisted on fights for hierarchy once upon a time. That chapter of pack life was decidedly over.

  Smiling to myself, I glanced at the banner hanging above the main entrance. The words Lone Wolf Pack had been painted across it.

  In the end, after much debate and a public vote, we’d opted to keep the pack name. It would serve as a reminder of what we’d fought to overcome. Hell, the generations that came next would never know a life of solitude like we had. But they’d never forget the mistakes of the past either, and that was the only way I knew how to keep from repeating them.

  “Oops, he’s coming this way,” Isaac said, and I looked over as Presley broke away from Crater and headed for us. “Gotta go.” Isaac shoved his empty champagne glass at me and then hurried to Presley.

  They met halfway with a kiss that should have been illegal in public. Or, at least, worthy of an Academy Award.

  Idrissa groaned but I smiled.

  Their happiness was my happiness.

  Glancing past them, I saw Cade and Tiffany dancing together. And nearby, Oscar and Cherise were doing the same. Everywhere I looked, couples—no, mates—had paired off.

  The only one missing a happily ever after was Silas.

  “I thought you’d run off by now.”

  Kai’s deep voice scraped over the raw parts of my heart, but I forced a smile as he walked over, dangerously handsome in his black dress shirt and pants.

  “I don’t run,” I said, earning a sparkly-eyed secret smile from my mate.

  “No,” he said quietly, his voice holding a note of affection now, “you don’t.”

  “Uh, I sense a need for privacy,” Idrissa said abruptly. “Later.”

  I didn’t have time to object before she sped back toward the party. And Adan. He scooped her into his arms and planted a lingering kiss on her painted lips. She grinned up at him and wiped at the lipstick she’d transferred to his face.

  “Is this potluck anything like the ones you used to have?” I asked Kai.

  “Slightly fancier,” he said with a nod to the serving stations and the wait staff wandering around with trays of champagne.

  “Well, the rest won’t be so fancy,” I reminded him. “But I think launching a company deserved something extra.”

  “And Isaac wouldn’t let you tell him no.”

  “Yeah, good point,” I admitted.

  Thanks to Isaac’s construction and design skills, we’d moved into the offices upstairs last week, and tonight marked the official opening of Stone Enterprises, our executive milling and shipping slash corporate management company.

  A month ago, my crazy-ass plan had been approved by an actual financial advisor, and with Oscar’s role as managing director, we were officially in business. Ridley Falls would now provide for its own. From now on, everyone who needed a job—and a place in this town—would have it.

  Tonight was the official ribbon-cutting, which made our first full moon pack run a bit fancier than the rest were sure to be. Somehow, that felt right too.

  “It’s nice, though,” I said, eyeing all the fancy gowns and glittering jewelry on the women. Tori had made a killing in custom orders leading up to tonight. To free her up for production and for teaching yoga on Saturdays in her back garden, Anthony had been promoted to assistant store manager, which surprised no one more than him, I think.

  In the past month, Vinny had moved into the role of city property manager and was currently studying for his real estate exam. The moment I’d shown him into his own tiny office upstairs was one I’d never forget.

  He looked torn between crying and fist-pumping the air.

  I had a feeling he’d done both after I walked out.

  Now, I caught sight of him dressed in a pair of secondhand dress pants I’d helped him pick out at the thrift store’s trunk sale last week. He nodded at me and lifted his glass in silent salute before going back to his conversation with a girl from Asheville. She smiled and batted her lashes at him. Even from here, I could smell the desire rolling off them both.

  “A much different atmosphere than our first attempt, huh,” Kai said.

  I leaned in so I could properly inhale the scent of him. Now that my wolf was back to her old tricks, she had zero shame about our mate. “Are you referring to the lack of people trying to kill us or the number of couples about to rip each other’s clothes off on the dance floor?”

  He grinned. “Both.”

  “It is nice to see so many fated mates finding one another,” I said, and even though I’d found mine, I couldn’t help the wistfulness in my tone.

  “Silas will find his too,” Kai said, guessing the direction of my thoughts so perfectly it startled me.

  “I’m sorry.” I sighed. “I don’t mean to ruin this night by thinking of the one sad thing we have left.”

  He slid his finger underneath my chin and brought my gaze back to his. “Don’t apologize for sharing your thoughts with me, Ashes. I want to know everything you’re thinking, always.”

  I smiled and let him tip my face up for a kiss. Despite the crowd before us, I found myself leaning in for more, but Kai pulled away, looking at me with mischief dancing in his bottomless gaze.

  “We could sneak out together,” I said, still inching toward him.

  “Hmm, not a bad idea, actually. Come on.”

  He grabbed my hand.

  “Kai, I was kidding,” I said, resisting. “We can’t leave our own party.”

  “Five minutes,” he said. “There’s something I need to show you.”

  I gave in and let him lead me down the terrace steps and around the front of the building. The street was empty, full of nothing but parked cars and even several motorcycles, which had been a sight earlier as half the pack arrived on two wheels with their formal wear flapping in the wind.

  Only in Ridley Falls.

  “What is it?” I asked, glancing back to be sure we wouldn’t be missed.

  “You’ll see.”

  “If this is about the house,” I began, but he waved me off.

  The house was framed in and nearly ready for interior design concepts—something Kai had relinquished to me and, after begging to let him help us, Isaac.

  “Nope, something else.”

  He pulled me to a stop, and I stared at the car parked at the curb.

  “What is this?” I asked in disbelief.

  “What does it look like?”

  “It looks like my car,” I said.

  “That’s because it is. I knew my mate was the smartest in the bunch.”

  I glared at his joke but couldn’t hold it for long. Not when my father’s beat-up sedan had somehow miraculously appeared here after months in the junkyard. It was like seeing a ghost.

  “How?” I asked, and my eyes filled with tears.

  “Crater helped me locate parts,” Kai said quietly. He held up a key. “Want to do the honors?”

  I stared at him, overcome by the gesture—and everything it symbolized. “You fixed my car?”

  “It’s the only thing you have left of your dad,” he said.

  “But…”

  Drake had told me it wasn’t worth saving. I didn’t want to ruin the moment by pointing that out—or even uttering the asshole’s name. Instead, I took the key.

  “Hop in,” Kai said, opening the driver’s door.

  I slid inside, inhaling the faint scent of my father’s soap that still clung to the fabric seats. It made my eyes water.

  “Well, start her up.” Oscar’s voice rang out against the night, and I looked up to see him and Cherise standing at the front of the car expectantly.

  Cherise smiled at me, sparkling like her sequined dress in the moonlight.

  Oscar looked grouchy as usual, but around his eyes, deeper lines hinted at more smiles these days. My heart expanded just looking at them.

  Fumbling with the key, I managed to slide it into the ignition and turn it over. The engine came to life, and I felt a sob lodge in my throat as memories came to me.

  My father driving me to work.

  Our last good day at the lake having a picnic.

  My escape from our trailer the day he died.

  Sitting here in this car now felt full circle in a way I’d never be able to put into words. Kai understood that.

  The passenger door opened, and I looked over as my mother slid in beside me. She wore a simple gown that looked vintage from the cut—black lace all the way to her ankles. Her hair was growing out again, but the grief in her eyes remained unchanged. Losing Silas had hurt her in a way that even I had managed to find sympathy for. She’d been distant since that day in the woods, treading carefully with me, and I appreciated that.

  We weren’t okay. Yet. But maybe, someday we would be.

  She met my eyes, inhaling deeply. “Still smells like him,” she said.

  “It does,” I agreed, for once not angry at her mention of the family she left behind. She’d done what she thought was right. So had I. And we’d both already lost so much. Shutting her out completely seemed like needless suffering.

  “Should we take her for a spin?” my mother asked, and I could see it there, the question hanging in her hope-filled eyes. She wanted to know if I’d let her ride along with me for whatever came next. Not just in this car. In life.

  I nodded, slowly, testing the answer even as I gave it.

  “Yeah,” I said, realizing with surprise that I meant it. “I’d like that.”

  Kai shut my door, bending toward the glass. I rolled the window down, and he leaned in. “Take her to see the new place,” he said.

  His words were casual, but what he was suggesting wasn’t. I hadn’t invited her there yet. I hadn’t decided if she’d be welcome in my new house. In my new life.

  “What about the run?” I asked, glancing at the clock. The party would be ending soon. The pack would shift and run underneath the full moon. I couldn’t miss it.

  “I’ll get them started,” he said. “You can find us when you’re done. Meet me at the overlook?”

  My eyes filled with happy tears as the reality of my life washed over me. I’d been wrong before. Gloriously wrong. I was a girl who could have a happy ending after all. I was already living it.

  “I don’t deserve you, Kai Stone.”

  “You deserve so much more,” he whispered back. “But I’m glad you settled for me.”

  I gripped the wheel, already excited about our wolves sharing our special place. The spot between our current home together and the one we were building together. The place that divided our old lives from our new one.

  “See you at the overlook,” I said.

  He answered with a tiny kiss against the tip of my nose.

  “Oh, and, Ashes,” he called as I started to back out. He met my eyes, danger glinting in the depths of his bad-boy stare. “Maybe this time, try to run.”

  My pulse sped in anticipation. I couldn’t wait to get caught.

  The Lone Wolf pack’s story continues with Silas!

  Pre-order Book 4 coming 2022!

  Turn the page for a sneak peek…

  Wolf Revealed

  Chapter One

  The scent of sage and willow bark permeated my workshop. I coughed and waved my hand to cut through the thick smoke that had suddenly gone from ambient to fire hazard. Tossing my book aside, I grabbed for the dried bundle of herbs and stamped it out on the wooden block beside where it burned. Leave it to the latest Kelly St. Clare novel to distract me and burn down the place. I really needed to stop losing myself in a book while I was supposed to be working.

  I opened the windows and began the task of fanning out some of the smoke that had gathered. The fresh air lightened up the worst of the clinging heat and felt damn good against my sweaty skin. With the smoke under control, I rolled my sleeves higher and reached around to wrap my hair up into a messy bun on my head.

  Then I got back to work.

  An hour passed quickly as I lost myself in the art of mixing and grinding the herb blends I’d harvested a couple of months back. It was a soothing task—one that was quickly becoming obsolete now that our coven had magic again. But no matter how much magic I wielded, working with herbs would never get old for me. It was the strongest connection I had left of my mother. Besides, the coven’s obsession with their magic had already led to enough injuries and small disasters that I wouldn’t go out of business anytime soon. Hell, with any luck, I’d become the coven’s healer after all.

  Inevitably, I thought of my mother. She’d taught me everything I knew and she’d worked her way from being known as the neighborhood hippy with her sachets and poultices to a respected healer with nothing but her own raw talent. When she died, I swore to myself that following in her footsteps would take me farther than it had taken her. Then the coven got our magic back and everything I’d built began to crumble.

  So far, my bestsellers were a supplement for hair growth and a tea that would make stressed housewives chill the hell out.

  “I’ve heard of hotboxing but this is another level.”

  The sound of another voice standing so close to my work station made me yelp.

  “Shit,” I said, sucking in a deep breath and willing my heart rate to calm.

  I glared at my oldest friend. Kel Archer. My BFF since forever, and now, thanks to some pretty crazy recent events, the leader of our coven.

  “You almost gave me a heart attack,” I said.

  She grinned. “I’m sure you have a remedy for that.”

  My eyes narrowed. “One day when you’re dying, you’ll ask for my remedy and we’ll see if I feel like giving it.”

  “Damn, I startle you one time and you threaten to kill my ass. Savage, Chloe. Real savage.”

  “I learned from the best.”

  She laughed.

  Kel and I were complete opposites in a lot of ways. Where she was outspoken, I was shy. Where she liked to boss people, I liked to avoid them. But once you got past my quiet exterior, I could talk shit even better than she could. She was one of the only people in the world who knew that.

  “I saw Travis earlier. He asked about you again.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “That you’re busy with work,” she said. “But he’s a persistent little fuck. You’re going to have to talk to him sooner or later.”

  “Ugh. I’m really hoping for later.”

  “He’s not one to take a hint. Gets that from his father.” She scowled and I couldn’t blame her. Travis was an apple that hadn’t fallen far in my opinion. But I wanted to talk about him almost less than I wanted to talk to him.

  “What are you doing here anyway?” I asked. “I’ve barely seen you in weeks.”

  She wandered over to the counter on the far wall, eyeing the jars of herbs I stored there. Valerian. Skullcap. I made a mental note to refill the Cat’s Claw.