Rain slicked the back roads of Briar Glen like b

lack oil.

Maggie pulled her duffel tighter under her coat

and kept walking.

The bus had dropped her two miles out of town. N

o point in being seen. Not after what she’d left

behind.

“You look like hell, Maggie Kane.”

She froze.

That voice. Deep, smooth, and way too close.

It came from the shadow leaning against the hood

of a sleek black sedan parked on the shoulder.

“Hello, Jake.”

Jake Harlowe stepped into the dim glow of a flic

kering streetlamp.

He looked like he’d been carved from stone and d

ressed by a tailor. Navy peacoat. Crisp collar.

The kind of jawline that made women forget their

own names.

He was still a football god.

And she was still running.

“I heard you were back,” he said. “Didn’t believ

e it.”

“I’m not staying.”

His eyes narrowed. “That’s not what your aunt to

ld me.”

“She worries.”

“She called me.”

Maggie stiffened. Aunt Lila had always been too

nosy. Too kind. Too hopeful.

Jake took a step closer. “You don’t run from thi

ngs, Maggie. Not the way I remember you.”

“You don’t know what I am.”

“I know you’re not the girl who left Briar Glen

five years ago. I know you’ve been gone a long t

ime. And I know you’re lying.”

A gust of wind tore through the trees.

Her wolf stirred beneath her skin.

Jake’s eyes flicked down. “You still shift?”

She didn’t answer.

“I can smell it on you,” he said quietly. “You d

on’t have to hide from me.”

She laughed, sharp and bitter. “You don’t even k

now me anymore.”

“I know I loved you once.”

The words hit like a punch.

“I never stopped.”

Maggie turned away. “That was a lifetime ago.”

“It was high school.”

“Feels longer.”

They stood in silence, the town behind them slee

ping under a thick fog.

“I got your letter,” Jake said finally.

She flinched. “You weren’t supposed to.”

“You said you couldn’t be what I needed. That yo

u’d never belong in Briar Glen.”

“I meant it.”

“You also said you’d come back.”

“I did.”

“But not to me.”

Maggie swallowed hard. “You don’t know what I le

ft to keep you safe.”

Jake’s jaw tightened. “Then tell me.”

She looked up. “You wouldn’t believe me.”

“I’ve played football in front of thirty thousan

d people. I’ve stood in a Cold War press room an

d lied to reporters for the Pentagon. Try me.”

Her wolf howled in her chest.

She took a breath. “I’m not human.”

Jake didn’t blink.

“I know.”

She stared. “What?”

“I’ve known since senior prom.”

“You were unconscious.”

“I woke up.”

Her heart pounded. “You saw—?”

“I saw the girl I loved turn into something wild

and beautiful. I saw her fight off three men wi

th one hand. I saw her run faster than anything

I’ve ever seen. And I saw her leave me behind.”

Maggie’s breath hitched. “I thought you’d hate m

e.”

“I thought you’d come back.”

“I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

She looked toward town. “Because the night I lef

t, someone followed me.”

Jake frowned. “Who?”

“A man in a gray suit. Government. Military. I d

on’t know. He said he knew what I was. Said I wa

s a ‘biological asset.’”

Jake’s face went still.

“You know him,” she whispered.

“I’ve seen him.”

“Where?”

“Pentagon. Langley. He’s been sniffing around me

for years. Said I had a ‘connection’ to somethi

ng they were looking for.”

She stepped back. “They think you’re a lead.”

“They think I’m a liability.”

She shook her head. “You need to stay away from

me.”

Jake grabbed her hand. “No.”

“I’m dangerous.”

“You’re mine.”

The words cracked through the air like a gunshot

.

Maggie’s wolf surged forward.

Jake didn’t flinch.

“I’m not asking for forever,” he said. “Just giv

e me tonight. Let me help you.”

She searched his face. “You’re still the same st

ubborn bastard.”

“And you’re still the same coward.”

She flinched.

“You think I don’t know what it’s like to run?”

Jake said. “I’ve been hiding since the day I saw

you change. Hiding what I felt. Hiding what I k

new. Hiding from the life they wanted for me.”

She met his eyes. “Why now?”

“Because I’m done hiding.”

Silence stretched between them.

Then the headlights came.

Bright and fast.

Jake turned. “They found you.”

Maggie cursed. “We have to go.”

“Not without a fight.”

“You don’t understand,” she hissed. “They won’t

stop.”

“They won’t have to.”

He pulled a small silver device from his coat po

cket.

“What is that?”

“Pentagon tech. I stole it last year. Thought I’

d never need it.”

“They’ll tear the town apart.”

“No,” Jake said. “They’ll think you’re dead.”

“How?”

“I’m burning the car. And the suit.”

She blinked. “You’re what?”

“They’ll think you’re inside.”

“You’re insane.”

Jake smiled. “Maybe. But I’m not letting them ta

ke you.”

He lit the match.

Flames licked the car’s frame.

The two of them melted into the woods.

By morning, the town would think Maggie Kane was

gone again.

But this time, she wasn’t alone.