Chapter 1

Gretchen smiled as she opened her eyes and saw Colson asleep beside her. She tried to escape his grasp without disturbing him but failed. Colson groaned as he pulled his mate closer to his chest. He liked waking up to her in his arms. Gretchen’s phone started to ring. Colson growled as he released her from his grip, allowing her to move away. Gretchen pulled her phone out of her purse. “Morning, Vita,” she said in a relieved tone, glad that it wasn’t her grandmother or uncle who was calling her. “Good morning, or should I say it’s almost noon? Where are you?” Vita scolded. Gretchen froze as she heard how late it was. Had she slept in for that long? It was late when the party ended. Colson asked if they could go for a walk and talk more, to which she happily agreed. They ended up in an open area in the forest, where they lay and stared at the stars while they talked. She felt safe as she lay there against Colson; she didn’t want the night to end. Gretchen didn’t mean to fall asleep out there. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’m on my way to Ruby’s right now,” she promised Vita. “That’s great; there’s just one problem.” Gretchen’s brows furrowed as she waited to hear the problem. “We’ve already left and are on our way to Silver City,” Vita informed her. Gretchen’s heart ached as she heard that she had missed the opportunity to go with her family to Silver City. She had only heard stories of the place but always had wanted to go, and now she missed her chance. Colson watched as he saw the look of sadness creep across his mate's face. He swiped the phone from her hand and raised it to his ear. “Vita, it’s Colson. Where do you plan to stay tonight?” “Hi Colson, we are staying at the Winter Lodge in Cannington, just outside Whisper Hallow,” Vita answered. “Perfect! Once Gretchen is packed, I’ll drive her up there so she is with her family.” Gretchen’s heart fluttered as she smiled happily at Colson. “Thank you, Colson. Her grandmother and uncle will be relieved and happy to hear this. I’ll text you the address,” Vita confirmed before the call ended. Colson handed Gretchen back her phone. She grabbed it, wrapped her arms around Colson, and kissed him. Gretchen pulled away quickly and looked down with embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” she told him. Colson pulled her back into him and grabbed her chin to look at him. “I’m not,” he told her, leaning back in and kissing her deeply. Gretchen’s heart raced as she placed her hands against Colson’s chest and returned the kiss. Colson pulled back as he let a growl out of his chest. He leaned his forehead against hers as he took in deep breaths. “What’s wrong?” she asked. Colson shook his head. “Nothing, nothing is wrong. Just trying to control my wolf and me.” Gretchen blushed. She could feel herself falling fast for Colson but was afraid it was too good to be true. Weren’t wolves supposed to be possessive, obsessive, and compulsive? Gretchen shook away the negative thoughts and reminded herself of how good he had been. “Thank you for offering to take me to my family,” Gretchen told him. Colson smiled as he rubbed her cheek. “I could tell you were upset; it was my fault you missed your ride. So what better way to fix it than to take you there myself.” Gretchen’s heart fluttered. She could see Colson was trying, which she also needed to do. “We must get you back to Ruby’s and packed up. I don’t want to be too far behind them. Once I drop you off at Ruby’s, I’ll return to my pack and grab my truck.” “Are you sure? Once we are down from the forest, I can go by myself to Ruby’s and pack.” Colson shook his head. “I would feel better if I knew you were safe.” The tingles started to flutter in Gretchen’s stomach. She needed to calm down; as much as she was enjoying the feeling, she needed to keep a firm hold on her heart in case something changed and Colson showed his true colors. They had just left the forest when they saw Amanda running past them. “Amanda,” Gretchen called out. Amanda skidded to a stop and lifted her brow.“Gretchen, just the witch I need to see. Can I borrow you for just a moment?” Gretchen smiled; she liked the feeling of being needed. But her smile faded when she looked at Colson, who was waiting for her. “I would love to, but I missed the caravan this morning, and Colson offered to give me a ride to catch up with them,” she explained. Amanda nodded. “Completely understand. If I promise it will only be a few minutes, I will get back to Ruby’s and help you pack, please?” Colson let out a huff but nodded. He leaned over and grabbed Gretchen by the back of her neck before kissing her forehead. “I’ll be back by two to get you,” he ordered. “I promise to have her ready to go,” Amanda promised as she pulled Gretchen in the direction she had been running. “Amanda, what do you need my help with?” Gretchen asked as they got to the stairs of the dungeon cells. Amanda pressed her lips softly together. “This will come out a little strange, but bear with me.” Gretchen looked at her with caution. “Ok.” “Deak killed Tristan.” Gretchen eyes widened at the news; she wasn’t surprised when there was no feeling of sadness or remorse for his death. “But, before I knew that Deak had killed him, some guards had come down to check on the prisoner and found his cell … empty.” “Empty?” “No body, nothing,” Amanda said. Gretchen thought for a moment, but nothing made sense. “Show me the cell.” When they got to the cell, Gretchen walked in and held her hands up. She closed her eyes and chanted out a spell to gather the essence of a person or being. She felt the sense of Deak, the guards she could detect from their wolves, Tristan with his magic, but there was one she couldn’t catch or put her finger on. “There was someone else here, but I can’t get a signature on them. By chance, does Hudson have cameras down here?” Amanda looked around the room and saw nothing particular that stood out as a camera. Amanda shrugged. “I can ask, but I’ve wasted your time enough for now. We need to get to Ruby’s and get you packed to go.” “What about this?” Gretchen asked as she waved her hands around the room. “I promise if I find out there is any footage, I will forward it to you and Vita.” Gretchen didn’t like leaving this unresolved, but she was on a time limit and didn’t want to upset Colson by being late.