Page 11 of Dutiful Wolf's Mail Order Mate

I paced the area, sniffing for fresher trails, but found nothing. Whoever this stranger was, they were long gone. But they’d been bold enough to venture deep into the mountains, bypassing any of the human-made routes and roads.

A rogue, maybe. Our best fucking hope for a peaceful resolution, honestly. Rogues tended to move on from too many eyes and ears if they weren’t cracked in the head. Otherwise, one feral rogue against a pack could be dealt with easily.

Human scents were more problematic, and we’d had shit luck in that department. But this wasn’t human, and it didn’t carry the strangeness of witch magic designed to hide their traces.

I cast one last glance around the surrounding woods. The night air carried only the usual sounds of nature and the scent of pines and damp earth. Whatever I smelled, whoever I tracked, they were gone.

So why couldn’t I shake the feeling that trouble wasn’t finished with us yet?

CHAPTER FIVE

MADDY

The rusted bell above the diner’s door jangled as I stepped inside behind Kai. A hush fell over the handful of customers enjoying their lunches. Kai paid them no mind, striding toward the counter with that cocky swagger that used to get under my skin back home.

Still did here, too.

“You going to want anything?” he asked over his shoulder.

I slid into a cracked vinyl booth, taking in the water-stained ceiling tiles and peeling linoleum floor. So different from the rustic charm of the diner back in our old pack’s territory. There, everything didn’t look a health code violation away from closing. This place just felt... run down. Neglected.

“Might as well,” I muttered.

The grizzled cook behind the counter eyed us warily as Kai plucked two menus from the rack on the counter. Out of habit, I avoided eye contact, keeping my gaze down. Not that it seemed to matter; his attention quickly turned back to whipping up lunch orders.

That’d been a surprise. Or rather, the lack of care from the rest of the Dusk Valley pack on my whereabouts. I’d been raised to keep quiet and to the edges of any room the males walked through. Choked on the lessons, fought against them, but still dealt with the mess of stepping out of line. Purity and protection, according to those who benefited from the control, were necessary to our pack’s survival.

But no one gave a shit when I walked out of the Dusk Valley pack house with Kai. No one told me to go back inside and wait for permission from the alpha. Heading into what could charitably be called a pit-stop met zero resistance.

But holy hell, did I appreciate the change of scenery. Anything to get me out of the pack house and away from the cheek-reddening embarrassment of the scene with Rafe and the morning of awkward silence that followed.

Kai dropped into the seat across from me and tossed a menu my way. I caught it, barely, and flipped it open. The laminated pages were sticky, clinging together as I tried to pry them apart. Probably best not to dwell on the cause.

A waitress in a faded pink uniform approached, her hair piled high in a messy bun. She pulled out a notepad from her apron pocket and eyed us up and down. “Haven’t seen you two around before. Part of that Briar House business?”

“Actually, we just moved here,” Kai said, flashing her a grin that usually had women melting. “We’re at the end of Mill Road.”

“Huh.” Her pen stilled, and her gaze flicked between us. “Been a while since we’ve seen anyone new from out valley way.”

I tensed, waiting for the inevitable question or accusation. But she just shook her head slightly and forced a smile. “Well, welcome to Mill Creek. What can I get you?”

We placed our orders—a burger for Kai, a chicken sandwich for me—and she hurried off toward the kitchen, casting one last glance over her shoulder.

“This place is like something out of a horror movie,” Kai muttered across from me. He eyed the weathered storefronts with their peeling paint and crooked signs. “I keep expecting zombies to come shambling out of the alleyways.”

Yeah, there was probably a reason why no one tried to stop us. What trouble could we really get into?

I snorted but still shot him a warning look. “Keep your voice down.”

He rolled his eyes but obliged, lowering his tone. “I’m just saying, this place is a shithole. Falling apart at the seams.”

I couldn’t argue with that. Mill Creek had definitely seen better days. Boarded-up storefronts lined the main street, and even the businesses that were open looked like they were one strong wind away from collapsing.

“Luckily, it’s not your problem. You can go anywhere your little heart chooses,” I reminded him. “Unless you want to take your chances with Bowen.”

Kai’s jaw tightened at the mention of the alpha who wanted his head on a spike. “I’ll pass.”

A loud slam of a vehicle door drew my attention to the window. Orion’s tow truck had pulled up in front of the diner, its engine rumbling, as Elise stalked toward the gas station across the street.

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