Page 13 of Knox's Fate

"Of course, he did. That's our alpha," came the hushed reply, filled with respect. "The Wilders have always been the backbone of the clan."

The word 'alpha' struck Ruby, its connotation resonating with her. Wasn’t that what the dominant male shifters in her stories were called? She couldn’t help but eavesdrop, her curiosity piqued as she leaned in ever so slightly, pretending to be engrossed in the faded menu before her.

Alpha? She pondered the implications, her mind racing with the potential meanings beyond the obvious title of leadership. Her thoughts flashed back to Knox, to the commanding presence he exuded without uttering a single word, to the unspoken allegiance she had witnessed from every resident.

The clatter of porcelain snapped Ruby out of her reverie as the waitress topped up her coffee. "Anything else for you, hun?" she asked with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Nothing, thanks," Ruby replied with a tight grin, her mind still tangled in the web of clandestine reverence surrounding Knox.

"Alrighty, just holler if you need something," the waitress said, leaving Ruby to her swirling thoughts and the half-whispered conversations that continued to tickle her ears.

With the final swallow of her lukewarm coffee, Ruby slid off the stool, her resolve hardening. She needed answers, and she knew just where to start. She left the five-and-dime, the chimes on the door announcing her departure to no one in particular, a new sense of purpose carrying her steps back to the lodge.

Upon arriving, the tranquility of the place seemed to mock her inner turmoil. The door creaked open to reveal the familiar comfort of the living space, yet Knox was nowhere to be seen. A note lay on the kitchen table, the script unmistakably his

Gone for the day. Back in the morning. – K.

She let out a frustrated sigh, crumpling the note in her hand. So much for breaking through the awkward silence, she thought. But Ruby wasn’t one to be easily deterred. She smoothed out the paper and placed it back on the table as she walked to the kitchen sink. There was no evidence of Knox having touched the stew.

“Stubborn jackass,” she whispered to the empty room, her voice laced with a mix of challenge and anticipation. “All right then, tomorrow.”

The pieces of the puzzle were starting to form a picture, and Ruby would be ready to confront it head-on at dawn's light or as soon as the jackass showed his face. For now, she'd prepare for his return, armed with questions and a vehement need to uncover the truth about Silver Falls, about her aunt’s death and life here, and about the enigmatic man who had somehow managed to capture her imagination and who seemed to hold many in this town within his silent grasp.

CHAPTER 9

KNOX

Knox pushed open the door to his family's sprawling lodge, the scent of pine and a hint of smoke from the ever-burning hearth welcoming him back to the domain he was sworn to protect. He barely had time to shrug off the weight of leadership that clung to his broad shoulders like morning mist on the Rockies when Coco's voice, sharp as a hawk's cry, sliced through the calm.

Coco stood in the center of the living room, arms crossed over her chest, her stance echoing the unwavering mountains outside. "You’re falling for her.”

“You don’t know that,” he growled.

“I know you, Knox. You get this look in your eye when you talk about her…”

“I don’t talk about her, I talk about the work...”

“Same thing,” said Coco dismissively. “And you’re spending all your time there. You leave before the sun is up and don’t get back until after it has set. You eat with her…”

“Enough, Coco. I am alpha and I will decide what is best for me and the clan.”

“There are she-bears in our own clan—and even in neighboring clans—who would move heaven and earth for your attention."

He ran a hand through his dark, untamed hair, feeling the familiar tug of duty clash with the smoldering thoughts of Ruby. Her image, fiery and bold, burned behind his eyelids, a stark contrast to the expectations laid out before him. "Coco, this isn't about what the clan wants," Knox replied, his deep voice rumbling through the space. "It's not that simple."

"Isn't it?" She shot back, her eyes narrowing. "You're the alpha, Knox. Your choices have consequences for all of us."

Before Knox could respond, a tentative knock at the door interrupted their standoff. Mavis, the town’s elderly owl-shifter/postmistress, peeked around the edge of the door, her face etched with worry. "Knox, I need to speak with you," she said, wringing her hands.

"Come in, Mavis," Knox beckoned her inside with a nod. The warmth in his voice belied the steel in his posture—every inch the leader, yet still a pillar of support not only for those in his clan, but those who called Silver Falls home.

"I've done something foolish," Mavis began, her gaze flitting between Knox and Coco. "I may have let something slip about Lorraine's death to Ruby... I fear I may have spoken too freely."

Knox's protective instincts flared, but he held them back, schooling his features into a mask of composure. "Mavis, it's all right. We all slip up from time to time." He turned to one of his men, who lingered just within earshot. "Make sure Mavis gets home safely."

As the elder left with a grateful nod and Coco retreated, still bristling with unsaid words. Knox allowed himself a moment to lean against the cool wood of the wall. His mind wandered back to Ruby, her spirit as wild as the shifting winds of Silver Falls.The thought of her alone, possibly fretting over Mavis's slip, sent a surge of urgency through his veins.

He had only just gotten home, but he needed to see her—to ensure she was safe, to ease the storm of emotions that raged within him. Knox straightened up, resolve hardening like ice over a mountain stream. It didn't matter that she was human, nor did it matter what his clan believed. In that moment, there was only Ruby—the beacon in the night that called him home.

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