Page 5 of Fated Wolf's Destiny

“No, but Arthur was my mentor… my friend. If someone is trying to cover up the real cause of his death, there’s a reason, and I owe it to him to find out.”

Danny rolls his eyes—not a very attractive trait in a full-grown man. “You don’t owe him anything,” he snaps, pushing off the counter. “This is your chance to sell the clinic and that old mill house he lived in, and use the money for something that matters—like buying a house here. Together.”

“Something that matters?” My voice rises as I step toward him. “Arthur mattered to me. That clinic matters to the people in Shadow Hollow. To the animals. I won’t just walk away.”

His jaw tightens, and I can see him weighing his next words. “You’re being ridiculous,” he finally says. “You’re chasing some conspiracy about an old man’s death when you should be thinking about us, about our future.”

“Maybe you should be thinking about why you can’t support me on this,” I fire back. My pulse pounds in my ears, thefrustration of the day boiling over. “This isn’t just some whim, Danny. This is my life.”

“No, Bella. Your life is here with me. Or it was.” He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “I can’t do this anymore if you’re going to throw everything away for some dead man’s legacy.”

His words hit me harder than I expect, but I lift my chin, meeting his gaze with all the tenacity I can muster. “Then maybe you’re not the person I thought you were.”

He doesn’t respond, just looks at me for a long, cold moment before walking out of the loft without saying another word. I wait up for him, but he doesn’t return before I have to leave for my shift at the veterinary clinic.

The next day, when I return to the loft, I can tell something’s wrong before I even reach the door. My key doesn’t fit. I jiggle it, but the lock won’t budge. I double check that I am at the right unit and try my key again. Nothing. A flush of panic rises in my chest. I knock, but there’s no answer. My phone is dead; I forgot to charge it before heading out earlier.

The concierge catches my eye as he approaches. I step back noting his uneasy expression. “Miss Gordon,” he says, approaching me. “I have something for you.”

He hands me a folded letter, and I tear it open right there in the hallway.

Bella,

I’ve changed the locks. Your things are in the

storage locker. I can’t do this anymore. We’re done.

—Danny

The letter trembles in my hand as I read it again, the words sinking in like jagged rocks. My things are in the storage locker. He didn’t even have the guts to face me. The air feels too thick to breathe as I stagger back against the wall, humiliation and anger burning through me in equal measure.

This is it. There’s nothing left for me in Seattle. No Danny, no loft, no future here.

I have nothing. No. That’s not right. I have Shadow Hollow, Arthur’s clinic, his mill house, and a town that feels more like a storm waiting to break than a sanctuary. But it’s more than I’ve got here in Seattle.

I turn to the concierge. “I signed nothing that obligates me for the extra fees associated with the storage locker. I’ll go get my files and my clothes. Tell Danny he can deal with whatever else he put down there.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Gordon…”

“I doubt it, but it’s okay. You can now call Danny any time you need something or there’s an emergency.”

I turn on my heel and walk away. Bitchy? Snarky? Probably, but I don’t much care. As I get back in my Jeep, I wonder if I’ll actually find the answers I’m looking for in Shadow Hollow.

The road to Shadow Hollow winds like a dark ribbon through the Cascades, flanked by towering evergreens that seem to lean in closer with every mile. The rhythmic hum of my tires on the aging asphalt is the only sound, apart from the occasional sigh of the wind rattling the trees. I’ve driven this route before, but it feels different now—lonelier, heavier. Maybe it’s the weight of Arthur’s death or the knowledge that my life in Seattle no longer exists, but I depress the accelerator a little harder. Nouse looking back. The only life I have is ahead. Whether Shadow Hollow is my final destination is unknown, but for now, it’s all I need.

The thought barely has time to settle when something massive bolts out of the trees ahead. My heart leaps, and I slam on the brakes, the car skidding slightly as my tires scream against the pavement.

An enormous wolf stands in the middle of the road, its dark fur almost black against the mist-shrouded trees. It’s easily twice the size of any wolf I’ve seen in documentaries or zoos, but it’s not its size that freezes me. It’s the way it looks at me. Its amber eyes lock onto mine, and I swear there’s an almost human intelligence in them—sharp, assessing, and unnervingly unafraid.

For a moment, neither of us moves. My breath fogs the windshield as I sit frozen in the driver’s seat, gripping the wheel so tightly my knuckles ache. The wolf tilts its head slightly, as if taking my measure, then takes a deliberate step back toward the woods. It pauses again, its gaze lingering like it’s trying to tell me something before melting into the shadows.

I stay there for what feels like an eternity, staring at the empty road, my heart pounding like a trapped bird beating its wings against a cage. When I finally exhale, the sound is shaky, even to my own ears. I’ve seen plenty of wildlife, sure—but not like that. Never like that. I shake it off, pressing the gas and forcing myself forward.

The gas station is nearly empty when I pull up, the old pump clicking and rattling as I fill the tank. The sign above the station, Gus’s Garage, hangs crookedly, the paint faded and peeling. I glance toward the garage itself, where a wiry man in coveralls—Gus, I presume—leans against the door frame, a smudge of grease on his cheek and a permanent scowl etched into his face.

“Help you?” he calls, his voice rough, like a rusty saw making its way through a fallen tree.

“No, I just need gas,” I reply, twisting the cap back onto the tank. “I’m headed into town.”

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