Page 6 of Red Hood, Bad Wolf

She should doubt him. Should step back, put distance between them. Instead, she found herself swaying closer, drawn by the raw honesty in his voice and something deeper—something that called to her very bones.

His head dipped lower. Her hands fisted in his shirt. For a heartbeat, she thought he might kiss her—

A howl shattered the moment. Close. Too close.

They burst out of the crevice as one, magic and claws at the ready. But the forest was empty. Only the howl's echo remained, and a new scent that made Alder curse.

"What is it?"

"Wolf." His eyes had shifted to gold, power rolling off him in waves. "But wrong. Feral."

Rowan's heart sank. Loup garou.

Their eyes met, shared horror reflected. Someone in his pack had turned after all. Someone was hunting humans for sport, collecting trophies, laying false trails to confuse them.

The trust growing between them cracked like ice in spring.

"Alder—"

"Don't." His voice was hard again, all traces of tenderness gone. "We'll find whoever did this. But not tonight. It's not safe after dark."

He was right, but it felt like surrender. Like failure.

They walked back in silence, the weight of discovery heavy between them. The attraction between them sizzled, demanding they bridge this new distance. But how could they, when one of his pack might be a killer?

At the edge of the pack grounds, Alder finally spoke. "Tomorrow. We'll start questioning the pack."

Rowan nodded, not trusting her voice. She turned to go, but his hand caught her arm.

"Rowan." His eyes held hers, intense and conflicted. "I meant what I said. I didn't know about the cave."

"I believe you." The words surprised them both with their truth.

He released her slowly, fingers trailing down her arm. "Be careful tonight. The killer knows we're hunting them now."

"You too." She managed a slight smile. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to my reluctant partner."

Something darkly possessive flashed in his eyes. "Partner, is it?"

"For now."

She left him there, feeling his gaze follow her into the darkness. Her skin still tingled where he'd touched her. Her magic reached for him like a flower turning toward the sun.

Partner. The word wasn't enough for what was growing between them. But with a killer to catch and both their pasts haunting them, it would have to do.

For now.

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