Ever the early bird, Gen slid her headband into her newly straightened hair, careful of her drying nails, painted bright pink because she wanted Greyson to think she was pretty. She’d also filled her single suitcase with mostly lingerie because, admittedly, she was a hoarder of lacy things. The only problem was, she didn’t have very many outfits and she’d been traveling for a few days to get here, so now she needed to do laundry. Last night, when she’d moved her stuff into the vacant 1010 trailer, she realized very quickly that there was no washer and dryer. So, on today’s agenda, she would find a laundromat.

Also, admittedly, she was equal parts excited and nervous to get out of the bedroom and see Greyson again. He’d kept his distance last night, disappeared until late, and came back in with no explanation. He’d simply twitched his chin toward the couch and mouthed, You take my bedroom. I’ll sleep out here.

That was when she went directly into his bedroom, zipped up her luggage, and made her way outside. She couldn’t have him sleeping on a couch while she took his bed. He’d caught up to her before she even got off the porch, and this time, when he pulled on her luggage, she let him help.

Gentleman that he apparently was, he led her to the 1010 singlewide trailer like he knew her mind, and even ushered a little mouse out of the bedroom when she balked. Probably because she’d jumped up on the bed like a fraidy cat. She couldn’t help it. She was tough about most things, but mice scared her on some primitive level. They always had.

Before he’d left last night, Greyson had looked as though he wanted to say something. His eyes had gone serious as he helped her off the bed, one hand on hers to steady her, one behind his back in a formal and stiff gesture. He frowned and parted his lips, but seemed to change his mind. The second her feet had hit the floor next to the bed, he’d pulled his hand away from hers and nodded a goodbye, turned and left her staring after him.

With each encounter, Greyson surprised her. The shifter boys she’d grown up with were cocky and loud. Abrasive almost, and Sean, the silverback in her family group, had made her distrust men altogether. But Grey was quiet and reserved, but with steel in the way he carried himself. And he was nice to her, sensitive to her submissiveness, and caring in little ways. Like helping her from the bed, making her cereal, and carrying her luggage. He did things for her without boasting or trying to get brownie points. He just did them.

Being deaf sucked balls, but there were advantages to it, too. She’d become a great observer and had a sixth sense whether people were good or not by the little things they did—how they held eye contact, the softness of their gaze, the empathy on their face if someone was in trouble. But even if she could tell Grey was a good man from all those things, the fact that he’d exposed his neck and tucked his dominance away just to make her more comfortable proved there was much more than met the eye with him.

Even in the span of a single day, she could tell he was different from any man she’d ever met.

Gen made her way out into the living room and smiled at the sack of groceries that sat on the table. When had he gone shopping? Were stores even open this early?

Inside the sack was a plastic container of cinnamon rolls, a loaf of bread, and a six-pack of bottled waters. When she turned on the faucet, she quickly figured out why the water was included. The tap water came out a stream of brown. Gross.

She opened the fridge to see a new gallon of milk, a carton of eggs, lunchmeat and cheese, and a small squeeze bottle of mayo.

She smiled as she hugged the mayo to her stomach. Without her asking, he’d fed her.

For the excuse to see him, she replaced the condiment and made her way out the front door to thank him. Only when she stepped onto the front porch, something horrifying was happening in front of the cabins, in a field of tiny white daisies. Two massive coal-colored panthers were in a battle that looked like it was to the death.

Shaking in shock, Gen bolted across the porch, but Jaxon stepped in front of her before she made it down the stairs, warning in his eyes as he shook his head. Greyson and Ben have to do this. Grey broke rules.

What rules? she signed in simple alphabet.

Eden answered from where she stood beside the porch railing. Ben said you had to be gone by this morning. Greyson told him to literally fuck off. He said he was keeping you for another day. It’s almost over, Gen. Ben has to punish him.

Chest heaving, Gen watched in horror as the cats clawed, hissed, and bit, spinning time and time again until the dust was kicked up. The wooden railing under her grip began to splinter, but that couldn’t be helped. She wanted it to be Ben’s neck in her grasp.

Her inner gorilla was pulsing with power, begging for her skin. The fight dragged on for eternal seconds and, with each one that passed, it grew impossible to keep her skin.

Jaxon grasped her arm and was yelling something, but she didn’t give a fuck about his words. He could keep them. Her body exploded, and the pain of the Change made the edges of her vision collapse inward. There were no Red Havoc woods anymore, no cabins, no sky, no grass. There were only the two panthers as she charged on all fours, and fuck the consequences of going rabid-gorilla on an alpha. The iron scent of Grey’s blood filled the air, filled her nose, filled her lungs.

One of the cats sank claws and teeth into the other’s back. Was it Grey with his lips curled back in a scream of pain? Or was it Ben?

Her knuckles blasted across the ground as she ran for them faster and faster. Who did she save? Who did she kill? There was no gray area for the gorilla. There was only red rage flooding every cell in her body.

The cats disengaged, and the injured one ran for the woods.

Gen skidded sideways to a stop, her hands and feet making deep divots in the dirt.

The triumphant panther stood there tall and proud, chest out, eyes blazing gold, lips snarled back. It roared at her. Or screamed? She was the daughter of silence. His warnings, his fury, his bellow of vengeance, were wasted on ears that didn’t work. Definitely Ben. Grey wouldn’t have pulled that.

Pissed, she slowly sidestepped toward the woods Grey had disappeared into, never taking her eyes from the alpha. Oh, she may be submissive, but that didn’t count when someone messed with one of her people. And Grey was apparently one of those to her animal. He was a stranger. He was her people. Stranger. Mine. My stranger. Confusion swirled in her head and chest.

What was she doing? Charging the alpha of the crew wasn’t going to win her a place at Grey’s side.

Slowly, she gave the massive cat her back, watching him out of the corner of her eye as she walked to the edge of Red Havoc Woods where Grey had disappeared. She didn’t need hearing to find him. The ground was speckled in crimson. A drop there on that dry leaf, a drop over there on that patch of moss, four drops on that stump in the middle of the path.

The storm clouds hid the early morning sun, and the wind kicked up, urging her on faster. She went to the trees where she was comfortable. After rushing up one, she bolted across a thick limb and jumped, reaching for a branch on the next tree that would bear her weight. This was instinct—moving through the canopy like this. It was hand-over-hand, not thinking, not slowing, searching the ground for Grey. God, let him be okay.

There.

He lay across a moss-covered felled tree, licking deep claw marks that had shredded his forearm. His eyes were on her, but he didn’t stop cleaning the injury. When she moved to drop down to the forest floor, he curled his lips back and showed long, white, curved canines. So, she changed her mind at the last second and stayed put, high above him.

She didn’t like people seeing her hurt either, so she got it. She understood, but she still couldn’t force herself to leave.

Helpless to fix Grey’s hurt, Gen pressed her back against the tree and, twenty feet off the ground, forced her body to relax. One leg dangling down off the limb, she quietly watched Grey below.

A few minutes passed before he stood and limped back in the direction they’d come. Gen dropped to the ground and followed at a distance. He never turned around to look at her, but he must’ve known she was there. Not once did he speed up and try to get away from her like Torren always did when he was hurt. Grey kept a steady pace until they reached the edge of the clearing with the cabins. He sat down, his long, black tail twitching in agitation.

Confused, she walked a few paces into the clearing toward 1010, turned, and waited for him. He only stared back at her with troubled, golden eyes.

Twitch, twitch, twitch. His tail swished through the leaves, but Grey didn’t move to follow.

Gen made her way to the trailer and looked back, but Grey was gone like he’d never existed at all. Grey Ghost.

He’d run like Torren after all, but he’d done something utterly baffling first.

Even hurt and angry, Grey had walked her home.