Chapter 1

Shay was down on one knee folding the lids to the last box. She stood and leaned up against the counter, wiping the sweat away from her forehead and surveyed her work. It was sad that what had taken years to accumulate, had only taken a few hours to pack. True, she had sold all of her furniture and most of her belongings, only keeping the bare necessities. Well, that and a few mementos she couldn’t bear to part with. How things had changed so quickly in less than a year, she thought to herself. The sharp pang of despair stabbed at her heart and threatened to be her undoing, but she quickly tamped it down and locked that door. Today would be hard enough. She refused to dwell on the past.

A moment later she pushed herself off the counter and began to walk through the small house one last time to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. The tiny house had been full of happy memories in the beginning. She could still remember the day they had bought the house and Kane had carried her over the threshold. Those had been happier times. They had been so young and in love and expecting their first child together.

She had been so full of hope and love for her new husband and the bundle of joy that she carried in her belly. Things hadn’t been all bad between them. She and Kane had been high school sweethearts— she a sophomore and he a senior. At a glance, it had looked like the perfect story book fantasy. She was the small town girl who fell in love with the popular and talented high school quarterback. Kane had been the town’s golden boy. Tall, athletic, with bright baby blue eyes, sun-streaked blonde hair, and the perfect golden tan. He had been going places, with college scouts all clamouring to have him play for them. He had already received a full ride scholarship from several schools.

Shay had thought she was the luckiest girl in the world when he had asked her out. He had been so gentle and kind, and patient. They had held hands during school and shared stolen kisses behind the bleachers every chance they got. Time with Kane had been limited because he was always at practice. And when he wasn’t at practice, his dad was forcing him to study old football films and run drills in their backyard until all hours of the night.

It was rare that they got time to see each other at all, let alone by themselves. When they did get the chance to be with each other just the two of them, they would park out on Old Montgomery Drive and just lay in the bed of his truck looking at the stars. They could talk about anything. In these brief moments alone, they had shared their innermost dreams and fears. She had been his biggest champion.

It was one of those rare occasions where they found themselves in the bed of his truck, one brisk fall night. Football season was almost over, and he would have to pick a college soon. It was then he had revealed to her just how much pressure he felt to the best, and how scared he was at failing everyone. His dad. His coach. The town. Her.

Overcome with emotion; he had wept softly in her arms. She had held him close, murmuring words of encouragement and letting him know that everything would be all right. She had stroked his hair and kissed him softly in comfort. But, those soft kisses had turned into more than just comfort, and the two had quickly found themselves in a situation, perhaps they had not been quite ready for. It was in the bed of his truck, under a pile of loose blankets that they had professed their undying love for each other and both lost their innocence. They had kissed and fumbled their way through the first time and lay holding each other close after.

Neither had thought about protection or what the consequences of their night together would mean. But, they found out three weeks later when Shay had been late. She had been so scared, but Kane had handled it remarkably well for an eighteen year old kid. He had driven her two hours away to Smith Falls so she could get a pregnancy test in a town where nobody knew them. He had held her when she had come out of the gas station bathroom crying when the test had turned out positive.

It had been the talk of the town when everyone finally found out Shay was pregnant with Kane’s baby. Kane’s father had been livid because they had been able to successfully hide the pregnancy for months. Shay never experienced morning sickness or any weight she gained. She was able to hide in bulky sweaters and coats throughout the winter. By the time, she was showing it was too late for an abortion.

Against his father’s judgement, Kane had pledged to marry Shay once they had both graduated. He had accepted a full ride scholarship to a smaller school closer to home. Despite the pressure from his coach and his father, Kane kept his promise. Shay and Kane had been married the weekend after they graduated in a small ceremony at the county courthouse. They had moved into their first home a month later, just two months before Ana was born. They had begun to build a life together. But, then it had all come crashing down about three years later.

But, Shay did not want to dwell on the negative. Not today. Instead, she chose to take in every detail, every smell as if to root it in her mind so she would never forget all the happier memories that it held. Her small hand trailed the walls slowly as she passed through the living room and into the narrow hallway which led past the only bathroom in the house and the two tiny bedrooms. There were faint shadows on the wall, where family pictures had once hung.

She continued down the hall and stopped at the doorway to Ana’s bedroom. It was a small eight by ten room, barely big enough for a bed and a dresser. But it had a charming bay window that Ana had used as her special reading nook. They had lost themselves for hours in books of far off lands and princesses and fairies. Ana had loved to read, and Shay had nurtured that love with an endless supply of books.

She took in a deep breath as her light blue eyes threatened to well-up with emotion. Blinking the tears away, she scanned the pale yellow walls one last time, stopping short at the hand painted flowers that were scattered all over the walls. Feeling another lump rise in her throat, she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, letting her mind wander to the past.

“Mommy, Mommy. Look at the flower I just did. What do ya think?” Ana beamed up at her with purple and pink paint all over her smiling face.

“Oh, my goodness honey. It’s so beautiful.” Shay said walking over to the flower her daughter had just painted on the wall. “Just like you, princess.” She said bending down and giving Ana a peck on the top of her golden blonde head. “How about we finish the rest of your room together. We have two more spaces left on this wall, and we’re done.”

Ana pointed and said, “You take that space, and I’ll take this space. Ok, mommy?”

“Sounds good sweetie.”

With her eyes still closed, Shay could feel a single solitary tear escape and roll down her cheek and then a gentle hand on her shoulder from behind that forced her to tuck her memories away.

“Hey, are you ok?” The hand squeezed gently before releasing her.

“Yeah. I just wanted to take one last look to see if I left anything behind.” Shay said turning around with tears in her eyes.

“It’s going to get better, you know,” Dee said wiping away a tear from her best friend’s cheek. “I promise.”

“Maybe.” Shay still had a suffocating feeling that had taken occupancy in her chest for a long time now, and she didn't know how to get rid of it or if it would ever leave her. She doubted it. A part of her had died three months ago, and she knew nothing would ever fill that void again.

“This is the right thing to do. Don’t look at it as leaving the memories behind. You're not. You are moving on Shay, and this is the best thing for you right now. Trust me.” Dee said wrapping her arm around her best friend's waist and leading her away from Ana’s room.

“I know.” She said but without the same conviction that Dee felt. Seeing Dee’s skepticism, she decided to change the subject. “How long is the drive again?”

“About four hours if we stop for supper. I just packed the last box in the truck, so we are good to go.”

Dee headed for the front door with Shay in tow. Shay took one last look around the home she had known for the last eight years before she closed and locked the door for the very last time. It helped that she had her childhood best friend by her side as she closed this chapter in her life. It didn’t hurt that Dee was going to be there to help her start the new one as well. Finally, both women jumped in the truck, and then Dee asked, “You ready honey?”

“I’m ready. Let’s go.” Shay replied as they started to drive down the main road that led out of town. The truth was, she actually was ready to move on.

Shay Dawson had lived in Riverside her entire 27 years. She loved it there. The small picturesque town was wrapped in so much nature; from the expansive forestry with acres upon acres of spruce and pine forests to the dozens of creeks, rivers, and large bodies of water that were perfect for fishing, boating, or the occasional lazy float trip. Not to mention the abundance and variety of beautiful wildlife. Shay loved the outdoors and spent as much time as possible in it.

The town itself was breath-taking with its quaint shops full of antiques, artisan jewellery, and the old time soda shop that served the best homemade shakes and malts and its two traffic lights, and early 19th century homes with their wrap around porches. It was something you would see out of a brochure, complete with the small town people where everyone knew everyone, including their business.

With all small towns, it had its share of issues, one being the gossip. And the people of Riverside were known to gossip about anything and everything.

Shay had found herself at the wrong end of the gossip on more than one occasion. The first time being when everyone had found out she was pregnant with Kane Monroe’s baby. The second time had been when she had divorced Kane after just five years of marriage. Although, this last time had been by far the most painful and most difficult to ignore.

She had been the town topic for the last eleven months when her daughter had gone missing. There was no place she could go to get away from it, except when she found solace on her runs in the woods. There she could find a bit of peace from the gossipers. But, it was there as soon as she came back into town. She could always see her neighbours stare and gawk at her or whisper; and none too quietly, when she walked by. Shay knew what they thought about her, and what they said behind her back, but she mostly just ignored it. Every once in a while, when her nerves were a bit too raw, she would stare the gawkers down until they had the sense enough to be embarrassed and turn red and walk away.

It only made her feel better for a brief moment before it would fade too. She couldn’t escape what had happened or the town’s opinion. Everyone had always thought that her ex-husband had been responsible; after all, he was a drunk and had been abusive, so he did fit the profile.

She didn’t know how much more she could take. So, when her best friend had come to visit her two months ago, Shay had finally agreed to pack up and move to Greyson Falls with her. She had visited Dee a few times last year, and they had spent a weekend exploring the town. Shay had enjoyed the visit and the town. So when Dee had suggested she pack up and move, she didn’t hesitate. The town was perfectly suited for her. It was smaller than Riverside, but still had the same appeal with its abundance of nature trails, wildlife, and forest, lakes, and rivers. However, being four hours north of Riverside, it was far enough away that the townspeople wouldn’t know her or the scandal that had surrounded her life for the last year. It seemed like the perfect place to start fresh and move on with her life.

In preparation for her move, Dee had set her up with a cozy, little cottage just on the outskirts of the town which suited Shay just fine. She didn’t really want to be in the center of town, instead, preferring to be a bit isolated. It would give her time to heal.

Although she had yet to lay eyes on the cottage, she could picture it in her mind from the description Dee had given her. Apparently, it was owned by the Avery’s, having been passed down from generation to generation. However, it had been vacant for almost five years. Shay had been worried that they might not want to rent it out if it had been in their family for that long, but Dee had assured her it was fine. Asserting that they were looking forward to having someone in the place that would take care of it.

Having been vacant for years, Shay knew that there was some work that needed to be done. She imagined that it would need a good scrub from floor to ceiling and maybe some minor repairs. She hoped it wasn’t anything too major, although money wouldn’t be an issue if there was a larger repair required. Shay had already secured a part-time job at the small hospital in town as an ER nurse. She would start at the end of summer. Although, with her inheritance, she didn’t have to work if she didn’t want to.

“Hey, you want something to drink? I’m going to fill up before we get on the highway.” Dee said pulling into a gas station, careful not to hit the curb as she lined the truck and trailer up with the gas pumps.

“Yeah, I could use something for the long trip. I’ll go in while you gas up.” Shay offered as she climbed out of the truck and headed inside the store.

“Grab me a Pepsi babe!” Dee yelled at her from across the parking lot.

Shay laughed but kept walking. She waved her hand in the air to acknowledge that she’d heard the request. She grabbed two Pepsi’s from the cooler and walked up the aisle to the cashier. She placed them on the counter and tucked a long brown strand of hair behind her ear while she waited to be rung up.

“Is that everything?” The young male clerk asked while chewing loudly on a piece of gum.

“Yes. Thank you.” She smiled.

“That’ll be four, seventy-nine ma’am.”

Shay passed him a five dollar bill and told him to keep the change. She grabbed the sodas and started to walk out the door when she glanced at a man out of the corner of her eye. She instantly regretted it as recognition slammed into her. She tried to make a quick exit, but in her haste, she pulled when she should have pushed. Before she could open the door to leave, a voice from the past came from right behind her.

“Shay?”

Shit. With her hand still on the door, she turned and looked at Shawn who was now standing directly in front of her. She followed his eyes to Dee and the truck. Shit! Shit! Shit!

“Shawn.” She said flatly.

His eyes bounced back and forth from her to the truck and back again. “Where are you off too? Is that Dee outside? With a U-Haul?” His tone accusatory.

“I’m kind of in a hurry Shawn.” She said turning to open the door.

“Hey.” He said grabbing her arm roughly. “You plan on leaving town without telling anyone?”

Shay looked down at her arm and then back up at Shawn feeling the rage pass through her. “Are you serious? Let go of my arm now Shawn.” She hissed through clenched teeth as she tried to wrench her arm away, but his grip was like a vice. She looked to the clerk for help, but he had his back turned.

He stepped closer, so they were only inches between them. “Where are you going, Shay?” His voice was like ice and dripping with malice. She was about to respond when she almost fell through the door when Dee opened it and walked in.

At Shawn’s momentary distraction, Shay took the opportunity to yank her arm free. It only took milliseconds for Dee to assess the situation. “Hey, asshole. Don’t you think you should be on your way before we call the cops?”

Shawn stood straight, trying to use his size to intimidate both women as his cold, menacing brown eyes landed on her friend. “Fuck off Dee. This is none of your business.”

“The hell it isn’t. Go fuck yourself, Shawn. Come on Shay.” Dee put a protective arm around Shay’s shoulder and nudged her out the door. “Don’t think I won’t call the cops if you try to follow us, Shawn.” She spat as she walked out after Shay. As they both left the store and walked to the truck, Shay looked back one last time. Shawn was outside the store now, leaning up against the wall, watching them. She opened the door and climbed in, but not before she heard him yell, “We’ll be seeing ya soon Shay.”

Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing she had heard him or that she was bothered by the statement, she shut the door without a backward glance. Though, once inside the safety of the truck, she exhaled sharply. His words had bothered her more than she wanted to let on; her hand shaking as she buckled her seatbelt.

“Jesus Christ, I can’t stand that asshole!” Dee said as she drove out of the parking lot. “He’s not as bad as his brother Kane, but he still sits high on my psycho meter.”

“Let’s just get the hell out of here, okay,” Shay said passing her a Pepsi. Dee spared a sideways glance at her friend as she maneuverer the big truck and trailer back out onto the main road. She was silent for a few miles until they made their way onto the highway.

“Will Kane’s restraining order stand in Greyson Falls?” Dee asked turning her head to look at her friend.

“Deputy Gauthier assured me he has already faxed it to the Greyson Falls police station. But, it doesn’t stop Shawn though.” She said twisting the cap off her Pepsi.

Not wanting to continue with that thread of conversation Shay turned on the radio and both women listened to the music as they headed down the highway to their new destination. About half an hour had gone by when Dee asked, “So have you made your mind up about the bar? It’s full-time you know. It will keep you busy.”

Shay had to smile. Her best friend wasn’t known for being quiet, and she knew that long periods of silence drove her friend crazy. She was surprised she had made it that long without talking.

“I already called Dr. Summerton and took the job at the hospital.”

“Shay! It’s only part-time. The bar can give you 40 hours a week, and you will make a ton of tips. Maybe even meet a hot local cowboy.” She said and then paused. “Or wolf!” Dee’s blue eyes were beaming with mischief.

Shay looked at her friend with a smirk. They had been best friends since the first grade and were more like sisters; they knew everything about each other. They hadn’t even grown apart when Dee had moved to Greyson Falls two years ago.

“I’m not looking for any relationship Dee, and you know I don’t have money issues.” She knew her friend meant well, but sometimes her persistence was bothersome. Changing the subject, she asked “Speaking of wolves…Please explain to me how it works there? I don’t get how you can have two separate wolf clans living in the same small town when they're all related. Wouldn’t it be considered one clan?”

Shay could tell that Dee wasn’t happy about the change in subject, but she was grateful when she didn’t press any further. She watched her best friend throw a strand of her long strawberry blond hair over her shoulder before answering. “They consider themselves two separate clan’s for a reason; there's a history there and some bad blood too. But nobody really talks about it. At least not to non-shifters. Anyway, the town is not that small, so they manage to make it work with two separate clans.” She said matter of fact.

“Hey, you are the one that said it was the same family.”

“They are. The Avery’s, whom you are renting the cottage from, have lived there for decades. And according to how the story goes, they own every damn piece of land in Greyson Falls and the surrounding towns.” She paused to put on her blinker and change lanes to pass a slow moving semi before resuming her story. “They're all set for life. There are a total of six Avery boys, but then you have the cousins from their mother’s side. The Hanover’s. There are five of them; four boys and one girl. Apparently, they have some kind of family rivalry that happened between them over the land, and it still continues to this day. They are civil enough with one another, though.”

Shay was still stuck on the fact that the Avery’s had no sisters. “Jesus! Six boys? The poor mom, she certainly was busy, in more ways than one” Shay grinned wiggling her eyebrows for effect. Dee burst out laughing at the double entendre.

“Pregnant and barefoot.”

Shay looked over at Dee quizzically. “But don’t you find it strange to be living among a bunch of wolves in a population with humans? I mean in Riverside, they normally have their own jurisdiction and stay there. There is no mingling, unless absolutely necessary.”

Dee shrugged non-committedly. “I guess. But they are the ones that opened the land to us a long time ago. They mostly keep to themselves just like everyone else. You would never know that wolves live there.”

Shay gave her friend a skeptical look. “It’s true. And they are all perfect gentlemen. Well except when a bar fight breaks out.” Dee said laughing.

“Oh. Well, I guess not working at the bar is a good move then.” Shay said slyly. Taking a sip of her Pepsi, she turned her attention out the window.

Dee regarded her friend with a serious stare. Pursing her lips, she said, “Don’t think that you're going to become a recluse in that cabin you chose to hibernate in. I refuse to let you. You need to get out and socialize, interact with others.”

Shay didn’t say anything. She just shrugged her shoulders and stared out at the passing trees. She had no intentions of being a complete recluse, but that didn’t mean she was suddenly going to turn into a social butterfly either. And she certainly wasn’t going to be dating anytime soon, which seemed to be Dee’s top priority for her. She wanted to start over, slowly.

She needed to find herself again, her purpose in life.

Right now she didn’t feel she had one.