Hannah was humming happily again as she filed patient folders. She’d done a lot of that in the past few days. It was Wednesday, halfway through the best week of her life, and she couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

She was in love. In love with the most wonderful man she’d ever known, and he loved her back. It was like a fairytale, minus the supernatural elements. It didn’t need them, though. It was magical just the way it was. She was going to Red Moon today after work. Chase said he wanted to show her whatever it was he never got to on Friday, but she wasn’t nervous this time. She was excited to see what it was, and it was obviously important to him. What was important to him was important to her, and she couldn’t wait to find out what it was.

“Hannah?” Carly, the receptionist, stuck her head in the filing room. “You have a visitor. I showed her to your office.”

“Her?” she asked in surprise.

“Yeah, your friend. Wendy, I think her name is.”

Dread filled Hannah, but she pushed it aside. She didn’t know what Wendy wanted, but it didn’t matter. She was strong enough to tell her to get lost.

“Okay, thanks, Carly,” she pushed out, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

Hannah took a deep breath, trying to work through her emotions, and smoothed her dress shirt over her hips. She walked the short distance to her office and schooled her features before entering. She would be cool, calm, and collected. She wouldn’t let Wendy know she had any effect on her.

“Wendy,” she said as she walked in and went around her desk to her chair. “What are you doing here?”

Wendy had a smirk on her heavily made up face. Hannah had never understood why Wendy wore evening makeup during the day. She was actually very pretty, on the outside at least, and didn’t need all that makeup.

“I just came to see how you’re holding up,” Wendy said in a sugary sweet voice as fake as her eyelashes. “You know, after seeing Chase and I together. You must have been devastated to learn he doesn’t want you like you thought.”

Hannah took a moment to ponder how she had people like Wendy, Hunter, and her parents in her life. She didn’t understand how she’d gotten so epically unlucky.

But she was making strides to change all that. Starting with her parents, who had all but disowned her, showing Donahue the Douche to the curb, and now this. What would hopefully be her final confrontation with Wendy, who was evil masquerading in a mini skirt and high heels.

“What was the point of that little demonstration, Wendy? You don’t even want Chase.”

The other woman’s smirk widened. “I told you once you’d regret speaking to me the way you did. Stealing your boyfriend from you seemed like the best way to go about it. And it worked, didn’t it? I saw your face when you saw Chase kissing me.”

“You’re delusional,” Hannah replied, rolling her eyes. “Chase didn’t kiss you. You forced yourself on him. Desperate much, Wen? You didn’t break us up. If anything, your actions brought us closer together. So I suppose I should be thanking you, but I won’t. You don’t deserve it.”

Wendy’s face tightened as her cold eyes narrowed. She stood up and planted her hand on Hannah’s desk and looked her in the eye.

“I might not have wanted him before, but I do now. I’ve tasted him, remember? Had my lips all over his. I didn’t know what I was missing out on before, but I do now, and I’m not going to waste any more time. I’m going after him, and you’re no match for me, Hannah. There’s no way you can win against me.”

Wendy was just goading her, trying to intimidate and scare her. Hannah repeated that to herself as she clenched her hands into fists, fighting the overwhelming urge to punch Wendy right in her smug mouth. She’d never wanted to hit someone before, but she wanted to now. The only thing holding her back was being in her workplace. If they were anywhere else, she’d let her fist fly, putting all the training Cammie had given her to good use. She couldn’t imagine a better scenario for using it.

She calmly stood up, forcing Wendy to do the same, and stared her down, keeping her face impassive.

“You do that, Wendy. Give it everything you have, I dare you. Because I know it won’t work. Chase wants me, and more, he loves me. And nothing you can do will get between us. You’ll just end up humiliated. But, please, be my guest. A little humility would look good on you.”

Wendy glared at her for a long moment, measuring how serious Hannah was. The other woman must have seen the unwavering certainty in her eyes, because she spun on her heel, storming out of the office without another word. Hannah released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and sank back down into her chair.

She thought that was the last she’d hear from Wendy. The other woman wouldn’t risk rejection or humiliation. But if she decided to make another comeback, that was okay. Wendy could try and come between her and Chase, but Hannah wouldn’t back down this time; wouldn’t run. She had faith in Chase, and their love. But more than that, she had faith in herself that no matter what these vile people in her life wanted to throw at her, she could handle it now.

Hannah parked her Jeep next to Chase’s truck at Red Moon and got out, looking around for him. She’d run home after work and changed into a t-shirt and jeans, then came straight here, anxious to see him.

He walked out of the house and her breath stalled in her chest when she saw him. Her pulse quickened and her blood heated at the sight of him striding toward her. She didn’t think her reaction to him would ever change, and the thought thrilled her.

When he reached her he pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately without saying a word. Hannah gasped into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck as he gave her a long, open-mouthed kiss.

He finally pulled away and smiled down at her. “Hey,” he said huskily, brushing her hair back and pushing it behind her ear.

“Hey yourself,” she replied, trying to control her breathing. His kisses packed a wallop every time.

“I thought maybe we could take a walk, and then I could show you what I wanted to.”

“Sure,” she said with a smile. “Lead on.”

Chase reached down and intertwined their fingers before he started walking in the direction of the river. They walked in silence along the bank for a couple minutes before they reached a clearing. Chase let go of her hand and started to pace, running his hands through his hair and making it spike up in every direction.

“Are you okay?” Hannah asked, frowning a bit as she watched him. He looked nervous, and it was so different from his usual confidence, she wasn’t sure what to think.

Coming to a stop, he hooked his hands on his hips, staring at the river flowing by before turning back to her with a serious expression on his face.

“I love you, Hannah. I know I’ll probably screw shit up at some point, because that’s just me, but I know we can work it out when I do. I’m not talking short term for you and me. I want you forever.”

“I love you, too,” she replied, melting into a big puddle of goo inside at his words.

With a half-smile on his handsome face, he took a step closer. “I know you do, but you still have doubts, don’t you? I know your insecurities get the best of you sometimes.”

“They do,” Hannah agreed, looking down as she scuffed the toe of her sneaker on the ground. She looked back up and met his intense whiskey eyes. “It’s hard to let go of the past. And I don’t mean the way you used to treat me. I mean the way I treated others. I’m still ashamed to the core of how I talked to people, and it’s hard to believe a man as generous and genuine as you would really want someone like me for the long haul.”

Chase stepped up to her and took her hands in his. “I do. Who you were then isn’t who you are now. Hell, it wasn’t who you were then, either. I know everything you’ve told me is true. I would have heard the lie in your voice if it weren’t. How I feel about you is never going to change. It’s even more than love. You’re my mate, and it’s permanent. Forever. You’re it for me, for life.”

Hannah shivered a bit at the intensity in his voice and the sincerity in his eyes, even as she frowned at him. “Hear the lie in my voice? What are you talking about? And what do you mean by saying I’m your mate? What does that even mean?”

Cursing under his breath, he released her hands and stepped away. He shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair again.

“I’m getting ahead of myself. Should have known I’d screw this up.” He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before he looked at her again, pinning her in his gaze. “Remember when I asked you if you believed in the supernatural? I asked for a reason.” He paused for a long moment, and resumed pacing. He looked like he was struggling for words, and he finally blurted, “I’m a werewolf. Well, not a werewolf in the traditional, turn on a full moon and go crazy, sense. But I’m a shifter. I share my body with a wolf, and can shift back and forth between forms.”

Hannah stared at Chase, her mind struggling to comprehend what he was saying. He thought he was a werewolf. Or shifter, what the hell ever. He couldn’t be serious. Couldn’t believe she would just fall for something like that. This had to be a joke. A bad, ill-timed one. But a joke, nonetheless.

“Are you serious right now, Chase? A wolf shifter? That’s not possible.”

“I promise you it is, Hannah. I was born like this. My mom and dad were wolf shifters, too. I’ve never really questioned how it’s possible, or how it works. It just is. It’s just who I am.”

She let out a laugh, though there was little humor in the sound. “Oh, sure. So Ty is a wolf shifter too, I guess. Oh, and Kelsey, as well. And I’m a Tasmanian Devil shifter.”

Chase came closer and cupped her cheek, his eyes seeming to flicker back and forth between whiskey brown and topaz yellow. “I’m being honest. This isn’t a joke, I swear. I really am a wolf shifter.”

She quelled the hysterical giggles bubbling up in her throat as she searched his expression. He either really believed what he was telling her, or he was a damn good actor.

Her body froze as her mind flitted over things she saw or heard in the past. The odd way his eyes changed color, like they just did. The growl she thought she heard before. Shaking her head firmly, Hannah pushed that all out of her mind. Eyes could change color, and the growling… well, she didn’t have an explanation for it, but she was sure there was a good one. Besides his ridiculous claim to be a wolf shifter, that is.

So she’d bet money on damn good actor, because he’d never exhibited signs of being insane before. And if he was acting this well now, he’d probably been acting this whole time with her. God, she was such a fool. She’d believed everything he’d told her. Believed that he loved her and truly wanted her.

She couldn’t help wondering if the scene with Wendy was planned and initiated by him as well, now. He’d come over, so frantic to get her to believe he wanted no part of it. And she’d been desperate to believe him, desperate for all the blame to be on Wendy.

He’d no doubt been laughing hysterically behind her back this whole time. She’d been so gullible, so ready to trust his every word. What a joke.

“Screw you, Chase.” His eyebrows rose and he stumbled as she jerked her face from his palm, backing away to put much needed distance between them. “It’s all been a big joke to you, hasn’t it? Is this what you do for amusement, or is it just me that gets this kind of treatment? Making poor, dumb Hannah fall for you. You should never have followed me after the night at Pete’s. I mean, wasn’t that enough? Enough humiliation? You couldn’t have left it at that, and instead tried to wreck me even more? Well, you managed it. Kudos to you. You won.”

“What? Hannah, no, that’s not—”

“Save it. I’ll leave, and I won’t be back. You made that wish come true. But I won’t stop being friends with Parker or Kelsey, so you’re shit out of luck with that. And you may have broken my heart, but you didn’t break me. You don’t have that much power over me.”

Spinning on her heel, she started walking away before he could see the tears welling up in her eyes. Her heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces, and she was very much afraid she’d lied. He just might have that kind of power over her, because she felt completely broken inside, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to glue the pieces back together again.

“Hannah, don’t leave! Fuck! You’ve got this all wrong. Just wait a second. I’ll prove it to you.”

She dashed her hands across her cheeks, cursing herself for a fool as she reluctantly came to a halt. She should leave. He’d done his damage, and she owed him nothing. But the desperation in his voice made her pause, and curiosity won out. She slowly turned around, wondering just what his next move would be, since there was no way he could prove it.

Her brow furrowed when she saw him. His shirt was on the ground, and he was pulling off his boots. When his hands went to the zipper on his jeans, she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Really? You think your naked body will be enough to get me to hang around for a little more humiliation? I’ve seen it all before. And we both know this won’t go any further than you just getting naked, so I’m going now. Have a nice life, Chase. Actually, on second thought, don’t. You don’t deserve to.”

She turned back around just as he kicked out of his jeans. This time, nothing would make her stop. Her chin trembled as tears blurred her vision, but she sucked them down. She wasn’t going to let him see her break down. She’d save that for when she was home.

Loud noises peppered the air, like something breaking, and Hannah startled, pausing at the noise. A wave of energy slid over her skin, making it prickle, and the hairs on her arms and neck stood up.

As she reluctantly turned around, the breath left her body in a rush and she froze. There was no sign of Chase. Instead, where he’d been standing was a large tan wolf. No, large wasn’t the word for it. The wolf was humungous, and his head, held proudly erect, was easily as tall as her shoulders. She watched as it took a step forward on paws as big as her head, licking his lips and showing long, lethally sharp teeth.

Terror flooded her system, and she automatically took a step backward, grimacing when her foot rolled sideways into a hole and her bad ankle tried to give out. She ignored the pain and tried to control her breathing as she started to hyperventilate.

Looks like a broken heart was the least of her problems. What did a little emotional pain matter in the face of getting eaten by a mutant wolf, after all?

Her body was still frozen as the wolf took another hesitant step toward her. She inhaled shakily, her breath hitching, and wondered why he wasn’t pouncing for his dinner. She forced herself to look at his face, and that’s when she noticed his eyes. Whiskey brown for a brief moment, before lightening to a topaz yellow, they had looked a lot like… She shut the thought down, not sure she could contemplate where it was leading her.

The wolf turned his head and exposed his neck as he took another slow step toward her. She knew enough about apex predators to know they protected their necks at all costs. So why was… no. No way.

“Chase?” she asked, unable to control the tremble in her voice. She felt stupid for even considering the possibility, but she couldn’t think of anything else that made sense.

That sounded ridiculous, even to her, because nothing about this in any way made sense. But, the facts were, Chase told her he was wolf shifter. Then he quickly disappeared, and in his place stood a wolf that wasn’t acting like she imagined a wild wolf would. Either it really was him, or her mind had cracked right along with her heart.

The wolf whined in seeming agreement of his name as he turned his head and looked at her. He sat down before lowering his large body all the way to the ground, like he was showing her he wasn’t a threat.

Okay. Whether he was actually Chase or not, he didn’t look like he was going to eat her any time soon. Adrenaline was still racing through her veins, and her hands trembled. Her fight or flight instincts were still screaming, and Hannah knew exactly which of those she was going to go with.

Screw this. Screw all of it. She’d gone from unbelievably happy, to heartbroken, to being full of terror while facing something that shouldn’t exist. And she was getting out of here while she had the chance, or at least the remotest possibility of a chance.

Without another word, she spun around and took off running. She sprinted as fast as she could back to her Jeep, and hopefully, safety. Her ankle protested the abuse, but she barely felt the pain as she pushed herself faster. She listened hard for any sound of pursuit, but over the sound of the river, it was hard to tell if there was any.

She nearly collapsed in relief when she burst into the yard and her Jeep was in view. Racing to it, she rushed to pull her keys out of her pocket, nearly dropping them. She ignored Ty as he walked out of the house and spotted her, calling her name, and she didn’t pause as she opened the door and threw herself inside.

She was peeling out of the driveway when Chase, in human form and naked as the day he was born, burst into the clearing. She thought she heard him shouting her name, but she shook her head and clenched her jaw.

No. She wasn’t stopping. She needed to get home, to think about what she’d learned. She couldn’t talk to him right now. Tears spilled from the corner of her eyes, but she ignored them as she drove.

If she could really believe what she was seeing, she was in love with a freakin’ werewolf. Her life was like a damned soap opera. Too unbelievable to be real, and full of nothing but heartbreak.