The front door to the trailer opened before I could start up the cinderblock stairs. Eli stood in the threshold, his body taking up the entirety of its space as he looked down at me. I held his gaze, knowing I shouldn’t be here but unable to make myself turn around and head home.

“You surprised me,” Eli muttered in a deep, rich timbre that sent warmth streaking through my lower belly.

“Why?”

“I didn’t think you’d have it in you to come over.”

I didn’t either, but here I was, standing at his doorstep. Eli’s eyes narrowed playfully, causing my mouth to go dry. I shouldn’t be here. What was I doing?

“Must’ve been the prospect of drinking a little moonshine that enticed you,” he said with a wink.

“Maybe,” I heard myself say even though I knew it wasn’t true. We both did.

Alcohol wasn’t my thing. Granted, I’d only drank a handful of times—the majority of them being forced upon me by Gran who was a firm believer in whiskey as a go-to remedy for any cough or cold—but it had never appealed to me the way it did others. I couldn’t stand the taste or smell. Maybe it was because of my dad. Seeing him destroy his life one sip at a time was enough of a deterrent.

Eli arched a brow. “Really? Well, you’re more than welcome to a sip.” He stepped to the side, allowing me room to slip past him if I wanted. “But I figured it was curiosity that had you walking over here.”

I didn’t confirm or deny either. Instead, I started up the steps to slip past him. The cinderblocks swayed beneath my feet, making me feel off-balanced enough to reach out. I gripped Eli’s forearm to steady myself. Electricity zinged through my fingertips and up my arm at the contact. “I, um, think one of your blocks might be out of place. They feel wobbly.”

“It’s on my list of repairs,” he said, his gaze dipping to where I touched him. Could he feel an electrical current pulsing along his skin, too?

I didn’t study his reaction long enough to see. Instead, I released my grip on him and stepped farther into the trailer, placing distance between us. My hands crammed into the back pockets of my jeans as I forced myself to look around. There wasn’t much to see. A couple of cardboard boxes, some blankets, and a large duffle bag.

“So, did you buy this place, or are you renting it from Bobby?” I started across the sticky linoleum floor, heading for the kitchen. It seemed far enough away from him, but not enough to be noticed as intentional.

“Why are you so interested?”

“I’m not.” I’d spoken too quickly. It made my words sound defensive. I risked a glance at Eli. He’d closed the trailer door and stood staring at me with his arms folded across his chest. Suspicion glinted in the bright green of his eyes. “I didn’t think this place would ever be rented out again is all. Bobby’s tried for years but not gotten any bites.”

I knew why. We all did. While Bobby might own the place, the pack decided when someone new moved in. More specifically Eli’s dad. He was our Alpha.

The place had sat vacant because no new wolves had found their way to Mirror Lake looking for a new home, and we didn’t allow humans to live here. We didn’t need someone figuring out what his or her neighbors were and freaking out. Bobby knew what we were and he was fine with it, but only because he had a secret of his own. There were a lot of people living in Mirror Lake who did.

“Yeah, I know. Hence why the place is falling apart.” Eli motioned to the trailer as a whole.

It wasn’t in the best condition, but it was still livable.

“You can’t blame him; the guy is old. He’s got to be in his sixties at least. I can’t imagine him fixing this place up on his own. Cut him some slack,” I insisted.

Bobby was a decent guy. He’d slashed the rent on our trailer after my dad’s accident to make things easier on our family. If he hadn’t, I wasn’t sure how we’d make it. Dad was on disability, but it wasn’t enough to live on. Not with Gracie and me to care for. Mom had worked when she was still around, which helped, but since she left, the slack had fallen to Gran. Granted Gran had always run her herbal remedy store from our kitchen, but she mostly serviced the pack and none of them were ever in much need for her remedies. It was her retirement accounts that kept food in our stomachs.

I’d offered to get a job, but Gran wouldn’t allow me to. Babysitting for some of the pack kids was about all she was willing to let me do because it helped those in our pack. Now that graduation was over, I had hoped she’d allow me to get a real job and help more. It was still to be determined. She was pressing me to go to the community college, which would mean the same rule for a job would apply. If I was in school, she didn’t want me working; she wanted me focusing on my studies. I still hadn’t decided if I’d be enrolling in the fall. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. All I knew was that I wanted to relish this summer, celebrating the fact I’d survived high school first.

“Which is why I worked out a deal with him,” Eli said, snapping my attention back to him. “If I fix the place up, he knocks off some of the rent each month. Helps us both out. Bobby gets his place spiffed up, and I get a discount on rent. Win-win.”

“That’s a decent deal, but wouldn’t it be easier to rent one of the vacant lots and put your own trailer on it?” Living in a junker had to be frustrating. Did the plumbing even work? The place had sat for so long it had to be questionable.

“Too expensive.”

“You could get a roommate, or you could ask Dorian to rent out his trailer. Since he moved in with Sheila, he’s not been staying there. No one has. And everyone knows they’re not going to break up anytime soon. They’re so lovesick with each other they make me want to puke every time I see them.”

“Are you offering to be my roommate?” Eli’s lips hooked in a half grin. He obviously heard nothing beyond the word roommate.

“No, I’m just saying it might be a better option than having to fix up this place.” I forced myself to look away from him. He was sucking me in with his eyes the way he always did. I hated the sensation of not being in control of my body when I was around him; if I continued to stare into his gorgeously colored eyes, that’s right where I was going to be.

“I don’t mind fixing the place up. It helps me and Bobby.”

Eli always had been a hard worker. It was something his father had instilled in him.

“There’s not much to fix right away. The stairs are at the top of my list, next comes the rotted-out floorboard beneath that window,” he said as he pointed to the window in the space I remembered Mr. Winter used to have a small dining room table. “There’s a leak. Every time it rains, water seeps from the window onto the floor. Shouldn’t be too hard to fix, though.”

He moved into the kitchen, walking right up to me, and reached around me for the mason jar of moonshine on the counter. His silver chain glistened in the fluorescent light of the kitchen as it dangled from his neck, and his masculine scent wafted to my nose. I reached out and gripped the counter, steadying myself.

“Just grabbing this,” he whispered. His hot breath tickled my neck. “It’s apple pie. You’ll probably like it.”

He took a step back, placing the distance my mind craved but my body wanted to reject between us. I watched as Eli twisted the lid off the jar, the muscles of his arm bulging, and took a long swig. The corners of his eyes creased, but he didn’t seem as though the moonshine tasted horrible. He held the jar out to me. I could smell the stoutness of it in the air.

My nose wrinkled. “Apple pie? I doubt it tastes like it.”

“Maybe not exactly, but it’s still sweet and there is a hint of apple.” He brought the jar closer to me.

I took it from him and put it to my lips. Sweet battery acid dripped down my throat as I forced myself to swallow a big gulp. My eyes squinted shut as each intake of air flamed the fire coursing down my throat. I broke out into a coughing fit and heard Eli laugh.

“Jesus, I only expected you to take a small sip. Not down it like freaking water.”

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, still unable to talk, and made a slight choking noise.

“Let’s see how you handle that before you drink anymore.” He took the jar from me and placed it to his lips. How did he not look like he was dying afterward? He didn’t even cough.

“I wasn’t planning on drinking anymore,” I managed to choke out.

“Good, because I wouldn’t let you even if you wanted to.”

A part of me wanted to grab the jar from him and take another sip to prove he didn’t get to dictate what I did and didn’t do, but I couldn’t make myself do it. Mainly because I didn’t think I could handle another sip of the liquid fire. I might die.

“Did you end up having a good night overall? I saw how it ended, and I know how it began. How was the middle?” Eli asked as he twisted the lid back on the mason jar. He tucked it into the cabinet above the stove and shifted to face me fully.

“I did,” I muttered unsure why he cared to ask.

“Did you manage to get your dad inside all right? I should’ve called Tate to come over and help.”

The warmth of the moonshine moved toward my stomach and the fire burning up my esophagus dimmed the more saliva I swallowed. “I managed.”

“I don’t doubt you did. All I’m saying is Tate could have helped you.” Eli leaned against the counter. His bright green eyes locked with mine, and I noticed a softness shift through them. “I promise, next time, I won’t serve him so much alcohol, but I can’t promise I won’t call you again to come get him.”

“Thanks,” I whispered. A warm fuzzy sensation built in my stomach before sweeping through my body. I wasn’t sure if I was feeling grateful toward Eli for what he’d said he’d do, or if it had something to do with the battery acid I’d drank.

“No problem. I figured if the shoe was on the other foot, you’d do the same for me.” The sweetness of his words hit me hard. The warmth I’d been feeling intensified tenfold.

It had to be the alcohol.

Or maybe it was Eli? He was too close to me in the tiny kitchen. And we were alone. Utterly alone. My chest ballooned with heat as I realized this. I was too hot and slightly dizzy. I forced my eyes away from him and wiped my brow. Eli laughed.

“What’s so funny?” My words sounded distorted, as if I were underwater.

“You. You’re such a damn lightweight, Mina.”

I forced myself to stand straighter. “I don’t drink. Ever. And besides, most guys would be happy to hang out with a cheap drunk, wouldn’t they?”

“Never said I wasn’t happy about it.”

His words sent my heart racing. My eyes zeroed in on his lips, and all I could think about was what it would feel like to kiss him. My head spun at the thought. This was Eli I was thinking about. Eli Vargas. He was mysterious and put off dangerous vibes. He was older than me, and oh dear God, he was hot.

I allowed my gaze to drift over his perfect features, taking in his dark, short-cropped hair, baby smooth face, beautiful eyes with lashes so dark and long I wanted to touch them to see if they were real, and plump, kissable lips. The strange pull I always seemed to feel toward him tugged at me.

No! I couldn’t allow myself to give into whatever I was feeling. I couldn’t allow myself to give into him.

I licked my lips and averted my gaze, as much as it hurt me to do so, and checked out the kitchen again. It became interesting as I forced myself to soak in its details. It was old and dated, but still functional. It had everything you’d expect: refrigerator, stove, sink, and a dishwasher. There were plenty of cabinets to store stuff in, although some of them were missing handles, and there was loads of counter space. The walls looked as though they’d been painted white at one time, but now were more of a yellow due to years of nicotine build up. The cabinets were dark brown and the countertops a shade lighter than the walls. The sticky linoleum I’d encountered when I first walked through the front door traveled into the kitchen as well. It looked as though it used to be white with black squares, but the white squares had long ago been stained yellow.

“Does it meet your standards?” Eli asked. His eyes were on me, I could feel them, but I refused to look at him. There was no telling what I’d do if I allowed myself a single glance.

“It’s functional,” I said as I moved toward the living room.

The trailer held an open floor plan. While this wasn’t the first time I’d been inside old man Winter’s place, it had been a while. The summer before he went to meet his maker, or whatever had happened to him, he’d hired me to clean out some of the mess he’d accumulated. It hadn’t been a pretty picture, but then again, I hadn’t expected one. I’d known he was a hoarder. Everyone did.

“That it is,” Eli said from behind me. He was closer than I’d thought. I could feel his warm breath on the back of my neck. Energy pulsed between the few inches of space separating us. “It’s a little bare in here, but I’ll have it fixed up and looking like home in no time.”

“I’m sure,” I said, focusing on his presence. He took a step closer and reached out as though to brush along my forearm. I dodged his touch. “I should probably head home. Thanks for the…um…drink.”

“Yeah, sure. No problem. Maybe next time you swing by I’ll have furniture.” He grinned and smoothed a hand over his short-cropped hair.

I didn’t respond. Instead I bolted for the door.

My shoes crunched against the loose gravel that connected each trailer like a web as I made my way back to my place. Eli was watching me through his windows; I could feel the heat of his gaze traveling over my backside, but I didn’t look back. I wasn’t sure what had happened back there, but I was all for blaming it on the damn moonshine.

It had intensified the pull I felt to him and had me feeling things for him I’d never experienced before.

It couldn’t happen again. I wouldn’t let it.

The same distance I’d always placed between us would continue to be there. I would make sure of it.

My heart pounded as I crept up the wooden steps to my front door. When I slipped inside, the scent of chamomile and lemon balm tickled my nose. Gran was in her recliner, sipping a steaming mug of tea while reading a book.

“What are you still doing up?” I asked as I carefully closed the door behind me. Dad was still passed out on the couch, snoring. It wasn’t him I was concerned about waking, though. It was Gracie.

“Waiting for you to get home,” Gran said as she flipped the page of her book without looking up at me.

“You didn’t have to.” Guilt flickered through me.

“I wanted to.” Her dull blue eyes skimmed over me, giving me a once-over. I hated when she did that. It always felt as though she could see more than surface level, as if she could see directly into my soul. “Feeling a little torn, aren’t you?”

“Torn?” Why would she think I was feeling torn? Was that what she’d called buzzed in her day? Because that was all I was feeling. The alcohol was still coursing through my system.

“No need to play dumb, child. I can sense it about you. Your emotions are off. Confusion saturates the air around you.” Her eyes glossed over as she continued to stare at me. If I hadn’t already known Gran was Moon Kissed, I would’ve thought she was a witch. She always swore it was sharp intuition that coursed through her. Some days I wondered. “I told you hanging around that boy wasn’t going to do you any good. You’re only kidding yourself, Mina.”

I rolled my eyes. This again. “He has a name.”

“His name is no matter to me. The more you hang out with him, the more confused you’re going to become. Especially after you become Moon Kissed. You’re setting yourself up for hardship, dear.”

“And what if that never happens? What if I never become Moon Kissed? What then?” I knew I should hold my tongue, especially when speaking to Gran, but I found it impossible. The liquid fire I’d had with Eli was giving me the courage to speak my mind.

“It will. I can sense it about you.”

“Really? Could you sense it about Sylvie, too? If so, you should have mentioned it to her. Maybe then she would’ve moved on instead of settling down with someone from the pack.”

“It doesn’t work like that. You’re family, which is why I can sense it in you.” Gran sounded so sure of herself chill bumps spread across my skin.

I wondered if that was how it worked. Had Sylvie’s family felt she wouldn’t be a true part of the pack? Had they known she wouldn’t be Moon Kissed?

“Hanging around that boy and Eli is only going to tear you apart, Mina. Eventually, you’ll have to choose which you prefer—man or wolf—because you won’t be able to hold on to both,” Gran said before she opened her book to the page she’d left off on, dismissing me.

I made my way down the hall toward the bedroom Gracie and I shared, still able to feel the warmth of Eli’s apple pie moonshine coursing through my system while Gran’s words buzzed through my head. Would there come a day when I had to choose between them? Why?

Once I reached my bedroom, I crept inside and slipped off my shoes. The soft sounds of Gracie sleeping floated to my ears. I peeled off my skinny jeans and tugged my hair free from its ponytail. My pillow called to me. It had been one hell of a night. I crawled into bed and pulled my sheet over me, kicking my thicker blanket to the end of the bed.

Gran’s words repeated through my mind, and I pondered which guy I felt pulled to more—Alec or Eli, man or wolf?