An hour later, we all sat around drinking more water and eating the chips and sandwiches Becca had thought to bring. I wasn’t a big fan of the bread she’d used—sourdough wasn’t my favorite—but I was so hungry I didn’t care. It was nearly three thirty in the afternoon, and I hadn’t eaten lunch.

“Think I can take that for a spin around the track by myself?” I asked, nodding toward Alec’s four-wheeler. He’d parked it beside Shane and Benji’s in a shaded area so the seats and handles wouldn’t get hot while we took a food break.

Alec paused mid-chew. “You serious?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Okay.”

“Okay? You’re just going to let her ride by herself?” Shane asked as though it was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard.

“Yeah.” Alec shrugged. “Why not?”

“Uh, because she’s never driven one before.”

“Gotta start somewhere,” Alec insisted.

“Whatever, man. I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Nobody asked you,” I said, unable to contain myself. I didn’t like Shane. The more I was around him, the more I realized this.

“Kind of like no one asked if I was okay with you being here,” he snapped.

“Whoa,” Alec said. He held a hand out to Shane as though to stop him from saying anything more. “That wasn’t cool. Why should I ask you if she could come? This is my uncle’s property, or have you forgotten? I don’t know what your problem is, but I think you need to chill.”

I hated my presence causing such a rift between Alec and his friend, but I couldn’t deny I enjoyed hearing him defend me yet again.

“Seriously, man,” Benji agreed as he crammed another wad of dip in his mouth now that he was finished eating. “Tone it down.”

Shane shook his head and dropped his gaze to his sandwich. He crammed the remainder of it into his mouth and chewed with an intense level of force.

The entire atmosphere of the place had changed. Tension hung heavily in the air. I polished off the rest of my chips and headed toward Alec’s four-wheeler. He was quick to follow.

“Sorry about him. I’m not sure what his deal is today,” Alec said as I situated myself behind the handlebars. It felt awkward. Maybe it was because I was so short. I had to sit straight and lean forward in order to reach the handles.

“It’s okay. Totally not your fault your friend is super moody for a guy.”

Alec laughed. “He is a super moody, isn’t he?”

“Only when it involves me or his girlfriend. Maybe he has a thing against girls.” It wasn’t that and I knew it. Shane just didn’t enjoy being around a girl who had a little backbone. He wanted his girlfriend to be placid and sit there, watching while he had all the fun.

I hated guys like him.

“I don’t know,” Alec said as he scratched the back of his neck. The conversation was making him nervous. I could sense it. We needed a topic change.

“So, Teach, how do I start this bad boy up?”

Alec seemed to relax. He flipped into teacher mode and told me the important things, like how to turn it on and where the gas and brake were. It was a short lesson, because really, what was there to know after being told where the gas and brake were?

“Think you’ve got it?”

I nodded. “Yeah, totally.”

A wide grin spread onto my face as I reached for the key and cranked the engine to life.

“Remember, don’t just gas it. Start nice and slow,” Alec reminded me.

I gave it a little gas. The engine revved and propelled me forward a few inches.

“Good, go easy. Once you get on the track you can give it some gas and really let it rip.”

“Got it,” I said as I eased on the gas. My sweaty hand slipped and I jerked forward, barely missing Alec’s foot. He jumped back in the nick of time. My hands flew off the handles and came to my mouth. “I’m so sorry!”

“I’d watch out if I were you. Might lose a foot over there.” Benji chuckled from where he sat with Becca and Shane.

“Yeah, yeah,” Alec said as he waved away Benji’s words. A lopsided grin formed on his face. One I found so adorable I wanted to kiss him. He took a couple steps back, giving me some space. “Go ahead. Give it hell.”

I made sure to give it a little gas so I could ease away from him. Once all four tires were on the dirt track, and I’d lined myself up properly, I gave it more gas. The wind whipped against my face as I made my way around the first corner. By the time I reached the long stretch of little hills, I was more comfortable on the beast of a thing. Laughter bellowed from somewhere deep inside my chest. I’d ridden go-carts before, but they were nothing compared to this. I could clearly see why the guys came out here most weekends to tear up the track.

After my third round, Benji joined me on the track. I gave the four-wheeler more gas so I could pass him. Seconds later, he flew around me faster than I thought four-wheelers could go. He tipped his head back and let out a “Yee-haw!” It sounded muffled. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the loud engines of the four-wheelers or the extra-large dip he’d crammed into his mouth. I went around the track once more before coming in slowly beside where Alec stood. His arms were folded across his chest as he watched me.

“How did I do?” I asked.

“Perfect.” He grinned. “You looked like a natural out there.”

“I felt like a natural.” It was the truth. The wind against my face. The sunshine beaming down on me. The raw power with the flick of a wrist. I’d already added riding a motorcycle to my bucket list next, because it had to be even more exhilarating than this.

“Can I hop on?” Alec asked.

My gaze drifted to where Shane and Becca were still sitting. Tension radiated between them, and it looked as though they were in deep conversation. He was probably complaining to her about me.

“How about I take Becca for a ride first?” The words slipped out of my mouth without much thought behind them. Becca glanced at me at the mention of her name, and her wide doe-like eyes brightened. I couldn’t be sure if she wanted to ride, or if she was looking for a way out of whatever conversation she’d been locked in with Shane.

“Sure, yeah. Go ahead.” Alec smirked. “I’m loving all this confidence you’ve gained in a matter of minutes on the thing. Sort of wish I’d thought to bring you out here sooner.”

“Me too. I love it,” I said. I noticed Becca stand. She dusted her bottom off before starting toward me. Shane grabbed her wrist. He said something to her, but I couldn’t hear what. It didn’t look like he was too happy about Becca agreeing to ride with me. “Becca, you coming?” I asked.

She freed herself from Shane’s grip. “Yeah.”

Shane watched the two of us as I popped the four-wheeler in reverse and backed onto the track. I didn’t look at him, but I could feel his gaze on me.

“Everything okay between you two?” I asked Becca once we were facing the opposite direction from the guys.

“Yeah, he’s just upset. Like I said before, he thinks I’m making him look like an ass today,” Becca said as she adjusted her arms around my waist. I could tell there was something more to it, but she didn’t want to tell me.

“You’re not making him look like an ass; he’s making himself look like one,” I said.

“I know, but it would take a miracle to get him to realize that,” Becca said. “He’s not really bothering me, though. This is the most fun I’ve had out here in a long time. Thanks for getting me to ride one of these things again.”

“Don’t worry. The fun is just getting started.”

I gave Alec’s four-wheeler more gas, and we drove around the track twice before deciding to head back to Alec. I didn’t want to keep him waiting any longer for a ride. Becca had seemed to have fun. I’d heard her laughing a few times when Benji caught up to us and made strange faces. That guy was a trip.

“Done already? It looked like you two were having fun,” Alec insisted when I came to a rolling stop in front of him.

Becca hopped off from behind me, but she didn’t rush to where Shane was. She went to the cooler and pulled out another bottle of water instead.

“We were.” My lips twisted into what I hoped looked like an innocent smile. “And I would like to go around a couple more times, but this time with Becca on her own four-wheeler. Think you guys can let the girls have the track for a little while?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Becca said. She shook her head as she placed the cap back on her water.

“Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Benji came to a rolling stop beside where Becca stood. He reached into the cooler and pulled out a bottle of water.

“No. There’s no way I’m letting Becca drive my four-wheeler,” Shane snapped.

“Why not?” I swore if he said something about female drivers not being good, I was going to hop off this thing and deck him.

“I’ve never seen her drive one in her life,” Shane insisted.

“You’ve never seen me drive one either. I managed to do okay,” I said as I glance at Alec for affirmation. “Right?”

“Yeah, you did great.” He smiled.

“Jesus, dude,” Benji said. He flicked the dip from his mouth onto the ground before cracking open his bottle of water and placing it to his lips. “Don’t get your panties all in a wad. Becca can drive mine.”

I knew I liked Benji.

“Awesome.” I switched Alec’s four-wheeler into reverse. “Go ahead, Becca. Climb on. Let’s go around once or twice, and then we’ll let the guys have the track again.” I didn’t want Alec thinking I was hogging his four-wheeler.

“You sure?” Becca asked Benji as he slipped off and motioned for her to get on.

“Go for it.” He took another swig of his water. “You know how to work everything, right?”

“Gas, brake, reverse,” Becca said, pointing to each.

“What are you waitin’ for, then?”

Becca switched the four-wheeler into reverse and eased her way backward. Before she changed gears, I caught her gaze drift to Shane. His face looked red, and I didn’t think it was from the heat. Had Becca wanting to enjoy herself out here today ruined his day that badly? How could he be ticked off at that? I didn’t get him.

“We’re going to do a lap or two. Okay?” I asked Alec.

“Sure,” he said. “I’m going to see if we have any more chips.”

“One step ahead of you, brother,” Benji said as he tossed a bag to Alec. The two of them walked to the shaded area where Shane was sitting.

Becca and I flew around the track being sure to give each other ample room. When we decided to give the guys back their four-wheelers, my hands were tingling and my fingers were stiff. My grip must have been too tight. It was worth it, though. I’d never had so much fun before.

Alec pecked me on the lips after I slipped off his four-wheeler. The kiss surprised me. He hadn’t shown much public affection toward me today. I felt like it was a big deal. My insides reflected this as butterflies flew through my stomach.

“Did you have fun?” he asked. His eye appraised me in a way that had my heart thumping hard.

“Oh yeah.” I made my way to where Becca was sitting beneath the shady tree, feeling Alec watching me walk, wondering if Shane had said anything to her. If he had, it hadn’t been more than a few words. Maybe that was a good thing.

“Hey, um, where do you use the restroom? I really have to pee,” I muttered when I reached her.

She hitched her thumb over her left shoulder. “To the woods.”

“Thanks,” I grumbled as I started toward the woods. Popping a squat was never fun. Guys had it is so dang easy.

I made my way through the thick foliage and slipped behind a big tree. Pulling down my jeans and panties, I popped a squat like my mom had taught me when I was little. My gaze drifted around the woods. Something dark red and crusty a few feet away captured my attention. After I drip dried and pulled my panties and jeans up, I headed over for a closer look. Was it blood? Deep scratches marred the ground in places, too. The closer I looked, the odder the scene seemed. There was blood speckled along some of the foliage. Had a struggle happened here?

Friday night.

The memory of the wolf I’d heard boomed through my mind. He’d sounded injured in his final howl. Was this from him? I thought for a moment. Was there anyone in the pack who’d recently been hurt? I couldn’t think of anyone. They would have come to Gran for one of her remedies if so. Maybe someone had taken an animal down. I glanced around, checking out the surrounding area.

There was nothing.

No carcass. Nothing. Wolves didn’t take down many animals—it wasn’t necessary for our survival like depicted in books and on TV—but when we did, something was always left behind.

What had happened here, then?

“You okay?” Becca asked from somewhere close. I hadn’t noticed she’d followed me into the woods.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just found a little blood on the ground. At least I think that’s what it is,” I said even though I knew.

Becca stepped to where I was. Her nose wrinkled when she spotted the area in question. “That’s definitely blood. Someone must’ve been hunting.”

“I didn’t think anything was in season, though.”

“That’s never stopped some of the guys around here. Especially not Shane and his brothers.”

This didn’t surprise me. I didn’t think Shane would be one to follow rules. Since the apple rarely fell too far from the tree, I imagined his entire family was the same.

My stomach knotted as a thought occurred to me.

“Do Shane and his family hunt here on Alec’s uncle’s property?”

“Year round even though Alec has asked them not to,” Becca said, causing my heart to beat faster. “Actually, I think him and his brothers were out here the other night.”

We started walking back toward the shaded area beside the track.

“How many brothers does he have?”

“He’s the youngest of three. His oldest brother is like twenty-eight and the other one is twenty-six.”

“Wow, that’s a big age gap between them and Shane.”

“I think that’s part of why he’s such a jerk most of the time. He’s attention hungry. Even though he’s not an only child, he sure does act like one.” She rolled her eyes.

“Does he get along with his brothers?” I wasn’t sure why I’d asked. What I really wanted to know was if Shane or his brothers had ever mentioned seeing wolves out here. Like maybe on Friday night?

“Oh yeah. Well, most of the time. It’s a weird relationship really. Shane is always feeling like he has to prove himself to his brothers. He strives too hard sometimes to make them proud of him. I think it’s because they were his father figures growing up. His dad died when Shane was a kid. Hunting accident. People said it was a bear mauling.”

“That’s awful.”

“Yeah. His mom was devastated. She still has lapses of depression from it all.”

We situated ourselves beneath the shady tree again. The boys were still racing around the track, oblivious to us.

“So, what do Shane and his brothers hunt out here?” I asked because I wanted to know more.

“Deer, wild turkeys, sometimes squirrels.”

“Is that all that’s out here?”

“Why?” Suspicion sifted through her eyes. My guard went up.

“I’ve never paid much attention I guess. I mean, are there still bears here?” It was the scariest, largest creature we’d mentioned in our conversation. I hoped it would be enough to curb her suspicion.

“I’m sure there are, but I haven’t seen any. I have seen wolves, though.”

I forced my face into a neutral expression and tried to play it cool as she watched me too closely. “Really? I’ve never seen any.”

“Yeah, well, these woods really aren’t that safe at night,” Becca said. Her words were stern. It wasn’t as though she was warning me about the wolves, but about something else. Her boyfriend, perhaps? Did Becca know more than she was letting on? A shiver slipped along my spine. I’d never been around a human who knew my kind existed. “But, you probably already knew that.”

I blinked and then opened my mouth to say something, but Alec cruised to a stop a few feet in front of us. He let the engine of his four-wheeler idle.

“I think we’re done for the day,” he yelled over the engine “It’s a little after five. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be sunburned all to hell, and this heat is starting to get to me.” It was the first time I’d noticed how pink his skin was.

“Man, it is hot out,” Benji shouted as he eased his four-wheeler onto Alec’s trailer. He wiped at his forehead with the edge of his T-shirt. “I’m gonna need to drink a gallon of my momma’s lemonade.”

“You’re always talking about her lemonade. It’s not like it’s homemade or anything. It's freaking Crystal Light,” Alec teased.

“Is too homemade. She makes it at home, don’t she?” Benji grinned like an idiot.

I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

“I should get going too,” Shane insisted. “We’re supposed to have a family dinner tonight.”

“Eating what you killed out here Friday night?” I said, unsure why the words propelled past my lips. I wished I could take them back the instant they’d slipped free.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Shane narrowed his eyes on me and worked his jaw back and forth. My stomach dropped to my toes.

“How did you know he caught something? Actually, how did you know he’d been hunting out here?” Alec asked. His gaze narrowed on me.

“Um, I went pee behind that tree over there,” I said, pointing to it. “There are signs of a struggle—blood on the ground, scratches. I showed it to Becca, and she said Shane and his brothers like to hunt here sometimes. Figured they must’ve caught something Friday night. Becca said they were here.”

“I thought I told you my uncle didn’t want you hunting here anymore,” Alec said, shifting his full attention to Shane.

“You did, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. We caught a couple rabbits; that’s it.”

Rabbits? Really? There was a heck of a lot more blood and destruction back there than what any rabbit I’d ever seen could do. Unless he’d killed the Easter bunny. I kept my mouth shut, though. It seemed like I’d already said enough.

“I don’t care. Neither does my uncle. He told me no one could hunt here anymore. I’ve been respectful of that. Benji has been respectful of that. Everyone I know has except you.” Alec hopped off his four-wheeler and started strapping it in place. His movements were jerky. “It’s not safe, and you know it.”

My breath caught in my throat. “Why is it not safe?”

I knew why they would think it might not be, but did they know the real reason?

Alec stopped what he was doing and directed his gaze toward me. His eyes bored into mine. I got the impression he wanted to tell me something, but wasn’t sure how to word it.

“You have to know about these woods. I mean, you live in Mirror Lake Trailer Park. You’ve lived in Mirror Lake your whole life. You probably know better than anyone what I’m talking about,” he said.

Was it me, or was there a certain level of softness hanging in his tone, almost as though he was sorry we were even having this conversation? My heart thundered against my rib cage. Did he think I was a wolf? What about my family?

“The wolves. You’ve heard about the wolves, right? All the rumors and theories that fly around this town about everyone who lives in the trailer park,” Benji said. “Some people in town actually think y’all livin’ in the trailer park are werewolves. Freakin’ whack jobs,” Benji muttered as he strapped his four-wheeler down while shaking his head. It was clear he didn’t believe in the rumors.

“My uncle is not a whack job,” Alec snapped. I’d never seen him angry before. It was jarring. “He saw what he saw. I believe him.”

I licked my lips, unbelieving this conversation. “What did he see?”

“A wolf. It bit him,” Alec said. He was dead serious.

I didn’t know how I should react. Should I make a joke about his uncle becoming a werewolf now even though I knew it wasn’t a possibility? Should I act surprised? Scared?

“Since then, he doesn’t want anyone hunting here. Especially not at night or early morning,” Alec said.

“Why not during the day? Why does he let you use this piece of property to race your four-wheelers on if he’s worried about someone else getting attacked?” It seemed like the only logical question.

“Wolves don’t come out during the day. They’re night creatures,” Shane surprised me by saying. My gaze drifted to him. There was something glistening in his eyes I didn’t like. It was almost as though he enjoyed seeing me squirm. Maybe because he knew why?

Wolves didn’t hunt like he was insinuating, though. But I couldn’t tell them that. It would only make me sound crazy. Or worse, it would put me on Shane and his brother’s radar. I had a feeling they weren’t your average hunters. They knew werewolves existed, and they knew how to hunt them.

My mind reeled.

Who was missing from the pack? What had Shane and his brothers done with them?

I needed to go home.

Shane’s eyes were glued to me as he loaded his four-wheeler onto the trailer. Chill bumps erupted across my skin. I knew I didn’t like the guy, but now I had an even bigger reason.

“Here’s your strap,” Alec said, tossing one to him. “Tighten it up yourself.” He jumped off the trailer and headed straight for the cab of his truck. I picked up the trash near where we’d all been sitting, struggling to force my heart to slow its fast-paced rhythm and the tension to leak from my muscles. I needed to relax, but I couldn’t because I could feel Shane’s eyes boring into my back.

“Here, you can put that in this,” Becca said. She handed me a plastic grocery bag.

“Thanks.”

After I was finished picking up trash, I made my way to Alec’s truck and climbed in. Benji scooted in beside me.

“Good job out there today. You’re one hell of a racer,” he said as he flashed me a grin. Tiny pieces of dip were trapped between his bottom front teeth. It was disgusting.

“Thanks,” I said before motioning to his mouth. “And you’ve got a little something going on.”

Benji flipped down the visor and glanced in the mirror. He showed his teeth so that he could see what I was talking about. “What? You mean all this sexy shit stuck between my teeth?”

I laughed. “Yeah, that would be it.”

Alec chuckled as he cranked the engine of his truck and popped it into drive. “That’s disgusting, man.”

We all laughed as he pulled away from the track. An uneasy feeling still stirred in the pit of my stomach I couldn’t shake, though. I needed to get home. I needed to make sure each of the pack members was accounted for.