"So how did you even get assigned that case in the first place?"

Cassie had just cleaned her plate. Dinner was delicious and not one edible morsel was left on her dish. They were seated at a patio table out on the back porch under the smoky orange evening sky. The warmth from the heated charcoals radiated from the grill toward her, keeping her comfortable and cozy even though the temperature had dropped. But she was least concerned with the weather and mostly intrigued by the man sitting across from her.

Her beer bottle was half empty and she took a couple sips before answering Luke.

"Well, I wanted to prove that I could handle a big story so I kind of asked for it. No one else wanted it because of all the work involved and I guess because they didn't care one way or another about what was happening to the shifters. Our State has a number of scandals going on at the moment and those are the stories my colleagues were trying to get their hands on. I knew the risk involved but I didn't think things would end up this way."

"The murders are becoming more frequent now. It's a serious issue," he said.

"Have you been following this case too?"

"Well…something like that. I hear a lot through word of mouth. Like you said, our community is closely knit."

She traced the sweat on the neck of the bottle. "I'm not really supposed to say much about it, but not one hour goes by that I don't think about what happened to me, you know? Yet still, I want nothing more than to finish what I started. My brother doesn't want to hear about it. He doesn't want me to have anything to do with it."

"He's just trying to keep you safe," Luke said. "That's what brothers do."

"Of course. You're the first person I've talked to about this since it happened. I was so close to finishing the story. Now that I'm off the case someone else at the station will likely get credit for it, which is okay really. All I wanted to do was to shed some light on the issue. It's like nobody, except for the shifters, was really paying any attention."

"That's probably because they didn't believe the murders affected them much. This is a local crime…or probably regional at this point."

"I just wish they would find this guy, that's all," Cassie said.

"You've done your part when you didn't have to," Luke said. "It's not your job to put your life on the line. Everything is being taken care of. I promise. Don't worry."

Cassie smiled. "I really enjoyed the dinner. Hopefully, before it's time for me leave, I can return the favor. I used to be the worst cook in the world until I stumbled across several YouTube channels on how to prepare meals. Now I can make a mean grilled cheese sandwich without screwing it up."

"Sounds like a plan."

A chorus of wolf howls broke out somewhere off into the distance. The impact of it and the resulting echoes throughout the forest made it seem as if the wolves were only meters away from Luke's backyard. A cold chill crept up Cassie's spine and goosebumps rose on her bare arms and legs.

She looked across the table, meeting Luke's gaze with uncertainty. His hands gripped the edge of the table and his back was stiffened. A look of turmoil crossed his face. It all just seemed so odd.

A flicker of a brighter amber color flashed within his irises. She leaned forward, her attention focused on his sudden change in demeanor, trying to decipher if he was afraid or just anxious. He tore his gaze away, looking out into the direction of the dense trees in his yard.

She looked out into the forest too but saw nothing. All she heard were the wolves howling. This time she realized that the frequency and pattern of the howls were becoming more distinct.

"Do you have a lot of wolves living out here in the mountains?" she asked, breaking the morbid silence.

"Yes, but they're harmless."

The wolves howled again but this time the sound came from different directions. Cassie was now certain that they were communicating with each other.

"It sounds like there are a lot of them. A group of them. Calling out to each other."

"It's a warning," Luke said.

"A warning about what? To whom? To each other?"

Luke nodded.

"How do you know that?"

"I just know," he said, quietly.

"Are they natural wolves or…?"

Luke didn't answer her question, but now that his full attention was on her, she saw that his lips were pressed firmly together and creases formed on his forehead, solidifying her earlier conclusion that he was dead worried about something.

"There are shifters living out here, aren't they?" she asked under her breath as if what she'd just discovered was some deep, dark secret that no one could uncover.

Luke rose from his chair. "Let's get you inside. It's getting cold out here."

She rose with him. "Shouldn't we clean up the food? Won't the wolves smell the food?"

"I'll take care of all that. Don't worry. And for the record, no one will be encroaching on this territory. Trust me," he said.

Without hesitation she trusted him. Coming from an upbringing that taught her never to trust strangers, this feeling seemed odd to her. But physically and emotionally, she felt this instant connection to him. The fact that he still had a worried look etched on his face as they filed into the cabin brought out those same fears in her. Plus, she was a little irritated that their dinner talk had ended. It felt like he was just beginning to open up to her. But there was always tomorrow and she had plans to make the best use of her time out here living in seclusion on this beautiful landscape next to the mountains. The presence of wolves didn't bother her, but Luke's reactions to the howling did.