[BOOK ONE] When hunter-gatherer Adele Shepherd comes across an injured werewolf in the woods, it's up to her to take him in and save his life: in a remote town dedicated to killing the creatures, she's the only one left who wants to help no matter t...
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A ROBIN CHIRPED outside the frozen window, perching on a sparkling frosted branch as it puffed its proud orange chest and its white feathered belly swelled with each high-pitched cheep. It ruffled its wings and adjusted its stance on spindly legs that hardly looked strong enough to keep it upright, and it soared off to follow the tweet of its mate. The branch shook when it took flight, sending the shimmering frost floating down to the snowy ground. A fresh round had fallen overnight, cleaning the woods with a blank canvas that made the sun shine brighter.
As warm water ran over Adele's hands, she watched the robin with a slight smile on her lips, her eyes tracking its path until it flew out of sight and she twisted the tap as far as it would go to stop the leak. Drying her hands, she passed two clean mugs to Caleb that he filled with hot coffee and added a couple of teaspoons of cocoa powder to his. He had discovered the joys of a mocha over the weekend, something Adele had introduced him to when she had needed a caffeinated pick-me-up with a sweet kick.
When he reached up to take a few marshmallows from the top shelf of the cupboard, Adele tucked herself under his shoulder and he laughed when he brought his arm back down around her. She fit snugly against him, the top of her head just reaching his collarbone: he dwarfed her, his chin resting on the crowd of her head. Turning his cheek against her hair, he kissed her forehead and felt her skin heat up when his fingers grazed her mark.
After two days, the angry red wound had begun to heal, the puncture marks scabbing over when she left them for long enough. Caleb lowered his lips to the scar, gently kissing her neck, and she turned around in his arms to meet his kiss. His beard scratched her skin, his nose pressing into her cheek as he cupped the back of her neck and held her as close as he could.
They only broke apart when Adele reached out a hand to steady herself against the counter and instead plunged her hand into her mug, recoiling with a cry when it scalded her skin.
"Did I hurt you?" Caleb asked, jolting away from her with his hands on her shoulders.
"No, no, just the coffee," she said. "You were good. Very good." She ran her hand under the cold tap for a few seconds when she felt the sting of the burn and she dried it on her jeans, muttering a curse under her breath at her own coordination. Squeezing Caleb's hand, she passed him his mug and when he sat first, she squeezed into the space beside him and sank against his body.
