Chapter 15 The First Day
The morning light spilled weakly through the fog that hung over the valley, washing the ranch in muted gold. My body still ached from sleep, or maybe from running for days, from fear, from tension, but I woke to the sound of boots on wood and low voices drifting from outside. Fred was already up, sitting by the small window, buttoning his shirt. His hair was still damp from the night before, his eyes shadowed but alert.
“Morning,” he murmured when he noticed I was awake.
“Morning.” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “Do you think they’ll let us stay?”
Before he could answer, a heavy knock came at the door.
Ruth’s voice rumbled through the woods. “Up and out, kids. Breakfast’s ready.”
Fred glanced at me, half a smile playing on his lips. “Guess that’s our answer.”
We stepped out into the hallway, following the smell of bacon and wood smoke to the main dining area. The ranch felt more alive in daylight, voices echoing, boots thudding, laughter rough and crude. Wolves moved around like a well-oiled machine, all muscle and instinct. The scent of them filled the air, thick with dominance and testosterone.
Big Joe sat at the head of a long wooden table, his plate already half-cleared. The empty socket where his left eye used to be was hidden behind a dark leather patch now, but that didn’t make him any less intimidating. He nodded as we approached, motioning for us to sit.
“Eat,” he said. “Then we talk about what you’re doin’ here.”
The food was hot and greasy, eggs, bread, and something that might’ve been bacon if it hadn’t been so charred. Still, it was the first real meal we’d had in days, and I wasn’t about to complain. Fred and I ate in silence until Big Joe finally leaned back, lighting a cigar.
“So,” he began, exhaling smoke. “Tom’s boy and his girl show up outta nowhere, lookin’ half-dead. You want to tell me what you’re running from?”
Fred met his gaze evenly. “We just need a place to stay for a while. We’ll work, help out however we can. Dad said if I ever got in trouble, I could come here. Said you’d understand.”
Big Joe grunted. “Tom always had a soft spot for strays.” His good eye flicked toward me, assessing. “And what about you, girl? You got a name?”
“Lyra,” I said softly.
He studied me for a long moment, his nostrils flaring slightly as if trying to read my scent. I kept my heartbeat steady, the serum had worn off and I'm sure everyone knew I was a hybrid by now. After a beat, he nodded slowly. “Fine. You can stay.”
Relief washed through me, too soon.
“But,” he continued, “no one stays here for free.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“This isn’t a charity,” he said firmly, leaning forward. “Everyone here earns their keep. You’ll pull your weight, same as the others. That’s the rule.”
Fred nodded quickly. “We understand. We’ll do whatever’s needed.”
Big Joe smirked. “Good answer. Ruth!”
The old she-wolf appeared almost instantly, as if she’d been waiting just outside. “Yes?”
“Show the kids what needs doing,” Big Joe ordered. “They can start today.”
“Yes, Big,” Ruth said, and motioned for us to follow.
Fred gave me a reassuring look. “We’ll be fine,” he whispered.
I wasn’t so sure.
We followed Ruth out of the main house and across the ranch. The morning air was cold enough to sting, and I hugged myself as we walked past rows of old barns and sheds. The place smelled of dust, oil, and something chemical, sharp and unfamiliar.
Ruth stopped outside a low building with metal siding. A few wolves moved in and out, carrying crates and barrels. “You’ll help here,” she said simply. “Fred, you’ll be with the loading crew. Lyra, you’ll handle packing and sorting.”
I frowned. “Packing what, exactly?”
She gave me a long, unreadable look. “You’ll see.”
When she left, Fred and I exchanged a glance. I followed one of the workers inside, trying not to draw attention to myself.
The interior was dimly lit and smelled of alcohol and burned herbs. Tables lined the walls, covered in glass bottles, copper tubing, and bags of powder. It took me all of five seconds to realize what this was. Moonshine.
Except this wasn’t ordinary liquor. The faint shimmer of the liquid inside the jars told me otherwise. It was laced, with wolfsbane, maybe. Or silver dust. Something dangerous. Something illegal.
I swallowed hard and kept my expression neutral as I was handed a pair of gloves and shown how to seal the bottles.
Fred worked on the other side of the room, lifting crates and moving barrels like he’d been born to do manual labor. He caught my eye once, offering a faint grin, but I could tell he didn’t like it either.
The hours dragged on, filled with the clink of glass and the hum of machinery. My fingers ached, and my mind wandered, to Darius, to the mate bond I tried to ignore. It pulsed faintly under my skin, like a wound refusing to close.
Every now and then, I caught the men watching me. Their gazes lingered too long, full of hunger that had nothing to do with food. One of them, a tall, scarred wolf with yellow teeth, grinned at me every time I looked up. Another whispered something crude to his friend, and they both laughed.
I tried to ignore it, focusing on my work. But my heart raced faster with every passing hour.
By the time Fred walked over, wiping sweat from his forehead, I was wound tight with tension.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
He followed my line of sight to the two wolves leering at me. His jaw tightened. “I’ll protect you, Lyra. Don’t worry.”
I looked at him, really looked. His green eyes were fierce, his hands still trembling slightly from work, but there was a determination in his voice that made me believe him.
“I know,” I whispered back.
When dusk settled, we were finally released for dinner. My back ached, and my fingers were sore from sealing bottles, but I was just glad to be away from that suffocating shed.
The dining hall was loud with laughter and the clatter of dishes. The air smelled of roasted meat and ale. We sat near the end of the table, away from most of the others, though Big Joe sat not far from us, his deep voice carrying over the noise.
“…damn bloodsucker,” he was saying, slamming his fist on the table. “Fast as lightning, those bastards. Took my damn eye clean out.”
The table went quiet for a moment, and someone asked, “What happened, Big?”
He leaned back, puffing smoke from his cigar. “Years ago. North border. My old pack caught wind of a vampire nest on our side of the line. I went in with six men.” He tapped his eyepatch. “Only came out with one eye and one man.”
The others muttered curses and growls of agreement. I stayed perfectly still, forcing my expression to remain neutral.
Fred leaned close to whisper, “He’s talking about vampires like—”
“I know,” I cut in softly.
Big Joe continued, “You stay out of vampire cities. Always. Doesn’t matter if they claim they’re civilized now, filthy leeches can’t be trusted. They kill for fun, drain for sport. Any wolf who walks into their territory doesn’t come back.”
A ripple of nods passed around the table.
I kept my eyes down, but inside my chest, something twisted painfully. If they ever found out what I was, if they knew that vampire blood ran in my veins along with wolf, they wouldn’t let me walk out of here alive.
Big Joe laughed then, dark and gravelly. “But it wasn’t all bad. I took one of their heads before I lost the eye.” He grinned, showing sharp teeth. “That one I kept as a trophy.”
The men roared with laughter, slapping the table.
Fred’s hand found mine under the table, squeezing once. He didn’t say anything, but I felt the silent promise in his touch, I won’t let them hurt you.
When dinner ended, the others drifted off in groups, some heading outside to smoke or talk, others to their rooms. I lingered for a moment, staring into the dying embers of the fire. The warmth felt good against my skin, grounding me in the moment.
I could feel Darius’s bond tug faintly at the edge of my consciousness. Somehow, I knew he was still looking for me.
Fred stood and stretched, his voice gentle. “Come on. Let’s get some rest. Big Joe said we start early tomorrow.”
I nodded and followed him out, but even as we walked back to our small room, my mind wasn’t at peace. The ranch felt like a temporary illusion of safety, one that could shatter at any moment.
When we reached our door, Fred turned to me, his expression serious. “You okay?”
I looked up at him and managed a small smile. “I will be, I just need to get used to this place.”
But deep inside, I wasn’t sure that was true. Because no matter how far I ran, no matter how hard I tried to hide, there was a part of me that could never escape.
Not from Darius.
Not from the truth of what I was.
And not from the monster that still slept under my skin, waiting.