Wolf Moon Read online

  “Someone from out of town wants a custom job,” he explained, angling the notes so she could see his rough sketch. “The suspension alone will be a work of art.”

  She smiled slightly, hand on her hip and the coffee pot in the other. Jacob’s eyes caught on her full, peach-colored lips that somehow matched her freckles perfectly.

  “I don’t know anything about machinery, but it looks like you enjoy your work.” Sage smiled at him and Jacob’s brain went stupid for a moment.

  Why was this one girl messing with him so much?

  “Uh, yeah. I do.” Looking down at the sketch he shrugged. “Machinery is the only thing I’ve ever really understood. I’m not good at anything else.”

  Except maybe killing.

  Jacob had done things he could never forgive himself for before Kai. He’d lost people. Some days the only thing that kept him going was his work, and he hid it all behind a smile and some wisecrack remarks.

  “My car still works perfectly, thanks to you,” she murmured. “So, I’m grateful this is something you’re good at.”

  Before he could say anything, she turned and moved on to the next table.

  He didn’t remember working on her car, but he knew he had. Jacob mentally kicked himself. Alexander was better with the customers, not him. He was good at fixing things.

  Even vacuums.

  The sketch in front of him became unfocused as he spaced out.

  A year after living in hell and things still felt too good to be true – he didn’t trust it. But now this dream was being threatened and Jacob spent every night running their borders. The exhaustion was finally starting to hit.

  He’d be damned if he would let some wolves from Cascade encroach on their territory. Their promise not to test the borders seemed to have been lies even after Kai had handled the savage wolf causing problems.

  They would not take his home and everything he’d worked so hard for.

  His phone rang and Jacob picked it up. “Yeah?”

  “Those wolves are skirting the perimeter again, maybe even heading to Portland. I need you and the twins to take care of it,” Kai gritted out. “Contact the Midnight Coven if you have to. I want them out of my territory now.”

  Newly mated, Kai was stuck. But Jacob, Liam, and Noah could handle a few wolves. “Do I need to alert the Council?” Jacob asked, glancing around to see if anyone was watching him, but as usual they all minded their own business.

  “I’m going to be contacting them if I need to, but I’d rather not have them intercede on wolf business. They may not rule in our favor.”

  “Who’s the current representative of the wolves?” Jacob asked, wondering why the Alpha had called him and not Olivia. She ranked higher than he did in the pack after all.

  “An old wolf from the San Juan Mountains. I don’t know him well enough to say which way he’d lean.”

  Jacob grimaced. “The twins and I will handle it, Alpha.”

  Kai thanked him and hung up.

  Despite how much they’d all accomplished in the last year, there was still so much clean-up to do. They were a relatively small pack too. There was only so much they could manage alone.

  Then there was the issue of Portland. They needed a representative to protect their interests there, but no one wanted to live in the city and Kai wouldn’t force anyone.

  “Anything else I can get you?” Sage asked gently, refilling his water glass.

  Jacob looked up and blinked. How much had she overheard? “No thank you, I should be getting back to work.”

  Her eyes dimmed at that and Jacob hated himself for being the cause of it.

  Since when did he care about this kind of shit?

  “But I appreciate the offer,” he managed. “See you tomorrow?”

  Jacob stood and set cash down on the table, smiling down at the woman with the most beautiful brown eyes he’d ever seen. Like her hair they were not-quite-hazel, but in the right light they looked downright green.

  Jacob knew he shouldn’t come back tomorrow. He should eat the food that was in the breakroom, but something kept pulling him back here. If he was smart though, he’d stay away from her. The chances she was his mate were small and it wasn’t like he could ask to sniff the back of her neck without coming off as some insane creeper.

  These flirtations usually didn’t end well for the local girls and Jacob refused to disappoint his new Alpha if it turned out she wasn’t his mate.

  But then Sage looked up into his eyes and smiled slightly. “I look forward to seeing you then, Jacob.”

  Every thought went right out of his head and he couldn’t help the goofy grin he felt spreading across his face. “Okay, see you.” He softly punched her arm, like an idiot, and then turned to leave.

  Jacob hunched his shoulders and rubbed his face. Why did he have to be such a goofball around the one woman he couldn’t stop thinking about? He glanced back, hoping she would be busy doing anything, but of course she was smiling after him, empty plates cradled in her arms.

  He needed to deal with those wolves. Who knew what they would do to someone as sweet and innocent as Sage if they took over?

  4

  Sage

  Sage checked her reflection one last time. Her bangs framed her face nicely, the rest of her hair was back in her usual ponytail for work. The turtleneck she wore was form fitting, but not obnoxiously so.

  She knew she was rather plain with her brown hair and eyes, freckles everywhere, and average height. Sage was the epitome of average and mediocre. The only thing she really had going for her was her curvy figure and flat stomach, but that hadn’t been enough to get a good job as an actress.

  Every acting class she’d taken they pushed her to leave her comfort zone, but Sage had quickly realized that wasn’t something she was capable of. And why pay the high prices of Los Angeles when she wasn’t benefiting from what the city had to offer?

  Leaving her family and friends had been hard, but it wasn’t her home and had never really felt like it, even growing up. After everything that had happened…it had been easy to leave that place.

  Her mother had tried so hard to get Sage into acting or dancing. Anything that she could do in the industry. But Sage preferred being behind the camera rather than in front of it.

  Even with that, she didn’t have the personality to direct and she could take pictures anywhere.

  She sighed and swiped on one last coat of mascara. That and her lip gloss was the only makeup she wore. Too much and it made her freckles start to look weird.

  With a sister who was a successful model and a brother who was a stuntman, it was hard to live up to all that. But if Sage were honest with herself, she enjoyed working as a waitress and learning how to bartend.

  Talking to people, even as shy as she was, was always entertaining.

  “Someone is here, asked to sit in your section,” Heather cooed from the doorway, giving Sage a wink.

  Straightening her apron, Sage nodded to herself. This time, she was going to ask Jacob about something other than work. Baby steps.

  Pushing the doors open, she immediately saw him at the same table he’d been sitting at all week, sketching something with a frown on his face. Sage stopped at the bar first, poured his favorite beer, and then grabbed a glass of water.

  She set both down in front of him and smiled, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. “The usual today, Jacob?”

  He looked up and blinked like he always did. It was the most flattering, and embarrassing, thing she’d ever experienced. Sage assumed it was because he hadn’t realized she was there at first, but after a while she realized…maybe he actually thought she was kind of attractive.

  Then she’d mentally smacked herself for being so stupid. Jacob was used to women like Olivia, Amelia, and Bonnie. Not someone as plain and average as her.

  “I get the same thing all the time. Do you have any suggestions?” he asked, closing his notebook to give her his full attention.

  Sage smiled and
pulled out the menu so she wouldn’t blush too badly from the way he was looking at her.

  It was difficult not to sneak glances and admire the breadth of his shoulders, the size of his arms, and the way his hair kind of fell into place. Jacob was tall and built. Every inch of him was gorgeous. He should be on some kind of calendar with the way his clothes seemed to hug every muscle.

  She cleared her throat and focused on his question. “I really like the chili when it’s cold like this.”

  “I’ll have the chili, then,” Jacob said, slapping the menu. “Some cornbread sounds good too.”

  Putting the menu under her arm, she smiled again and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. It was the beginning of lunch, and no one else was sitting in her section yet, she had time to chat for a moment.

  Just one thing that wasn’t about work, she reminded herself.

  “The cornbread just came out of the oven,” she heard herself saying. “It’s quite good.”

  Her feet were frozen as she tried to think of something, anything, else to say to keep the conversation going. His brown eyes sparkled at her and his smile turned into a grin.

  “So, Sage,” he said. “What made you decide to move to La Grande?”

  She shrugged one shoulder and pulled out her order pad to write down what he wanted for the cook. “I drove through a lot of small towns. This one felt like home.”

  That made his smile falter slightly. “I know what you mean.”

  “Did you grow up here?” she asked, silently congratulating herself for finally asking him something personal.

  “I did.” He nodded slightly at that, eyes becoming slightly unfocused. “I went to Portland to learn my trade, but then came straight back. The city isn’t really for me.”

  “I grew up in a massive city,” she admitted, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one else was waiting for her to take their order. “I don’t miss it at all, even if I do miss my family.”

  Jacob refocused on her, but he didn’t try to smile or make a joke. “You like working here?” he asked suddenly, as if he cared. “Do they treat you well?”

  “They do,” she admitted, getting the feeling that Jacob wasn’t in the mood to chat anymore. “Thank you for asking. Let me get this in for you.”

  With that, she turned and headed back to the kitchen, getting an odd feeling of melancholy.

  Heather was right about one thing, they were all weird and mysterious, but Sage couldn’t help the way she felt drawn to Jacob and his easy charm. But when else was she supposed to talk to him?

  Things were so awkward at work, and yet she didn’t really have the courage to go to the garage and see him.

  Sage sighed.

  Baby steps, she reminded herself. Maybe next time she would ask Jacob what exactly it was he learned in Portland.

  It wasn’t like she had much else to do with her time but to crush on this super-hot guy. Sage shook her head and went to take care of the next table. She needed to refocus on her hobbies. She couldn’t let a guy take up so much of her time and attention.

  5

  Sage

  Sage tried not to read too much into it when Jacob didn’t show up for lunch three days in a row. The other mechanics didn’t come for dinner on Friday like they normally did either.

  Whatever was going on, it wasn’t just him, she tried to tell herself.

  Regardless, she needed to stop over analyzing every tiny detail. She wasn’t in high school anymore.

  Sage worked Friday through Sunday and didn’t see anyone from the Auto Shop. The days felt long and tedious for the first time since she’d arrived in La Grande.

  But Monday was her day off and she fully planned to take advantage of it. Her empty apartment was chilly even with the heater on, but she wasn’t planning on staying long.

  The kitchen was still bare too since she spent most of her time working at the grill. Sage poured one last cup of coffee and took it into the bathroom with her. Her hair was down, and she inspected her reflection, trying to decide what she wanted to do with her face.

  Mascara was always a given, but should she do anything else?

  Sage decided to do some eyeliner, a bit of a subtle gold eyeshadow and a pumpkin-red lip.

  It was about time she took her camera out. There were so many forests nearby and the drive would be easy enough even in her old car.

  It only took a few minutes to get dressed and finish her breakfast. Sage grabbed her camera bag and downed the coffee before she headed out. At least this would help distract her from Jacob.

  After so many days without seeing him, she’d thought maybe the crush would go away and she could finally stop thinking about him all the time, but the opposite had happened.

  Sage couldn’t stop thinking about the way he would turn and look at her as if every thought in his head disappeared when he saw her. No doubt it was all in her mind.

  If he really liked her, he would ask her out, it was that simple. If he wanted her, he would make it happen.

  She was done with pining over men. Sage wasn’t going to let herself fall into bad habits again. Desperation only led to pain and suffering. She needed to clear her head so she could think about more than the way Jacob’s arms looked in his shirts.

  Locking her door, she slipped on her coat and then went down the stairs. It was still frigid, and the clouds hung heavy in the sky. Sage shivered and headed to her silver Corolla.

  Most apartments in La Grande were just like anywhere else, but hers was small and blue – almost more like a motel than an apartment building. Sage was lucky she’d been able to find anything at all on such short notice.

  All she’d been able to get was a mattress after a few days in a motel. Sage didn’t have any other furniture thanks to being so busy. At first, she hadn’t been sure she’d wanted to stay in La Grande, but with every day that passed she was more in love with the mountains and the town.

  Sage put her camera bag in the front seat and started the car, waiting for the engine to warm up. At least there wasn’t ice on her windshield today. That was something she still hadn’t gotten used to.

  After spending her whole life in Los Angeles, she’d never had to deal with snow until this winter. Thankfully she was close enough to walk to the grill which she did most of the time, but the first few days driving from the motel had been rough without snow tires or even an ice scraper.

  She hadn’t even known what an ice scraper was until Alexander had suggested one from their shop.

  Finally, the air turned warm and Sage put the car in reverse.

  The drive was a blur as she tried to do anything other than think about Jacob.

  She’d never had the chance to shoot a snowy forest before. Beaches galore and ritzy houses? Sure, Sage had photographed all of Los Angeles including the secret spots and her Instagram was insanely popular since she captured the side of the glitzy city people really wanted to see.

  Her followers were insanely supportive about her current journey and she owed them something other than a few selfies.

  Fox Hill road took her to the campground and Sage parked her car. The roads were clear, but she’d bought snow tires the week before instead of new furniture. There wasn’t that much she needed with all the hours she was taking. If someone wanted a shift covered, she was there.

  Starting a new life was expensive, especially one where she’d needed to buy a whole new setup to deal with snow including a jacket that was actually warm enough for the freezing weather.

  She parked and got out of the car, slinging the camera bag over her shoulder. Sage looked up at the trees and smiled. They were always beautiful. Maybe she’d find some animals to photograph.

  Trudging along the path that would take her into the trees, Sage pulled her camera out of her bag and slung it over her neck, readying everything to take a picture at a moment's notice.

  It was too cold for anyone to be camping so it was just her and the wilderness. After a lifetime in L.A. she could hardly believe
this was even real. The air was so clean and fresh. Everything felt so pristine and untouched.

  Even the parks in Los Angeles still felt like part of the city thanks to the noise of airplanes and helicopters, the occasional siren…

  There was absolutely nothing out here and Sage shivered, appreciating the danger as well as the beauty.

  Birds chirped, trees rustled in the wind that wasn’t quite howling yet, and the sun seemed to dim as the clouds came in heavy and dark. Sage glanced up, trying to gauge whether she should keep going or turn back.

  An owl hooted and she pulled up her camera, spotting it in the tree. It sat there patiently, eyeing her, nearly posing as it turned its head this way and that. Then she thanked it and kept moving.

  If the weather got worse, she would head back, but her boots were rated for the cold and snow as was her jacket. As long as she turned around in an hour, or at the first sign of falling snow, she would be fine.

  Sage had asked as many locals as she could for weather advice. Considering where she was from, they were all really nice and helped her out whenever they could.

  Pausing to take a picture of the watery light through the trees, she sighed. For some reason the magic wasn’t here today.

  She felt it in the grill and whenever she caught herself looking toward the trees and mountains, but not today. Was it because of the campground and the almost ‘man-made’ feel of this place?

  Maybe it was something else.

  Her eyes caught on the space between the trees and the pull of that location had her stepping off the trail.

  The locals had warned her never to step off a trail unless she was familiar with the area. There were wild animals and if she didn’t get lost, she could get hurt or eaten.

  Sage checked her phone. All four bars were full. She’d stop the second she lost two bars…just in case.

  As soon as she was surrounded by the trees, she felt it again – the magic that was hard to explain. It was darker here, in the thick of the woods. The air was heavy with something she couldn’t name and somehow it felt quieter.