Prologue
Riley stood on a quiet trail in the Bitterroot Mountains, the summer breeze rustling the trees around her. She was far from the small town of Ravenwood, Montana, where she'd moved a month ago with her mom, Diane, and her stepdad, Carl. The move from Arizona had been tough, a long, five,day drive in a cramped car with no stops at motels. They slept on the side of the road, and Carl's drinking made everything worse.
She wore a green fleece to keep warm, her dark hair tucked under a cap, and held her phone to take a picture of a sparkling lake. Back in Arizona, kids at school stayed away from her once they met her parents, and she knew it would be the same at Blackthorn High, where she'd start tomorrow. She didn't want friends anyway. It hurt too much when they left her behind. But deep down, she wished for someone to care, someone to save her from her awful home. She didn't even know her real dad, and her mom never talked about him.
She wasn't just a normal girl, she was a werewolf. She'd been hiding it her whole life, using special shots of injections to keep her wolf side asleep. She didn't know much about being a werewolf, but she knew it made her different, stronger, and sometimes angry in a way that scared her.
She didn't know why she'd been sent to Ravenwood, but it wasn't by chance. In this small town lived the Hawthorn triplets, Silas, Caleb, and Ethan, three 18,year,old brothers who were more than they seemed. They were werewolf Alphas, born to lead their pack, but also in danger because some wolves wanted them gone. Riley was here to watch them, to keep them safe, even if she didn't understand why. What she didn't know was that the triplets already felt her presence. They knew she was their mate, the one they were meant to be with, and their blue eyes would soon find her.
Riley felt a strange chill, like someone was watching her. She looked around, but the forest was empty. It wasn't the first time she'd felt this way in Ravenwood. Something about this place felt different, like it was hiding secrets.
What Riley couldn't see were the three sets of glowing blue eyes watching her from the shadows of the trees. Silas, Caleb, and Ethan stood in their wolf forms, their black fur blending with the dusk. They'd felt her the moment she arrived in Ravenwood, a pull they couldn't ignore. She was their mate, the one destined to stand by their side, but they sensed her fear, her hidden wolf. They knew trouble was coming, and Riley was about to be caught in the middle of it.
Chapter 1
Riley's POV
I thought moving to the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana was going to be a nightmare. And for the most part, it is. It's summer, and I'm still wearing a fleece jacket because I moved here a month ago from sunny Arizona with my mother, Diane, and my stepfather, Carl. That was a grueling five,day drive. Carl's a drunk, so Diane had to drive the entire way, and they didn't have money for a motel. We slept in the car whenever we pulled over, which wasn't often. But I did see some stunning landscapes, dense pine forests, jagged peaks, and rivers that looked like they belonged in a painting. I made a mental note that when I finish my senior year of high school and get away from these two, I'm going to hike every trail in Montana. But it'll have to be in summer. I hate the cold. I've heard that in winter, the sun barely climbs above the horizon here. I'm curious to see it, but I'm also curious what would happen if I just ran away and left this mess behind.
I gave up the fantasy that my real father would show up and rescue me from Diane and Carl. Diane's made it clear my whole life that she regrets having me. Carl's just the latest in a string of losers she's been with since I was a baby. I've never met my dad, and I've stopped wondering what he's like. But Montana's got one thing going for it: the hiking trails. The forests are thick with evergreens, the mountains are capped with snow even in July, and the lakes are so clear you can see every pebble at the bottom. I'm out on one of those trails now, early in the morning, bundled up in layers, snapping photos with my phone. I find a lake with a backdrop of towering peaks, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I check my watch and sigh. As much as I love being out here, I have to head back to the house. It's my first day at my new school, Blackthorn High, and I'm not exactly thrilled about it.
The house is quiet when I get back, which is a relief. Diane and Carl are probably passed out after another night of fighting and drinking. I slip inside, avoiding the creaky floorboards, and head to the kitchen. I open the fridge to grab an apple, but the door slams shut on my hand. I yelp, pain shooting through my fingers. Carl's standing there, reeking of stale whiskey and cigarettes. "Watch it, girl," he slurs, his eyes bleary. I yank my hand free, ignoring the bruise already forming, and head upstairs to get ready. After a quick shower, I pull on a green sweater, jeans, and hiking boots. I stare at myself in the mirror, dark hair, hazel eyes, and a face that looks too tired for seventeen. I grab my backpack and freeze when I see Carl lurking outside my bedroom door.
He pulls me into a hug that makes my skin crawl, his hand sliding too low. "Be careful of those teenage boys," he says, his breath hot on my ear. "They're trouble." I shove him away, grab my bag, and bolt downstairs. I wish I was back in Arizona, even in that rundown house we had. It was easier to avoid Carl there. Here, his room is right down the hall, and he always knows where I am. I step outside into the crisp mountain air and start walking to school. Blackthorn High is a mile away, nestled in the small town of Ravenwood. The town's surrounded by forests and peaks, and it's got that eerie, isolated vibe. I don't plan on making friends here. I learned a long time ago that getting attached just leads to hurt. Parents in Arizona always banned their kids from hanging out with me once they met Diane and Carl. It stung when I was younger, but now I get it. I wouldn't want friends seeing this mess either.
At school, I keep my head down, sketching in my notebook during first period. The classroom's buzzing with chatter, but I tune it out. Then the door opens, and the room goes quiet. I look up, and there are three guys standing there, triplets, by the look of them. They're tall, broad,shouldered, with jet,black hair and sharp blue eyes. They're built like they spend every day hauling logs, and their presence sucks the air out of the room. A girl, Tara, stops talking to her friends and runs up to hug one of them. He returns it briefly before pushing her away. All three turn their heads at the same time, their eyes locking onto me. It's not a casual glance, it's intense, almost predatory. My heart stutters, and I drop my gaze back to my sketch, but I can feel them staring. It's like they're seeing right through me.
The teacher arrives, and everyone scrambles to their seats. To my surprise, the triplets sit at the desks right in front of me. Tara takes a seat nearby, shooting me a venomous glare over her shoulder. She keeps trying to talk to the triplet she hugged, but he ignores her, which only makes her glare at me harder. I focus on my drawing, but it's hard to ignore the triplets. They're not just big, they're magnetic, like they own the room without trying. A girl across the room, Lila, catches my eye. She nods slightly, like she's acknowledging something, then moves to sit next to me. "Hey," she whispers. "I'm Lila. You're new, right?"
"Yeah," I mutter, not sure if I want to engage. But she seems friendly, so I relax a bit. The class passes quickly, but when the bell rings, the triplets don't move. I gather my things and start to leave, but the one Tara hugged grabs my wrist as I pass. I freeze, looking down at his hand, then up at his face. He's staring at the bruise on my hand from the fridge incident. "Something I can help you with?" I ask, my voice sharp. He doesn't say anything, just studies the bruise before letting go. I walk out, Lila trailing behind me.
"Who the hell are those guys?" I ask once we're in the hall.
Lila grins. "The Hawthorn triplets. Silas is the oldest, the one who grabbed you. Ethan's the youngest, and Caleb's the middle one. They're kind of a big deal around here."
"That was creepy," I say, rubbing my wrist. "He didn't even speak."
"Silas is the strong, silent type," Lila says. "But trust me, they're harmless. I've known them forever."
I nod, but I'm not convinced. There's something about them, something that makes my instincts scream. And I've learned to trust my instincts.