Chapter 2

chapter Two: The Wolf and the Girl Who Knew Too Much

Riley's brain hadn't caught up with reality yet.

The world had tilted on its axis, and she was standing in the wreckage of everything she thought she knew.

Kieran Wolfe. The quiet, brooding new guy at school the one everyone whispered about but no one knew had just turned into a wolf in front of her. Not an ordinary wolf. A massive, terrifying, monstrous creature that had fought off something even worse.

And now, he was standing in front of her, bare-chested, bruised, and acting like she was the problem.

"You need to leave, Riley." Kieran's voice was low, rough like he wasn't fully human yet. Like there was still something untamed lurking under his skin.

Riley took another step back. Her brain was screaming at her to run, but her body was frozen in place. "You just you shifted. Into a wolf." Her voice sounded strange to her ears. "How? Why?"

Kieran exhaled through his nose like he didn't have the patience for this. "I don't have time to explain. You need to go."

Riley bristled. "I need answers."

He looked at her then, really looked at her, like he was seeing something he hadn't expected. Like he knew something she didn't.

"Answers will only get you killed."

A chill ran through her, but she forced herself to hold her ground. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her. "Yeah, well, not knowing almost got me killed too, in case you forgot."

His jaw tightened.

That was the thing about Kieran Wolfe he had this way of looking at people like he was calculating how much trouble they were worth. And right now, she could tell he was debating whether she was worth the hassle.

Finally, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, you shouldn't have seen what you saw. But now that you have" He trailed off, his golden eyes flicking toward the trees. "They'll come for you."

A cold dread settled in her stomach. "They? You mean ?"

"The pack."

Her breath hitched. She didn't know much about werewolf lore, but Pack sounded bad.

"So what, they just kill anyone who finds out about them?"

Kieran's expression darkened. "Depends on who finds out."

Fantastic.

Riley clenched her fists, willing herself to stay calm, even as panic curled its fingers around her throat. "Then what do I do? Pretend I didn't see anything?"

Kieran hesitated. "It's not that simple."

"Of course, it's not."

"Riley."

The way he said her name sent another chill down her spine. Not just because it was the first time she'd heard him say it, but because there was something in his voice something warning.

She swallowed. "You know my name."

His eyes flickered, almost like he regretted saying it. "Of course I do."

She frowned. "Why?"

Another pause. Another flash of something unreadable in his gaze.

Then he said, "Because you're important."

Her stomach twisted.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

Kieran didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward, close enough that she had to crane her neck to look at him. "Go home, Riley. Stay away from the woods. Stay away from me."

And just like that, he turned and disappeared into the trees.

Riley stood there, heart hammering, until the storm swallowed him whole.

Then, finally, she ran.

Riley barely remembered the walk home.

By the time she stumbled through the front door, soaked to the bone and shaking, her mind was still struggling to process everything. The fight. The shifting. Kieran.

She pressed her back against the door, eyes squeezed shut, heartbeat thundering in her ears.

Werewolves were real.

They had always been real.

And Kieran Wolfe quiet, brooding, troublemaker Kieran was one of them.

Her stomach twisted violently. This wasn't just some supernatural fantasy. This was real. And if Kieran was telling the truth, it was dangerous.

She needed answers.

And she knew exactly where to get them.

"So, remember when you said werewolves were real?"

Nova Carter froze mid-bite into her breakfast burrito, blinking at Riley as if she had just grown a second head.

"Uh. Duh."

Riley scowled. "I'm being serious."

Nova chewed thoughtfully. "So am I. I've been telling you this for years."

Riley pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, Nova. I mean I saw one."

That got Nova's attention.

She set her burrito down, leaning forward over the cafeteria table. "Wait. Hold on. Back up. What?"

Riley exhaled. "Last night. In the woods."

Nova's eyes widened. "Tell me everything."

So she did.

By the time she finished, Nova was practically vibrating with excitement. "Holy shit. Kieran Wolfe is a werewolf?"

Riley groaned. "Not the point."

Nova ignored her. "I knew he was weird. Too hot to be normal."

Riley shot her a glare. "Again. Not the point."

Nova grinned. "Right, right. The point is you're screwed."

"Thanks."

"No, like, actually screwed." Nova's excitement dimmed slightly. "Riley, if the pack finds out you know"

"They already know."

Nova paled. "Oh."

Riley ran

Nova paled. "Oh."

That was the moment the weight of it settled in. The moment Riley saw her best friend the same girl who had spent years obsessing over werewolf conspiracy theories look scared.

Riley forced herself to swallow the lump rising in her throat. "Yeah. Oh."

Nova stared at her for a long second, then leaned in, lowering her voice. "So what exactly did Kieran say? Did he threaten you?"

Riley shook her head. "Not exactly. He just told me to forget what I saw."

Nova snorted. "Oh, sure. Let me just erase the memory of a seven-foot-tall wolf getting into a supernatural WWE match right in front of me. No big deal."

Riley shot her a look. "Nova."

"I'm just saying! That's the dumbest advice ever."

Riley sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't think it was advice. I think it was a warning."

Nova sobered. "Okay. That's worse."

Riley didn't need the reminder. The truth was, she'd barely slept last night, lying awake in bed, replaying everything over and over again in her mind. The fight. The glowing eyes. Kieran's voice was sharp with warning.

Because now they know you've seen too much.

She wasn't safe.

And she had no idea what to do about it.

Nova must have seen the panic creeping in, because she reached across the table and grabbed Riley's hands, squeezing them tight. "Hey. You're not alone in this, okay?"

Riley forced a shaky smile. "Yeah."

Nova let go, leaning back in her chair. "So. What's the plan?"

"I was hoping you'd have one."

Nova considered. "Well, if this were a movie, we'd be looking for some kind of werewolf expert. Maybe some old guy in a dusty bookstore who speaks in riddles."

Riley arched an eyebrow. "We live in Silverwood. Our town's only bookstore is inside a Starbucks."

"Fair point." Nova tapped her fingers against the table. "Okay, plan B. We go straight to the source."

Riley frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Nova said, grinning like this was the most exciting thing to ever happen, "we find Kieran Wolfe and make him talk."

Finding Kieran was easier said than done.

For someone who had just dropped the biggest supernatural bombshell of all time on her, he was nowhere.

Riley checked the hallways between classes. No sign of him. She scanned the cafeteria at lunch. Nothing. It was like he had evaporated into thin air which, given everything she'd seen last night, didn't seem impossible.

By the time the final bell rang, her frustration was at an all-time high.

Nova, ever the voice of chaos, slung an arm around Riley's shoulders as they walked toward the parking lot. "So, here's a thought: what if he's avoiding you?"

Riley scowled. "No kidding."

"Which means," Nova continued, "we have to make it impossible for him to hide."

Riley eyed her suspiciously. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

Nova grinned, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Simple. We find out where he hangs out when he's not at school."

"That's called stalking, Nova."

"That's called research, Riley."

Riley sighed. "And how exactly do we find out where he goes?"

Nova wiggled her eyebrows. "We ask the one person who pays attention to everyone in this school."

Riley groaned. "Please don't say"

"Oh, Heather Sinclair," Nova sing-songed, already veering toward the school's biggest gossip, who was currently holding court by her car with a group of cheerleaders.

Riley barely had time to protest before Nova was dragging her over.

Heather turned as they approached, flipping her perfect blonde hair over her shoulder. "Carter. Hayes." She narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"

Nova leaned against Heather's car like she belonged there. "Information."

Heather smirked. "Obviously. What kind?"

Nova wasted no time. "Kieran Wolfe."

Heather's eyes lit up with curiosity, and Riley immediately regretted everything.

"Kieran?" Heather said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Why are you two interested in him?"

Nova shrugged. "Just a friendly bet. We wanna know where he disappears to all the time."

Heather studied them for a second, clearly debating whether to spill. Then, with a dramatic sigh, she said, "He works at The Den."

Riley blinked. "The Den?"

"The auto shop on Birch Street," Heather clarified. "My dad took his car there once. Said the place is full of, like, scary hot delinquent guys who don't talk much." She gave them a knowing look. "Sounds like your boy, doesn't it?"

"He's not my boy," Riley said quickly, ignoring Nova's smirk.

Heather raised an eyebrow but didn't push. "Anyway, if you're looking for him, I'd try there."

Nova clapped her hands. "You're the best, Heather."

Heather gave her a look. "I know."

Riley sighed as Nova dragged her away, already buzzing with excitement. "See? That wasn't so hard."

"I can't believe we're doing this."

Nova grinned. "Believe it, babe. We're going werewolf hunting."

The Den looked exactly like its name suggested a run-down auto shop on the edge of town, tucked between a mechanic's garage and a bar that never seemed to close. The neon sign flickered above the entrance, casting an eerie red glow across the parking lot.

Riley hesitated as they stepped onto the cracked pavement. "This is a terrible idea."

Nova elbowed her. "Relax. We're just here to talk."

Riley wasn't convinced.

Through the open garage doors, she could see a few guys working on cars tall, broad-shouldered, and exactly the type of people her mom would tell her to stay away from.

And then she saw him.

Kieran.

He was leaning against a motorcycle, his leather jacket hanging off one shoulder, hair still damp from sweat. He looked different here less guarded, like he belonged in the shadows and the scent of gasoline.

And when his golden eyes flicked up and locked onto her, Riley's breath caught.

He pushed off the bike, walking toward them with a slow, measured pace. His expression was unreadable, but there was something sharp in his gaze something that said, you shouldn't be here.

Riley lifted her chin. Too bad.

Kieran stopped in front of them, crossing his arms. "You shouldn't be here."

Yep. Called it.

Nova, ever fearless, grinned. "Nice to see you too, Wolfe."

Kieran ignored her, eyes locked on Riley. "I told you to stay away."

Riley crossed her arms, mirroring his stance. "Yeah, well. You told me a lot of things. None of them were answers."

Kieran exhaled through his nose. "Riley"

"No. You don't get to do that." Her voice was steady, even as her heart pounded. "You don't get to drop that on me and then walk away like nothing happened."

Something flashed in his eyes frustration, maybe. Or something else.

One of the guys from the garage wandered over, wiping grease off his hands. "Yo, Wolfe. Everything good?"

Kieran didn't look away from Riley. "Yeah. I got it."

The guy raised an eyebrow but didn't push. He gave Riley and Nova a slow once-over, then shrugged and walked off.

Kieran turned back to them. "You need to leave."

"No," Riley said, surprising even herself. "I need you to tell me what's going on."

Kieran's jaw tightened.

Nova took a step closer, her usual playfulness gone. "Listen, dude. She saw everything. You think she can just pretend it didn't happen?"

Kieran looked at Riley again, something unreadable flickering in his gaze. "I think she should."

Riley bristled. "Well, I can't. And I won't."

For a long moment, he just stared at her. Then, finally, he sighed.

"You really want answers?"

"Yes."

He glanced toward the woods behind the shop, then back at her. "Fine."

Riley's pulse quickened. "Fine?"

"Meet me at the edge of the forest. Midnight."

Nova made a noise of protest. "Oh, hell no"

Kieran cut her a look. "Come alone."

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, disappearing back into the garage.

Nova turned to Riley, arms flailing. "You are not seriously considering this."

Riley swallowed hard.

She wasn't just considering it.

She knew she was going.

Because something about Kieran Wolfe told her this was bigger than just one night in the woods.

And for better or worse

She was already in too deep.