Ember's POV
The Christmas tree crashed down right in front of me, missing my face by inches.
"Watch out!" Tommy screamed from behind me, but it was too late. Pine needles flew everywhere as the huge tree hit the ground with a loud sound.
My heart pounded in my chest. That tree could have crushed me. I looked up to see what went wrong and spotted Tommy on a ladder, his face looking terrified.
"I'm sorry, Ember! The rope snapped!" The eight-year-old hurried down as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Did it hurt you?"
I brushed pine needles off my old jacket and tried to catch my breath. "I'm okay, Tommy. Just gave me a scare."
But nothing was okay. Nothing had been okay for a very long time. It was December 22nd, three days before Christmas, and I wanted to disappear. All around Pine Ridge, wolves were getting ready for the Winter Festival. Happy families picked out perfect trees. Children laughed and played in the snow. Everyone looked excited except me.
"Why don't you like Christmas?" Tommy asked as we worked together to lift the fallen tree.
"Not everyone loves Christmas."
How could I explain it to a kid? How could I tell him that Christmas reminded me of the worst day of my life? Six years ago, my parents died in a skiing accident just two days before Christmas. Ever since then, the holidays felt like a cruel joke.
"Some people just don't," I said instead.
Tommy's face looked up. "But Christmas is magical. My mom says it makes wishes come true."
Magic. Yeah, right. The only magic I'd seen was how quickly people forgot about you when you needed them most.
The sound of loud music and laughter could be heard through the trees from the direction of the town. Someone was having a big party tonight. Probably another pack celebration I wasn't invited to.
"Sounds like someone's having fun," Tommy said, tilting his head toward the noise.
"Good for them," I muttered, focusing on cleaning up the mess of pine needles.
Mr. Peterson, who owned the farm, hurried over looking worried. "Everything all right here?"
"The rope broke," I said, pointing to the torn pieces on the ground. "We should check the other trees before someone gets hurt."
He nodded and went to look at the other displays. I was glad he didn't yell at me. I needed this job desperately. Tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday, and I planned to leave Pine Ridge after Christmas. I'd saved almost enough money to start fresh somewhere else.
The party sounds got louder as evening came. Voices shouting, bottles clinking, cars coming and going. It sounded like half the pack was there, having the time of their lives.
"That's Alpha Cade's bachelor party," Tommy said when another burst of laughter echoed through the woods. "My big brother Jake is there. He said it's gonna be the biggest party ever."
My stomach twisted. Of course it was Cade Blackwood's party. The golden boy of Pine Ridge, getting married in nine days to Victoria Sterling. Every female wolf in the pack talked about that wedding like it was the most important thing in the world.
"Lucky him," I said, trying not to sound bitter.
After Tommy went home and Mr. Peterson locked up, I walked toward my cabin alone. The party was still going strong, and I could hear voices carrying on the wind. They sounded drunk and happy, celebrating Cade's last days of freedom.
I wondered what that felt like, having people throw parties for you. Having a family who cared enough to celebrate your big moments. I couldn't remember the last time anyone had celebrated anything about me.
The walk through the woods was dark and quiet except for the distant party noise. Snow crunched under my boots. Usually, I loved the silence, but tonight the contrast between my loneliness and their joy felt especially sharp.
That's when something strange happened.
A weird smell drifted through the air. It was sweet and warm, like honey mixed with cinnamon. The wolf inside me stirred, which was odd. She rarely reacted to anything.
I stopped walking and looked around. The forest seemed darker than usual. The shadows between the trees looked deeper. My heart started beating faster.
The party sounds were getting quieter now, like people were starting to leave. Car doors slammed in the distance. Engines started up.
But the strange smell got stronger.
"Hello?" I called out softly. No answer came back.
I walked quicker down the path, wanting to get home. But the scent grew more intense with each step. My wolf became restless, pacing back and forth in my mind like she was looking for something.
When I finally reached my cabin, I felt dizzy. The sweet smell surrounded me, making it hard to think straight. I fumbled with my keys, desperate to get inside and forget about this weird night.
That's when I heard footsteps behind me.
I spun around, but nobody was there. Just dark trees and falling snowflakes. In the distance, I could hear the last cars leaving the party, their headlights disappearing into the night.
"Must be my imagination," I whispered to myself.
But as I unlocked my door, a voice came from the shadows. A voice that sounded slightly slurred, like someone who'd been drinking at a party all night.
"Happy birthday, Ember."
I froze. The voice was deep and familiar, belonging to someone I knew but had never talked to before. Someone who should still be at his own bachelor party.
Alpha Cade Blackwood stepped out from behind a big pine tree. His silver eyes seemed unfocused, like he wasn't quite sure how he'd gotten here. His expensive party clothes were rumpled, and he smelled like beer and confusion.
"How did you know it was my birthday?" I asked, my voice shaking.
He took an unsteady step closer, looking as surprised as I felt. "I... I don't know. I was at my party, and then..." He shook his head like he was trying to clear it. "Something made me leave. Something made me follow..."
The wolf inside me went crazy, howling and trying to break free. The sweet smell I'd been following all evening became so strong I could barely stand up.
"Follow what?" I managed to ask.
Cade's confused expression changed to something darker and more intense. When he spoke again, his voice was rough with something I couldn't understand.
"You," he said simply. "You smell different tonight. Very different."
Before I could ask what he meant, pain shot through my whole body. I bent over, gasping for air. Heat flooded my system like fire in my blood.
"No," I whispered, realizing what was happening. "Not now."
But my body wouldn't listen. After waiting two years longer than it should have, my first heat was finally beginning.
And Alpha Cade Blackwood was standing right in front of me, breathing hard and staring at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the entire world. The groom-to-be who had left his own bachelor party to follow a scent he didn't understand.