Chapter 2 The Wolf At The Door

Morning in Crescent Hollow began before the sun rose. For Kai Brennan, it was the soft creak of the bookstore's ancient floorboards, the hiss of the espresso machine warming up, and the steady, practiced breath that kept the wolf quiet.

It wasn't fear that kept him human. Not really. It was guilt. The kind that soaked into your bones until it felt like part of your skeleton. The kind that whispered every time you dared to feel happy.

That morning, guilt tasted like burnt coffee.

Kai dumped the first cup and started over, letting the smell of fresh grounds soothe the edges of an unsettled night. Even hours later, the memory of Lena Moore clung to him like perfume-wild, earthy, and impossible to name.

The wolf wasn't fully awake. But it was stirring.

What are you so restless for? he thought to himself, scowling at the reflection in the dark glass of the café's window.

His own eyes stared back. Human. Brown. Familiar.

But somewhere, deep inside, golden sparks waited to flare.

---

The bell jingled at half past eight.

Kai didn't turn around at first, half-expecting Elliot, who was usually late on Thursdays, to barrel in with a box of cheap pastries. Instead, a familiar voice said, soft and hopeful:

"Hey. Thought you might be open early."

Lena stood in the doorway, her hair still damp from the morning mist, the collar of her coat turned up. And in her arms, swaddled against the chill, the coyote pup peeked out, blinking sleepily.

Kai swallowed before speaking. "You're back."

She smiled, small and apologetic. "Is it okay?"

"Of course," he heard himself say. "How's his leg?"

"Better. Still shaky," she answered, stepping closer to the counter. "He wouldn't settle this morning unless I brought him along."

Kai's lips twitched. "He likes books?"

"Or coffee," she teased. "Hard to say."

They stood there, words floating awkwardly between them, until Elliot finally did barrel in-hood up, coffee in one hand, a grin spreading across his face the moment he saw Lena.

"New customer?" he chirped, setting his cup down.

"Sort of," Kai muttered.

"Elliot," the man introduced himself, wiping his hand on his hoodie before offering it.

"Lena," she replied, shifting the coyote to shake his hand.

They chatted for a minute, Elliot's easy banter filling the air. Kai busied himself arranging the pastry display, trying not to stare at Lena-but failing. Her laugh was softer today, like she was tired. There was a sadness behind her eyes that hadn't been there last night.

When Elliot ducked into the stockroom, Kai finally asked, "You okay?"

She blinked. "Yeah. Just... didn't sleep much."

"Because of him?" He nodded at the pup.

"Partly." She hesitated. "And partly because of dreams."

Kai felt the wolf shift in his chest, alert.

"What kind of dreams?" he asked carefully.

She opened her mouth, seemed to change her mind, and shook her head. "Probably nothing."

Probably not, the wolf whispered.

---

They spent the morning together, a quiet rhythm falling into place. Customers came and went, the smell of cinnamon buns and fresh ink hanging in the air.

Around noon, Lena was still there, sitting on the stool by the register, the coyote curled in her lap. She seemed comfortable-like she belonged.

And that terrified Kai.

He stepped outside for air, leaning against the brick wall beside the shop. The city moved around him-cars crawling through traffic, voices rising and falling, pigeons flapping overhead.

He closed his eyes, tried to steady his pulse.

You can't want this, he told himself. You can't want her.

The wolf only growled softly, a sound of longing rather than threat.

---

When he went back inside, Lena was thumbing through a leather-bound copy of Poems of the Moon by Lisette Crane.

"This one's beautiful," she murmured, not realizing he'd returned.

"It's rare," Kai said, voice softer than he meant it to be. "Was my mother's."

She looked up, startled, and her eyes softened. "You don't talk about your family much."

"Not much to say," he lied.

"Mine either," she whispered.

Their eyes met, a moment suspended like breath.

Then the door flew open.

A tall man in a black coat entered, bringing with him a swirl of cold air. His eyes, a hard shade of steel blue, scanned the shop until they settled on Kai.

"Brennan," he said, voice rough with gravel.

Kai stiffened. "Talon."

Lena looked between them, sensing the change immediately.

"What brings you downtown?" Kai asked, jaw tight.

The man-Talon-smirked. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Talon, this is Lena. Lena, Talon."

She nodded politely, but Talon barely glanced at her, his attention fixed on Kai.

"Still playing human, I see," Talon drawled. "Thought you'd outgrow the costume by now."

Kai's pulse thudded painfully. "What do you want?"

"Just checking in. The pack hasn't forgotten you," Talon said, his smile sharp and humorless. "And neither has the blood in your veins."

Kai's hands curled into fists. "Leave."

Talon's gaze flickered to Lena, curiosity sparking for the briefest moment. "We'll talk again soon, cousin."

With that, he turned and walked out, the door closing behind him.

---

The silence that followed was heavy.

"Who was that?" Lena asked softly.

"Family," Kai forced out. "Distant."

Her brow furrowed. "He seemed... intense."

"He usually is."

The coyote whimpered in her arms, sensing the tension.

Lena's gaze softened. "You don't have to tell me anything, Kai. I just... hope you're okay."

"I'm fine," he lied again, the words tasting like ashes.

But inside, the wolf paced restlessly, memories of moonlit forests and pack howls rising from where he'd buried them.

---

That night, after the shop closed and Elliot had gone home, Kai found himself staring at his reflection in the bookstore's dark window.

"You can't have her," he whispered to the wolf in his chest.

But the wolf, stubborn and hungry, only growled back: She's already yours.

---

Sleep didn't come easily.

When it did, it brought dreams.

Dreams of Lena standing in a clearing under a silver moon, her hair loose and wild, her eyes reflecting the night sky.

Dreams of running beside her on four legs, the wind singing through his fur, her laughter as free as the scent of pine and rain.

And in the dream, she turned to him and whispered words he couldn't quite hear.

When he woke, heart pounding and the sheets tangled around him, Kai knew two things:

First, the wolf inside him was awake.

And second, Lena Moore was more than just a woman with kind hands and sad eyes.

She was connected to him. Somehow.

And that terrified him more than the moon ever could.

---