This Dark Wolf (Soul Bitten Shifter #1) - Everly Frost Page 0,25

can’t feel a breeze, the air is fresh, crisp, and carries the scent of new leaves.

A wide clearing directly in front of me contains two beds on either side, about ten feet apart. A closet sits at the far end of each bed, the back of each closet resting against the trunk of an enormous tree. Farther back are two more enormous trees with regular-sized doors carved into their trunks.

A woman in her early twenties sits in a plush armchair at the base of the bed on the right-hand side. Her knees are curled to her chest and her head is tipped back. White-blonde hair the shade of daisy petals falls down her back and cascades over the arm of the chair. Her lips are pursed as if she’s sighing into the air, and her brown eyes focus upward while she hugs her knees, remaining perfectly still.

She doesn’t react to our arrival, continuing to watch the branches as they sway above her, even though there’s no breeze.

Leaving me at the door, Helen kneels in front of the woman, placing her hand lightly on the woman’s knee. “Ella, sweetie?”

The blonde woman lowers her head, a slow, unfocused movement, her gaze far away despite the fact that she’s looking directly at Helen. She doesn’t speak, but the movement of her head seems to be enough for Helen.

“You have a new roommate,” Helen says.

Ella’s soft brown eyes glide slowly to me. Her gaze, though distant, is unwavering and unsettling.

Her pursed lips part as she inhales. “Wolf,” she whispers on her exhale, a mere breath of sound.

“That’s right.” Helen nods gently. “Tessa is a shifter like you. She needs a forest, so she’ll stay here with you for a while. Okay?”

Ella’s gaze swivels away from me, returning to the branches. She becomes still again, and Helen rises to her feet, her hand leaving Ella’s knee.

Despite Helen’s claim that I won’t be able to use my senses to scent Ella’s supernatural status, I find myself trying to scent the air. For a second, I convince myself that I can sense Ella’s wolf shifter status, but it quickly eludes me. Her true scent is as distant and far away as her attention.

“What happened to her?” I ask, keeping my voice low when Helen returns to me.

Helen’s lips press into a firm line. “Privacy is paramount here, Tessa. Every woman who shelters in Hidden House is at liberty to tell you as much or as little about herself as she wishes. However, please be cautious with your questions. Even a little knowledge could jeopardize the life of a woman sheltering here—or endanger your own life.”

I give Helen a quick nod to let her know I understand. As much as questions burn brightly inside me about Ella—like what pack she’s from—Tristan’s, surely?—and what broke her so badly—I understand how painful questions can be.

Helen’s expression softens as she sweeps her arm toward the bed on the left-hand side of the room, then points to the door in the tree also on the left at the back of the space.

“That’s your bed and your bathroom,” she says. “The water from the tap in the bathroom is safe to drink. A plate of food will be brought to you shortly. If you’re not out of the shower, don’t worry. Aida will leave your food on the table at the end of your bed.”

“Aida is…?”

“One of my oldest friends and an excellent cook.” Helen smiles. “In the meantime, make yourself at home. Come out whenever you want. You’re free to explore. The house won’t let you go anywhere you shouldn’t.”

I consider the space around me—the sense of freedom within the trees—not knowing how to feel about my new surroundings. On one hand, I’m trapped here. On the other, this house already feels like the safest place I’ve experienced since I was born, and I’ve only been here for a few hours.

Helen pauses at the door. “I don’t want you to feel like this home is a prison, Tessa. This building is heavily protected, but it needs to be. Many of these women are thought to be dead. Many of them know things they shouldn’t know. Some of them have twists on their power that make them targets—just like you. My only goal is to make sure they’re safe. That is my only intention toward you, too.”

I fold my hands in front of myself, not sure what to say. The way Tristan brought me here hasn’t helped me lower my defenses. I can’t