He's an Alpha

Chapter One The bus hissed to a pause at the edge of Blackwood Falls, a town that looked like it had been carved straight from the forest itself. Pines stretched high into the cloudy sky, their shadows long and heavy, and the narrow main street seemed swallowed by the surrounding mountains. Lisa pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the bus window and drew in a slow breath. This was supposed to be her fresh start—a new chapter, far away from New York, from her mother’s empty promises and her stepfather’s bruising temper. The moment she stepped down from the bus, the air hit her—crisp, sharp, carrying the faint scent of pine and rain. Blackwood Falls was quieter than she had imagined. A handful of brick shops lined the street, their signs faded with age. A diner, a hardware store, a bookstore that looked like it hadn’t seen customers in years. The whole place felt as though it had secrets buried under its skin. She adjusted the strap of her singlet and whispered to herself, This is home now. At least for a while. Her aunt Maureen was supposed to pick her up, but Maureen’s ancient pickup wasn’t anywhere in sight. Lisa sighed and started walking toward the diner, hoping to wait there. As she pushed the door open, the old bell above the frame jingled. Heads turned, people were staring at her . For a moment, she felt like an intruder, a strange girl in a town where everyone already knew each other. Conversations dimmed, and she caught snippets—“new girl,” “college kid,” “city blood.” She offered a polite smile, forcing herself not to shrink under their stares, and slid into a booth by the window. The diner smelled like old coffee and frying bacon. The waitress came over with a weak smile, poured her a glass of water without asking, and said, “You’re Lisa right? Maureen mentioned you'd be in today.” Lisa blinked. Small towns, she thought. “That obvious?” The waitress chuckled. “Blackwood Falls doesn’t get many new faces. You’ll get used to it.” Before Lisa could reply, the bell above the door chimed again. She looked up—and the air seemed to vanish from her lungs. He came in with the kind of presence that made people notice without trying. Tall, broad shoulders beneath a dark leather jacket, his steps carrying a strange and quiet authority. Yes! His jacket was ripped and he had a stain of stew in his white visible singlet which only I can obviously see, but it doesn't matter what people only think about is his hair that was black, tousled just enough to look careless. But his face was carved with sharp lines, handsome in a way that made people stare without realizing they were staring. But it wasn’t his looks that froze Lisa—it was his eyes. His eyes were gray, sharp like they could see right through me. They swept across the diner with practiced indifference, yet when they landed on her, just for a fraction of a second, she felt something raw and gummy. A pull, as though her body recognized him before her mind had the chance. Whispers stirred among the townsfolk. “Blackwood boy,” someone muttered. “James”. He moved past her table without a word, sliding into a seat at the far end of the diner. The waitress went rigid for a moment before hurrying to take his order, her eyes lowered, almost deferential. Lisa couldn’t look away. He hadn’t spoken to her, hadn’t even given her more than a glance, but her pulse raced as though she had run miles. The door opened again, this time with a gust of cold air, and her aunt Maureen appeared, flushed from rushing. “Sorry, honey! The truck wouldn’t start.” She enveloped Lisa in a quick hug, then glanced around. “Let’s go. Don’t want to keep the wolves waiting.” It was just a phrase, a small-town joke maybe, but Lisa noticed how a few heads turned sharply, how James's silver eyes flickered for the fastest moment. She filed it away, uncertain why her stomach knotted at the word. Outside, as they loaded her bags into the rusty pickup, Lisa risked a glance back through the diner window. James was still there, leaning forward on the table, watching her with an expression she couldn’t name. Curious. Dangerous. Possessive, ready to s*******r. She shivered, telling herself it was just nerves, just exhaustion from the journey. After all, this was supposed to be her new beginning. She had promised herself no more toxic entanglements, no more men who left her scarred. But as the truck rumbled down the winding road toward her aunt’s house, Lisa couldn’t shake the feeling that her life had just shifted, that the quiet town of Blackwood Falls wasn’t quiet at all—and that the storm in James’s Blackwood’s eyes was a warning she would not be able to interpret, the whole incident was confusing to her.