Caught in between

lur of water, trying to read the weathered wooden sign at the side of the road. Blackwood, it read, in letters so faint they we

as her tires slid slightly on the slick asphalt. She muttered a curse under her breath. Moving to this remote tow

scrawled on the back of a receipt. It wasn't as if she had much of a choice-she needed the job.

their branches heavy with rain. The air was thick with the scent of earth and wet leaves, and an unsettling

as tinged with unease. Blackwood was exactly as the online listing had described-quaint, isolated, and utterly forgotte

e Hollow. She killed the engine and sat for a moment, watching the rain slide down the windows. The prospec

scattered among the booths, their conversations low and murmured. The waitress behind the

er voice tinged with curiosity.

ed a polite smile. "Just moved in today. I'm A

ched a brow. "Y

l, just Ama

and. "I'm Maggie. Welcome to Blackwood, Amara. N

he strength of Maggie's grip. "Thanks

und," Maggie replied with a

gie moved to prepare her order, Amara felt the weight of a dozen eyes on her. She

girl,

ly on the surface. He was tall, with a lean frame, tousled dark hair, and a rugged face that looked like it had seen its

she replied, keep

said, a faint smirk

n eyebrow. "

aze unwavering. "Blackwood isn't

with her coffee and sandwich, sliding th

ng the man a look. "Lachlan likes to

up his hands in mock surre

armth spreading through her chest. "W

eply, but his sm

m or the isolated location. It was the way people watched her, the undercurrent of tension in their glances. And then there

and sharp, carrying the faint scent of pine and something else she couldn't quite

ma

d to find Lachlan standing a few feet away, hi

e," he said, his to

g?" she asked, trying t

ering to the woods that loomed at the edge o

further, he turned and di

ace and a fresh start. But as she glanced toward the dark, silent forest, she couldn't shake