POV Cassidy
Water sprayed across my kitchen floor like a broken fire hydrant.
I stood frozen in the doorway, coffee mug clutched in my hands, watching the pipe under my sink shoot water in every direction. The cabinet doors hung open, revealing the chaos inside. Puddles spread across the linoleum toward my bare feet.
"No, no, no." I set down my mug and waded into the mess, turning the handles under the sink frantically. Nothing stopped the spray. Water soaked through my pajama pants as I crouched down, trying to find some kind of shut-off valve.
My first instinct was to call Theo. He'd handled my car, fixed the cottage problems, promised to take care of everything. But something stopped me from calling him.
I needed to prove I could handle one crisis without running to him like a helpless damsel.
Instead, I scrolled to June's number. The diner owner had been nothing but kind since I'd arrived, and maybe she knew someone who could help.
"June? It's Cassidy. I have a plumbing emergency and I don't know what to do."
"Honey, I'll be right there. Don't you worry about anything."
True to her word, June knocked on my door ten minutes later with a sturdy man in his thirties trailing behind her. He had warm brown hair, calloused hands, and work clothes that had seen plenty of action.
"This is Benji Cole," June announced. "Best handyman in three counties, and he owes me a favor."
Benji tipped an imaginary hat. "Ma'am. Let's see what we're dealing with."
He pushed past me into the kitchen and immediately crouched under the sink, water spraying his shirt as he examined the pipes.
"Found your problem." He reached behind the cabinet and twisted something with a grunt. The spray stopped instantly. "Water main shutoff. Should be the first thing you learn in any old house."
Relief flooded through me. "Thank you. I was starting to panic."
"Understandable. These pipes should've been replaced years ago." Benji crawled out from under the sink, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Old houses need regular maintenance, or they'll surprise you like this."
While Benji examined the damage, I busied myself making coffee. My hands shook slightly as I measured grounds, embarrassed that something so basic had sent me into complete meltdown.
"Don't feel bad about not knowing," Benji said, accepting a steaming mug. "City living doesn't teach you about pipe maintenance."
"Is it that obvious I'm not from here?"
"Little bit." He grinned. "But that's not necessarily bad. Sometimes outsiders see things locals miss."
June settled into a kitchen chair. "Benji's one of us too, honey. Wolf, I mean. No point dancing around it."
I nearly dropped my coffee mug. "Really?"
"Born and raised Greywood Pack." Benji nodded casually. "Been friends with Theo since we were pups. Guy's got the biggest heart in the county, but sometimes he tries too hard to make everyone happy."
"What do you mean?"
"Pack hierarchy matters to him. Always has. He wants to be the perfect son, perfect future alpha, perfect everything." Benji's voice carried genuine affection. "Sometimes that means he bends over backward for people who don't deserve it."
"And Xander?"
Benji's expression darkened. "Different story entirely. Those two used to be inseparable, back when we were kids. Xander taught Theo how to fight, how to hunt, how to be a wolf. Then he got up and left with Tessa, breaking every promise he'd ever made."
"That must have hurt Theo badly."
"Nearly destroyed him. Not just losing his girl, but losing his brother too. Pack loyalty means everything to us. When Xander ran, it felt like betrayal on every level."
I absorbed this information, understanding now why Theo's reaction to his brother had been so violent. The wound went deeper than romantic jealousy.
"I need to check your basement pipes," Benji said, finishing his coffee. "Make sure this wasn't part of a bigger problem."
Twenty minutes later, his voice echoed up from below.
"Miss Whitaker? You might want to see this."
I followed him downstairs, where he stood examining the wooden door frame leading to what looked like a root cellar. Deep gouges scored the wood, four parallel lines that looked disturbingly familiar.
"Those are claw marks," I whispered.
"Wolf claws, specifically. Territorial markings from old pack conflicts." Benji traced the scratches with his finger. "Your cottage sits right on the border between Greywood Pack territory and disputed land."
"Disputed by who?"
"Rival pack. They've been trying to claim this valley for decades. When your parents lived here, tensions ran high. These marks are probably from those confrontations."
A chill ran down my spine. "Are they still a threat?"
"More than ever. Their old alpha died last year, and the new one's got ambition. Word is he's planning another challenge." Benji's voice turned grim. "Problem is, our pack doesn't have a clear alpha succession yet. Makes us look weak."
After Benji finished replacing the pipes upstairs, I insisted they stay for lunch. Over sandwiches and more coffee, our conversation turned to pack politics.
"The rival pack challenged Elias to an alpha duel when he was young," June explained. "Right after he took over from his father. Elias won, but barely. Established Greywood dominance for thirty years."
"But now?" I prompted.
"Now Elias is aging, and everyone knows it. The rival alpha thinks this is his chance to finally take the valley." Benji shook his head. "If we don't settle the succession soon, he might be right."
"What about the sixty-day competition?"
"Smart move by Elias, but it's also dangerous. Shows the pack is divided. Gives enemies openings to exploit."
The weight of responsibility settled on my shoulders. My presence in town, my connection to both brothers, had complicated an already fragile situation.
After lunch, we returned to the kitchen so I could inspect Benji's work. The new pipes gleamed under the sink, and water flowed perfectly from the repaired faucet.
"Should be good for another thirty years," Benji announced with satisfaction.
As I knelt to close the cabinet doors, something white caught my eye. A piece of paper stuck out from under the kitchen table, barely visible against the baseboards.
I pulled it free and my heart stopped.
For Cassidy, the complete truth was written across the front in Dad's careful handwriting.
The final letter. The one that had fallen during my breakdown with Xander, forgotten in the chaos of revelation and emotional overload.
"Everything alright?" June asked, noticing my expression.
I clutched the letter against my chest, knowing it contained the answers I'd been desperate to find.
"I think I'm about to learn everything my father never told me."