Corie Fernleigh loved her mornings. The stillness of Pine Hollow at dawn gave her a rare sense of peace. Inside her cozy bakery, the scent of sugar, butter, and cinnamon swirled through the air as she leaned over the counter, carefully piping pastel frosting onto her signature petit fours.

She had no use for drama, no time for magic, and absolutely no patience for Heath Lunestone.

The knock on her bakery’s back door came just as she was adding the finishing touches to the last tray. Corie’s shoulders tensed. She knew who it was before she even opened the door.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Heath said, leaning casually against the frame. The dawn’s light cast a warm glow over his rugged face, highlighting his golden eyes and stubble-covered jaw. He wore his signature flannel shirt, rolled up to his elbows, and jeans that hugged his impossibly broad frame.

Corie groaned, resting a hand on her hip. “Heath, it’s not even seven. What do you want?”

Heath grinned, unbothered by her tone. “I smelled biscotti.”

“You’re like a stray dog,” she muttered, stepping aside to let him in. “One whiff of baked goods, and here you are.”

“Can’t help it,” he said, stepping inside and inhaling deeply. “Smells like heaven in here. You’re spoiling me, Corie.”

“I’m not spoiling you,” she shot back, picking up a tray of biscotti. “I’m feeding you so you’ll leave me alone.”

But even as she said it, her lips twitched. She hated how Heath had a way of making her smile, even when she wanted to stay annoyed.

Heath didn’t take the tray from her hands. Instead, he leaned closer, his golden eyes locking with hers. “You know,” he said, his voice dropping to that low, gravelly tone that made her heart skip a beat, “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of you yelling at me.”

Corie’s cheeks heated, but she quickly shoved the tray into his chest. “Take your biscotti and go, Lunestone.”

Heath laughed, the rich sound echoing through the bakery as he took the tray. “See you later, Corie.”

And just like that, he was gone, leaving her standing in the middle of her kitchen, muttering curses under her breath and trying not to think about the way his smile made her stomach flip.

---

That evening, Corie was back in her kitchen, kneading dough for the next day’s orders, when the first sign of trouble came. The soft glow of her kitchen lights flickered. Then, a low, guttural growl echoed from somewhere outside.

Corie froze, her hands still buried in flour. “What the…?”

The growl came again, closer this time. She grabbed her rolling pin and moved cautiously toward the window. She peered out into the darkness, her breath fogging the glass.

Nothing. Just snow-covered bushes and the faint glow of her porch light.

She turned back to her counter—just as a deafening crash shattered the silence. The back door flew open, and a hulking, fanged thing lunged into her kitchen.

Corie screamed, clutching her rolling pin like a weapon. The creature—a nightmarish rabbit with glowing red eyes and claws the size of butcher knives—snarled, saliva dripping from its maw.

“Oh, no. Nope. No way,” Corie muttered, backing up. “You’re not wrecking my kitchen!”

The cottontail leapt onto her counter, smashing her perfectly arranged petit fours. Corie’s anger flared. She grabbed the nearest tray of overbaked cookies and hurled them at the creature.

“Take that, you oversized furball!”

The cookies hit the beast square in the face, but it only snarled louder.

Before it could pounce, the door burst open again, and Heath stormed in, half-shifted. His golden eyes blazed as claws extended from his hands.

“Corie, get down!”

She dropped to the floor just as Heath collided with the creature. The two tumbled across the room, crashing into shelves and sending flour flying.

“Stop destroying my kitchen!” Corie yelled, crawling to a safer spot behind the counter.

Heath didn’t respond. His wolf was fully in control now, his growls echoing through the room as he fought the creature.

But then Corie saw it—the cottontail’s claws slashed across Heath’s side, leaving deep, bloody gashes.

“No!” she cried, grabbing her rolling pin and charging forward. She swung with all her might, hitting the beast on the back of its head.

It barely flinched.

Panic surged through her. She grabbed her heaviest baking stone and hurled it at the window, shattering the glass and sending a cascade of snow from the roof down onto the cottontail.

The creature howled as it was buried under the avalanche of snow and rock.

Heath slumped to the floor, his breathing ragged. Corie rushed to his side, her hands hovering over his wounds.

“You idiot,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “You’re supposed to be the big, bad wolf. How did you let a giant bunny take you down?”

Heath chuckled weakly, his golden eyes flickering up to meet hers. “Had to make sure you were okay.”

Before Corie could respond, the adrenaline wore off. Her vision blurred, and the world tilted. She felt Heath’s arms catch her just as darkness claimed her.

---

Corie woke to the sound of a crackling fire and the faint scent of cedar and cinnamon. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the soft light of the room.

She was in Heath’s cabin, wrapped in a thick, fur-lined blanket.

Her gaze shifted to the corner of the room, where Heath sat, shirtless, by the fire. The wounds on his side were bandaged, though the sight of them made her chest ache.

“You’re awake,” Heath said, his voice softer than usual.

“Yeah,” Corie murmured, sitting up slowly. “What happened?”

“You passed out,” he said, crossing the room to sit beside her. “Scared the hell out of me.”

Corie winced. “Sorry about that. And… thanks for saving me.”

Heath smiled, his golden eyes warm. “You saved me too, you know. That was some impressive snow-fighting.”

Corie laughed softly, the sound easing some of the tension between them.

But then Heath’s expression turned serious. “Corie, I need you to know something.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

“I’m not just your neighbor,” he said, his voice low. “You’re my mate. And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Always.”

Corie’s breath hitched. She wanted to argue, to push him away, but the sincerity in his eyes made her pause.

“Fate’s funny like that,” she said finally, her voice soft. “But if you’re sticking around, you’d better get used to eating cookies for dinner.”

Heath grinned, leaning closer. “Deal.”

As their laughter mingled, Corie realized that maybe—just maybe—having the wolf next door in her life wasn’t so bad after all.