Hailey Archer is on the run. Fleeing from a dangerous stalker, she's throwing away the life she's built over the past three years. She could go anywhere, but she's drawn to the one place she's always felt safe, her rural hometown of Sawtooth Peaks. She finds refuge with her sister, but Hailey can't resist visiting her highschool sweetheart. No amount of time away could prepare her for seeing the love of her life again, and for the storm of emotions that come with one look at the strapping, dominant man that he's become. Finding her strength again proves difficult when the man of her dreams has something to hide. Burly wolf shifter, Cole Tenbrook, is next in line for alpha. With the impending threat of a rival pack leader, the Sawtooth Peak wolves look to Cole to take a she-wolf mate and claim his rightful position. When the girl he pushed away returns, he struggles to find the strength to keep the stunning woman she's become at arms length again. His inner wolf growls to mark her as his mate, but to claim a human he would need to forfeit his right to become alpha. How can he protect her when his secret could kill her?