Alex retreats to a remote Arctic cabin, seeking solitude and escape from a hectic world with only his loyal friend, Blue, by his side. But his peaceful winter adventure is upended when two mysterious strangers crash into his world.

As winter closes in early, unexpected friendships form, but a threat looms closer with deadly intent, driven by a hidden agenda. In the unforgiving wilderness, Alex and his newfound friends must escape and survive.

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Excerpt from Dark Matter – Alex © Copyright 2025 Alex A. Janek

I freeze, my eyes scanning the trees and the shoreline, every instinct on high alert. Blue is never wrong about these things. Something is out there. Something that doesn’t belong.

“Easy, Blue,” I whisper, but he doesn’t look back at me. His body is tense, tail tucked low, and his stance shifts uncertainly between protectiveness and fear. My heart pounds as I take a cautious step forward, peering through the underbrush, trying to see what’s got him so spooked.

I stumble forward, the snowshoes catching on a hidden branch beneath the snow. The terrain is unforgiving, and I curse under my breath as I go down again, my hands plunging into the freezing powder.

When I finally reach Blue, he’s still growling, but his tail is tucked tightly between his legs. Something’s definitely wrong.

I peer into the underbrush ahead, my heart pounding. There’s movement, slow and deliberate, and as I squint to see past the branches of the bushes, the shape becomes clearer.

It’s not something—it’s someone. Two figures huddled together in the snow, one cradling the other in his lap.

Holy crap. It was a plane crash. They need help.

“Stay!” I command, my voice more confident than I feel. Blue lies down obediently. “Good boy.” His posture is rigid, ears flicking nervously. He whines softly, unsure whether to obey or guard, but he doesn’t take his eyes off the strangers. Something is off. Usually, Blue is enthusiastic and curious about almost anyone, dashing forward and expected to be patted.

What’s wrong, Blue?

Cautiously, I inch closer to the figures, my breath catching as the one holding the other lifts his head, the adrenaline in my veins turns ice cold. It’s a wolf-like face. Not a dog. Not a bear. A wolf. A massive one, with amber eyes burning through the snow and locking onto mine.

Shit. Wolves.

Every muscle in my body freezes. Tyler had warned me about wolves in this area, but I’d shrugged it off. I curse myself for not bringing the rifle. But here I am, unarmed and facing down what looks like a nightmare come to life.

Survival instinct kicks in, and I start to back away slowly, trying to remember everything I’ve ever heard about not showing fear, not making eye contact. My mind races, but then something happens that stops me dead in my tracks. The wolf raises a paw—or hand—and waves.

Waving? Wolves wave? Am I losing it?

I take a step back, my mind reeling. Is this some kind of territorial display? I’ve never heard of wolves acting like this. Blue whimpers and creeps closer, keeping low to the ground, his eyes darting between me and the creatures. I push the toboggan back. His instincts tell him to protect, but I can see the confusion mirrored in his every movement.

The creature in front of me is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

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