Page 15 of Into the Night

Kali feels the tension in the air and the space between us. She looks like a dream with her swollen lips and dazed expression. Puzzled by the change in my demeanour, she takes in my narrowed eyes and tense posture.

“What did you say?” I repeat quietly, forcing my tone to remain even and calm. I’m afraid to hear the words again, because I know exactly what she said.

“Our beasts,” she says slowly, gesturing back and forth between us, confused at my reaction. “Maybe they could tell we’d get on. Mine is a good judge of character.”

Her smile is shy, but when I don’t return it, hers fades. As the silence drags on, she fiddles with the end of her messy braid and straightens her stance, posture stiff.

“Sorry, I just thought… Never mind. That was too forward, I wasn’t suggesting that we’re… well, maybe I was. But this is just so… intense.” She trails off, waving away her words dismissively and grimacing when I continue to stare mutely. Shifting her gaze to the floor, her cheeks pink and she blinks slowly, hiding her embarrassment.

I feel bad for making her uncertain, but I’m trying to process what’s going on.

Kali steps away and turns her back to me, snatching another hoodie from a nearby chair and tugging it on, hiding herself. Putting up a barrier when she was so open before.

Stepping up behind her, I want to pull her to me and comfort her, but I don’t understand what’s going on.

She couldn’t know, could she?

“What do you mean by ‘beast’, Kali?” I whisper, afraid to speak the words out loud.

Kali turns and looks at me like I have two heads.

“Beast, Griffin. You know, as in GRRR, RAAG HHR.” She curls her hands into claw shapes and drags them through the air, top lip pulled back, making a growling noise. She looks adorable, really, but I get the picture. At the same time, she raises an eyebrow, looking at me like this should be old news.

No. No way. No fucking way.

Stumbling backward until my back hits the wall near the front door, I snatch my boots off the rack and step into them, not even bothering to lace them as I stand, unsure what to do when I see Kali staring at me, jaw hanging open and eyes wide. Tapping against the windows reminds me that the weather is wild. It’s not a night for wandering around outside, but I can’t stay here.

“Griffin, where are you going? What did I do?”

“I can’t do this.” How does she know? I feel cornered. Threatened. I push forward, crowding her, a deep rumble vibrating in my chest. “Who told you? What do you want from me?”

Kali opens her mouth to speak, blinking fast, as the wild swings in my temperament catch her off guard as much as me.

“Woah, hold on. Nobody told me anything. I can feel him.” She holds up her hands, urging me to calm down, but I can’t.

But when footsteps pound up the creaky wooden steps outside, I’m at least distracted. Both of us spin to face the entrance. Instinctively, I step in front of Kali.

Who the hell else is out here in this weather, and why are they on Kali’s doorstep? I really don’t like it, even though rationally, I know I have no right to object to anyone calling at her door.

Annoyed by my protective stance, Kali brushes past me, just as the door opens with a loud bang.

A large, pissed-off looking man shoves his way in.

Who the fuck does this guy think he is, barging in here without knocking? An immediate thirst for blood takes over, and I struggle to fight down the urge to attack first and ask questions later.

“Get out, Jed.” Kali snaps. “I don’t even know how you found out where I’m living, but I’m not in Zora anymore, so I’m not your problem. Just leave me alone.”

“Well, that’s not the warm welcome I expected.” His coal-black eyes are mean as he sneers at her.

I don’t like the slump in her shoulders, or the way she’s looking at the floor, when this guy enters her sanctuary, uninvited, like he owns the place. And it doesn’t seem like this is the first time this has happened, either.

His narrowed gaze finds me, and he tilts his head, sniffing the air. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Griffin.” I pull Kali tightly to my side, and without taking my eyes from his, press a possessive kiss to her temple, which she reluctantly allows. Turning to face the intruder again, I glare at him, letting him know he’s interrupting us. “Who the fuck are you?”

Jed laughs cruelly as he takes in my possessive hold on the woman at my side. “Down boy. Nobody around here would touch her with a ten-foot barge pole.”

The temper I work so hard to control snaps, and I’m across the room in a heartbeat, one hand wrapping around his neck, as I shove him into the wall.

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