Page 18 of Into the Night

Griffin’s hand flashes out, catching me by the wrist.

My claws are out before I even realise it. I dig them into the back of his hand, and a quiet growl vibrates in my chest, my beast not appreciating being manhandled without her permission.

“Let. Me. Go.” I snarl.

She’s dangerously close to the surface, already feeling wounded by Griffin’s change in demeanour.

Grabbing me was the wrong way to go, and he knows it. He immediately releases me, staring at the small puncture wounds I’ve left in his arm and then brushing his thumb over them carefully, while slowly lifting his head.

“Your eyes…” he whispers. “They glow like mine.”

Repeating what I said earlier, he stares at me, wide-eyed, as though he’s seeing me for the first time.

“Of course they do, it’s my beast.” I pat my chest, just like I did to him. “You pissed her off.” Throwing my hands up, I take a step back. This guy is giving me whiplash. “What the hell is up with you?”

“I’ve never… I know there’s something wrong with me, but I’ve never met someone else…” He continues to study me, dumbfounded. “You’re different, too?”

Oh, god, no. It can’t be.

“You don’t know?” I mumble, watching him carefully. “You don’t know what you are?” Incredulous, panic starts to take hold now that I’ve revealed a secret that all beasts have been drilled to never speak of. Ever.

But his beast is so strong, so obvious. How could he not know?

Griffin takes in his surroundings, and me, his fingers running back and forth over the wound on his wrist, as if doubting whether any of this is really happening, but… he’s not acting.

“I’m a monster. But… are you? I don’t understand.”

My stomach drops to my feet as I watch Griffin’s perception of the world fracture before my eyes.

Did he really think he was the only one? Has he really never met others like us? I don’t know how that’s even possible, but no wonder he wasn’t horrified by my pale hair. He doesn’t know about the prophecy, because he doesn’t even know what he is.

“We live spread out among these mountains, keeping to ourselves to avoid trouble.” I explain, wondering how he even managed to end up here if he knew nothing at all. “If you don’t know what you are, and you’re not here to let your animal run, what are you doing?”

How is it possible that his parents never told him? Or how did he make it to this age without either exposing his secret or getting himself killed? His beast is practically feral, so how he ended up lost, cooling down in a lake, makes little sense.

“I thought I was losing my mind. I eventually left the army, because… it... was becoming more violent and aggressive. But boring desk jobs were even worse. So, I signed up for ranger training, and met a man named John, who suggested I come to Sutton. He knew something was wrong with me without me saying a word.”

John. My cousin’s guardian. The local ranger who knows our secrets.

It’s quite possible he recognised the beast within Griffin, and then convinced him to come here so he could show him he’s not alone. John raised my cousins from when they were boys, so he would have seen Griffin struggling and wanted to help. It’s just the type of man he is… or was.

“You’re not a monster, and you’re not losing your mind.” I assure him. “There are lots of us living here. I can help you learn how to manage it. You need to transform and run free, or your animal will go insane.”

Our animals need physical exertion. They need space and solitude. My cousin Evan needs to run his beast hard just to keep it under control. When he doesn’t, he gets himself into trouble; it’s a lesson he learned the hard way, after years of ending up on the wrong side of the law.

“No. It’s not safe. I need to keep him locked down.” Griffin scoffs, edging away. He raises his hands in front of him to keep me back, but still, I attempt to come closer.

This is a man who needs a hug, if I ever saw one. My heart goes out to him. What must it have been like to carry this around his whole life without being able to talk to anyone about it?

“It is safe, Griffin. Trust me. I’ll help you.” I promise. “You just need to understand what he needs, and to work with him. He’s angry because he can’t get out.”

Griffin shakes his head, looking lost. As he drags in deep breaths, his chest rising and falling, his muscles stretch the thin material of his shirt, about to burst. Fire blazes in his eyes as he meets mine, and a deep, guttural growl fills the tiny space.

His beast can sense me calling him forth, and he’s ready to come out again.

“No, it’s definitely not safe. Especially for you,” Griffin shouts angrily, squeezing his eyes shut and dragging a hand over his face. He looks at me with tortured longing, increasing the distance between us even more, backing himself into a corner. Even though he’s pulled himself as far away as he can, he still fills the small room with his massive frame and powerful aura. The bookcase beside him and the old armchair look positively dainty compared to him.

“Why, Griffin? My beast likes yours. She doesn’t fear you, and she knows he means no harm to her.”

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