Page 57 of Into the Night

My beast doesn’t see why speaking is necessary. Actions speak louder than words, and he’s already decided they should be punished.

Kali scrambles to her feet, sensing the battle going on inside me, and winces as the sudden movement causes her discomfort.

“Don’t do anything rash. Other people use this place all the time. We’ll just let them know they can’t stay here tonight.” With small, stiff steps, she follows me as quickly as she can, whispering her pleas for me to stay calm.

The thirst for violence building inside tells me it’s far too late for that.

“We don’t know why they’re here. Griffin, just let them pass.”

My fingers are already wrapped around the door handle when she catches up, slipping between me and the door, and rests a calming hand on my chest.

Voice quiet, she adds, “I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I don’t want you to get hurt. Griffin, if you can hear me, you need to keep him calm.”

Her words fall on deaf ears. The beast’s mind is made up, and while he’s letting me see what’s going on, I’m just along for the ride at this point. And from the fearful look on Kali’s face, and the way she worries her bottom lip with her teeth, she knows it, too.

The noises continue to come closer instead of moving away. They know we’re here, and they’re snooping around anyway. No beast would tolerate this invasion of privacy, especially not one with an unclaimed mate to protect.

As I attempt to tug the door open, she stubbornly remains in the way, blocking me from opening it wider by leaning her weight against it.

“Please, Griffin…” The plea dies on her lips, her beast flashing in her eyes as another set of footsteps approaches the cabin. There’s no way this is just an innocent misunderstanding. They’re coming from all angles. This is an intimidation tactic, and the idea that they’re purposefully trying to scare my mate is making me see red. She’s been through enough.

The atmosphere is thick with tension, my anger building, which is rapidly turning into a vortex of protectiveness and rage, and about to spin out of control. The beast, while outwardly calm, is on the verge of losing it. And it’s not going to be pretty.

Leaning forward, I spear my fingers into her hair, using my grip to tug her forward for a desperate kiss.

Kali hesitates, but then reluctantly melts into my body, giving in to me, to our connection. She uses her touch, smoothing her hands around my torso and up my back, and her acceptance of my affection, to calm my beast. Kali might not be on board with all the plans we’ve thrown at her, but she’s not trying to deny our claim. She’s showing her loyalty and trying to protect us, just like I’m about to do.

When I pull away, Kali sinks her teeth into her pillowy bottom lip and looks up at me, still fearful. Before her mind chases away the fog of lust completely and refocuses on our situation, I yank the door hard and step out onto the porch, ready to face whoever’s lurking there.

I’m unsurprised when I see the smarmy sneer of a man I recently laid out on his ass, what seems like only days ago. Jed again. He clearly has a short memory. And a death wish.

Silently, I regard him. He’s standing twenty yards back from the porch, with Red and Eddie at his shoulders, and feeling confident because of their presence. I wonder if he knows how useless his back-up was in the diner when I came looking for him.

His gaze briefly scans the area around us, and I narrow my eyes. He’s looking for something, or someone else. They’re not alone. There must be more out there.

With a weary sigh, I hold my hands up in a ‘what do you want’ gesture, and Jed growls, irritated that I’m not quaking in my boots. He doesn’t seem to appreciate that my beast is looking forward to some pain and bloodshed.

All three of them look smug and angry, which can be a dangerous combination.

Staring hard, I fold my arms over my chest and say nothing, waiting to see what this asshole has to say.

Jed’s lips press into a thin line as he stares right back, refusing to be the one to break the silence.

The stand-off only ends when Kali steps up beside me, her palm flat on my lower back to keep me grounded, cursing when she sees who’s outside. She knows this won’t end well.

“What do you want, Jed? The cabin’s occupied, you’ll have to stay somewhere else tonight.”

A bed for the night is not what Jed wants. Or the two men with him. Talking is pointless, but my beast pulls back, letting our mate take the lead, while we see what this idiot wants.

“Kali,” he says, “I thought this might be where you slunk off to when I heard you were hurt. You’d always run here and hide when you couldn’t take a bit of harmless teasing. Always so sensitive.”

From what I can tell, harmless teasing was not what Kali had to endure at the hands of her town. It was bullying, plain and simple.

Used to being provoked, Kali says nothing, but I feel the slight tremble in her fingertips.

Irked by her refusal to react, Jed turns nasty fast.

“I heard Serena sliced you up real good. Ruined that pretty body.” His gaze slithers over my mate.

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