Page 51 of Racing the Storm

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to feel it—this uncomplicated care that didn’t need examination or unpacking. We could just have this, for this little while. “We should sleep,” I said after a beat. When he started to pull away, I held tighter. “Like this. I sleep better when you’re right here.”

He made a soft, almost wounded sound, but he allowed me to nestle us deeper into the blankets he’d carefully arranged, and it was only when his breathing began to even out that I allowed myself to rest.

I hadn’t expected to sleep so deeply, and I woke when Mikael dropped something along the far edge of the cave and started swearing. He had one lantern lit, and I could see him through the dim light, shoving things into one of the bags. He offered me a slightly guilty smile as I raised a brow at him, and he shrugged as he let the pack fall to his feet.

“Supplies,” he said. “For just in case. I also thought I’d leave room in the bag because if we’re breaking and entering, we might want to do a little stealing.”

I wanted to tell him no, but morals became more of an abstract concept when we were out on our own like this. It was France, so there was every chance there would be a decently sized wine selection in the house, and I could use a drink…or six. I let out a small groan as I pushed to my feet and stretched the kinks from my muscles, and I tried to remember what it felt like to sleep in my own bed.

It hadn’t been that long, but it also felt like a thousand years.

“When we get back, I’m soaking in a bath for at least three days,” I muttered, searching around for something warmer than the t-shirt I had on.

Mikael snorted and shook his head. “Make it a week. Did uh…when you were with Kasher, were you able to rest at all?”

I looked up at him, then shrugged. “Not at first. He kept me drugged in a cell. After we left though, it wasn’t a hotel, but it wasn’t torture. I had a bedroom and a bathroom. I had meals. I was just constantly reminded that I was alive on his whim, and he could change that at any moment.”

He let out a soft growl, then gave his head a shake, like he was trying to clear it. “I fucking hope we have our hands on that bastard. And I also fucking hope he’s not dead by the time we get back.”

I wanted to be the bigger person and not wish for the same thing, but I couldn’t deny wanting to be there as some of the Wolves got their revenge. I could only pray to every single one of the gods that Yasin had been rescued, and by the time they were ready for Kasher to die, he would be front and center with claws and fangs ready.

It was one of the few times I didn’t mind the idea of unleashing our inner beast.

“Danyal?”

I realized Mikael had said my name more than once, and I flushed slightly. “Lost in thought.”

“Of?” he asked, his tone cautious like he wasn’t sure he was allowed.

“Revenge. Blood,” I admitted. “Yasin being able to inflict even a fraction of the torment that Kasher put him through.”

Mikael said nothing, but his yellow eyes glowed brighter, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. Degradation, humiliation, torture—it would be too good for that bastard.

“We should get going,” Mikael said after a beat.

I finally found a light sweater, and I slipped it over my head before following him to the mouth of the cave. I had no idea what time it was, but the air and the night sky told me it was well past midnight. It would be easy to pick a place no humans were residing from the sound of their heartbeats, but I knew we didn’t have a long time to be picky.

We made our way down the hill, through the thick trees, and eventually into the shadows of an empty street. Mikael’s head was tilted as he listened, and I let him take the lead since his hearing was stronger. Our pace was impossibly slow, but after a few minutes, he reached out and seized my hand. “That building right there. There’s at least three floors, and the top two—I can’t hear anything.”

It would expose us as we darted across the street, but I couldn’t detect the presence of humans anywhere—at least, not ones that were awake. We rushed over, relying on our speed and his strength to get us through the door, and then we took the flights up. We stopped on the third floor, and he paused to listen again before nodding.

He worked the lock as carefully as he could, and soon enough, we were inside. The place smelled a little stale, but only like they’d been away for a few days. It likely meant the food was fresh, and there would be internet if Mikael could find something to use it with.

“I’ll take the back rooms,” he said. “Don’t turn on any lights, though.”

I gave him a flat look, reminding him that I might not have fought in the war, but I wasn’t stupid, then I began to shuffle my way through the living room until I stumbled on a phone. It was attached to a charger—it looked old, and when I punched in Talia’s number, I got a message in French letting me know that the phone wasn’t in service.

But, I realized after a second, it was connected to the Wi-Fi.

“I got something,” I called out, pitching my voice low.

Mikael appeared a second later, and his face broke into a grin when he saw what I was holding. He looked years younger as he rushed up to me, and he took my face between his palms instead of taking the phone. “Brilliant.”

I flushed in spite of myself, then gently eased back. “Why don’t you look up whatever we need. The phone isn’t in service, but the Wi-Fi is working.”

“It’s just as well,” he said, erasing the call history from when I’d tried to dial Talia. “We don’t want to give anyone a way to track us.”

I felt a little bit foolish, but he didn’t seem bothered by what I’d done. He quickly began to type on the browser, so I moved into the kitchen and found a loaf of bread that was a bit stale, but not moldy, fruit, some eggs, and the wine in abundance I had been hoping for.

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