Page 111 of The Hunt of Night

“You shouldn’t be doing anything. You only just got back. Besides, he has to come to you. Raiden is all about his pride, and we both know he’ll blow a gasket if we make him feel anything other than regal.” The corners of my mouth tip up at Brody’s assessment, but it doesn’t stop the pain from twisting in my heart. I don’t like the stress that comes with these men.

“How am I supposed to focus on anything when he’s like this?” I ask. I’m not stupid. I know Brody’s words are accurate. Raiden needs to come to me. Fear clings to my body at the thought of it, but I’d try…for him, I’d try. That doesn’t stop the tension from clinging to me as I wait for him to come around.

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to help me with some more research…” Brody offers, and my teeth sink into my bottom lip. That could be distracting enough, but it doesn’t ease the emotions swarming inside of me.

“Are you sure he’s okay?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest, and Cassian nods.

“I’ll go and get him some stuff from Janie’s.”

“But we can’t,” I blurt, and he’s standing toe to toe with me a moment later.

“I can do what I want, Alpha. Besides, I think I’m the last person you want to be around right now.” He lifts a hand to cup my cheek but stops a breath away.

“Huh?” I frown at him, desperate to understand. His gaze narrows as he searches my eyes until he realizes I have no clue what he’s talking about.

“My father,” he grunts.

“Is a dick. We know this,” I state slowly, and he shakes his head.

“He’s the one who hurt you, Addi.”

“And?”

“And nothing,” he bites, his jaw clenching tighter.

“And everything. That was your father, not you.”

“I know, I just?—”

“You just what?” I cock a brow at him, the tension reaching its peak between us. It came out of nowhere, but now it’s everywhere. It’s always zero to one hundred with this guy. He stares, and stares, and stares, until I relent. Lifting my hand to his cheek, I can sense Kryll and Brody watching us, but they opt to keep out of it. “Go and help him if you can, but your dad mangling my arm and being a cunt is not your fault. Not now, not ever.”

He gulps, his jaw flexing beneath my touch before he tilts his head to press a kiss to the center of my palm. “Okay,” he rasps, repeating the motion once more before disappearing after Raiden.

I sigh, turning my attention to Brody and Kryll. The latter offers me a soft smile as he takes a step toward me. “I’ve hogged you enough. I’ll share. For a little while at least,” he breathes, tilting my chin up to plaster a kiss to my lips. He steals my breath, pleased with himself, before he disappears, too.

“And then there were two,” Brody muses, reaching for my hand, and I nod. “Ready to get smart?” he asks, and I cock a brow at him.

“I am smart,” I retort, and he rolls his eyes.

“Of course. I meant smarter.”

“Of course you did.”

“I did,” he insists, squeezing my sides and making me giggle. He has a way of easing the constant stress that bubbles beneath the surface, and it’s exactly what I need.

“Bring it on, oh, wise one.”

44

ADRIANNA

“This one here says if they burned sage into your foot, it would…ew, no, nevermind,” Brody grumbles, his nose scrunched in distaste as he shakes his head at the book in his lap before turning the page swiftly. Searching for information on suppressing powers, my inner wolf, or anything remotely in that realm of documentation feels surreal, and I'm not entirely sure I’m committed to it, but here we are.

Amusement hums beneath the surface of my skin as I stare at him. “Don’t stop there, I’m intrigued,” I muse, giving him a pointed look, and his lips stretch from a thin line into a huge grin.

“Admit it. You’re nerdy.”

I roll my eyes, refusing to talk about this again. I’m not sure how many times he’s said it now, but every time he does, the sparkle in his eyes gets brighter. Shining like stars in a dark and dreary night sky.

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