Page 57 of Secrets in Salem: Part One

Climbing out of the car and grabbing the bags before I forget, I give Cassie an unimpressed look even as my lips twitch, a tingle spreading through them with the kiss still so fresh in my memory. Why the hell did he kiss me? Why did I let him? Why the fuck did I like it so much? I really shouldn't be wanting to do it again... should I?

"That was interesting," Cass quips, hooking her arm over my shoulder just as Bishop speeds away from the curb. She leads me up the path to the house, my own arm wrapping around her back.

Snorting, I joke, "You're telling me."

Cass releases that adorably quirky laugh I adore, saying, "Well, we've got the movies all picked out, kids are in their pjs, and pizza is en route."

"I've got the popcorn and a bunch of other sweets for us all to pig out on. I think we're set," I joke, jiggling the bags I have loaded down with sugar.

Cass makes a noise that's a mixture of a laugh and groan, poking me in the side as she teases, "You're lucky it's the weekend and they're allowed a late night. They're going to be bouncing off the damn walls."

"And that's why I'm their favorite in the whole wide world," I inform her, smiling sweetly.

She shoves my face away, nudging me into the house with another laugh as she says, "Whatever. They're using you for sweets, you sucker."

Just as I enter the house, the kids come running, arms outstretched. Only, the little shits go right for the bags of candy and treats rather than for me. My mouth falls open in a faux gasp, my now free hand slapping my chest dramatically. "Well, I'll be darned. You're right. They just want me for the sweets. Heathens. You should return them to where you got them, Cass."

Cassie gives me a dry look and sneakily puts her middle finger up at me while the kids' noses are in the bags.

Snickering under my breath, I head into the living room and drop to the couch seconds before my two favorite kiddos come barging at me, arms packed down with treats. Their laughter is the soundtrack to an amazing night filled with Disney movies, too much pizza, and love. It's a night of normality I've been craving since the incident at Hollow Grove. And it'll probably be the last in my new life, so I cling to the kids a little longer when they hug me, cuddle closer while watching a movie, and make the best damn memories with some of my most-loved people while I have my slice of normal before going back to the crazy my life has turned into.

Chapter 30

Aleric

There's electricityin the air that sets me and my beast on edge, making me feral and out of control. Something is coming. Whatever it is isn't good, and it has my beast’s hackles rising, a perma-snarl right on the tip of my tongue.

"I have to get out. I don't know if I'll be able to hold onto the reins much longer," I growl, pacing the living room while Micah watches my every move carefully and Bishop stands near the front door with his arms crossed.

"You can't just go running through town in your other form, you idiot," he snaps, glaring at me with hard eyes.

The snarl finally breaks free, my eyes flashing red, burning embers spitting from my lashes. "I'll run through the forest behind the houses. It's getting dark enough that I won't be seen. Unless you want me to change here and scare the shit out of Willow, I suggest you get your ass away from the fucking door. You know my beast doesn't like feeling caged, brother."

"Fuck," he spits, gritting his teeth before nodding sharply and moving to the other end of the room where the hallway narrows toward the bedrooms. He's protecting Willow without even thinking about it. Fromme, as though I'd hurt her.

It's the last straw for my beast.

My teeth snap together and my back hunches, a low growl vibrating from my chest. The hair on the back of my neck stands tall before I start to feel the shift, my bones starting to ache and grate together.

"Shit! Micah, grab him. Get him out of here before Willow comes out," Bishop orders, his words as hard as his eyes.

The first snap of my bones sounds louder than Bishop's deep voice. I'm forced to grit my teeth harder to stop the shout that begs to break free as pain floods my entire body. With Micah's help, I'm dragged out of the apartment and into the thick of the trees just behind the property. I've never been more grateful than this moment to have so many trees clustered in such a small town. The wildlife alone makes up the majority of Salem, and it serves its purpose now as it hides my writhing and contorting body while my bones snap and break for a sickeningly long time before I shift.

Micah stands back, keeping guard while my body changes from that of a man to a hound of Hell, black fur sprouting all over my body until my animal form is covered head to toe, with two long red stripes decorating the blackness that lines my back. There's no denying what we are when we shift, our sizes unmistakably large, ruby red eyes, and paws the size of a human head. We're called beasts for a reason.

The biggest and most noticeable aspect about our second forms is the steam that wafts from our bodies and the fire that's always lit in our throats, visible when our maws open even just the slightest bit. Every bit of Hell was included in our design, and we wear them proudly, for there isn't a thing beside the Devil himself that can match a Hellhound. It's why we were chosen to protect Willow.

I huff and growl at Micah, letting him know he can move away from his post as I slowly and deliberately sink into the shadows cast by the trees. Micah turns, his worried eyes meeting mine, hands fidgeting, and feet shuffling, tell-tale signs that he feels what I felt earlier.

In a split second, Micah is shifting, his process a lot faster since he welcomes it now that we're protected by the darkness of the forest. He's just rising to his feet, blue stripes on his back standing on end, when we hear the sweet melody of Willow's voice as she talks to Bishop. My ears perk up, honing in on their conversation. My teeth snap and a snarl leaves me when she catches Bishop in a lie, my beast taking a step closer to them so he can growl at Bishop for upsetting her.

Micah steps in front of me, silent as ever, with his intelligent eyes and a knowing dip of his snout. He shakes his large head, and I back off instantly, shaking my own to try and knock some sense into my beast and myself. The current in the air is stronger in this form, affecting me more than it had as a man, the sense that something bad is coming harder to ignore now. It draws a whine from my throat, and I start pacing again, listening to Bishop and Willow shut the car doors.

As soon as the noise reaches my sensitive ears, I'm bolting through the trees, following the path Willow and my brother take. Micah is close behind me, his feet light in the foliage that covers the ground. No human would hear him coming, but my ears are designed for it, the slight scuffle of leaves or the soft press of moss easy to detect as I run.

I spy Bishop's car through the gaps between houses, through the smattering of trees and park benches. I'm almost sure Willow spots me racing by at one point, though my brother steals her attention away before she can peer harder out of the window. It takes them less than ten minutes to reach Cassie's house, the sound of Willow's laughter loud as it floats through the window. It soothes me a little, though not enough to keep my hackles from rising further, the steam billowing from me growing thicker the hotter I get.

Micah and I reach Cassie's house the same time Bishop pulls up to the curb, my vigilant eyes watching Willow carefully through the glass window of her door. My eyes narrow, a rumbling snarl vibrating through my chest, when I watch Willow lean in to kiss Bishop on the cheek, only for the sneaky bastard to pull her back in for a proper kiss. Her body almost turns to liquid against him, and my beast reacts by growing so hot that fire starts spreading up my legs, burning the dry leaves that missed the earlier onslaught of rain.

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