Page 191 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

Whew. I didn’t want to wake him. The day had been traumatic, and even though he now hated Dick, tomorrow would still be hard on him. He’d grown up with Dick as a constant presence in his life, and I hated to consider all the possible ways that Dick had screwed Griffin’s family over. In fact, it was safer if I didn’t consider it.

I inched the door open just wide enough to slip through and padded down the hall. I tapped into my wolf, helping me to remain silent. It was strange being in Shadow City because the moon’s pull seemed to be a little stronger inside. Maybe the glass dome somehow magnified the magic. That made sense to me.

As I entered the den, nothing seemed out of place. My eyes were slowly scanning the area when hands grabbed the balcony wall outside.

I ducked behind the couch and crept over to the edge so I could peek without being seen. I could have rushed out there, but I wanted to see how many intruders there were, and how the hell they’d gotten up here.

The person grunted as they lifted their body over the side. All it would take was a finger slipping for the person to hurtle to their death unless they had wings. But if they had wings, I doubted they’d be dangling like that.

Salt and pepper hair peeked over the top, informing me of who it was.

Dick.

A memory of Griffin mentioning that Dick’s family lived next door and how he would sometimes hear him and Saga scream at each other filtered through my mind.

The asshole had somehow gotten from his balcony to Griffin’s. He threw his legs over the side and tipped onto the balcony floor on his ass.

He grimaced and slowly climbed to his feet. He tiptoed to the glass door and pulled out a set of keys. Taking hold of one, he slipped it into the lock and turned. A faintclickconfirmed that he’d unlocked it.

Did Griffin know Dick had the keys to his home?

The door opened, and he removed his shoes. Once he stepped inside, he pulled a knife from its sheath.

He was here to hunt, but little did he know, he was now the hunted.

CHAPTER TWENTY

My pulse quickenedunder my skin. No wonder my wolf had gotten antsy. Both my animal and human sides knew that Dick wouldn’t just give up and walk away from all of this. He’d have to try something.

I’d expected him to try to frame Griffin again, or maybe cash in some favors with other council members.

Not murder.

Although, if he was, in fact, the man who wanted me for breeding, I shouldn’t be surprised. Still, even if he didn’t have a problem with ordering death, being the one to inflict it was a whole different story.

I knew it all too well. Every person I’d killed haunted my dreams, breaking my heart all over again. Yes, every single one of them had been trying to hurt me, and I’d killed in self-defense, but each life was precious. Taking someone’s life wasn’t something to relish or reminisce about. It festered inside you, and in some ways, I remembered those people better than even my own parents’ faces.

That was telling in itself.

Dick scanned the den. However, his attention never went behind the couch or to the walls. He was too busy looking in the corners to check places someone would actually hide.

Dick had no clue what the hell he was doing.

A desperate gleam filled his eyes, and he began to shake. The moonlight reflected off the edge of the knife, casting diamond-like patterns across the room.

Rashness was both a blessing and a curse. Dick was willing to do whatever it took to stay in the city, but his foolishness had clouded his judgment.

His breathing was short and shallow, which informed me that his mind was unfocused. Taking him down should be easy, but I knew that underestimating your opponent made you cocky and arrogant. I had to prepare for the worst-case scenario in which he would be a formidable enemy.

“This will be over soon,” he breathed. “Kill the girl, then Griffin, and it’ll all go away.”

If I were a normal wolf, I wouldn’t have been able to hear the words, but he’d confirmed my suspicions about his intent.

He wouldn’t be getting close to my mate.

“Are you sure about that?” I asked, staying crouched.

My voice faintly echoed around the room, making it so he couldn’t nail down my location.

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