Page 27 of Howling Night

ChapterTwelve

I tossed and turned all night, tangling myself in the sheets. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those wolves… those men, surrounding me on the dark road. My mind still wasn’t able to process what I’d witnessed.

A howl pierced the quiet night, and I jolted upright, unsure if it had been real or my imagination. I strained to listen, but the house had fallen silent again.

I flopped back onto my pillow, staring at the ceiling. Another howl drifted through my window, closer this time. I pulled the covers up to my chin like a child afraid of monsters under the bed.

Except my monsters were in the woods. And they were real.

It was late morning when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I thought maybe once the sun came up, I’d be able to get some sleep, but it hadn’t worked. I picked up the phone, tapping on the notification that Annie had left a message.

Just checking in. Miss you! How’s small-town life treating you?

My fingers hovered over the letters for a moment before I sent the phone back down without responding. What could I possibly say? Hey, Annie, turns out you were right. I’m moving back because this town is full of werewolves or something equally insane. The thought of her smug “I told you so” was too much to bear right now. Annie didn’t know it, but I’d heard her tell a friend of hers that I wouldn’t last a month.

Turned out she was right.

I’d barely made it a week.

By the time I got out of bed, it was midafternoon, and I couldn’t have gotten more than two hours of sleep. My eyelids felt like they were made of sandpaper, and my head throbbed.

I shuffled to the kitchen and made coffee strong enough to strip paint after popping two pieces of bread into the toaster. When it was finished, I buttered the bread and brought my small meal to the table.

I stared out at the woods as I took my first bite. It looked so calm and peaceful in the daylight. Birds chirped their gentle songs while butterflies darted frantically between flowers, rushing from one bloom to the next.

The more I thought about it, the more positive I became about what I saw last night. Those men had been wolves, and they turned into men when I wasn’t looking. And that one… Kellan was mad about something.

I’d thought I could escape the chaotic city life, the controlling bosses, and the selfish, suffocating relationships. I’d come here to get away, seeking peace and a place I could finally breathe. But apparently it was the same shit everywhere, only here they could also turn into wolves.

I spent the day mindlessly organizing my belongings, but this time, I wasn’t unpacking. I was taking mental inventory of everything I’d need to pack again for the return trip to Chicago. The few kitchen items I’d unpacked went back into their boxes. The books I’d lovingly arranged on shelves were stacked on the coffee table, ready to be packed away.

My phone buzzed again. Annie had sent three more texts, each more concerned than the last. I silenced the phone and shoved it in a drawer.

By late afternoon, there was still no sign of my SUV. I paced from window to window, checking the driveway every fifteen minutes. I wanted to get the hell away from Birchwood Hollow while the sun was still shining.

It was probably around dinner time when I finally heard the rumble of a truck coming up the driveway. I rushed to the window and saw Ryder’s pickup pull to a stop.

I yanked open the front door before he even had a chance to knock. “Is my car fixed?”

Ryder made his way to my porch with his hands shoved into his pockets. He looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“Well, I do have news for you,” he said, his voice low. “Trevor’s been working on it all day, and he’ll be able to fix it without much trouble.”

“Oh, that’s great,” I said, looking over his shoulder. “Is he driving it here or should I go with you and?—”

“Unfortunately, it’s going to take a few days to get the part he needs to fix it,” Ryder said, running a hand through his hair.

My heart sank. “A few days? I can’t wait a few days. I need to leave now.”

“You don’t need to leave,” Ryder said, shaking his head. “I took care of the situation.”

“Oh good,” I said, rolling my eyes. “So he won’t try to murder me again?”

Ryder swallowed hard. “He won’t. He thought you were someone else.”

“So he’s looking to kill a different woman, and I should be okay with that?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Well, no, but it’s someone who’s threatening the pack’s safety,” Ryder said, looking down at his feet. “We’ve got it under control. Really. He won’t trouble you again, and if he does, he’ll deal with me.”

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