Page 35 of Howling Night

A pitch black wolf sat on my porch, looking at the door. Its head slowly turned to the side, its eye gleaming as if it knew I was there watching. A chill rippled down my spine, and I tapped Ryder’s contact information with trembling fingers.

He answered immediately. “I’m really bu?—”

“There’s a wolf at my door,” I whispered urgently, not taking my eyes off the creature.

Ryder made a noise that came from deep in his throat. “I’ll be right there. Don’t open the door.”

ChapterSixteen

I stood frozen at the door, unable to move as I watched the black wolf. It just sat there, mostly motionless except for the occasional twitch of its ears. Despite the closed door between us, my skin crawled with the certainty that it knew exactly where I stood.

The minutes stretched on into what felt like hours. The wolf didn’t growl or pace or scratch at the door. It didn’t need to. Its mere presence was enough to make my heart race… to make me feel trapped in my own home. It was almost as if the silent intimidation was worse than an outright threat.

I clutched my phone tighter, tempted to call Ryder to ask what was taking him so long. He probably had to drive all the way to my house from town, and in reality, only five minutes had probably passed.

The wolf’s head snapped to the side, its ear rotating slightly toward the road. It rose off its back legs and jogged off my porch, disappearing into the trees.

Once it was gone, I heard an engine in the distance and shortly after, spotted the headlights. With how fast the lights drew closer, I’d guess the vehicle had been doing at least 80 mph on the narrow country road. Ryder’s truck pulled into the driveway, the tires skidding on the gravel and kicking up a dust cloud lit by the sliver of light from the moon.

He jumped out before the engine even died and scanned the property. His eyes glowed with intensity as he looked toward the trees where the wolf had left. Ryder’s nostrils flared before he turned toward the house, his shoulder tense beneath his flannel shirt.

His knock at the door was sharp. “Everly! It’s Ryder.”

I yanked the door open and, before I could stop myself, I threw myself against his chest. He wrapped an arm around me, and my body shook with relief and lingering fear.

After a few minutes, I cleared my throat and pulled back. Heat flooded my cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself instead. “I just… it was...”

Ryder’s expression softened, though his jaw remained tense. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“Kellan was here,” he said, his nose twitching. “I could smell him.”

“He was just sitting there,” I said, gesturing toward the porch. “Not doing anything. Just... watching.”

Ryder ran a hand through his hair. “He’s trying to piss me off. He wants my attention.”

“I thought you had this under control?” I asked, hugging myself tighter. “I mean, I’m guessing not, since he was outside of my house!”

He shook his head. “Not as well as I would have liked. Half of the time he lies, and the other half he avoids me. I thought maybe this would be different, but obviously, it’s not. Hard to settle things when he won’t even face me. This is how he is until he gets what he wants.”

“What does he want?”

“Power. Control. The packs. My pack.”

I paced the small living room, anxiety building with each step. I was so far in over my head, and I hadn’t even done anything to deserve it other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“I can’t live like this, Ryder,” I said, shaking my head. “I came here to get away from bullshit, not to be terrorized by a wolf.”

“I’ll settle it,” Ryder said firmly. “Sooner rather than later.”

“How?” I demanded, turning on my heel to face him. “If Kellan’s worried that I’m going to talk, what will make him believe I won’t say anything about your existence? What’s to stop him from just... eliminating the problem?”

Something dangerous flashed in Ryder’s eyes. “I’ll make him understand.”

“How?” I pressed.

“It isn’t your concern how we deal with things like this,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We know how to put Kellan in his place. It won’t be the first time, and it surely won’t be the last.”

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