Page 55 of Howling Night

Ryder looked me up and down. “Did she hurt you?”

“Not even a scratch,” I said, shaking my head. “Maybe a few bumps and bruises, but nothing that won’t heal. I have no idea what she was. She was so incredibly strong and beautiful.”

“She was a vampire,” Ryder said, his jaw tense.

I stared at him. “You’re not joking, are you?”

“You believe werewolves, but vampires are a step too far?” he asked, raising a brow.

I scoffed. “Sadly, I believe both… but I’m far more afraid of her than I am of Kellan or his pack. She was unbelievably strong.”

“Dammit,” Ryder said, turning back to the window. “I knew I should have trusted my instincts and come back. I felt something was wrong. I’ve never experienced it before… that pull, it was just so… different. I don’t know… if… maybe?—”

“What?” I asked, shaking my head.

“I don’t know,” he said, his eyes focused on the flashing lights outside my window. “The fire will make sure she can’t come back.”

I cocked my head. “You burn vampires?”

“Or stake them.”

“What about garlic and holy water?”

Ryder flashed a quick half-smile. “They don’t like them, but it won’t kill them.”

“Do they have reflections?”

“Do you believe everything you read?”

“She was just so powerful?—”

Ryder snorted. “Nothing a wolf can’t handle. Or sunlight.”

I turned away from him, twisting my fingers. “There’s something else I should tell you.”

“How is there more?” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder and turning me toward him.

“It’s nothing bad, just weird.” I pressed my lips together and closed my eyes, trying to remember how it had felt. “Earlier today, when Trevor dropped off my car, I tried to leave. I was going to go back to Chicago, but I couldn’t even turn the key in the ignition. It was like there was a magnet holding me in place. It sounds crazy, but it felt like I physically could not leave this place.”

Ryder swallowed hard. “You couldn’t leave?”

“No, but now I know you’re safe and that everything’s well… everything will be okay once I’m gone,” I said, gesturing toward my bag. “It’s for the best.”

“I understand,” Ryder said, his voice low. “I’d like to beg you to stay, but I know that this isn’t the life you want. I never wanted you to get caught up in any of this.”

I touched his arm. “This is exactly why you can’t give in to Kellan’s demands. I’m leaving anyway. You don’t need to give up your pack for me. You need to protect them and lead them. They’re with you, and not Kellan, for a reason.”

He turned to me, his blue eyes reflecting the fire’s glow. “You’re right.”

“Promise me you won’t step down,” I insisted.

He nodded slowly. “As long as you’re safe, I promise. But I’m going to keep an eye on you until the minute you leave.”

“I’d like that,” I said, leaning my head against his arm.

“When do you plan to go?” he asked, stroking my hair.

I shrugged. “A day or two, I think. I can pack up some of my stuff and send someone for the rest of it. I guess I’ll sell the house or something. Could you visit me in the city?”

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