Page 73 of Howling Night

“When are you coming back?” I asked, picking at a loose thread on the blanket.

“Soon. We’ve dealt with the situation, but that’s about it so far.” He didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t ask. “Just need to tidy up a few things, then I’ll be right there. Will you be okay until then?”

I let out a breath. “Don’t you already know the answer to that question?”

“I’m not psychic, Everly,” Ryder said.

“Yeah,” I said, resting my head back. “I’ll be okay.”

After hanging up, I bustled around the fully lit house, straightening pillows, rinsing my coffee mug — anything to keep busy until Ryder arrived. I washed my face and then ran a brush through my hair and considered painting my nails, but decided against it when I noticed how shaky my hands were.

As full darkness settled in, I heard the familiar rumble of Ryder’s truck coming up the driveway. The headlights swept across the front windows, and I hurried to the door, eager not to be alone anymore.

I opened the door and stepped out on the patio to greet him. He held up a hand, a growl rumbling deep inside him.

“Go back inside,” he said, his voice tense.

I froze. “What’s wrong?”

He growled as he turned toward the trees. “We’re not alone.”

ChapterThirty-Three

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like my brain was vibrating. The leaves and foliage rustled as the wolves emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming in the moonlight. They formed a semi-circle around us, blocking any path to escape, unless I was able to slip back inside and lock the door. But I wasn’t about to leave Ryder outside alone, completely surrounded by them.

From behind the wolves, Kellan stepped out, fully dressed in jeans and a dark jacket. Unlike the rest of his growling pack, he hadn’t shifted. His face was set in a cold determination as he strode forward, stopping several yards from where Ryder stood near my front porch.

“I challenge you, Ryder Black,” he shouted, raising his hands to the sky. “I challenge you for your pack and for your territory.”

Ryder stood in front of me, his body tense. “What’s this about Kellan? I thought you were giving me three days? You gave me your word.”

“Plans changed,” Kellan replied with a dismissive wave. “Paul informed me that not only have you imprinted, but that you weren’t actually going to step down.”

“What would Paul know?” Ryder asked, his jaw tensing.

Kellan laughed, the sound lacking any real humor. “From what I heard, he found you. He said he could tell things had changed and, of course, he told me all about it. Said he could smell the change in Ryder. Something about an imprint?”

My blood ran cold. “If he told you what you wanted to know, then why did you kill him?”

Kellan turned to me as if he had only just realized I was there. His amber eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me.

“Well, he didn’t tell me because he wanted to. Apparently, his loyalties had shifted, and I had to get it out of him, but it was far easier than it should have been,” Kellan said, brushing something from his jacket. “You can’t trust someone who will hand over information that easily, can you?”

“You’re a monster,” I spat.

“Careful,” Kellan warned, his brows raising. “Think about it. What’s to say that he wouldn’t do the same thing to Ryder? For all I know, Paul came here to beg for a place back in Ryder’s pack. That Ryder wasn’t actually going to step down. Oh, wait, that’s exactly what happened.” Kellan paused, looking from Ryder to me and then back to Ryder. “He didn’t want to tell me about the imprint. In fact, he only mentioned it after I pulled out one of his teeth.”

My stomach lurched at the casual way he mentioned torturing poor Paul. I hadn’t known him well, but the thought of him suffering that way before being killed made me feel sick.

“To be totally honest, he begged for his death,” Kellan said, drawing in a breath through his nostrils. “It was what he wanted.”

“Holy shit,” I whispered, grabbing Ryder’s arm.

Kellan’s eyes flashed. “I did what was necessary to protect both of our packs. Ryder wouldn’t want someone he couldn’t trust in his pack. He would do the same to someone who was disloyal in his own pack, too.”

“I would not!” Ryder roared. “I was going to let him prove himself. Everyone makes mistakes.”

“Mistakes?” Kellan asked, smirking.

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