Page 47 of Howling Night

“Everly,” Ryder said, as if my name were something fragile. “I know trust doesn’t come easily to you. It’s like someone taught you that people will hurt you if you let them close. I’m not like the person or people that did that to you.”

I swallowed hard, hating how easily he could read me. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“You don’t have to trust me, but please, don’t run. Not yet,” Ryder pleaded, pressing his palms together. “Give me a chance to show you the truth.”

“Why aren’t you following the rules?” I asked, raising a brow. “I know about you… what you are, and if that means I need to die, why aren’t you doing it?”

Ryder grimaced. “They’re ancient rules. I think things have changed. It’s violent. It’s not who or what we are supposed to be.”

The tension in his shoulders and the concern in his eyes all seemed so genuine. But then, I’d been fooled before. I’d believed in people who turned out to be nothing like they presented themselves, all just to get what they wanted.

For all I knew, Ryder and Kellan were both the bad guys. I didn’t want to be a fool… not again.

“How am I supposed to know what’s real?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Kellan said you’re the one breaking rules. You say he is. You’re both... and I’m just caught in the middle with no idea what’s going on.”

Ryder took another cautious step toward me. “What did your gut tell you when you were with Kellan today? Did you feel safe?”

“No, definitely not,” I admitted. “But that’s not?—”

“What do you feel now, with me?”

“This isn’t proof of anything,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m a terrible judge of character. Why do you think I moved out here to be away from people?”

I watched Ryder’s face cycle through frustration, worry, and something else that looked almost like hurt. My chest felt tight, my instincts pulled in opposite directions. Part of me wanted to believe him, while the other part screamed to run back to the city.

“Just please, give me a chance,” he said, his voice low. “I’ll go to the lumberyard and deal with this like I should have years ago. Then, after it’s dealt with and I know he won’t do anything to hurt you, you can leave if that’s what you really want.”

I didn’t respond… I just wrapped my arms tighter around myself.

“Lock the door behind you,” he said, then turned and jogged toward his truck.

I watched him drive away, the dust kicking up behind his tires. Only when he disappeared down the road did I step inside, locking the door as instructed. It was almost as if I didn’t have a choice… that I knew he was right, but really, it was probably just that I was too scared not to listen.

Trust had never been my strong suit, not after what my ex had done. He’d seemed so perfect at first — charming, attentive, protective. Until “protective” became controlling, and “charming” became manipulative. By the time I’d gathered the courage to leave him, he’d isolated me from everyone I cared about. I’d felt trapped, just like I did in this house at the moment.

Was I walking into the same trap again? Ryder had been nothing but protective since I’d arrived, but was it genuine concern and caring or something darker?

It didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to get involved with anyone. Not Ryder. No one. When my car was fixed, I would say goodbye to Ryder and just head back home. I’d buy new things if I had to, but I was never going to come back to this place.

ChapterTwenty-Two

I paced the living room as the afternoon dragged slowly. I tried to distract myself with a book, my laptop, and TV, but my brain was too busy to focus on anything.

When I remembered I hadn’t eaten at the diner, I made a halfhearted decision to prepare something, but after staring into the fridge for five minutes, I settled on another one of Courtney’s pastries.

As the sun began to set and the house darkened from the fading light, I moved through the house, turning on all the lights. After I finished, I heard the sounds of a vehicle pulling into the driveway. Relief washed through me as my heart jumped into my throat. I wasn’t excited to tell him goodbye, but I would be happy to see him again and hear how things went with Kellan.

I rushed to the front window, peering through the curtains. My SUV rolled to a stop, followed by another truck. Relief flooded me at the sight of my car, but it was quickly replaced by confusion.

The truck wasn’t Ryder’s, and Trevor was awkwardly extracting himself from my SUV. He looked comically large in my SUV, like a bear trying to escape from a tin can, but I didn’t even crack a smile.

It was Gage sitting in the driver’s seat in the truck, waving at whatever Trevor called out to him. He looked around the yard as Trevor approached the house. A moment later, the doorbell rang, followed by several loud knocks.

“Uh, hey. It’s Ryder’s friend Trevor,” he called through the door as if Ryder had instructed him how to approach. “You don’t have to open the door. I can just leave the key under the?—”

I pulled open the door, startling him mid-sentence.

“—mat,” he finished, holding up my car keys.

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