Page 56 of Howling Night

“Yeah, maybe. I’d love that,” he said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He cleared his throat and turned to look into my eyes. “Before you go, would you let me take you out on a proper date?”

The request caught me off guard. A smile grew on my face, and I nodded a bit too aggressively. “I’d like that.”

“Excellent,” Ryder said, his lips curling at the ends. “I don’t think I’ll ever meet someone I feel as strongly about ever again.”

“Oh, please,” I said, pressing my lips together. “That’s obviously not true. You’ll find someone. I’ve heard that all the women in the area drool over you.”

Ryder drew in a slow breath that puffed out his chest. “I don’t drool over them.”

“I would love to go out with you,” I said, squeezing his hand. “I’m sure I’ll never meet anyone like you again in the city.”

“You’re right, you won’t,” he said, flashing me a confident smile.

We stood at the window, watching the firefighters battle the blaze that consumed my neighbor’s house. Their silhouettes moved urgently against the orange glow, hoses arcing water onto the flames while they shouted back and forth.

There was nothing left but a smoldering, blackened skeleton when the sun kissed the horizon. Smoke continued to rise from the remains, but the flames had been thoroughly extinguished.

“It’s just gone,” I whispered with a heavy sigh. “I can’t believe it really even happened.”

Ryder turned to face me, his blue eyes searching mine, before he bent down and placed a soft kiss against my lips. “I’ll pick you up around eight tonight.”

“I’ll be waiting,” I said, biting my lip as visions of our last encounter flashed through my mind.

After Ryder left, I crawled into bed, pulling the covers over my shoulders. My mind kept replaying the night’s events — the vampire, the wolves, the fire — but eventually, exhaustion won out and I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Insistent knocking jolted me awake. I squinted from the sunlight beaming into my room and reached for my phone. It was early afternoon, and I felt sickeningly groggy, but at least I’d managed to get a few hours of sleep.

Whoever was out there knocked again.

I shuffled to the window first, peeking through the curtain. My stomach dropped when I saw a police officer standing on my porch, notepad in hand. Another officer was scanning my property, looking carefully at my windows, the surrounding trees, and the lawn.

Great.

ChapterTwenty-Six

I quickly ran my fingers through my tangled hair. I knew I probably looked like I’d been hit by a truck — so much for avoiding those dark circles under my eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, trying my best to appear like a normal person.

“Good afternoon, officers,” I said, hoping my voice sounded steadier than I felt. “Can I help you with something?”

The female officer at the door looked down at her notepad and then back up at me. “Are you Everly Montana?”

“Yes,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “That’s me.”

“I’m Officer Rankin, and this is Officer Moore. We’d like to ask you a few questions,” she said, her expression unreadable.

My stomach tightened. “Regarding what, exactly?”

The officer’s gaze shifted over her shoulder, looking at her partner, before she gestured toward the house next door. “Didn’t you notice a raging fire last night?”

“Oh, well, sure,” I said, gripping the door. “But the firefighters came and handled it.”

“You didn’t see anything?” she asked, squinting at me.

I shook my head. “No, I was sleeping. Of course, eventually the fire woke me up, and I smelled the smoke, but that’s about it.”

“I see,” Officer Rankin said, scribbling something down on the notepad.

---