Page 46 of A Wolf's Wound
“You should be worried!”he says suddenly.
“Why?”I ask.
“You’re not safe here, Hannah,” Ryder says.“You need to believe me.”
“What happened?”I ask.“Last night you were all about how as long as you were protecting me, I’d be fine.And insisting that I believethat.”
“I was wrong,” Ryder says sadly.“I was so incredibly, massively wrong about that, and I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, just explain!”I say, unable to keep my frustration at bay any longer.“Ryder, what the hell is going on?What happened to you today?”
“Nothing,” he says, shoving his chair back from the table.“I just came to my senses.Okay?”he continues, pacing around the room.“You aren’t safe in Stonehaven.Not anymore.”
I also stand up.“You keep saying that!So, fine, if I’m so unsafe, tell me why.Give me an actual, concrete reason why I should go.”
“I can’t!”he says, running his hands through his hair.“Not yet, Hannah.I wish I could but I can’t.Just please, leave this city.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head.“Not without a damn good reason, Ryder Stone.So are you going to give me one?”
I stare at him, and now he meets my gaze.I can see the pain in his dark eyes.His jaw is set, his shoulders rigid.
“I’m too tired for this bullshit tonight,” I say when I can’t handle our staring contest any longer.“If you feel like telling me just what the fuck is happening, feel free.Otherwise, you can sleep on the couch if you still think you need to be my guardian.”
“I wish I could be,” he says softly.
“I wish you would tell me something real,” I say, just as quietly.“Something that made sense.Good night, Ryder.”
I walk away with Shadow following on my heels.I want to turn around and see if Ryder is going to stay or go, but I’m too frustrated and exhausted.
“One minute he’s begging me to stay, the next he’s practically pushing me out the door,” I hiss angrily to Shadow once we’re in my room.“He needs to make up his damn mind!”Shadow nods in vigorous agreement as I yank my work clothes off.
“And what’s with the silent act?”I continue, pulling on pajamas.“I ask you, what the fuck was that about?”
Shadow shrugs and agrees that our silent dinner ranks as one of the top ten most awkward situations of my life.I nod, happy he’s on my side.
I turn off the light and get into bed.Shadow curls up in his basket and immediately falls asleep.But even though my body is worn out, my mind is racing from the events of the day.I lie in the dark and stare at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all.
I hear a rustle outside my door and freeze.“It’s just Ryder,” I tell myself.“He stayed after all.Probably doing some stupid nighttime patrol or other bullshit.”
I punch my pillow a few times, trying to find a comfortable position.I pull the blanket up and then toss it off.I take a breath, and immediately smell a familiar scent in the air.
Ryder.This is his scent, surrounding me.He must still be here.
I close my eyes, feeling my body beginning to respond to his scent.I can’t stop it; it’s like my body is acting separately from my brain, separately from anything rational.
Another noise from beyond my bedroom interrupts me.It’s the unmistakable sound of a door opening and then closing just as quickly.I sit up in bed, every fiber of my being on high alert.I know what I heard wasn’t April coming home.
Was Ryder leaving?Or did someone else just come in?
Chapter 27
Ryder
Ican’ttakeitinside the apartment one more minute, or I’m going to pace a hole in the living room floor.Quietly, I leave the apartment and take the stairs down.The pub is less lively than usual, likely due to the number of dead bodies that have been found in the woods.Inside, a local band is doing their best to liven up the small crowd, but it’s like a cloud of worry hangs over most of the town lately.
And it’s all my fault.
A stone bench sits empty along the sidewalk, and I sit down.This night, the music from the bar… I can remember everything that happened before in vivid flashes.The taste of whiskey on my tongue and then the taste of blood.
