6
Ness
The smellof blossoms on the night air slammed into me. It filled my nose and turned my stomach. I opened my eyes just in time to watch a wave of red sweep over Ryder. His expression turned startled, his lip curling in annoyance right before he vanished altogether.
Without his hand holding me steady, I flopped forward on the couch where he’d been.
“What the actual fuck?” I cried out.
Beryl’s soft laughter echoed in the room before fading into the shadows. I growled and pushed myself up so I could peer around. There was no sign of Beryl or Ryder.
She’d snuck in and swept him away. I knew, without a doubt, that she thought she was being funny.
“I hate you,” I called out.
No one answered. My voice simply echoed off the walls of the now-barren room. With a sigh, I threw my feet to the floor and glared at the pizza box like it’d done me wrong. The pizza box wasn’t to blame.
After gathering my curls into a scrunchie, I got up and paced. I wasn’t sure what to do now. Should I go home? Would Beryl return him soon? I didn’t know if heading back into Lakesedge this late was a good idea.
Alvin wanted me to behave. He’d made it clear that he preferred submission so that he wouldn’t actually have to kill me. I shuddered just thinking about it. If he knew I’d taken his box of trophies from his kills, he wouldn’t be so generous. It was only a matter of time before he realized the box was gone.
Had he found out? Would it be safe for me to leave? Or should I just pretend that Ryder was still here?
For a while, I debated calling my friends to see if they would want to come over. I hated that I couldn’t be alone. Any desire for privacy was outweighed by a need for safety.
I slumped forward and rested my chin in my cupped hands. The silence should have been comforting since I always wanted more privacy. Instead, the room seemed barren now. The comfortable warmth that filled the space while Ryder had been present was gone.
Outside, a dog’s howl pierced the night.
I thought nothing of it, at first. Outside Lakesedge, dogs were commonplace. There was a lot that could spook them.
But the second howl was closer. It came from the east this time, as if a wolf were prowling around the rental. My stomach dropped. Fear kicked in. I leapt to my feet and raced to the door, only to stop myself at the last second.
If whoever was outside believed that Ryder was still here, they wouldn’t come inside. I couldn’t find a way to make it seem like Ryder was present, though. This wasn’t an eighties comedy. I didn’t have a body to prop up.
I cursed under my breath several times, but that didn’t make me feel any better. If anything, my panic escalated. I paced back and forth, the adrenaline seeping into my limbs and making them tremble.
Something crashed behind the rental. I jumped, letting out a yelp. I cursed myself for giving away my fear. There was no more time to hesitate, though.
Running to the bedroom, I grabbed one of Ryder’s pillows and raced to the back door. I shoved the pillow up against the door so that Ryder’s scent would seep through. It wasn’t like having the real man here, but I prayed that it would be enough to ward away whoever was outside.
I pressed my ear to the door and listened. The soft sound of claws scraping the porch made my breath hitch.
Where the hell had Beryl taken Ryder?
No. I didn’t need him. I could do this on my own. I left the pillow pressed against the door with the hope that it would trick the wolf outside for a while longer. I crept to the front door and eased it open. The night air greeted me and washed Ryder’s scent away.
I swallowed my fear and dashed to my car. My hands trembled as I dug for my keys. My wallet and shoes were still inside, but I had no time to go back for them. I had to escape now.
Unfortunately, the wind had carried my scent to the other side of the house. The howl echoed in the dark as it came closer. I fumbled, dropping my keys. Swearing up a storm, I snatched them and struggled to find the right button on my key fob in the dark.
The headlights flashed as I clicked thelockbutton. I heard pounding footfalls racing toward me. Throwing myself out of the way, I dodged the attack at the very last second. The keys slipped from my hand and disappeared in the dark. Harvey hit the side of my car, caught himself, and pushed off. He landed between me and the car. If I wanted to get inside, I would have to get past him. When he lowered his head and bared his teeth, my heart lodged itself in my throat.
My Alpha’s twisted son had hunted me down once again. Harvey seemed to take great joy in chasing me through the dark. Would he catch me this time? I hoped to hell that he wouldn’t.
I scrambled back to my feet and into a run. My sock-clad feet couldn’t find the purchase I needed. I could shift, but I wanted to wait until I entered Lakesedge.
Where the hell was Ryder?