13
Ness
The signabove Beryl’s restaurant glimmered under the glow of the streetlight. I gave it a wary glance as I reached for the restaurant’s door handle. Surprise jolted through me when the door refused to budge.
“It’s…locked?” I stepped back and peered at the windows.
Only now did I notice that there were no lights on inside. It seemed that Beryl wasn’t home. I put my hands on my hips and debated making a scene. Beryl had to be here. She was likely in the court beneath the restaurant. That’s where I’d found her last time.
“Let me in, Beryl!” I put my hands on my hips. “I have a deal I want to make with you.”
Doubt slipped in. It slowly overcame every thought until it was the only thing on my mind. I chewed on my lower lip as I waited. The minutes ticked past. I thought about calling out again, but it became apparent that Beryl wasn’t going to entertain my counteroffer tonight.
Beryl didn’t want me. She had no use for a weak hound who barely understood her own arcana. I knew that I’d been running on luck and fumes for too long now. Sooner or later, doom would catch up to me. It was only a matter of time. When the timer ran out, Beryl would lose a pawn. She had no use for someone so easily lost.
Ryder was stronger and more capable than myself. Though my arcana could be useful, there was no guarantee that I would master it before someone killed me.
The thought left me cold. Even in this humid night, chills ran up and down my spine. I backed away from the restaurant door. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
“Beryl?” I asked with the hopes that the fae queen had come up to speak to me.
The darkness outside of the streetlights’ glow seemed impenetrable. I could see nothing past the orange light painting the storefronts. The smell of wine and flowers didn’t float on the air. Instead, I caught the scent of something more primal.
I didn’t recognize it at first. My hound was faster. She knew what was there, watching us. She thrashed and demanded to be let out. I staggered at the force of her terror. It sent me reeling.
Spinning, I ran back to my car. A small box on the hood of my car made me freeze. Ice slithered through my veins. The stink of rot wafted towards me. My hound howled with fury and fear. I could hear nothing over her demands.
Hand trembling, I reached out to flick the lid off the small box. The smell of rot intensified. A decayed finger sat on top of tissue paper. It pointed accusingly at me, like I’d been the one to end her life. How I knew it belonged to the missing body, I didn’t know. It was a gut feeling that I couldn’t shake.
“A-Alvin?” I hated the weak shake of my voice.
The chills running down my spine refused to relent. He was still out there, watching me. Alvin knew that I’d found out about his pastime. I’d said too much when he cornered me. My big mouth had given away my one advantage.
A low growl rippled behind me. Hot breath hit my back. I lurched without thinking. Teeth snapped in the air behind me. I snatched the box and vaulted over the hood of my car. Alvin prowled around the front of the car.
I cursed and spun. This was some bullshit. My car was right there. If I could get into it, then I could outrun a wolf. However, the Combs wolves kept blocking my escape. I wanted to scream.
Instead, I ran headlong down the street. I hoped to loop back around to my car. Gripping my keys tight to keep them from jingling, I slid my car key out so that I would be ready when I got back to the vehicle. The box with the decayed finger was in my other hand. Alvin had given me exactly what I needed to prove his guilt.
Now, I just had to survive another hunt.
I expected the sound of pounding footfalls behind me. Maybe even the scratch of claws against concrete. Instead, silence drifted around me. I paused and glanced back.
The street was empty again. The streetlights revealed nothing, no Alvin, no wolf. I swayed on my feet as uncertainty hit me. Where had he gone? Could I run back to my car now? I had no idea. Fear kept me from moving.
This wasn’t a hunt. When Harvey came for me, he savored the chase. He ran me down until I was exhausted. Alvin was playing a different game. I scanned the street for signs of my tyrannical Alpha, but I couldn’t see him anywhere.
Alvin could be waiting on the other side of my car again. He could be in an alley, waiting for me to walk past. I had to consider each step while Alvin waited. I hated this feeling. I didn’t like the uncertainty and how he made me second guess my every move.
With Harvey, it was easy. He acted, and I reacted. I could keep running and fighting. Yet, the moment Alvin ambushed me, I knew I was done for. He would strike me down without hesitation. I wouldn’t be able to find an opening because there wouldn’t be one.
I tried to summon my arcana and bring it to my voice, but it refused to budge. My arcana hated fear. If I was scared, then the new power would fail me. I knew that, but that didn’t stop me from trying and hoping for a different outcome.
How had I managed to use it when Harvey had me pinned down? Ryder’s presence had helped that night. Here, I was alone.
My hound growled. I was never alone. If I shifted, she would be able to smell Alvin before he struck. That meant I couldn’t drive, though. I needed human hands to grip the steering wheel, human feet to hit the gas pedal.
I let out a strangled laugh as I imagined driving as a hound. She didn’t find it funny. She hated being trapped inside me. Every instinct screamed at her. She had to run.