Page 14

I pull my knees to my chest, watching him, the crackling of the fire providing a soothing background noise. “How long do you think we’ll be stuck here?”

“Not long. Perhaps another few days. Once the witches decide to let up on the rain.”

I gape at his muscled back. “Excuse me? Are you saying this is not normal weather? This is magic rain?”

The kettle begins to whistle, and Griffin pours the water into two bowls before bringing them over. Once he is seated beside me, he hands me one of the bowls. I don’t mind instant noodles. It’s the most convenient meal to make, so I have them often. It’s actually quite comforting having a bowl of them right now.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

His eyes flick toward me, the intensity in them making me lower my gaze. “Witches own certain land. My kind cannot enter without permission. And if we do, there are usually obstacles. I was able to get us here safely, but the rain outside is acidic. It’s going to keep pouring till the witch is certain that I am dead.”

I nearly drop the bowl of noodles into my lap. “Acidic? So, this is not a hunter’s cabin, after all.”

“It is,” he says simply. “Witches like to hunt their own food. They come live on their lands for periods of time, to reconnect with nature. They draw power from nature.”

I look out the window warily. “What’s to stop it from raining again once you step outside?”

He sips the broth straight from the bowl before setting it down. “I’m already on her turf. It is the barrier placed around her territory that triggers the rainfall. Once the rain stops, we can move about freely and exit this place.”

“For someone who doesn’t remember much, you certainly seem to know a lot.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop myself.

His stretches of deliberate silence are annoying. “You should eat. We will be here for a while.”

“How did you get past the acidic rainfall?” I keep telling myself to stop, but I have to ask. I deserve to know something about him after looking after him for so long. Common sense be damned.

“I shielded you with my body. I did not escape the acidic rain, but as a shifter, I am able to heal easily. I still have patches of burnt skin.”

He pushes up his shirt and shows me his back. My mouth turns dry. His skin has melted. I’m absolutely horrified. “Are you telling me this happened to your whole body?”

He nods, and then I remember what he just said.

“You shielded me, and that’s why—”

He eats the noodles calmly. “You are human. If the acid had touched your skin, you would never have healed. I have a high tolerance for pain. It took less than two days for me to heal most of the way. In another day, there will be no evidence left on my body.”

My fingers reach out gingerly to touch the scalded skin. His hand immediately grips my wrist, his voice low.

“I do not like being touched.”

The dangerous tilt to his voice has me freezing in place. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

He slowly releases me. “I apologize. I did not intend to scare you.”

I pick up my bowl and quickly begin eating.

Acidic rain.

Witches.

Secret evil organizations.

I would never have agreed to help Leanna find the kidnapped wolf shifters from the human world if I had known what I was getting myself into. I’m beginning to miss my boring job with its simple office politics. At the most, people would only try to get me fired there, not kill me.

My head is throbbing, and I wish I had some medicine. Most likely, I need to get checked out at a hospital.

I get up to wash my bowl, but as soon as I stand, I wobble, a wave of dizziness taking hold of me. Before I can fall down, Griffin catches me, gently lowering me to the floor once more. “I told you, you are human. You need time to recover.”

He takes my empty bowl and brings me another glass of water. I drink it and start to feel exhaustion creeping up on me again.