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A knock came from the front door, and Blake hopped about like he was excited. Excited for what? Who was here?

He rushed to the door, took one more deep breath, then opened it to reveal…

Dakota?

He’d invited his wife here?

Dread sank low in my belly as she stepped through, her gaze darting about the place with a scrutinising eye. She was taking everything in with a stoic expression, refusing to give away what she was feeling, though it was clear she was unimpressed. I had a feeling that was with Blake, though, not the house.

‘Babe,’ he greeted with a blinding grin that didn’t fix the dead look in his eyes. Now that I had seen it, there was no unseeing it. He would always be the monster now. ‘I’m so glad you’re finally here.’

He stepped back to let her further inside, and though he was too focused on closing the door behind her to see it, I caught her flinch when the lock clicked before she hid the reaction behind her enigmatic mask.

‘So,’ she began, turning in a slow circle as she took in the old, mismatched furniture and the overall cosiness of the place. I had to admit, it looked good. It reminded me of those cabins you could rent out in the woods, the ones with roaring fireplaces (his wasn’t lit) and chandeliers made from antlers. It screamed money, but in an understated way.

It also screamed masculine, but in a decidedlyoverstatedway.

I side-eyed the taxidermized stag head mounted above the fireplace with distaste.

So did Dakota.

‘This is where you’ve been,’ she finished, a hard note to her voice that had Blake’s eye twitching, though he covered it up quickly enough. He was struggling with having her in his space. His two worlds were never meant to collide. The last time it had happened, he’d picked one over the other, and it wasn’t the pretty one.

I surged forward, getting in his space. He didn’t notice, not even when my shadows lashed out like they wanted to wrap around him and squeeze until he popped. He rubbed his arm likehe felt the chill of my presence, but otherwise didn’t behave like he knew I was there.

Dakota, however, was fixated on the action. Her nose flared, the first sign of emotion she’d dared to display in front of this man with his false smiles and pretty, meaningless words.

‘Yeah,’ he sighed out the word like it was a relief to finally reveal his murder den, though he had trussed it up to look innocent enough.

Lies. Lies. Lies.

‘This is where I go. The river out back lets me fish without being disturbed by anyone else.’

She hummed, the sound full of doubt. He seemed to miss the way her voice shook, but I latched onto it. She was acting, too.

What washerplan here?

‘Why hide this from me?’ she asked, letting the waver in her voice out as tears glistened in her eyes. They didn’t spill, but they didn’t need to. The impact was the same. He didn’t feel guilt, but he knew the cue to start pretending he did. He rushed to her, cupping her face tenderly in his hands. She flinched away, the action involuntary, but thankfully, it only looked like she was angry, not afraid. Her cover was still safe.

‘Baby, it’s not like that. I swear,’ he began, pressing a kiss to her lips that, to anyone else, would seem sweet and caring. I shuddered with revulsion. Dakota couldn’t, however, so she pushed him away and turned her face so he could see the way her nose wrinkled in disgust.

‘I didn’t think we had any secrets, Blake,’ she said, her voice dull like she was hurt. Who was I kidding? Of course, she was. Loving Blake was a one-way trip to eternal torment, and she was only just skimming the surface of what that meant.

‘I’m sorry. I know this looks bad, but that’s why I called you over. I know I fucked up, and I shouldn’t have left like I did. You deserved better than that.’

When she faced him again, she let a little sliver of her rage show through in the quiver of her bottom lip and the fire burning in her eyes. ‘And this place, Blake? Why the fuck would you keep an entirehousea secret from me? I’m yourwife,’she snapped, and I internally cheered her on. It was good to see she had a backbone and that she wouldn’t let him walk over her like a doormat. It wouldn’t do her much good against his alter ego, but I was relieved to discover she was a fighter.

She wouldn’t take this lying down. Perhaps I could even use that to my advantage.

Maybe, if I could figure this whole shadow power thing out, we could help each other.

‘I know. It’s not what you think, I swear. Just let me explain. Please?’ he begged, and it was so believable evenIalmost fell for it. Thankfully, Dakota wasn’t stupid enough to, either.

‘You have five minutes, and then I’m walking out that door, Blake. Convince me you’re not an asshole.’

Ha. I liked her.

‘I bought this place as soon as I had access to my trust fund,’ he began, and I settled in for this explanation, too. I wanted to hear it. It was a mystery I had yet to solve.