Page 26 of A Wolf’s Wound

Hannah

“What’s going on?” I ask Gavin as we approach my building, nodding to a cluster of wolves standing around the front door.

He shakes his head, looking puzzled. We watch as they lift up a stretcher and load it into the van that’s idling at the curb. “Those are enforcers,” Gavin says.

They all climb into the van and drive away, leaving one of them behind. As we get closer, I realize Ryder’s the one standing near my door. He watches the van until it’s disappeared by the time we’re standing next to him.

“What happened?” Gavin asks.

Ryder turns around, looking anxious. “Another body,” he says, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Same as the other?” I ask, and Ryder nods. I shake my head. “What is going on?” Neither Stone brother replies. “Well, let’s go inside.”

“I should go, actually,” Gavin says. “I’ll need to be there when the body is examined. Hannah, call me if anything changes with the deer. Ryder, I’ll see you later,” he says, and Ryder nods in a distracted manner.

“You coming in?” I ask Ryder.

He hesitates, which surprises me and then shrugs before following me.

“Yeah, okay. For a few minutes.”

We walk to my apartment in silence. When I unlock the door, Shadow runs over, looking thrilled to see us. “Hey,” I greet him, bending down to scoop him up. He chatters away and reaches out his paws to Ryder, who looks at him blankly before sitting down heavily at the kitchen table.

Shadow looks at me, confused. I shrug, not sure what to make of Ryder’s behavior. “Maybe he’s just tired,” I whisper to Shadow, who wriggles in agreement. I put him back on the floor and fill a couple of glasses with water before joining Ryder at the table.

He picks up his glass and drains it in several long swallows. “Do you want more?” I ask, but he shakes his head. “Ryder? Are you okay?”

Ryder looks at me, and his expression breaks my heart a little. He looks so worn out and sad, too tired to speak.

“Why don’t I make us dinner,” I suggest.

Ryder nods, and I open the fridge, looking for ingredients.

Ryder remains silent as I boil water for pasta and heat up marinara sauce. He doesn’t say anything when I put his plate in front of him, but he does pick up his fork and begin to eat. I sit down across from him with my own plate.

“Does it taste okay?” I ask, but he doesn’t respond. We eat in silence.

When our plates are empty, he stands up and carries them to the sink. Then he sits back down and stares straight ahead, past me and at the wall.

Okay, this is really weird… and troubling. It’s also honestly kind of annoying too. Why is he still here?

I almost ask Ryder that very question, but then I remember how lost he looked earlier, and anxiety replaces my annoyance. Something bad must have happened to have affected him so deeply. Ryder is acting like a shell of himself, and I don’t like it.

“What happened?” I ask softly, trying to catch his eyes. But he continues staring resolutely ahead. “It must have been really traumatic. You can tell me what it is, Ryder.”

No dice. I swallow and keep going. “I know sometimes things feel too awful to talk about. I get it. I do. But that’s not true. Nothing is so bad that it can’t be shared.”

It’s like he doesn’t hear me. “I think the deer is doing better,” I say, hoping the change of topic will get a response. “Gavin told me it was your idea to have some of the pack stay at the clinic tonight.”

Ryder shrugs, still staring at the wall.

“Well, thanks for that,” I say. “Otherwise I’d be awake all night, worried.”

“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 believe that .”

“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?