Page 42 of A Wolf’s Wound

Hannah

Thanks to a ride from a friendly woman heading into town, Shadow and I make it back to the apartment without any problems. Two shifters are hard at work on installing our new door, so I just dart into my room to drop off my bag before leaving again.

Now Shadow and I are sitting at an outdoor table at a café near the center of the city. It looks out on a park, and the pleasant sight of people walking around and kids playing in the grass has greatly improved my mood.

I sit long enough that the park begins to empty out. Looking at my watch, I see it’s the early afternoon. People must be going back to work and kids back to school. I idly think about going to the office, even though I told Melinda I was taking a couple of days off.

Before I can make up my mind, a guy walks over. He smiles at me, and I give him a tight smile back, neither rude nor encouraging. “Hi,” he says, stopping near my table. “Mind if I sit down?”

“Sure,” I say and hold out my hand. “I’m Hannah.”

“Hi, Hannah. Who’s this guy?” he asks, nodding at Shadow, who’s dozing in his chair.

“This is Shadow.”

“It’s nice to meet you both,” he says politely, putting his coffee cup on the table.

“What’s your name?” I ask. He’s tall, with dark eyes and dark, shaggy hair. I peg him as around my age, and I don’t get the sense that he’s a shifter.

“So what are you up to on this beautiful day?” he asks instead of answering my question.

“Oh, just enjoying my coffee,” I say.

“Caffeine, the nectar of the gods.” He grins, and I laugh.

“I’ll drink to that.” I lift my cup toward his. So he doesn’t want to tell me his name. That’s okay. Maybe a little mindless chitchat with a stranger will help take my mind off Ryder.

“What do you do, Hannah?”

“I’m a veterinarian.”

“That sounds cool,” he says. “I love animals. It would be amazing to work with them all day.”

“Yeah, that’s a big part of why I became a vet,” I tell him. “I’ve always felt such a great bond with animals. What about you? What do you do?”

“I’m an entrepreneur,” he says with another smile. “I love it. I get to be my own boss. Which means no one minds if I take long lunch breaks and talk to pretty women instead of getting back to the office.”

I blush as I realize that he’s flirting with me, but I don’t hate it. In fact, after the confusion of the past twenty-four hours, some straightforward flirting seems like a great palate cleanser.

“Sounds like a great life.” I grin back, deciding to flirt with him a little too. Why not? He’s cute, and I like his laid-back manner. This is just a fun diversion. I don’t even know the man’s name, after all. And I don’t really care about that right now.

“Oh, you have no idea,” the guy says. “Are you new in town, Hannah?”

“I am. I just moved to Stonehaven a few weeks ago.”

“I thought so,” he says, looking at me. “I would have remembered if I’d seen you before.”

His words sound like a compliment, but something in the man’s gaze is unnerving. He’s looking at me too intently, too carefully. It’s like he’s sizing me up for some reason.

“Well, I’ve been pretty busy,” I say lightly, sitting up straighter and uncrossing my legs. I want to be ready to move. “I don’t get out a lot.”

“That’s a shame, a beautiful woman like you.” There’s an edge to his voice that I don’t like. It’s a little bit mocking, a little bit sinister, and a lot alarming.

“Yeah, well, you know how it goes,” I say, reaching for my purse. “Look, it’s been nice to meet you, but I should go.”

“Why?” he asks, putting his hand on top of mine. He twines his fingers around mine and squeezes tightly.

I wince and try to pull my hand away, but his grip tightens. “My boss is expecting me back at work. She’ll be looking for me soon,” I lie.

“Don’t go, Hannah,” he says in a low voice.

“Let go of me.” I glance around, but no one else is in the outdoor section.

“Isn’t that what you told Ryder at first?” the man asks.

I freeze. He looks at me, smirking. “What?” I ask quietly, too stunned to say more.

“I said, isn’t that what you told Ryder at first?” he says in a taunting voice. Seemingly pleased with himself, the man releases his grip on my hand and pushes some hair out of his eyes.

“How do you know Ryder?” I ask but then shake my head. “Forget it. I don’t want to know. I really need to go.”

I yank my hand away and Shadow jumps up. I grab my purse and we begin to walk away. But the man catches up to me and grabs my arm.

“Leave me alone,” I say, whirling around. “If you don’t, I will scream so loud your eardrums will shatter.”

“I don’t think anyone will hear you,” he says.

I look around and sure enough, the sidewalk is empty. I glance across the street and find the park empty too.

“Don’t test me,” I say tightly.

But instead of looking alarmed, this man looks amused. “By the way, this thing that Ryder started?” he says. “Soon, it’ll be finished.”

The blood in my veins turns to ice as I stare at him. “What? What do you mean, finish what Ryder started?”

“You’re a smart girl, Dr. Kelly,” he says.

I realize that this wasn’t just a random encounter. This man knows who I am and approached me deliberately. “I’m sure you can figure it out.”

Instinctively, I back away, realizing too late that I’m backing toward the wall of a building. The man advances toward me.

Then Shadow leaps up, throwing himself on the man’s chest. “What the hell!” he yells, throwing Shadow to the ground and kicking him away.

“Shadow!” I cry. My raccoon lies in a heap on the sidewalk a few feet away. I start to go toward him when the man grabs my arms.

“You have bigger things to worry about then your little pet,” he hisses.

I try to remember the moves that Ryder showed me. They seemed so straightforward when we were practicing. Why can’t I remember what to do now?

Panicking, I bring my knee up and try to hit the man in the groin. He sees what I’m doing and sidesteps my leg, but that loosens his grip on my arms. I whirl around so he’s the one with his back to the wall.

“You don’t want to do this,” he warns.

“Neither do you,” I spit back, balling my hands into fists. “Get the hell away from me and Shadow.”

“Oh, Hannah, the time for that has long passed,” he taunts me. “I don’t plan on going anywhere. Well, not alone,” he says with a dark chuckle.

I back up, running my eyes over him as I do. He’s taller than I am and definitely stronger. But I’m quick and determined. That has to mean something. Right?

Still, I know it’s not enough. I have one, maybe two chances to get in a good hit. Then it’s all over. Now would be a perfect time for Ryder to show up because while I don’t know where he fits into the rest of my life, I know he can at least take down an assailant.

Then the man lunges at me.