Page 24 of Bewitched by the Werewolf (The Bewitching Hour #5)

He’s following me again. This time far less covertly.

Before he at least attempted to conceal his stalking, now he just does it right out in the open.

I see him, he sees me. He keeps his distance and doesn’t interfere when I order my coffee or venture into the bookstore and pick out a book.

He just waits outside leaning against a wall or checking his phone.

Doesn’t he have better things to do than follow me?

It’s not like I’m doing anything to hurt anyone.

I’m not taking anyone’s picture, or breaking into anyone’s house.

Though it had crossed my mind. What better way to discover who it was that I shot the other night than to break into people’s houses and search for evidence of injury or my crossbow bolt?

With Sheriff Glued To My Ass following me around I’ll have to stick to public areas.

I finally tire of his nonsense—no matter how much I enjoy him watching me—and decide to confront the man.

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk I spin one eighty on my heel and face the man who both infuriates and arouses me.

A strange combination of sensations I’ll admit I’ve never felt before.

I don’t know which one to give into just to clear up the confusion.

Ryder stands about fifteen feet behind me, when I spin, he stops but doesn’t try to conceal himself or play off his presence. We’re beyond that now.

I stalk towards him making myself the predator and him the prey. He doesn’t even flinch, his hands loosely shoved into his pockets the picture of calm. That is until I get closer and I can see his pupils expanding and contracting, his nostrils flaring.

“Are you going to be following me the entire time I’m in town?” I demand.

“Maybe.”

“Don’t you have more important things to do as Sheriff?”

“Not right now.”

His flat pointed answers only irk me further. So. Freaking. Infuriating. Fine, two can play that game.

“So, if I were to decide to go skinny dipping in the lake, you would be watching me?” Those silver eyes of his flash with interest and I grin, cocking a hip. “Would you follow me in? Save me if I were drowning?”

“If I had to,” he grinds out. Not so unaffected now, are we? “But I might just let you drown. It would be a solution to my problem.”

“You would let a poor innocent woman drown?” I ask in a breathy offended tone. I’m being massively sarcastic and finding I enjoy our little teases and taunts back and forth. “That’s not very sheriff-like of you. Don’t you all have a code or something you follow?”

Ryder shifts on his feet but doesn’t back down. As a matter of fact, I think I see the corner of his mouth twitch.

“Maybe, but way out here in the middle of the forest, where I’m the law, I think I could get away with it.”

“What else do you get away with out here? Hiding werewolves maybe?”

He sighs and huffs, shaking his head. “And we were having such fun, then you had to ruin it.”

“I’m not ruining anything. I just think you’re not telling me the truth.”

“And what is the truth?” he asks raising an eyebrow at me.

“That there are werewolves in this town, and you know about them. There might even be more than one. I saw one and I don’t think it’s alone. And one way or another I’m going to find it again and get the proof I need to show everyone I was right.”

The playful expression that was growing on Ryder’s lips disappears and he once again becomes the stoic boring sheriff.

“I highly doubt that.”

“Why? Because you’re going to make sure I don’t find anything?”

“No. Because there’s nothing to find. I don’t need to hide anything.”

“And yet you’re hiding so much.”

He pauses at that and considers me. I consider it myself. I hadn’t thought before saying it, but it makes sense. He’s so stiff and closed off. There has to be more to him than just frowns and a badge. He doesn’t reply and I huff in annoyance.

“Fine. I’m going back to my trailer. You’re welcome to follow but you’re not coming in. It’ll be immensely boring. I suggest doing some actual sheriff work.”

I stride past him and shoulder check him as I do.

It’s not meant to be aggressive or painful, I don’t have the kind of muscle needed to do any kind of damage to a large man like Ryder.

Yet my shoulder bump causes him to stumble back and wince, a hiss of pain escaping him as he gingerly rubs at his left shoulder.

Somewhere near the very spot I hit the werewolf in.

My eyes widen and I stop dead in my tracks, staring at the man that may very well be a werewolf.

“You.” I point at Ryder’s shoulder, and he straightens. “You’re the werewolf.”

“What? No, I’m not. You’re—wrong.”

“No, I’m not, and yes you are. I hit the werewolf in the shoulder with my crossbow. Right, there.”

I poke at his shoulder in the area, where I assume, is the wound I caused.

Ryder flinches and grunts, pulling back out of my reach .

I knew it. I fucking knew it. I just didn’t know it would be him.

Looking at him now he’s the perfect specimen to be a werewolf.

Tall, strong, bad at communication, likes to stalk people.

“Yes, you are. Oh my god. I knew they were real. I can’t believe I finally found one. This is amazing!” My voice increases in pitch and volume as I grow more excited by the second realizing I’ve finally found one.

I hear Ryder growl as he steps closer, forcing me in between the buildings of the main street.

I’m so excited at discovering the truth, I don’t realize he’s isolating me from view of others until we’re already hidden out of sight.

I take a step back and reach for the knife I keep at my back under my jacket.

“Don’t even think about shifting and eating me. I will stab you.”

He growls again, this time less aggressive and more exasperated. “I’m not going to eat you, Tess.”

I relax a little when he doesn’t advance further. He just stands with his hands on his hips, his jaw working as he stares.

“Good. I didn’t really want to stab you. Yet. I need you alive to get the proof of your existence first. Then, I can stab you. So how is it that you were able to shift without the full moon? I thought that was the only time werewolves shifted from their human forms.”

“Oh, for the love of—there is no such thing as werewolves,” he snaps. I’m about to snap right back at him, my mouth falling open to point out I saw him and shot him in the woods. “I am not a werewolf. I am a shifter. There’s a difference.”

My jaw falls open even farther. I don’t know how to respond to that. The wheels in my head begin to spin and finally start connecting some dots. He’s not denying it was him anymore. Now I can get some real answers.

“What’s the difference? Are there werewolves out there or just,” I gesture up and down at him. “You?”

“The difference is I wasn’t bitten, I’m not a wild animal, I have control over it, and I don’t eat people. Also, werewolves don’t exist. So now that you know, you can be on your way and leave everyone else in town alone.”

I narrow my eyes at him. He’s still hiding something. “Why?”

“Because.”

“Because there are more of you and you don’t want me to know who?” He averts his gaze and glares at the brick wall of the bookstore next to us. Bingo! There are more shifters and he’s trying to hide them from me. “You’re a shit liar, you know that?”

“You’re annoyingly persistent, you know that?”

“It’s one of my best qualities.” I toss my hair over my shoulder, proud of my stubbornness. “So, how many of you are there? Is it the whole town? Is that why it’s not on any map? Do you bribe people to conceal the town or just kill anyone who discovers you?”

“We don’t kill anyone!” Ryder snaps, his expression shifting in horror at the idea. Good to know.

“If you weren’t bitten, how did you become a shifter ? Does silver have any effect on you? Is the whole full moon thing garbage?”

“You may not believe this Tess, but I’m just a normal person like you. I have a job, family, hobbies and I just want to live like anyone else. Did you ever consider that on your hunt for werewolves? That you’re hunting a person who may not want to be the center of your expose?”

I pause for a moment, because no, I hadn’t thought about the human part. The beast is all I’ve ever been able to think about since that night they attacked those campers when I was a kid.

“No one wants to be the center of an expose, but people deserve to know the truth. To know that there are creatures out there that can hurt them. Whether you intend to or not.”

Ryder’s jaw clenches and his hands tighten in to fists at his side. I eye them, momentarily wondering if I’m going to need to stab him after all.

“You have your answer. Go home,” he growls out.

“Not a chance.” I cross my arms over my chest in defiance.

“I have too many questions you still haven’t answered and I’m sticking around till they are.

If I’d have been more alert in the forest I would have already gotten a picture of you as proof, but since I didn’t, I’m not going anywhere until you shift for me and prove you’re not a werewolf but a shifter like you say.

” I poke him in the chest avoiding the area of his wound.

“That’s never going to happen,” Ryder says darkly.

“Why not? It would be the fastest way to get rid of me.”

“It would be better for everyone if you just forgot you ever came here.” His words are softer than they have been, a quiet pleading for understanding.

I understand him to a degree. But I can’t forget, not now.

Not when I’m so close. Not after all the years of doubt and escaping that institution my parents put me into that was more suited for a horror movie than rehabilitation.

Leaving now would be like letting myself drown a foot from the surface.

Just one more push and I’ll reach my goal.

Break through the surface and inhale a deep breath. Finally able to let go and move on.

“I can’t do that. I’ve been called crazy for too long to give up now that the truth is within my reach. You’re stuck with me.”

Ryder begins to pace, wiping a hand down his face, catching glances of me every so often.

I stand defiant, arms crossed over my chest not giving an inch.

He can protest all he wants, but this is still a free country and I can stay here as long as I like.

He finally stops pacing, his eyes shining with resolve.

“Do whatever you want Tess. But I’m not going to let you hurt anyone in this town, whether that be by taking their picture or shooting them with a crossbow.

Which, by the way, if I catch you with again, I will arrest you.

” He points at me with one hand the other going to his hip, drawing my attention to his badge and gun strapped to his belt.

I’d almost forgot about him being a real cop.

I hold my hands up in supplication. Not like I go waltzing around with it strapped to my back anyways. “That’s fine. I’ll just follow you around then and bug you.” I give him a wide toothy grin. “Eventually I’ll wear you down and you’ll tell me what I want to know.”

He groans and rolls his eyes rubbing at them. A common response to my presence, I’m used to it.

“Whatever, I need a coffee.”

“Ooh that sounds great. I love everything Tobias has made me so far. I think I may be addicted to his coffee. He’s not a shifter, is he?

He seems too nice if you’re the standard for shifters.

Are all shifters as grouchy as you? Considering everyone else I’ve met in town is super friendly and nice I’m going to guess no. I think it’s just a you thing.”

Ryder doesn’t say anything else as we walk to The Ugly Mug . I’ve just turned the tables on him and I’m going to be even more annoying now until I break him.