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Chapter Sixteen

I stood frozen at the door, unable to move as I watched the black wolf. It just sat there, mostly motionless except for the occasional twitch of its ears. Despite the closed door between us, my skin crawled with the certainty that it knew exactly where I stood.

The minutes stretched on into what felt like hours. The wolf didn’t growl or pace or scratch at the door. It didn’t need to. Its mere presence was enough to make my heart race… to make me feel trapped in my own home. It was almost as if the silent intimidation was worse than an outright threat.

I clutched my phone tighter, tempted to call Ryder to ask what was taking him so long. He probably had to drive all the way to my house from town, and in reality, only five minutes had probably passed.

The wolf’s head snapped to the side, its ear rotating slightly toward the road. It rose off its back legs and jogged off my porch, disappearing into the trees.

Once it was gone, I heard an engine in the distance and shortly after, spotted the headlights. With how fast the lights drew closer, I’d guess the vehicle had been doing at least 80 mph on the narrow country road. Ryder’s truck pulled into the driveway, the tires skidding on the gravel and kicking up a dust cloud lit by the sliver of light from the moon.

He jumped out before the engine even died and scanned the property. His eyes glowed with intensity as he looked toward the trees where the wolf had left. Ryder’s nostrils flared before he turned toward the house, his shoulder tense beneath his flannel shirt.

His knock at the door was sharp. “Everly! It’s Ryder.”

I yanked the door open and, before I could stop myself, I threw myself against his chest. He wrapped an arm around me, and my body shook with relief and lingering fear.

After a few minutes, I cleared my throat and pulled back. Heat flooded my cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself instead. “I just… it was...”

Ryder’s expression softened, though his jaw remained tense. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“Kellan was here,” he said, his nose twitching. “I could smell him.”

“He was just sitting there,” I said, gesturing toward the porch. “Not doing anything. Just... watching.”

Ryder ran a hand through his hair. “He’s trying to piss me off. He wants my attention.”

“I thought you had this under control?” I asked, hugging myself tighter. “I mean, I’m guessing not, since he was outside of my house!”

He shook his head. “Not as well as I would have liked. Half of the time he lies, and the other half he avoids me. I thought maybe this would be different, but obviously, it’s not. Hard to settle things when he won’t even face me. This is how he is until he gets what he wants.”

“What does he want?”

“Power. Control. The packs. My pack.”

I paced the small living room, anxiety building with each step. I was so far in over my head, and I hadn’t even done anything to deserve it other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“I can’t live like this, Ryder,” I said, shaking my head. “I came here to get away from bullshit, not to be terrorized by a wolf.”

“I’ll settle it,” Ryder said firmly. “Sooner rather than later.”

“How?” I demanded, turning on my heel to face him. “If Kellan’s worried that I’m going to talk, what will make him believe I won’t say anything about your existence? What’s to stop him from just... eliminating the problem?”

Something dangerous flashed in Ryder’s eyes. “I’ll make him understand.”

“How?” I pressed.

“It isn’t your concern how we deal with things like this,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We know how to put Kellan in his place. It won’t be the first time, and it surely won’t be the last.”

The way he said it sent a chill through my body. A part of me didn’t really want to know the details, but the other, smaller part was curious.

“This has happened before? That a human saw a wolf… um, change?” I asked, my brows raised.

“Shift. And no, not this exact scenario, but other issues,” Ryder said, looking away. “Kellan is always pushing his limits. He won’t ever be happy. Even if he had everything he wanted, he’d still be miserable. That’s just how he is. There is always something more he wants. He will never be satisfied.”

I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to,” Ryder said, dragging his hand down his face as if wiping away his stressful expression. “You’re not supposed to know.”

I studied his face. “Why do you trust me? Why don’t you think I’ll tell the world about all of you and what’s really going on?”

Ryder’s eyes met mine, clear and certain. “It’s a feeling. And it’s never wrong. Kellan lacks that ability, which is just another part of the problem.”

“I won’t say anything. You know that, right?” I said, swallowing hard as I looked up into his eyes. My lips curled slightly at the ends. “Besides, no one would believe it, and Annie would have me put into an institution.”

“Who’s Annie?” Ryder asked, his brow wrinkled.

I waved my hand. “A friend from the city.”

“It’s not just a feeling,” Ryder said, drawing in a breath that pushed out his chest. “I trust you.”

The concept was foreign to me, especially from someone he barely knew. I’d spent my whole life learning the hard way that trust had to be earned, and even then, it could be broken in an instant. Everyone had an ulterior motive in my experience. They took what they wanted, and then they left. That’s how it had always been.

“I don’t understand that,” I admitted quietly. “I never trust anyone.”

“You can trust me,” Ryder said, taking a slow step forward.

I looked down at my feet. “I’d like to but?—”

“Not all guys… people are like the ones you’ve met before. Some people are good… loyal,” Ryder said, taking another step closer.

“I’ve never met anyone like that, and I’m not sure I ever will,” I said, swallowing hard as he hooked his finger under my chin and raised it until I was forced to look into his eyes.

“You have. You just haven’t realized it yet.”

I stared up into Ryder’s eyes, caught in his steady gaze. Something inside me wanted to believe him, to trust that he was different from everyone else I’d known. But years of disappointment and betrayal had forced me to build walls, and I wasn’t sure anyone could break through.

“You make it sound so easy,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Just trust you… like flipping a switch on or off.”

His hand remained under my chin, warm against my skin. “Not easy. Nothing worth having is ever easy, is it?”

I drew in a shaky breath. “This is just all so crazy. A week ago, I couldn’t get away from city life fast enough. Now I’m out here, and there are actual wolves threateningly sitting on my doorstep.”

“And yet you’re still here,” Ryder said softly. “Most people would have packed their bags and run off by now.”

I laughed. “I would have, but my SUV was dead.”

“There are buses, planes, rental cars…” Ryder said, his hand moving from my chin to my cheek.

I leaned in, finding his touch more comforting than I’d expected. There were feelings raging through me like a thunderstorm… feelings I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in a long time.

His touch was so warm.

The glow in his eyes was calming.

I felt safe… protected… charged.

My heart hammered against my ribs, a rhythm that both terrified and exhilarated me. When he leaned in, I held my breath, waiting for my instinct to retreat to kick in — but it never came.

His lips brushed against mine, and a burst of electricity tore through my body. Instead of pulling away, I leaned into him.