Page 17 of Midnight Hunt (Wolves of Midnight #4)

16

VIOLET

Griff and I stayed tucked away in our little cave longer than planned, loath to leave our warm cocoon. But when the rain stopped and the sky lightened to a slate gray, we forced our bodies into motion once more.

As we dressed, neither of us spoke about what had happened between us. We were both thinking about it, though. I could tell by the way Griff kept looking at me. Not directly, but when he thought I wouldn’t notice. I knew he wanted to talk about it, but I had nothing to say. Nothing good, anyway.

I’d slipped up. End of story.

Yeah, it had felt good. More than good. Truthfully, I’d desperately missed being intimate with him. He always managed to make each moment feel like the first time, pouring every single ounce of his attention into me . That kind of attention was addicting. It made a girl feel desired. Special.

But now that I was thinking more clearly, I realized what a mistake it had been, and I had every intention of pretending it never happened. Only, as we took off again in a northeasterly direction, shifting our legs once more to cover ground faster, Griff made it clear he wasn’t ready to let it go.

“Last night can be whatever you want it to be, Vi,” he said. “You needed comfort, and I gave it to you. Just know that I’m here for you whenever you need me. That will never change.”

Sudden guilt pierced my chest, and I forced myself to say, “Thanks, but that won’t be happening again.”

He didn’t respond, and the guilt intensified, making it hard to breathe. I’d really screwed up this time, but it was better to tell him now than let him think I was open to being intimate again. That chapter was closed. Closed . It had to be, for both our sakes.

If only I hadn’t forgotten that last night. If only I hadn’t been weak .

Oh, Vi , Sable mournfully sighed.

Don’t start , I firmly told her, and she thankfully lapsed into silence.

I expected Griff to do the same. He’d never been one to pressure me into speaking when it was clear I didn’t want to. So he startled me again by saying, “Why did Reid break up with you?”

Heat flushed up my neck. It was on the tip of my tongue to say that it wasn’t any of his business, but I’d already hurt him enough. The least I could do was give him an honest answer. Well, half of one anyway.

“He said I didn’t want to be with him. My heart didn’t, at least.”

Griff mulled over my response before replying, “Was he right?”

I almost said no, but that would be a lie. Hopping over a felled tree, I answered, “Yes.”

I cared about Reid, I really did. Any female would be lucky to be with him, but . . . but he’d been right. I’d never completely invested my heart in our relationship. I’d wanted to, yet something had held me back.

I flicked a glance at Griff to find him already watching me. Genuine empathy shone in his eyes as he said, “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

A lump formed in my throat, and I quickly looked away before he could see my tears. “I’m sorry, too.”

Not about Reid.

About him and me. Us . About the relationship I’d ended before it had even begun. The relationship that should have always remained friendship and nothing more. And I was sorry for jeopardizing that again, for putting him into an unfair position. For treating him once more like a security blanket.

“Griff, I—” I started, feeling brave enough to finally tell him that. To repair the damage I had caused our friendship over the past several years. Before I could, he jerked up a hand and came to a dead stop. My heart immediately leapt into my throat, and I froze, throwing out my senses for any sign of our pursuers. When I couldn’t hear anything, I whispered, “What is it?”

Griff inhaled deeply, then threw me a devilish grin and whispered back, “Breakfast.”

When he started to strip, my eyes flew wide. “What are you doing?”

“Come on. It’ll be faster this way.”

As he removed his shirt and pants, I continued to protest. “But the carcass. Our pursuers will smell it.”

“We’ll bury it after. Our clothes too.”

He tugged off his boxer briefs, and I quickly looked away. “Come on, Vi. We need food if we’re going to keep running. We’re still hours from civilization, and we have no idea how close our pursuers are. I say we give our wolves control for a while.”

“And what will we wear when we shift back?”

“Guess we’ll have to travel in the nude until we can find new clothes.”

At the slight amusement in his tone, I threw him a glare. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy that very much, but we don’t have any money. If we make it back to civilization, we’ll be walking around butt naked. Any humans that see us will think we’re insane and call the cops.”

“Sounds like a future problem,” he said with a shrug. “We’ll figure it out as we go.”

With that, he dropped to all fours and started to shift.

Over the sound of breaking bones, Sable whined, Give me control, Vi. I promise to be good. I won’t let Whiskey mate with me, even if he tries .

With a groan, I finally gave in, quickly stripping before dropping to all fours. The second I relinquished control to Sable, she gleefully surged to the surface and initiated the change. A minute later, she shook off the transformation with an excited yip and bounded toward Whiskey. As they took a few moments to nuzzle and lick each other, I grumbled, You promised to behave .

Killjoy , she grumbled back, giving him one final lick before getting down to business. She and Whiskey used their sharp claws to dig a hole in the damp earth, then buried our shredded clothing in it.

Good riddance. I never wanted to see that gaping tree-sized hole in Griff’s shirt ever again.

When they finished, a loud growl rumbled through Sable’s empty stomach. She whined softly, and Whiskey licked her cheek sympathetically. Then they took off into the trees, their strides in sync as they ran side-by-side. Not long after, they picked up the scent Griff had smelled earlier. Like a switch being flipped, they went into hunting mode, following the trail swiftly and with barely a sound. As the scent intensified, they split up, hunting their prey from opposite directions.

The move was like a choreographed dance, one they’d practiced countless times over the years. They’d always worked beautifully together, and I took a moment to silently appreciate the connection they shared. I knew they both wished that Griff and I would become mates so that they could become mates, but I couldn’t forget my reason for denying them that bond.

It might seem cruel. It was cruel. But the alternative was so much worse.

At least they were still together. Not as mates, but this way, they didn’t have to worry about being separated. About losing each other.

And neither would Griff and I.

Moments later, Whiskey let out an ear-piercing howl. Sable shivered with anticipation, barely controlling her excitement. A crashing sound through the trees alerted her to their prey, the howl’s intent working as planned. The deer bounded to the left, frantically trying to escape Whiskey. In doing so, it headed directly for Sable. Putting on a fresh burst of speed, she lunged for the deer, opening her jaws wide.

The buck bleated in terror as Sable’s teeth sank deeply into his side. Blood exploded in her mouth, and I tasted it right along with her. He tried to kick her off him, but Whiskey was there a second later, jumping onto his back. The two wolves easily brought the deer down, killing him within seconds.

Ravenous hunger burned in Sable’s gut, and she immediately began to feast on her prize. Whiskey did too, but when Sable growled at him softly, he stopped eating to look at her.

Knowing what she was up to, I internally rolled my eyes. Let him eat, Sabs .

But we always do this , she said, staring him down while she fed.

Exactly. But you promised me you would be good .

I am .

This is foreplay . You’re trying to rev him up .

I didn’t promise I wouldn’t make him horny .

Let him eat , Sable , I growled, done with her nonsense.

With a disgruntled huff, she lowered her eyes, giving Whiskey permission to feed. He seemed confused, but after a moment, he went back to eating. In no time, the two hungry wolves demolished the deer, then dug a hole to bury the remains in.

Tell me again why hybrid wolves can’t portal? I muttered, impatiently waiting for them to slake their thirst at a nearby stream. It was still morning, and there hadn’t been any sign of our pursuers yet, but I wasn’t looking forward to the dangerous journey ahead.

Neither Griff nor I had told Kolton we were heading home early, but he’d probably discovered something had gone wrong by now. Knowing him, he was already searching for us, and that worried me. Our pursuers meant business, and if their weapons really were silver, even a powerful alpha could be killed. The sooner we found a phone, the better. Problem was, we were literally in the middle of nowhere. Even if we stumbled upon a random hunting cabin, there was no reception out here.

The ether won’t accept us , Sable answered my question, raising her head to lick her lips clean. The Universe demands balance, and allowing a spirit tied to the earthly plane—namely, one that’s wholly contained in a single body—to traverse the celestial plane upsets that balance. It’s why only witches and warlocks can portal. Their mortal bodies house only a small fraction of a spirit, so the ether doesn’t see them as a threat .

Still seems like discrimination to me , I replied with a huff.

She laughed quietly. On the contrary. It keeps us immortals in check. Our limited ability to use magic on Earth keeps most spirits on the celestial plane instead of here. If we had access to our full power in these physical forms, it would incite Armageddon, and life as we know it on Earth would perish .

Jeez, okay already , I muttered. Guess I should be grateful your kind isn’t trying to take over the world through our bodies .

I wouldn’t say that, she joked, her laughter turning dark.

You scare me sometimes , I said, not even a little amused.

Hey, I might be a she demon in another life, but that doesn’t automatically make me evil. I chose you as my earthly host, and although some find that unethical, I would never take over your mind in order to control you .

I know , I gently said, realizing I’d struck a nerve. A nerve I was sensitive about as well. You’re not even remotely like Zuriel, and he’s gone now. He can’t hurt us or our family ever again. Neither can Arrow, now that he’s free of him. Besides, Zuriel was an angel. I think demons are way cooler .

Love flared through our bond. Thank you, Vi. I think you’re pretty cool too. A bit stubborn at times, especially about your feelings for —

Okay, okay, stop while you’re ahead. Now get your furry butt going so I can sleep in a real bed tonight .

The cave was warm and cozy, though, and that orgasm was amazing. You haven’t felt that relaxed since —

La-la-la, not listening! I yelled, drowning her out.

With a snort, she turned from the stream. Whiskey immediately did the same, and they took off once more. With their bellies full, they easily covered lots of ground. We’d been knocked off course last night and had traveled west instead of north, but at the pace our wolves were going now, we should reach Lake Placid in a couple hours.

Around noon, the sun finally broke through the heavy clouds like a little ray of hope. We were almost there. We were going to make it. Sable and Whiskey surged forward, energized by the thought of almost being home. Sable pulled ahead, her eagerness making her fly over the forest floor at breakneck speed. I saw the sun catch on something shiny up ahead a second too late.

Before I could warn her, a sharp whoosh cleaved the air, and a huge net swallowed her whole.