Page 66 of Silent Fire (Sin & Steel #6)

But did it really matter? As soon as he got some rest, he planned to grab his backpack and move on. The last thing he needed was getting the cops called for crashing in an empty house.

It had happened a few times in the past six months, but luckily, he’d never been arrested, just told to move along.

H e looked around as the town lights faded, giving way to the dark countryside and the smell of woodsmoke. Occasionally, a car would pass, its headlights cutting through the darkness for a moment.

The farmhouse wasn't much, but it had become his temporary refuge. Still, Noel had seen some strange things, like glowing eyes and sharp teeth. Just last week, some guys showed up arguing in the front yard. He peeked out the window, careful to stay hidden. He only used his lantern when really necessary—he had to save the batteries and didn’t want anyone to know he was there. Like he had with Tomas and his friends.

But the strangers had been arguing, and one guy’s eyes had this weird amber glow. Noel figured it was just the moonlight messing around, but even when the guy turned his head, the glow was still there.

The other guy had freakishly long front teeth. Noel really should’ve left town then, but he’d stupidly decided to stick around.

As he kept walking, all he could hear were his footsteps on the pavement and sometimes an owl hooting in the distance. By the time he got to the farmhouse, Noel was dead tired and ready to faceplant onto his thin little blanket.

It took everything he had to drag himself up to the second floor, and now he was starving.

He’d kill for one of Cesar’s meals right about now.

The guy could seriously throw down in the kitchen.

Noel had never eaten so good in his life.

He wasn’t a huge fan of spaghetti, but the way Cesar made it? Noel was officially hooked.

Stretching out on the worn carpet, he wrapped the blanket tightly around him, shivering slightly from the chilly night air. After sleeping at Sin’s, the musty smell and hard floor felt even worse. He kept shifting around, trying his best to find a comfortable position.

He must’ve nodded off, because, when he opened his eyes, the moonlight shadows had moved to the other side of the room.

Why was he awake? That walk from town alone should’ve knocked him out cold. Noel started to toss aside the blanket to head to the bathroom but froze when he heard a floorboard creak.

Just like it had a few nights ago when Tomas and his friends had broken in.

Noel strained to listen, hoping like hell he was just imagining things. He tried to calm his breathing, even though he was heavily panting.

Carefully, he pushed to his feet. Noel knew which parts of the floor creaked and avoided those spots as he snuck toward the closet.

His muscles locked in place when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Noel pressed his lips together to keep quiet, and to stop himself from screaming.

He did not like anything creepy or murdery, and those footsteps were giving him a bad feeling.

Noel edged toward the closet, fighting the overwhelming urge to sprint and slam the door shut behind him.

Moving this slowly he was barely making any progress, but he didn’t want to tip off whoever was there.

The footsteps were getting closer. Noel moved just a little faster and quietly slipped inside the closet, careful of the squeaky hinges.

He pulled the door almost shut, leaving a tiny gap to peek through just as a shadow appeared under the bedroom door.

The shadow stopped, and Noel heard someone sniffing, like they were trying to catch his scent.

After what happened last week, he wouldn’t be surprised if they were actually sniffing him out.

Noel really hoped it wasn’t those same guys coming back. He placed a hand over his mouth as the doorknob turned slowly, like something out of a horror movie.

The bedroom door opened the same time as Noel gently closed the closet door. Someone was moving around the room, no longer bothering to hide their footsteps.

“Come on out, human. I just want to say hi.”

Noel was panting so hard he felt lightheaded. Human . That meant the man wasn’t. Noel stepped back without thinking, bumping into plastic hangers on the rod. They clattered softly.

Shit!

“Did you find something?” another voice asked. Noel’s eyes went wide. There were two of them! Were they the same men he’d spotted last week?

Why hadn’t he run the second he’d noticed those glowing eyes and sharp teeth?

Now it was too late.

Something told him these men wouldn’t be as understanding as Tomas and his buddies.

You should’ve just stayed at the tavern. The story of his life. If there was a choice to be made, he always seemed to pick the wrong one.

The closet door flew open, and Noel froze, too terrified to scream as he stared at the two men he’d seen in the front yard a week ago.

“Guess this place isn’t as empty as we thought,” said the one whose eyes had glowed, smirking.

The other guy, the one who’d had sharp teeth, looked Noel up and down. “Scrawny thing. I’ve seen raccoons bigger than him.”

Anger tried to flare, but it was swallowed by his terror.

Glowing Eyes reached out to grab him, but Noel instinctively slapped his hand away.

“He’s feisty.” Sharp Teeth grinned. “I was just about to suggest we kill him and bury him out back, but I like his fire.”

Glowing Eyes reached for him again, and Noel came out swinging. He’d fought bigger men before, like when his ex-boyfriend decided to start using his fist instead of words.

Before Brian, Noel had to fight off his stepdad, who was more beer belly than brawn. But fighting two men at once? That was new.

Noel was throwing punches at one while kicking at the other. Whatever they were planning, he wasn’t going down easy.

Glowing Eyes simply laughed, but Sharp Teeth growled like he was part animal.

Noel ducked and tried to use his short stature to slip past them. He wasn’t fast enough. One of them snatched Noel’s hair and yanked him back, slamming him into the wall.

Bouncing off of it, Noel punched Glowing Eyes right in the nuts.

“Son of a bitch!” the guy yelled, cupping himself and dropping to his knees. Noel tried to make a break for it again, only for Sharp Teeth to tackle him to the floor.

“Get off me!” Noel shouted as Sharp Teeth climbed up his body then pinned him down.

“Gotta admit, didn’t see that coming.” He panted in Noel’s ear. “You’re scrappy for a little guy.” The bastard dug his nails into Noel’s scalp and jerked his head back. “But you’re fighting for nothing. I’m not a fucking creep. Wasn’t gonna do anything pervy to you.”

“Except murder me,” Noel shot back, even though he seriously needed to keep his mouth shut. Then again, if they were gonna kill him, why stay quiet?

Glowing Eyes, red in the face, and still cupping his balls, glared at Noel. “I’m going to enjoy gutting you.”

He raised a hand, thick claws sliding out from his fingernails. Noel’s jaw dropped, momentarily forgetting how his head was being yanked back painfully.

The guy’s eyes began to glow amber, his lips twisting into a feral smile. “And I’m gonna take my sweet time so you feel every—” His head snapped toward the bedroom door just as a silhouette filled the doorway.

Sharp Teeth was knocked off of Noel. Unfortunately, the guy still had a grip on his hair. Noel screamed, clutching Sharp Teeth’s wrist to try and ease the pain as he flew backward.

Noel couldn’t keep up with what was going on, especially when he was twisting around, trying to get those fingers to let go.

The room was filled with the noise of growls and the sound of fists connecting with bones.

Noel glanced over and saw Cesar brawling with Glowing Eyes.

They were going for blows, power behind every punch.

Then Cesar slammed Glowing Eyes into the wall, leaving a dent.

Plaster flew everywhere, but they just kept on fighting.

Noel was on all fours, struggling to see behind him. He was still gripping Sharp Teeth’s wrist, until the fingers finally went slack. Right by his ear, bones crunched, followed by a painful grunt.

“Try to grab him again and I’ll rip that hand off.”

It was Tomas! Noel’s heart thundered like crazy. He was so goddamn relieved to hear Tomas’s deep voice. Noel scrambled out from under Sharp Teeth, quickly moving toward the wall, then turned around.

“Oh fuck!”

Tomas’s eyes were glowing too, and he had sharp teeth sticking out from under his top lip!

What in the hell was going on? What were these guys? Noel hesitated for only a heartbeat before shoving to his feet, every part of him aching, and bolted out of the room.

He stumbled down the stairs then sprinted out the front door without looking back.

Chapter Two

“ Damn it!” How was he supposed to keep Noel safe if the human kept running off?

Tomas drove his claws through the hyena’s heart, still feeling feral after seeing the guy lying on top of Noel. He pulled them out then drove them back in two more times. “You sick fuck,” he snarled at the lifeless body.

If he hadn’t thought to check here for Noel, there was no telling— He shut that thought down. “You good?”

“Go.” Cesar jammed his claws into the other hyena’s neck. “I’m right behind you, hermono .”

Tomas noticed the hyena he killed had red marks on his face. Had Noel fought him? He sure as fuck hoped so.

Outside, he scanned the area. How far could Noel have gone? He sniffed the crisp night air, picking up the cinnamon and vanilla scent from Noel’s shampoo, the same one from his room at the tavern.

Turning toward the road, Tomas sprinted after him. And when he caught up to Noel, Tomas would have some explaining to do. His eyes glowing and canines exposed? That had been a gut reflex to seeing that bastard on top of Noel.

Agh! Tomas was supposed to forget what he’d seen, but it was all he could think about. His lycanthrope wanted to go back and shred that hyena apart.

But his wolf howled for him to find Noel, the crazy beast going nuts.