Page 9

EVE

I jolted awake, my heart racing like I’d been running in my sleep.

Where the hell was I?

My breathing slowed as I took in the familiar chaos—clothes spilling from the closet, unread books littering the floor.

How the fuck did I get here?

Rain pattered softly against the window as pale daylight spilled through the open curtains of my bedroom. Everything looked normal. But something felt off.

I sat up, head pounding. I remembered waiting at the diner. Orion never showed.

Then there was that man… no, the creature . The blood. The pain. The man with the sword who’d cut him down like he was nothing.

I scrambled out of bed, stumbling over books on my way to the bathroom.

I froze in front of the mirror, breath catching.

There wasn’t a mark on me.

No bruises. No bite marks on my neck. Smooth skin beneath the T-shirt I didn’t remember putting on. My hands trembled as I pushed back my hair, wincing at the crusted blood matted near my scalp, but no wound underneath. Nothing.

My stomach turned. This wasn’t possible. Had I imagined it? Some kind of hallucination? No. There was no way. I wasn’t that creative, and it felt too real. That pain was so visceral, and I was sure I was going to die… There was no way I’d dreamed that kind of pain.

I gripped the sink, knuckles white. My body wavered between terror and disbelief. Maybe I’d snapped and dreamed up something grotesque to explain the fear and exhaustion.

No. I knew what I saw. I knew what I’d felt .

The creature. The fight. The sickening thud of a severed head hitting the concrete.

It was insane—but vivid. Real.

The last thing I remembered was the ground—cold and unyielding—while my lungs screamed for air. That monster’s face, grinning, blood-soaked. Then… nothing.

I hadn’t gotten up, I could barely lift my head with how much blood I’d lost, but how else could I have gotten home?

I closed my eyes, searching the dark for any sliver of memory. Just one detail surfaced—impossible to ignore.

Bright, spring green eyes.

My knees buckled slightly. Could it have been him? Orion—charming, cocky Orion—wielding a sword like a damn myth?

It didn’t make sense. None of this did. But I couldn’t deny what I’d seen. His eyes were the last thing I remembered before I’d passed out.

I stared at my reflection, pale and wide-eyed. I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t dreaming. Somehow, Orion had been there. And maybe—just maybe—he had answers. Adrenaline buzzed through me, lighting my frayed nerves on fire.

I needed to talk to him.

I tore out of the bathroom and into my room, yanking on an oversized navy sweater and leggings. I didn’t bother with my hair. In the living room, my pulse quickened as I spotted his business card on the coffee table, leftover from the night he dropped me off.

I grabbed the landline from the kitchen wall, ignoring the shake in my fingers. One ring. Two. Three. My heart pounded louder with each one.

“Come on,” I muttered, tightening my grip.

Four. Five. Then—click. My breath hitched. A robotic voice asked me to leave a message.

I slammed the phone down, a curse slipping out. What had I expected? And what would I have even said without sounding like I’d completely lost my mind?

I paced the kitchen, his card crumpling in my hand. This wasn’t a conversation I could have over the phone anyway.

It was nearly midday, but Louise had given me the day off. Good. I had time to sleuth. One man couldn’t be that hard to find. Right?

Then another thought hit me—one that made my pulse jump.

My car.

I rushed to the window, yanking the curtain aside. Relief hit me like a wave. The sedan sat in the driveway, glossy black and looking brand new. Darcy’s dad had come through, but I still had questions.

I remembered something he’d said to me yesterday—about staying nearby in a cabin. Maybe if I could just narrow it down, I’d have a shot.

I grabbed my laptop and sat at the dining table, typing in “local rental cabins”. Only three popped up within thirty miles—a reminder of just how isolated Alton Creek really was.

Two were vacation homes with pools and wrap-around porches, clearly meant for tourists seeking “rustic charm.”

But the third caught my eye.

A small cabin, tucked deep in the woods, just ten minutes from here. Cozy, private, and completely unassuming. It looked like the kind of place Orion might pick.

My gut twisted. Was I really going to do this?

I shoved the doubt aside. I couldn’t waste time second-guessing. I needed answers, and this was my best shot at finding them. I snapped the laptop shut and headed to the coat rack—only to stop short.

My fleece-lined jacket was gone.

I stared at the empty peg, confusion blooming… until it hit me. I’d been wearing that jacket last night. The one I was attacked in.

Its absence was the proof I needed. My resolve locked into place, filling my chest and igniting my determination.

Outside, rain misted against my face as I locked the front door and bolted to my car. I slid into the driver’s seat, shoved the key into the ignition, and tapped the address into the ancient GPS that unbelievably still worked.

As I drove, my hands clenched the wheel. The hum of the tires didn’t calm me—I ran through a dozen scenarios, each more unhinged than the last.

What was I even going to say? Hey, remember me? The girl who got mauled by a monster last night? Got a sec to explain the sword?

Heat rose to my cheeks. He was going to think I was out of my damn mind.

The GPS chimed.

I turned off the main road, the forest closing in. Moss-draped branches tangled overhead, dimming what little daylight remained. Shadows danced along the narrow path.

It felt too quiet—even for Alton Creek.

“Pull it together, Eve,” I muttered, fingers tapping the wheel. “You’re not crazy. This happened, and you’re going to get answers.”

The cabin appeared—dark wood slick with rain, nestled in the trees like it had always been there.

I pulled to a stop, but stayed in the car for a second longer, breathing shallow. Light glowed through the windows, but it didn’t feel comforting.

It felt like I was trespassing.

I pulled up my hood, stepped out into the rain, and climbed the porch steps. I stared at the door for a beat, then pressed the old-fashioned bell. A chime echoed faintly inside, but there was no movement towards the door.

I rang again. Knocked, too, but still no one answered.

My frustration simmered, and I wrapped my arms around myself, glancing toward the driveway. His car was here. Parked just ahead of mine. Was he avoiding me? The thought lit a fire in my chest, and I decided that stubbornness would see me through this.

I crept along the side of the cabin, peering into windows. Shame prickled in my cheeks—I knew how it looked—but I couldn’t see anything anyway. Water dripped from the eaves, soaking the wood as I rounded toward the back.

At first, I almost missed him.

He sat so still on the back porch that I nearly stepped into view. I froze, ducking behind the corner of the cabin.

Peeking out, I caught a proper look—and forgot to breathe.

He looked like some mythic Norse god—all sharp lines and a stillness like a loaded trap. He lounged in a wooden chair, a book open in his lap, one hand draped casually over the armrest. Even wrapped in a wool blanket, there was nothing soft about him.

Silver-blond hair spilled past a face both striking and severe—high cheekbones, stubbled jaw, eyes like frost rimmed in ice as they turned towards me.

“I can see you hiding,” he said. His voice was low, smooth, edged like glass. But it was his eyes that pinned me in place—clear blue, bleeding into white, sharp as a blade.

I stepped out from my pathetic hiding spot, heart hammering.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” I said quickly, forcing a smile. “I was actually looking for someone. Maybe you know him?”

He didn’t answer. Just stared.

The silence stretched, his gaze narrowing like he could see through me.

Then, the back door creaked open.

Orion stepped onto the porch. His eyes landed on me—surprise flashing across his face quickly before it vanished beneath a mask of cool calm.

“Eve—are you OK? What are you doing here?” His tone was clipped as he strode toward me.

“Orion,” the man said, caution lining every syllable, which only made me feel more confused.

“I just wanted to talk—” but Orion grabbed my arm and tugged me away from the cabin before I could finish my sentence. “Um, goodbye?” I called awkwardly, glancing back at the silver-haired man still watching us.

Orion didn’t stop. He dragged me around the cabin, his grip firm—not painful, but tight enough to piss me off.

“You’re pinching me,” I hissed, yanking my arm from his grip.

He stopped when we reached my car, releasing me. His soaked hair clung to his forehead, his expression closed off and unreadable.

“How did you find me?” he asked, voice suddenly colder than before, even as his eyes raked over me.

I crossed my arms. “I guessed, but it doesn’t matter. We need to talk about last night.”

His jaw tightened. “What about it?”

I hesitated. The words caught in my throat. How could I say this without sounding unhinged?

“I know what I saw. And… you were there.”

He stiffened. For a second, I thought he might walk away. But then he sighed.

“Yes,” he said carefully. “I was there. I’m sorry I was late.”

I blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“I found you asleep on the curb,” he said. “I drove you home. You don’t remember?”

My mouth fell open. “Don’t gaslight me, Orion. I didn’t fall asleep—I was attacked. That thing—”

“I’m not gaslighting you, Eve. You need to go,” he snapped, sharper now.

“Yes, you are!” I shouted, unable to keep myself calm. “That man was not human. And you—”

“Enough, please,” he cut me off, but his words had softened slightly, just a glimpse of the man I’d been getting to know.

Orion’s eyes darted back toward the cabin, and his entire posture shifted—tense, defensive.

When he turned back to me, there was steel in his voice.

“You need to go home. Don’t come here again. ”

I flinched. “Orion, wait—” He dodged my grip and stepped back like I was contagious.

“Go home, Eve.”

I stared at him, my hands shaking at my sides.

I couldn’t believe it. I was a terrible liar myself, but I could tell when people were keeping things from me, like when Louise withheld her worry and Darcy tried to hide her disappointment from me.

I could see it now in Orion’s reluctance, in the crease between his brows visible beneath his brown hair.

I wanted to kick and scream until he told me what he knew, but as conflicted as he looked, there was someone else watching. The other man now stood by the front porch, his features unreadable from this distance, but the message was clear.

I wasn’t welcome.

“I don’t know why you’re lying, but I’ll find out.”

A muscle in his jaw flexed, but I didn’t wait for a reply.

I yanked open the car door and climbed in, slamming it shut. My fingers shook as I started the ignition.

As I backed out, I spotted him watching the car but I kept my eyes averted. Tears blurred my vision. I wiped them angrily from my cheeks when I hit the main road.

“Fuck you, Orion,” I muttered, voice raw. “If you won’t help me, fine. I’ll figure it out on my own.”