Kai drops me at the bar first, and I watch as he and Logan drive away. The quietness of the night settles around me, and I sigh. I have never experienced this before, and the sensation of inadequacy is overwhelming. When Logan starts to open up, it's as if he can feel himself wavering, and quickly retreats. A shadow moves behind his eyes, and I sense his walls go back up. I desperately want him to open up and accept me, but I'm not sure I can make it happen.
Chapter Twelve
Logan
Ifeelanominouspresence behind me, the soft sound of a woman singing drifting on the wind. A cold sweat breaks out all over my body. I snap open my eyes. I don’t see it, but I can sense it.
The shadow is there, lurking just beyond reach, watching, waiting.
A sharp pain steals my breath as something stabs into my back, causing me to arch in pain as if I could somehow escape.
I cannot breathe or scream. The only sound coming from me is a wheezing sound as my heart rate triples.
There’s a disturbance in the air behind me, and a cold breath caresses my cheek, before a hauntingly soft voice whispers in my ear, “Your time’s almost up. I can’t wait to taste all that misery and loneliness that’s eating you up on the inside.”
My eyes snap open for real this time, and I jolt up in bed, panting as I swallow my fear. I glance around the room, searching those darker corners for the source of my unease. The phantom pain still lingers in my back. I reach my hand around and touch the area, finding it slick with sweat. I take my hand away only to see it’s darker. Frowning, I reach for the lamp and switch it on. Blood coats my hand, and I spin, looking down at the bed sheets, seeing them smeared with blood. What the hell . . .
It was a dream. It wasn’t real.
I walk into my adjoining bathroom and look over my shoulder in the mirror. Five large puncture wounds are seeping blood, like someone stabbed their long sharp nails into my back. My eyes travel over the other scars on my back, and I turn, looking over the rest of my torso, the angel wings I have tattooed across my chest, the only thing I try to focus on. The name etched in the wings across my heart.
I step into the shower to wash away the blood, then do my best to patch myself up, pulling on an old Portland PD t-shirt and some loose track pants. I make quick work of stripping the sheets and remaking the bed. I can’t help the fear that tightens my chest as I ball up the bloodied sheets, and make my way downstairs, giving up on sleep.
The nightmare hovers over me as I enter the kitchen and toss the sheets in the corner to take out to the trash in the morning. I draw up short when I hear a muffled noise coming from the back porch, followed by a clicking sound. Without turning on the lights, I move quickly to the drawer and grab a handgun I keep hidden there. My pulse is steady as my brain flips modes. I check the magazine and flick off the safety, moving slowly to the back door. Without much thought behind it, I swing open the door and raise my gun as I step onto the porch.
A heavy thud comes from my left, and I swing my gun, my gaze clashing with the white wolf I saw in the Crescent Moon parking lot a few days ago.
I blow out a breath as I lower my gun. I don’t say anything as we stare at each other. The wolf slowly steps from the shadows and approaches me. I stand stock still, unsure if I should step back inside or wait to see what it’s going to do.
I decide to wait as the wolf steps up to me, its head tilted. It circles me, pausing at my back, its nose sniffing my shirt. The wolf whines before moving back in front of me.It pushes me with its head until my knees meet the deck chair and I sit. I stare straight into its unique eyes, blue ringed with yellow. It’s an odd combination, and yet I feel as if I know this animal as something familiar is reflecting back at me in those eyes.I reach my hand out and gently stroke over its ears, its white coat extremely soft and thick. It shuffles even closer, leaning into the touch, and I smile.The nightmare seems to evaporate with that touch, all my worries and fears quieten down, my head going silent. It’s wonderful.
“You are gorgeous,” I murmur, reaching my other hand up and stroking down its neck.
The wolf's eyes seem to glow, and it nuzzles me. My lips tug up, and I sigh, a feeling of contentment washing over me.
“I don’t know why you’re here, but I’m glad you are. I need the distraction.” I relax into the chair, a slight hiss falling from my lips as my back hits the chair. The wolf's ears perk up at my pain, but I smooth a hand over its head.
“I’m okay,” I grunt.
The wolf doesn’t take its eyes off me as I try to relax in the deck chair. “You know, I’ve had these nightmares since I was a kid. They feel so real. And I always wake up with marks . . . ” I trail off, feeling foolish for talking to an animal.
The wolf nudges my hand gently, and I let out a stuttered breath. “It’s not something you forget, you know. That moment you think you’re going to die. There’s no white light, no peace, no calm. It’s pain, and fear. You remember every second of it, and it doesn’t fade over time.”
The wolf’s head rests on my leg, and it whines. As my hand runs over its massive head, I can’t get over how soft and thick the fur is. Accepting the comfort, I settle in and wait for the sun to rise.
I’m sitting at my desk draining my third cup of coffee, but my mind is on Salena. I had a great afternoon at Kai’s house yesterday. I was way more relaxed than I thought I’d be.
But then nightmares plagued me all night, flashes of my brother’s death and animal attacks on a constant loop. I have this awful sense of dread curdling my stomach, and I can’t shake the feeling. It’s like I somehow know something bad’s going to happen, and I’m on edge.
“Sinclair!”
My head snaps up at the gruff voice. “Captain?”
“There’s another body. I want you out there.”
Shocked, I feel fiery anger surge through my veins, and I’m already gathering my shit before he finishes speaking. “Sure thing.”
My mind is running over a hundred different scenarios as I make my way out to the hiking trail north of town. It’s a popular area, not a great place to leave a body.
