“Come on, Wildcat. Let’s get into the shower, I don’t feel like smelling of blood and mud all day.”
She knocks her shoulder into my side, before she heads up the stairs to drop it off at the laundry room. I follow close behind, taking in the view of her ass.
Throwing my sheets into the washing machine, I wonder if she could be right. What if there were more of those things in there?
ChapterForty
SKYE
SONG: MADNESS BY TRIBAL BLOOD
“Well, I vote we go in there all together and see where it leads to.” Lukas suggests.
“You have no idea if there are any more of thosethingsin there.” Graham retorts.
“I vote we seal it off.” Sloan says.
The cacophony of voices talking over each other in the living room is amplifying my hangover. It’s been pure chaos for about an hour when I woke up to Salem shaking me awake while the guys argued downstairs. She filled me in on what happened to her and Walker, her hair still wet after showering off the dirt from their encounter with some sort of monster.
When we emerged to sit amongst the guys, they’d already taken their seats, leaving one open between Walker and Lukas, and one between Sloan and Graham. Thankfully, Salem makes the decision easy, grabbing the seat next to Walker.
I rub my fingers against my temple as I sit back on the couch, catching the eye of Lukas whose jaw ticks before he looks away. Graham rubs my back and Sloan adjusts his body next to me.
“You don’t think they could come through the wall do you?” I ask, making the conversation halt.
“It was strong, but I don’t think it could bust through the brick.” Walker answers, grabbing Salem’s hand in his. I don’t miss the way Emmet tracks the movement with a scowl.
“We should at least figure out how this thing is staying alive down there. I mean obviously, the door hasn’t been opened in some time, it must be getting a food source somehow. Walker, you said this beast clawed you. Is there a possibility that it got loose and caused the attack on Salem?” Garrison asks.
Salem stills, looking over at Walker with a frown pulling at her dark brows. “He’s right, we should make sure this thing isn’t getting out.”
“Okay, it’s settled. We’re going in.” Garrison says as a sense of dread consumes me with this decision.
“In the meantime, we make sure it’s sealed off. We should do it tonight before everyone starts leaving for Thanksgiving break.” I gulp. My dad is coming tomorrow to get me so we can spend the week together. I miss him so fiercely after being apart for this long.
“Good idea. We’ll meet here tonight and go in.”
The meeting breaks up, everyone heading in different directions. I stay seated on the couch, lip tucked between my teeth. I catch Lukas’s eyes before he darts out of the house, looking suspicious. For some reason, my feet have a mind of their own and I push off the couch following him out the door.
I know he doesn’t have class today, none of us do. I approach the door’s small circular window and see him stalking into the woods. I feel an urge to go after him, and after a moment of hesitation, I follow.
I keep a good distance back, watching his black hoodie and plume of smoke disappear into the trees. There’s a path he takes to the right that I’ve never been down before. I take care to watch my steps as branches and leaves litter the way. The sun has barely risen, and fog rolls freely along the ground. My head is throbbing, and I probably should have stayed back at the house. This is stupid. Why am I following him?
My toe catches on a fallen branch and I stumble, knees hitting dirt, hands scraping against the path. I stand, dusting myself off, looking to see if Lukas is onto me. I hold my breath until it looks like I’m in the clear. I waver between continuing my pursuit of Lukas and heading back to the house, but I’ve come this far. I move to climb the path, my curiosity winning out.
We crest the top of the hill and come upon a clearing, lined with old gravestones. An iron sign arches over the path, intertwined with vines that twist around the sides and over the top. They hide some of the letters, but from what I can make out, it looks like it saysGallows Hill Cemetery.
I catch Lukas ducking into the cemetery, taking a few more puffs on his vape pen while typing something out on his phone. Could he be meeting someone here?
The thought churns my stomach, which feels ridiculous. I’ve hooked up with two other guys since Lukas and I were anything, but it’s not like I can magic away my feelings. All three guys seem to hold a place in my thoughts, pulling at my heart in equal measure.
I go to turn but he must see that I’m here, because he waves. Crud. I take a breath and decide to face my fate, walking towards the man that twists my heart into knots.
ChapterForty-One
LUKAS
SONG: DEMONS AND ANGELS BY LOWBORN
