Why did she keep thinking about this over and over? It didn’t matter. Whatever connection she and Murphy shared—if theydidshare anything—he clearly didn’t want to explore it. Would she even want to, either, given an option? It all sounded so crazy!
Maybe if she knew more about their situation, if there even was a ‘situation’ to begin with … But instead of asking questions when she’d woken up in that clinic, she’d kept to herself the entire week she’d spent there recovering. She didn’t talk to anyone, not even Hunny, who’d spent hours each day by her side despite receiving the silent treatment in return.
Looking back on that now, she was pretty sure she’d been in a constant state of shock, both physically and mentally. She hadn’t known how to cope with everything, and so she’d shut down.
As soon as the doctor had given her the all-clear to leave, she’d gotten the hell out of there, and had avoided Hunny’s calls ever since.
Of all the regrets in Nessa’s life, that was a big one. She’d been willing to die to protect Hunny, but then as soon as she’d discovered the woman was a supe, she’d all but cast her aside. Hunny had left multiple voice messages and sent so many texts. But a few weeks ago, she had given up, and the phone had finally ceased to ring.
It was shameful, and given that Nessa had been raised by her grandfather, her sweet, gentle-temperedlolo, a Filipino man who’d faced discrimination most of his life after moving to America in his youth, she should have known better. Just because Hunny differed from Nessa, that didn’t make her heart, or her friendship, any less pure. It didn’t diminish her value or her worth.
Logically, Nessa knew that, but it didn’t make her any less afraid of the people she’d accidentally let into her life. It was all just so surreal. So hard to process.
Nessa grimaced, casting a quick glance at herself in the full-length mirror in the corner of her bedroom, set right by the closet. Just as quickly, she looked away, refusing to acknowledge the long, jagged scars that traveled from her shoulder to the top of her right breast. The wounds had healed up nicely, but when she stared at them for too long, she could feel her skin splitting apart like it was happening all over again.
She could hear Hunny screaming in terror. Could feel the wolf’s hot breath fanning over her skin as he opened his maw wide, ready to deal the killing blow.
Her breath caught—
Stop!
Nessa shook her head to clear it, wet strands of her teal-dyed hair slapping against her face. Taking a shuddering breath, she dropped her towel onto the ground, feeling a small sliver of satisfaction that she could do something like that now—be messy—without being afraid of the repercussions.
Quickly, she moved to her closet, grabbing an outfit for the day: jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of black tennis shoes. Moving to her dresser across the room, she snatched up some panties and a thick pair of socks.
Montana was a lovely place, but with the arrival of fall, the days were short and the temperatures dropped quickly, always leaving her toes cold by the end of her shift, no matter how long she was on her feet. The thick socks helped, but she’d need to go shopping for some insulated footwear sooner rather than later if she planned on living here without freezing to death.
After dressing, Nessa wandered to the front of her house and into the kitchen. She’d paid for the place in cash when she’dmoved here earlier this year, mostly because she’d fallen in love with this room in particular.
The appliances were all state-of-the-art, which was perfect because she loved to cook. There was a built-in coffee bar, which she’d easily revamped to only serve tea and hot chocolate. Shehatedcoffee.
The countertops were made of marble, and the kitchen island was huge, with an integrated sink that made prepping food and cleaning so much easier. There was even a nook with a built-in bench running along one of the shorter walls, perfect for reading.
But as much as she loved all of that, it wasn’t what sold her on buying the house.
One entire wall of the kitchen was made of glass, facing the woods that butted up against her backyard. She didn’t have a fence around her property, or a neighbor for a few acres, so she usually just left the blinds up, allowing her to observe nature. In a way, it made her feel safe. Tucked away from everyone else.
Rather, ithadmade her feel safe. But lately, every time she entered this space, her haven, she felt eyes on her. A paranoid part of herself screamed that she was in danger, that she was being watched.
Hunted.
But despite her growing paranoia, Nessa did what she had every morning since returning home; she tried to ignore the feeling, whipping up a quick breakfast instead. She scarfed down the eggs and bacon; she needed the protein to help keep her alert for a day at the teahouse.
Despite her task, the dark ever-present thoughts still loomed in her mind. Was someone out there in the woods, watching her? Was she truly alone? Safe in her own home?
She didn’t think it was her past catching up to her. If Tony or her brother had found her, they wouldn’t stalk her for weeks.They’d probably chloroform her, drag her back to Chicago, and kill her after they tortured her.
Her stomach churned as the old fears rose, the food she’d just eaten threatening to come back up.
The more logical explanation was that Murphy had someone monitoring her, probably just to make sure she didn’t run off to the media and blab about the existence of supernatural creatures.
No worries there. She wasn’t going to draw any kind of attention to herself. She’d changed her last name and Social Security Number a while back, but that wasn’t foolproof. Not with the resources Tony had. She had to keep her head down and her name away from anything newsworthy.
Besides, telling anyone about what she’d seen would put Murphy, Hunny, and all of their family in danger. Nessa could never do something like that. And on top of all that, who would believe this crazy story that was now her life anyway?
Nessa’s phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. It buzzed again, displaying an alarm clock with the reminder ‘Opening Time!’ flashing across the screen.
“Oh, shit!” Nessa exclaimed.
