003

ZARA

One second, I’m staring at Ramsey’s claws, trying to convince myself grief has finally killed my brain. The next, wood splinters above us.

Something grey crashes onto the stairs.

I scream.

It isn’t a man. Not entirely. Long arms, massive torso, grey fur and a face shaped too much like a wolf. Blood covers one side of its head. It launches itself down the stairs.

Ramsey moves so fast my eyes barely follow.

His hand closes around its throat mid-lunge, and he slams it into the wall hard enough to crack the plaster.

Holy shit.

“Who sent you?”

The creature claws at his arm but Ramsey doesn’t even flinch.

“Outside,” Rourke orders behind me.

I jerk away when he grabs me. “Imani is upstairs!”

“No, she isn’t.”

“How the fuck do you know?”

“I can smell her.”

I stare at him. There are moments in life when you realize your problems have exceeded your current vocabulary. This is one of them.

“You can what?”

A growl jerks my attention back.

The creature breaks free and charges again. Ramsey catches one arm, twists, and drives it to its knees.

It isn’t a fight. That’s what finally sinks in.

Ramsey isn’t struggling. He’s trying to keep the thing conscious.

“Who sent you?”

Its red eyes find me. Its nostrils flare. Then it smiles.

“Ramsey,” I croak, cold sweat prickling across my skin.

His head turns. The creature’s claws tear across his chest.

“Ramsey!”

Blood spreads through his shirt. Something vicious flashes across his face. He catches the creature by the throat, lifts it completely off the floor and drives it down. The tiles crack beneath its skull.

It stops moving. My throat goes dry.

The Ramsey I remember stole my popcorn and gave me a compass. This man doesn’t even look winded.

“Is it dead?”

“No.”

Of course not.

“Dad,” Rourke says.

Ramsey looks at his blood-covered fingers. The black claws retract. Into his fucking hands.

“Nope.”

I back away.

“Zara.”

“Don’t—fuck. Give me a minute.”

Milo rushes through the front door. “Imani’s safe. She got out. She’s next door.”

Relief nearly folds me in half.

“Call her.”

Imani answers on the second ring. “Babe?”

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Am I okay? Something came through your fucking window!” Her voice is shaking.

Stay there.”

“Believe me, I wasn’t planning to come back!”

The call ends.

I turn and find Ramsey watching me. Blood stains his torn shirt, but something is wrong.

The wounds are closing.

I walk closer before common sense can stop me. Four deep scratches shrink into angry red lines right in front of me.

“What the fuck?”

I touch one. Ramsey inhales sharply and I snatch my hand away. His eyes lift to mine, suddenly heavy-lidded. Nope. Whatever that was, I’m not touching him again.

“What are you?” I demand.

“We’re leaving.”

Excuse me?

“What is this? W-why do you have fangs and claws and glowing... glowing eyeballs?!”

Ramsey looks past me. “Rourke. Secure him.”

Rourke grabs the unconscious nightmare by one arm.

“You’re touching it?” I gasp.

“Would you prefer it wakes up?”

“I’d prefer to wake up.”

Ramsey reaches for me and I dodge him. “I want an explanation.”

“You’ll get one somewhere safe.”

“I’m not going any—”

He bends, slides one arm behind my knees and lifts me off the floor.

“Ramsey!”

He starts walking. This bastard did not just—

“Put me down!”

“No.”

I twist in his arms. Nothing happens. It’s like fighting a building.

“Put me the fuck down or I’ll bite you.”

“That would create more problems than it solves.”

“What does that even mean?”

Rain hits us outside. I struggle harder until Ramsey stops and looks down at me.

“I’m only going to say this once. If you keep rubbing yourself against me like that, I’m going to forget my sons are here.”

I freeze.

My arms are around his shoulders. My tits are pressed against his chest. My dress has ridden halfway up my thighs.

Oh.

“You—”

Milo clears his throat. “Unfortunately, I heard that.”

“Same,” Rourke says.

“Can both of you develop amnesia?”

“Working on it,” Milo says.

My face burns. “You’re disgusting. Ramsey, you’re my mother’s husband!”

“Was.”

The word guts me. Mum. For one horrible moment, I’d forgotten.

“Put me down.”

This time he does. Pain tears through my stomach the second my feet touch the pavement. My knees buckle. Ramsey catches me and instant relief sinks into my bones.

I clutch his coat, suddenly terrified.

“What is happening to me?”

Concern tightens his face. “I don’t know yet.”

Ramsey always knows. So, why… why?

I stare at him, my breath hitching. Claws. Fangs. Healing. Rourke smelling Imani through a fucking wall.

My eyes widen.

“You’re a werewolf.”

Ramsey opens the SUV door. “Get in.”

“YOU’RE A WEREWOLF?”

A neighbour’s light comes on. Ramsey puts me inside the car. I immediately climb out the other door.

“Zara!”

“Stay away from me!”

I make it three steps before pain folds me over.

Ramsey catches me from behind, and warmth floods through my body.

“I can’t get away from you,” I croak. “Why?”

“When I know, so will you.”

I glare at him. He raises an eyebrow. Fine. If I want to get my answers, there’s no use running from him.

I get into the fucking car.

Milo slides into the driver’s seat. Ramsey climbs in beside me, and the door shuts with a solid thunk that seals us in. The air inside is cooler than outside, rain-damp and thick with the smell of wet asphalt, leather, and him.

I last twelve seconds.

“Are Milo and Rourke werewolves?”

“Yes.”

"Did Mum know?"

Ramsey goes quiet.

"Why did you have claws but no fur?"

Milo's shoulders start shaking.

“Do you pee on trees?” I add, because if I’m going to lose my mind I might as well do it thoroughly.

Milo loses it. Ramsey reaches forward and smacks the back of his head.

"Dad!"

I should not laugh. Even so, a tiny sound escapes.

Ramsey looks at me. For a tiny second, his mouth softens. Then I remember that my mother is dead.

The text. That house.

I stop smiling.

“Were you there the night Mum died?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you yet.”

“You mean you won’t.”

“There are things I need to verify before I tell you anything that could put you in more danger.”

“You expect me to trust you?”

“No.”

That silences me. Ramsey leans back, watching me.

I look out at the rain sliding across the window.

I want to hate him. It would make everything so much easier.

Unfortunately, my body is pressed along his side because moving away hurts, and every part of me is horrifyingly aware of it.

"Rourke could smell Imani. Can you smell people too?" I finally say.

"Yes."

"So what do I smell like?"

His gaze travels slowly over my face. The silence stretches. A little flutter simmers low in my stomach.

"Ramsey."

"Zara."

“That’s my name, congratulations. Answer the question. And while you’re at it, I’d also like to know why touching you stops the pain, whether full moons are involved, whether you eat raw meat, whether—”

His hand closes around the back of my neck.

Then he kisses me and every thought disappears.

His mouth moves slowly over mine, warm and maddeningly sure. I taste rain on his lips. Heat floods outward from the point of contact until my toes curl against the floor mat.

My fingers twist into the front of his torn shirt on pure instinct. The kiss deepens just enough to pull a tiny, helpless sound from my throat.

That’s what brings my brain crashing back online.

“What the fuck, Ramsey?”

He doesn’t look remotely ashamed. His eyes are darker now, the silver glow almost gone but not quite. A faint smear of my lipstick marks the edge of his mouth.

“I’ve wanted to do that since I saw you at the cemetery.”

My jaw drops.