Page 37 of Devotion

“What? I just had the equivalent of two sparring sessions and crossed multiple time zones in a matter of hours. I’m certain I’ve earned at least one meal.”

“I could eat,” Kingston said. “How about you, priest?”

Caleb smirked and dragged a hand through his hair. “Oh, I’ve already fed tonight. Deeply. So I’ll leave the rest of you to it,” he said, turning and disappearing down the hallway.

Kingston jerked his thumb in that direction. “We gonna talk about why he’s suddenly back?”

“He missed me,” Sunday answered simply. And I supposed it really was that simple.

“Of course he did, Sunshine. You’re a very missable person,” Kingston said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Now for the real question, which one of us gets to eatyou?”

Chapter

Twelve

THORNE

Sunlight streamed in through the wide windows as I sat in the quiet house, reading with only half of my attention on the text. Caleb was sleeping the day away, even more affected by daylight than usual because he hadn’t shared any of my blood since before he left for Ravenscroft. Kingston had taken Sunday and Alek with him to speak to the pack elders about this conflict that was clearly coming to a head. I’d opted to sit this one out since my presence as a vampire would only add more fuel to the flames.

It didn’t make the waiting any easier, though. I was filled with restless tension, waiting to hear about the outcome and what it would mean for the rest of us. Part of me was already planning where we would all go if the pack kicked us off their land.

A sudden scratching at the window sent me on high alert. My heart lurched as adrenaline surged. Getting to my feet, I blurred to the window and opened it, braced for a fight. But all I found was snow-dusted ground. Not even a footprint to prove I wasn’t overreacting.

Maybe if we weren’t fresh off an attack, I might have let that suffice, but I just couldn’t shake off the prickling at the back of my neck. I wouldn’t be able to relax until I ruled out every possibility.

Sliding the window shut, I blurred to the door, closing it behind me as I rushed down the stairs and around the side of the house where the noise had come from. The clean scent of fresh snow covered any lingering evidence of an enemy, but that didn’t mean there’d been no one here.

Glancing around, I searched for more than wolves hiding in the trees. Alek had shared with us what Tor’s experience had been, and while Kingston was convinced this was the work of the dissenters in the pack, I knew firsthand how crafty the Shadow Court could be. If vengeance was what they were after, they’d stop at nothing. They’d already tried to kill Sunday more than once. All it would take was for Finbar to find out he’d cursed the wrong twin.

After five minutes of searching, I had to give up. There was nothing here for me to find. That didn’t bring me an ounce of relief, though. I forced myself to take a deep breath before returning to the house, pausing on the porch with my hands on my hips and my head bowed.

“Get it together, Blackthorne. It was probably a bird or a twig. You’re about one conspiracy theory away from joining Gavin and Asher with their fucking murder boards.”

Turning to go inside, I reached for the doorknob, and my blood ran cold as I realized the damned thing was ajar. Had I neglected to close the bloody door? No. I remembered pulling it shut. Didn’t I?

No longer sure if I was seeing monsters in the shadows or truly picking up on a threat, I walked inside. I made a point to lock the door, not wanting to give myself any doubt that was taken care of. And, if anyone had beenfoolish enough to sneak into our house, they’d lose a second or two fumbling with the lock. That second could be the difference in whether they succeeded in their escape.

Room by room, I inspected our home for an intruder. Kingston’s space was undisturbed, empty of everything but the scent of him and the faint perfume of our mate. Alek’s as well, with the reminder he’d had Sunday in his arms all night filling the air and making me long for my turn with her. I hated to disturb Caleb while he slept, knowing full well how hard it was for a vampire to be disturbed during their slumber, but still, I wouldn’t have him harmed while I was on watch.

Cracking open his door, I surveyed the darkened room. Even with the blackout curtains drawn, I could see him sleeping, his long body splayed stomach down on the bed. I moved as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake him, as I scanned the rest of the room and ultimately closed the door.

So far, I hadn’t found anything to indicate the house had been breached. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t finish my search, though.

Once I cleared every last room, some of the tension in my shoulders eased. Better to be paranoid than be caught unaware. I needed a damn shower and perhaps a stiff drink to calm my overtaxed system. Pushing into my bedroom, I began unbuttoning my shirt when I sensed it. The fucking wolf in the corner gave me all of one second to realize it was there before it leapt at me, teeth bared, claws digging into my chest.

“Fuck!” I shouted as the heavy weight of the beast knocked me over. I grabbed it, intending to fling it away from me, but it had already latched on, its teethdeep in my throat and claws raking through the muscles of my chest and belly.

Pain burned through my body, but I managed to stab the wolf in the eyes with my thumbs, making it yelp and release me. Scrambling backward was a challenge, the severity of my wounds preventing me from having full control of my limbs.

The wolf growled low and made another lunge for me. I kicked out, but it was a feeble attempt at best. Fury and desperation were quick to blot out some of the pain, bringing much-needed clarity. I’d fought a damn horsewoman; a fucking wolf couldn’t be the thing that bested me. Getting to my feet, I pushed through the pain and forced myself to ready for an attack. I would tear this animal’s head off and present it to Kingston after it shifted back to human form, irrefutable evidence if this was due to pack interference.

Before I could do any of that, though, a low snarl preceded the beast being flung off me.

“Caleb?” I rasped.

He was busy taking stock of my injuries, so he didn’t immediately answer, but his expression was fierce, eyes nearly black and fangs fully extended.

The wolf fled, launching itself through the window in my room, leaving shattered glass and blood in its wake.

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