Page 50 of Midnight Hunt

But now that I was thinking more clearly, I realized what a mistake it had been, and I had every intention of pretending it never happened. Only, as we took off again in a northeasterly direction, shifting our legs once more to cover ground faster, Griff made it clear he wasn’t ready to let it go.

“Last night can be whatever you want it to be, Vi,” he said. “You needed comfort, and I gave it to you. Just know that I’m here for you whenever you need me. That will never change.”

Sudden guilt pierced my chest, and I forced myself to say, “Thanks, but that won’t be happening again.”

He didn’t respond, and the guilt intensified, making it hard to breathe. I’d really screwed up this time, but it was better to tell him now than let him think I was open to being intimate again. That chapter was closed.Closed. It had to be, for both our sakes.

If only I hadn’t forgotten that last night. If only I hadn’t beenweak.

Oh, Vi, Sable mournfully sighed.

Don’t start, I firmly told her, and she thankfully lapsed into silence.

I expected Griff to do the same. He’d never been one to pressure me into speaking when it was clear I didn’t want to. So he startled me again by saying, “Why did Reid break up with you?”

Heat flushed up my neck. It was on the tip of my tongue to say that it wasn’t any of his business, but I’d already hurt him enough. The least I could do was give him an honest answer. Well,halfof one anyway.

“He said I didn’t want to be with him. My heart didn’t, at least.”

Griff mulled over my response before replying, “Was he right?”

I almost said no, but that would be a lie. Hopping over a felled tree, I answered, “Yes.”

I cared about Reid, I really did. Any female would be lucky to be with him, but . . . but he’d been right. I’d never completely invested my heart in our relationship. I’d wanted to, yet something had held me back.

I flicked a glance at Griff to find him already watching me. Genuine empathy shone in his eyes as he said, “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

A lump formed in my throat, and I quickly looked away before he could see my tears. “I’m sorry, too.”

Not about Reid.

About him and me.Us. About the relationship I’d ended before it had even begun. The relationship that should have always remained friendship and nothing more. And I was sorry for jeopardizing that again, for putting him into an unfair position. For treating him once more like asecurityblanket.

“Griff, I—” I started, feeling brave enough to finally tell him that. To repair the damage I had caused our friendship over the past several years. Before I could, he jerked up a hand and came to a dead stop. My heart immediately leapt into my throat, and I froze, throwing out my senses for any sign of our pursuers. When I couldn’t hear anything, I whispered, “What is it?”

Griff inhaled deeply, then threw me a devilish grin and whispered back, “Breakfast.”

When he started to strip, my eyes flew wide. “What are you doing?”

“Come on. It’ll be faster this way.”

As he removed his shirt and pants, I continued to protest. “But the carcass. Our pursuers will smell it.”

“We’ll bury it after. Our clothes too.”

He tugged off his boxer briefs, and I quickly looked away. “Come on, Vi. We need food if we’re going to keep running. We’re still hours from civilization, and we have no idea how close our pursuers are. I say we give our wolves control for a while.”

“And what will we wear when we shift back?”

“Guess we’ll have to travel in the nude until we can find new clothes.”

At the slight amusement in his tone, I threw him a glare. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy that very much, but we don’t have any money. If we make it back to civilization, we’ll be walking around butt naked. Any humans that see us will think we’re insane and call the cops.”

“Sounds like a future problem,” he said with a shrug. “We’ll figure it out as we go.”

With that, he dropped to all fours and started to shift.

Over the sound of breaking bones, Sable whined,Give me control, Vi. I promise to be good. I won’t let Whiskey mate with me, even if he tries.

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