Page 56 of Primal Hunger

You’re a brave, independent woman. You have to hurry!

I shake my head and the insanity from it. Even if I make it out of the house, there’s no way I can make it past Syros and whatever the hell is stalking through the woods. I couldn’t even escape Syros last time. However, sitting here and waiting for him to return doesn’t sit well either.

An idea strikes.

I scramble out of the makeshift bed, ignoring his demand to stay put, and hurry toward the corner of the room and the ledge holding the radio.

I have to be quick.

My hand shakes as I bring it down, kneeling on the floor while I fiddle with the knobs.

If I managed to make contact once, it might take a miracle to do it again. But the connection exists, between this world and mine—there’s some thread of energy bridging the two planes of existence, and I have to believe Tyler is still waiting on the other end for me to contact him.

Static sounds as I adjust the radio back to the right frequency. I turn the sound down as low as I can, hoping the noise doesn’t draw the attention of either monster outside.

The static shifts into silence, and I suck in a breath.

“Hello? Tyler? Are you there?” I whisper. My insides clench, waiting for an answer that might never come. “Say something if you can hear me.”

This is stupid.

I glance at the door, tense, ready for the curtain to whip aside at any moment. For Syros to, once again, catch me in the act.

This is insane.

And then—

“Erin? Oh, thank god.” Tyler’s low reply is followed by a groan of relief. “I’ve been waiting to see if you’ll come through again.”

My stomach shifts sickeningly, but the smile on my face is genuine. The thin grin pries my lips apart, and I stare at the radio like it’s my lifeline. In this case, it is.

Contact has been established against all odds. I sag forward, my nerves raw and my blood replaced by ice.

“Thank you for waiting for me. I’m here.”

A swell of static accompanies my words.

“What?” Tyler is louder than before and I wince, halfway prepared for Syros to come storming inside, claiming it was all a test. “I can’t hear you. Where are you? It’s hard to hear, the connection is bad.”

How much of our earlier conversation actually got through to him? Shit, I hadn’t considered that before.

It’s impossible to know.

“I have no idea where I am, but the portal closed behind me,” I tell him. “It’s a miracle we can even talk now.”

“Do you know any way to get it to re-open?” Tyler presses. “Or can you search for another opening? There has to be a way for the Grim to get into our world. Not just on the solstice. If you can find it—”

I shake my head before I remember that Tyler can’t see me. Urgency weighs me down, making every inhalation unnecessarily heavy.

“I haven’t had a chance to explore,” I interrupt. “Right now, I’m someplace safe. I’m just not sure for how long.”

Hearing myself say the word out loud rocks me. I can’t help but think about Syros and the house he’s made for himself in these dark woods, full of beasts and quicksand pits.

Am I really safe?

Yes, I guess I’ve started to think about his hovel in those terms.

At least I know what I’m dealing with, somewhat, when I’m here. Especially when the sounds from outside make me want tocringe and huddle underneath the furs, closing my eyes until the battle passes.

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