Page 45 of A Wolf's Wound
But in the meantime, I know what I have to do.“I’m sorry,” I whisper again to the corpse on the steps as I dial a number.“Hey, it’s Ryder,” I say when one of the enforcers answers.“I have another body that needs to be picked up.”I give the enforcer Hannah’s address and then hang up and wait.
As I do, I take a few deep breaths and try to steady myself.It’ll look weird if I leave before Gavin and Hannah get here.I’ll just have to hope they’re preoccupied enough with their own questions and concerns to not want to linger.
Chapter 26
Hannah
“What’sgoingon?”Iask Gavin as we approach my building, nodding to a cluster of wolves standing around the front door.
He shakes his head, looking puzzled.We watch as they lift up a stretcher and load it into the van that’s idling at the curb.“Those are enforcers,” Gavin says.
They all climb into the van and drive away, leaving one of them behind.As we get closer, I realize Ryder’s the one standing near my door.He watches the van until it’s disappeared by the time we’re standing next to him.
“What happened?”Gavin asks.
Ryder turns around, looking anxious.“Another body,” he says, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Same as the other?”I ask, and Ryder nods.I shake my head.“What is going on?”Neither Stone brother replies.“Well, let’s go inside.”
“I should go, actually,” Gavin says.“I’ll need to be there when the body is examined.Hannah, call me if anything changes with the deer.Ryder, I’ll see you later,” he says, and Ryder nods in a distracted manner.
“You coming in?”I ask Ryder.
He hesitates, which surprises me and then shrugs before following me.
“Yeah, okay.For a few minutes.”
We walk to my apartment in silence.When I unlock the door, Shadow runs over, looking thrilled to see us.“Hey,” I greet him, bending down to scoop him up.He chatters away and reaches out his paws to Ryder, who looks at him blankly before sitting down heavily at the kitchen table.
Shadow looks at me, confused.I shrug, not sure what to make of Ryder’s behavior.“Maybe he’s just tired,” I whisper to Shadow, who wriggles in agreement.I put him back on the floor and fill a couple of glasses with water before joining Ryder at the table.
He picks up his glass and drains it in several long swallows.“Do you want more?”I ask, but he shakes his head.“Ryder?Are you okay?”
Ryder looks at me, and his expression breaks my heart a little.He looks so worn out and sad, too tired to speak.
“Why don’t I make us dinner,” I suggest.
Ryder nods, and I open the fridge, looking for ingredients.
Ryder remains silent as I boil water for pasta and heat up marinara sauce.He doesn’t say anything when I put his plate in front of him, but he does pick up his fork and begin to eat.I sit down across from him with my own plate.
“Does it taste okay?”I ask, but he doesn’t respond.We eat in silence.
When our plates are empty, he stands up and carries them to the sink.Then he sits back down and stares straight ahead, past me and at the wall.
Okay, this is really weird… and troubling.It’s also honestly kind of annoying too.Why is he still here?
I almost ask Ryder that very question, but then I remember how lost he looked earlier, and anxiety replaces my annoyance.Something bad must have happened to have affected him so deeply.Ryder is acting like a shell of himself, and I don’t like it.
“What happened?”I ask softly, trying to catch his eyes.But he continues staring resolutely ahead.“It must have been really traumatic.You can tell me what it is, Ryder.”
No dice.I swallow and keep going.“I know sometimes things feel too awful to talk about.I get it.I do.But that’s not true.Nothing is so bad that it can’t be shared.”
It’s like he doesn’t hear me.“I think the deer is doing better,” I say, hoping the change of topic will get a response.“Gavin told me it was your idea to have some of the pack stay at the clinic tonight.”
Ryder shrugs, still staring at the wall.
“Well, thanks for that,” I say.“Otherwise I’d be awake all night, worried.”
