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The sky went from azure to a deep cobalt as we reached Violet’s cabin. As the three of us walked up the steps, the door opened. To our surprise, Night stood in the doorway looking down at us.
His gaze landed on me first, almost in greeting, before shifting to Jasper. Jasper was holding my books in one arm, and the other was draped over my shoulders. Night’s nostrils flared, a low rumble leaving his chest. Jasper stiffened and quickly removed his arm from me. I tried to suppress another shiver. That deep growl should not have been such a turn-on.
“Night, it’s good to see you,” Tavi said. If she noticed the exchange between Night and Jasper, she didn’t seem bothered by it. “We showed Bryn like half of the compound so she knows which areas are safe for her to go. We even went to the library, which I guess explains why Jasper’s got so many books.”
As she went on, Jasper shifted from foot to foot, his gaze glued to the deck. All the while, Night continued to stare him down.
Finally, Jasper burst out, “I should get ready for work!” He handed the books to Tavi, who fumbled with them. “Bye, Bryn.” He leaned in, as if to kiss my cheek, but Night’s eyes flashed green, and Jasper immediately backed away from the deck with a small whimper. He gave a quick, awkward bow and sprinted back the way we’d come.
“Oh, weird,” Tavi said. The confusion on her face mirrored mine. “I guess he had somewhere to be?”
“Guess so,” Night said, walking past us. “I’ve got a meeting to go to.”
I whirled on him as he stepped off the porch. “Do you always have to be such an ass?” I demanded.
I had expected him to keep walking and either ignore me or give me some sort of snarky retort over his shoulder. But to my surprise, he paused with a sigh and turned around.
Tavi and I watched as he walked up to me. I didn’t back down or look away. I stood still even when he stopped a couple of feet in front of me.
“You know, I’m not really an ass,” he said, his voice calm and perhaps a bit tired. “I’m actually a pretty decent guy.”
“Oh really?” I crossed my arms. “I’ve never seen that guy.”
He gazed into my eyes, his expression unreadable. “That’s right,” he said. “You haven’t.” He backed away from me and turned, walking in the same direction as Jasper.
I stood on the porch with my arms still crossed, the indignation quickly evaporating from my body. I felt like I’d somehow lost in that exchange, but rather than feel bested by Night, all I wanted to do was learn more about him.
Later that same evening, I was cleaning up the table after Violet and I had shared a few sandwiches for dinner.
“Bryn, are you alright?” she asked. “You were quiet at dinner.”
“Oh, yeah, my head is just…full, I guess.”
She frowned. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I smiled and shook my head. “Not right now, thanks.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I think I just need to sort out my thoughts.”
“Alright, well, I’ll be in my room if you need me.” She passed by and rested a hand on my shoulder before continuing up the steps.
Now that I was alone, I began to wash the dishes. As I plunged my hands into the warm, soapy water, I tried to deal with all the fullness in my brain. Part of the issue, I knew, was that I was still reeling from the afternoon. Spending time with both Jasper and Tavi had been lovely, but it was good timing that I’d seen the library when I had.
I had always wanted friends, but having to be “on” while working in the mess hall and then around Tavi and Jasper had started to exhaust me after an hour or so. I needed that library time to recharge and think. After that confusing interaction with Night, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the way my life had gone.
Just a week earlier, I had been spitting fire and ready to run barefoot through the trees and underbrush while being chased by Wargs if it meant a chance at freedom. But now, I didn’t feel the same pull to escape. I felt closer to the Wargs than I ever had to the Kings—to the point that when I’d heard about the wolf who had lost her life the night before, I felt some of that loss too. I didn’t really know the wolf who’d died, but I understood that she was one more addition to the growing tally of bodies that the Kings were assembling.
I hated how senseless and cruel the killing was.
Violet had shown me nothing but kindness and love, Tavi had become my best friend, and I even felt close to Jasper in the short time that I’d known him. Dom, too, was someone I had stopped looking at as a jailer and more like a friend.
As I finished up the dishes, I started to wipe down the table. The Wargs pack had, without hesitation, accepted me for who I was, even though I was human. I felt that the bond I shared with them was something special and precious, something that couldn’t be put into words. I was happy that I had known these people—that I had made friends. Though I missed my mom, it was impossible for me to imagine life without the Wargs I’d grown to care for.
And then there was a knock on the door.
“Come in!” I called, finishing up the table. I suspected that I was about to see Dom. He came around often to have tea with me and Violet (though I knew he was there to check in on me), but when I turned to the door, it was Night who stepped inside.
