Page 37 of Unmasking Her Shadow

“Good night, baby. Don’t kill my stalker tonight. Just scare him a little.”

26

Kioni

All day long I count down the hours until I get to see my girl. Today was a rather shit day, so I couldn’t curb my appetite by checking in on her when she got home. The location app alerted me she arrived safely, though. The only push notification I have on full volume while I’m working. I let myself in with my key. Makes it feel more like I’m wanted here versus breaking in. She’s mine now, so some things should be different. Like walking in the front door with my own key. The next step will be walking in without being dressed up like I’m going to a Halloween party. Fuck that gas mask. I’m wearing the devil one tonight.

It’s silent and pitch black inside, like usual. Why not leave a couple of night-lights on for me? It’d make sneaking to her bedroom so much easier. I hear a soft thud and freeze on the steps, listening. She probably pushed off the weighted blanket that she occasionally sleeps with. I take one more step and hear a rumbling sound. Is she snoring? I gaze up the stairs but only darkness greats me.

“Baby,” Sam calls out sleepily.

Baby? Is she talking in her sleep, or does she know I’m here and calling for me? She better not have somebody else in bed with her. I go to run the rest of the way up the stairs until she turns on her lamp, and what I thought was darkness at the top of the stairs was actually a fucking demon.

“Fuck,” I blurt, my heart and stomach dropping to the floor. Teeth. Lots of sharp white teeth. Ever so slowly, I step backwards. “Nice doggy,” I whimper but the voice changer makes it sound louder. The beast barks and charges. I turn around and run for my goddamn life.

“Nyx!” Sam shrieks.

“Go get Mommy,” I yell.

The fucker is too fast. I turn the doorknob but have to abandon that escape plan and run around the kitchen table. Then on top of the table, to the counter, and then to the living room and over the couch. I can’t believe she got a dog. No, not a dog, a fucking black wolf! The irony isn’t lost on me. Oh, I’m so going to punish her for this, if I make it out of here without my head being torn off.

“Nyxie, baby,” Sam yells too nicely.

“Help me, woman!” I shout, running behind her and using her as a temporary shield to stop the damn dog for a second so I can run to the door. Baby Nyx busts the door back open when I try my hardest to get it shut quickly enough. Jumping over the railing on the porch, I sprint towards the trees in hopes I can reach the other side to my car before I’m mauled to death.

“I said not to kill him!” Sam yells, running after us in her bare feet and pajamas.

“Sonofabitch!” I mumble to myself when I find the beast right behind me. I won’t make it to my car. I reach the trees and jump, gripping a branch and pulling myself up and climbing a few more feet until I’m sure I’m out of range of those fangs.

Sam reaches us, out of breath, and then keels over laughing. I don’t think any of this is funny. The dog sits next to her, glaring up at me, and she fucking hugs it.

I glare down at her, my heart still pounding in my chest. “Why?” I snarl.

“You stole my cameras, so I had to improvise.”

“Oh, baby. You’re such a good girl,” she coos, scratching the dog underneath its chin while it remains staring doggy daggers up at me.

“That is no baby,” I correct.

“She’s my baby.”

“Well, can you get your baby to let me down and stop trying to eat me?”

“Can’t make any promises.”

I lean my head against the tree trunk and sigh. All I wanted to do was come home and fuck my girl. Now I’m hiding in a tree to stop her new pet, I use the term pet loosely, from ripping me apart.

“Sam,” I rasp.

I lower my foot to the next branch, and Nyx growls.

“Come on, baby,” she says sweetly and stands, coaxing the dog to follow her back to the house. She follows her and I descend, still on guard. Let’s try this again. I keep my distance and follow them. Nyx looks backward every few seconds, but she’s not growling so I’m safe…for now.

“Maybe if I let you in, she won’t see you as a threat,” Sam tells me before going inside with the dog and shutting the door behind them.

You’ve got to be kidding me. I’ve never knocked on this door, and I don’t want to start now. But she holds all the cards, or teeth, right now.

Knock, knock, knock. I rasp my knuckles against the door.