Page 98 of Knot What I Expected

And no, this has absolutely nothing to do with anything Havoc Cross said to me.

Nothing.

Zero.

Not a damn thing.

I stare at myself in the bedroom mirror.

“Liar.”

Yeah.

Fine.

Maybe it has a little to do with that man. For some reason, that Wolf gets under my skin. Even thinking about him makes the other part of me stir.

Feathers practically bristle beneath my skin. My hidden nature stretches against the cage I’ve kept it in for too long. Way too long.

The sensation makes me rub absently at my collarbone.

She wants out.

Sometimes I dream about letting her free. About going somewhere so remote that nobody could possibly see and finally allowing the transformation I’ve denied myself for years.

Wings.

Wind.

Sky.

Freedom.

But I can't.

It isn't safe.

Not for me.

Definitely not for Matteo.

I learned a long time ago that freedom is a luxury people like us can't always afford.

So I keep her hidden.

Keep us hidden.

And I keep moving.

I've been scared for so fucking long that sometimes I forget what it feels like not to be.

Except, well, Ember Hollow feels different. Safe. Like this might be our home.

Home.

Christ, the word terrifies me almost as much as it tempts me.

Because I want that. I want this little Montana town to be home for Matteo and me. I want him to have friends. I want to complain about school pickup and permission slips and soccer practice or whatever the hell normal mothers complain about.