AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He shook his head. “But he and Gage are fine. If there’s one thing you can count on when it comes to Reed, it’s that he’s a natural-born leader and knows how to tackle any situation. He has this way of always coming out of predicaments unscathed. Lucky bastard.”
“Then I guess no news is good news,” I said.
Kahlo rolled onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow, the kitchen candlelight illuminating his face. His dark hair sat off his brow, revealing the healed scar running from his temple to his jawline.
I gingerly reached up and trailed the pad of my index finger along the smooth wound. “What happened?”
“Poacher caught me in a trap and thought it funny to cut me up.”
“Fuck! Sure hope you ripped him a new one.” Being a shifter came with danger from every angle. Other races, jealous animals, and poachers hunting down their next trophies.
Kahlo clasped his fingers around mine and brought my palm to his lips, kissing it. “And don’t worry. That human will never harm anyone again.”
I preferred not to know how it had ended. My attention landed on Kahlo’s lips, imagining myself falling under them, fantasizing about being with such a huge tiger shifter. What was it they said about men with big hands? Or was that feet? A spark rekindled down below, and it buzzed with such delight, I feared I’d moan out loud if he made a move to get closer.
Do you have any control?
Zilch. So I diverted to a distraction. “Have you been watching the mansion these past two days?”
“After checking on Reed’s pride to ensure they arrived safely up north with the wolves, I traveled into the Darkwoods forest and tracked down the collector’s hideout.”
My stomach clenched, and I waited with bated breath. “And?”
His expression fell, as did my hopes. “The place had been ransacked. Someone had torched the bunker, everything in sight burned to a crisp. I searched for any sign of the knife, but I’m sorry, Elliana. I couldn’t find it. It’s either been destroyed or stolen.”
Heaviness sunk through me. “That sucks.”
“Been asking around for a dragon-tooth dagger too. No luck.”
I forced a smile, even if it felt strained. “Thanks for checking. Guess it all comes down to whether Gage and Reed have luck tracking down Vanore.”
His lips curled up. “They will, you’ll see. I trust Reed with my life and he’d risk his life for those he cares for.”
Our breaths sounded through the silence, followed by tiny footfalls hitting the floorboards. Gingernuts chasing the lizards, no doubt.
Kahlo’s chin jerked up, his eyes widened, and he froze.
I laid a palm on his chest; his muscles might as well have been rocks, they were so hard. “Relax. That’s just my cat, Gingernuts.”
His narrowed eyes said so much, but I didn’t want to get into it. “Has the witch returned to the tower?” he asked instead. “My trip to the collector took longer than expected. I should have visited earlier.”
“No, but the hooded man came last night.”
Kahlo’s nose wrinkled. “Did he harm you?” He scanned my body, as though searching for bruises.
Just remembering the incident had me squeezing Kahlo’s arm. “The bastard is not only an albino lion, but he has freaking bullhorns and a scorpion tail. I think he’s using magic to siphon other shifter’s abilities for his own.”
Kahlo’s demeanor darkened, eyes hooding, and the bridge between his eyes wrinkling.
I stiffened. “And he’s the fuckhead who killed my father thirteen years ago.” My eyes itched with tears. So many years had passed since I’d lost my dad, yet finding the creep who’d destroyed my life had reopened the wounds. Rawness etched into my heart. I blinked my eyes fast to drive away the tears.
“Sorry about your father. Reed told me about your tragic past.” He lowered his gaze momentarily, and I appreciated his respect. “I visited the mansion and found it empty. The ward had been removed, and I checked inside the house. Empty. All that remained was the heavy stench of a barnyard, blood, and the bitter stink of magic.”
“Why would they run?” My head hurt trying to make sense of lunatics. “They discovered something else…” I pushed myself onto my side and faced Kahlo, our knees nudging. “The hooded guy fought the gargoyle. He’s one mean fucker and strong because he hurt the creature with his bare hands. But he also got hurt bad in return. And that’s when a strand of my hair fell out of my head.”
Kahlo’s brow creased into a dozen lines; it was clear he didn’t understand the significance.
“My hair is uncuttable, and I’ve never lost a strand—ever! Except at night. My magic is connected to that fucking monster who tortures others and can take on a gargoyle. He’s taking strength from my magical hair. I’m beginning to believe I’ve been locked up this whole time to keep this damn hair alive for him.”
