The night I became a wolf
1175 Words
Chapter 12
The Night I Became a Wolf
The roar of motorcycles faded into the darkness.
One by one.
Until all that remained…
Was silence.
I stood frozen in Ryder’s doorway.
Barefoot.
Breathless.
My lips still swollen from his kiss.
My heart still pounding from those two words.
Stay alive.
The street that had been filled with leather, engines, and danger only seconds ago now looked almost normal.
Quiet, empty and safe.
And somehow…
That terrified me more.
Because safe things didn’t feel this loud.
Mason was the last one to leave.
He sat astride his bike, helmet dangling from one hand, dark beard glinting beneath the porch light.
He looked at me.
Then at the front door.
Then back at me.
“Lock it.”
I swallowed.
“I will.”
His eyes softened slightly.
“You scream…”
He pointed to the emergency button hanging on the wall beside the door—something I hadn’t even noticed before.
“…you hit that.”
I frowned.
“What does it do?”
Mason smirked.
“Calls every violent i***t within five miles.”
Then his expression turned serious.
“Which means don’t hit it unless somebody’s bleeding.”
I nodded.
Mason started his engine.
Then stopped.
Looked at me again.
And smiled.
“You got him smiling.”
Heat rushed to my face.
“What?”
Mason shrugged.
“Never seen it before.”
Then he rode into the night.
Leaving me alone.
Completely.
Terrifyingly.
I shut the door.
Locked it.
Then locked it again.
And again.
My hands shook.
I hated that.
Hated feeling weak.
Hated that Marcus could still do this to me.
Hated that Ryder had ridden straight into hell because of me.
No.
Not because of me.
Because of Daisy.
Because Marcus crossed the one line men like Ryder didn’t forgive.
“Ava?”
I turned.
Daisy stood halfway down the stairs.
Unicorn tucked under one arm.
Sleepy eyes.
Messy curls.
And somehow…
Still brave.
“Come here.”
She walked down slowly.
Then climbed straight into my arms like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I held her tightly.
Too tightly.
Because suddenly...
She wasn’t just Ryder’s daughter anymore.
She felt like something fragile.
Something precious.
Something Marcus would never touch.
“Daddy’s scary when he gets quiet,” Daisy whispered.
I swallowed.
“You noticed?”
She nodded.
“He gets extra scary when he loves somebody.”
My entire body froze.
“What?”
Daisy yawned.
“Grandma says Daddy gets mean when he cares.”
My throat tightened.
“Oh.”
She looked up at me.
Wide-eyed.
“You make him extra mean.”
I almost laughed.
Almost.
Instead...
I hugged her closer.
And for the first time in my life…
The word family didn’t feel impossible.
Then...
My phone buzzed.
My entire body went cold.
Daisy felt it immediately.
She looked up.
“Ava?”
I slowly reached into my pocket.
And stared at the screen.
Unknown number.
My pulse stumbled.
No.
No.
No....
It buzzed again.
And again.
And again.
Five messages.
Back to back.
My hands shook as I opened them.
The first one was a photo.
My front porch.
Taken tonight.
The second...
My bedroom window.
The third...
Me.
Standing in Ryder’s doorway.
My blood turned to ice.
Then the final message appeared.
HE CAN’T PROTECT YOU FOREVER.
My knees almost gave out.
But this time…
I didn’t fall.
Because Daisy was in my arms.
And wolves don’t fall while carrying something precious.
My breathing turned sharp.
Fast and focused.
Ryder’s voice echoed in my head.
Lock every door.
Stay alive.
I looked at the emergency button on the wall.
Daisy followed my eyes.
“Daddy’s scary button.”
I blinked.
“Scary button?”
She nodded.
“When bad people come.”
My pulse hammered.
Bad people.
Not if.
When.
A sound came from outside.
Crunch and gravel.
I froze.
Daisy froze.
Another sound.
Moving across the porch.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
No.
No.
Not while Ryder was gone.
Not while Daisy was here.
The doorknob rattled.
Hard.
Daisy gasped.
My fear died instantly.
Because fear was one thing.
But threatening a child?
That changed everything.
I set Daisy down gently.
“Go upstairs.”
Her eyes widened.
“But...”
“Now.”
Something in my voice must have worked.
Because she ran.
Fast.
Without arguing.
Good girl.
The knob rattled again.
Harder.
Then...
Marcus laughed.
Right outside the door.
“You know…”
His voice drifted through the wood.
Mocking and cruel.
“I always liked your screams.”
My blood went ice cold.
My hands curled into fists.
Old Ava would have frozen.
Old Ava would have cried.
Old Ava would have begged.
Not tonight.
Tonight…
I was under Ryder Kane’s roof.
And apparently…
That changed things.
I walked to the wall.
Stared at the red button.
And smiled.
“Wrong house.”
Then I slammed my palm down.
The alarm exploded.
Loud, violent and terrifying.
Red lights flashed.
Sirens screamed through the house.
Outside...
Silence.
Then Marcus cursed.
“What the hell...”
Motorcycles roared.
Not one.
Not two.
Dozens.
Coming fast.
Coming hard.
Coming home.
Marcus panicked.
I heard him running.
Boots pounding.
Then...
A single gunshot echoed in the distance.
My breath caught.
No.
No.
Please...
Headlights exploded across the windows.
Voices, engines...
Doors slamming.
And then...
A fist pounded against the front door.
“Ava!”
Ryder.
I nearly cried.
I ripped the door open...
And froze.
Because Ryder Kane…
Was covered in blood.
Not bruised.
Not scraped.
Covered.
My heart stopped.
“Ryder...”
He grabbed my face.
Hard, fast and desperate.
“Are you hurt?”
I blinked.
“What?”
His pale eyes scanned every inch of me.
Wild and uncontrolled.
“Ava.”
I swallowed.
“No.”
His chest rose sharply.
“Daisy?”
“She’s upstairs.”
He closed his eyes.
Just for one second.
One tiny second.
And I realized…
He’d been terrified.
Terrified.
For us.
When he opened his eyes again...
The monster returned.
“Where is he?”
I pointed toward the street.
“He ran.”
Ryder looked at Mason.
“Find him.”
Mason grinned.
“Gladly.”
Then the wolves disappeared into the night again.
And suddenly...
It was just me.
And Ryder.
And blood.
So much blood.
My voice shook.
“You’re bleeding.”
Ryder looked down like he’d forgotten.
“Not mine.”
My knees almost gave out for an entirely different reason.
He looked at me.
Really looked.
Then slowly…
His hand slid into my hair.
Warm, heavy and protective.
Dangerously intimate.
“You hit the alarm.”
I nodded.
His jaw flexed.
And for one terrifying second...
I thought he was angry.
Instead…
He smiled.
That rare devastating heart destroying smile.
“Good girl.”
My breath caught.
And before I could recover...
Ryder Kane kissed me like I’d just become something far more dangerous than his neighbor.
Like I’d just become…
His.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD