Ravensong (Green Creek 2)

I was sweating by the time we reached my door. The driveway was empty, and it was only then I realized we’d left my truck behind when Elijah had come. I hadn’t seen it in the road this morning. They must have moved it. Jones’s cruiser had been gone too.

He’d only been two days away from his vacation, he’d said.

“Christ,” I muttered, pulling Mark up the driveway. My keys were still in the truck. There was a spare, and I had to let Mark’s hand go to bend over and dig for it. He stared down at the ground.

I dug through the snow until I found the rock with the key underneath. I opened the screen door, unlocked the door, and shoved it open. I stood aside, glancing back at Mark. “Inside.”

He looked dazed as he lifted his head. “What.”

I jerked my head toward the open door. “Move your ass.”

He hesitated. “Gordo, if I’m—if this is happening, then I need to be as far away from you as I can be.”

“Get in the house.”

His eyes narrowed. That was better. I could deal with him being pissed off at me. It put us back on even ground. “Are you stupid?” he growled.

“I swear to god, if you don’t get into this fucking house, I’m going to lose my shit, and you won’t like it when I do.”

He scowled.

I waited.

With a huff, he pushed past me and went into the house, muttering under his bre

ath about bossy fucking witches.

I looked out into the snow.

It was quiet.

I knew it wouldn’t last long.

I followed him inside and locked the door behind us.

HE WAS in the kitchen by the time I came out of the bedroom, changed into dry clothes. I felt centered, being in my own house, head clear for the first time in what felt like days.

He stood in front of the sink, staring out the window into the white. He didn’t turn, though he knew I was there. He always did.

“I put clothes out for you,” I said quietly. “On the bed. They might be a little tight, but it’s better than having the smell of wet dog in my house.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “Asshole.”

“Not going to argue that. Hope you weren’t expecting something more romantic from me. This is pretty much all you’ll get. I don’t do shit like that.”

He turned his head slightly. “Romantic?”

Yeah, I hadn’t meant to say that. “Shut up. Forget I said anything.”

“I don’t know if I can. Be still my heart.”

“Mark. Change your fucking clothes.”

He huffed out a breath as he turned around. He looked at me, searching for what, I didn’t know. He seemed to be in control, at least more than he had before. I didn’t know how much longer that would last. The full moon was less than two days away. We were running out of time.

He nodded and started out of the kitchen. But before he went down the hall to the bedroom, he paused. “You knew.”

“What?”