Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
AVA
I tap away at my laptop, the glow of the screen illuminating my face in the dimly lit living room. The sound of explosions and screeching tires blares from the TV. Archer and Dante are sprawled on the couch, knees spread so wide I’m almost falling off.
Archer glances over at me, quirking an eyebrow. “What are you working on, Avs? Where are we with upending the government?”
I can’t help but smirk. “I’m filing a Freedom of Information Act request to get my hands on some of Congressman Thorne’s financial records.”
Dante sits up straighter, his brow furrowing. “He’s the fucker who’s threatening you, right? What’s he got to do with your story on the anti-shifter laws?”
“Call it a hunch,” I shrug, my fingers still flying across the keys. “A guy who gets elected based on misinformation, and who now can afford a mansion like his being just a congressman? Makes me wonder if he’s been greasing some palms to keep those abuse allegations quiet. And maybe he’s not passing the anti-shifter laws because he believes in it. There are several big companies who’ll make a buck with these laws. Maybe he’s been paid.” I throw my hands up, excitement building in my stomach. “It’s like a cycle of corruption.”
Archer lets out a low whistle. “Damn, Avs. This is going to be crazy. Do you think?—”
My phone dings and I glance down, my heart dropping into my stomach as Steve’s name flashes across the screen with a new message.
Steve: hey babe, miss you. forget that break. lets try again. call me.
Before I can even process the message, Archer is leaning over my shoulder, his eyes narrowing. “Is that fucking Steve? Gimme that phone.” He reaches over my shoulder. “I’m gonna tell that asshole exactly where he can shove it.”
I clutch my phone to my chest, shaking my head. “Relax, I got this.”
Dante’s jaw clenches, his eyes darkening. “Is that the ex? I should have punched him, shouldn’t I?”
Archer nods eagerly. “You should have.” He meets my eyes. “But that reminds me. King put one of the boys outside your building. In case they try to break in again.” He bumps my arm with his. “We should ask him to kick Steve out.”
“Yes,” Dante agrees with a weirdly victorious tone.
I roll my eyes, my cheeks going warm. Why is Dante so interested? He’s the one who stared at me yesterday as if I had pounced on him.
“Thanks,” I tell them. “But since I’ll be spending a few days here, I’d rather give him some time to go through the whole thing. He did lose a lot because of me.”
Archer curls his nose. “Mm. If you say so. Do I agree? No. But whatever. Let him freeload on your hard-earned money.” Archer yawns. “ Your ex . Who cheated.” He stretches his arms above his head. “Alright, I’m beat. Gonna hit the sack.” He stands, cracking his neck, then kisses the top of my head. “Block him!” he calls out before walking into his bedroom and closing the door.
Dante stops the movie and rises from the couch. I give myself a second to ogle him in these sinful sweatpants.
He clears his throat. “I’m going for a run,” he says, arching an eyebrow. “Would you like to… come with?”
My jaw drops. “A run? With your wolf?” He nods. “Yes!” I squeak, then almost drop my laptop when I shoot to my feet. There’s a challenge in his eyes, a glint of something wild and untamed. My heart hammers against my ribs as I scramble off the couch. “Let me change real quick.” I dash into the bedroom, throwing on a pair of leggings and a hoodie. Archer complains when I turn on the lights, then throws a pillow at me when I take too long to leave.
When I return, Dante is waiting by the door, his expression unreadable. He leads me outside to his bike. He puts a helmet on me. I slide on behind him, my arms wrapping around his waist. The feel of his hard body against mine sends a shiver down my spine.
We ride next to a forest for twenty minutes or so. He takes a turn off the main road, following a dirt path that winds into the woods. We stop in a small clearing and Dante cuts the engine. I climb off, my legs a little shaky.
“Wow, perfect horror movie spot,” I say, chuckling as I glance around at the towering trees.
Dante chuckles back. Next, he changes.
That’s horror movie alright. Bones and sinew realign under his skin. It’s bizarre even in near-darkness. His jaw pops. Fur sprouts down the back of his neck, his face elongating into a muzzle. He drops onto all fours. My heartbeat kicks up.
A massive brown wolf stands before me, his green eyes glowing in the darkness.
I suck in a sharp breath, my hand flying to my mouth. I’ve seen shifters before, but never like this. Never so close. Dante is magnificent, his coat a rich chocolate brown, his paws the size of dinner plates.
I fumble for my phone, then turn on the flashlight. Wolves aren’t usually this big, are they? Slowly, I reach out a hand. Dante lowers his huge head, letting me sink my fingers into the thick ruff of fur at his neck. A thrill runs through me at the contact. This is Dante, the real Dante. And he’s sharing this with me, letting me see a side of himself that few ever witness.
He bounds off into the trees and I follow, my phone flashlight bobbing in the darkness. I jog through the underbrush, brambles snagging at my legs as I follow him. I’m grinning like an idiot, laughter bubbling up my throat. I feel wild and free, more alive than I have in years.
We reach another clearing and Dante slows, his tongue lolling. He shifts back to human form. I avert the flashlight. When I look back, he’s watching me, his expression softer than I’ve ever seen it.
“I can’t remember the last time I did that,” he says quietly. “Let someone see me like that. Someone who wasn’t...”
“I won’t tell anyone,” I promise, a silly smile on my face. “I’d never betray your trust, Dante. Not for anything.”
He steps closer, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. My breath hitches at his touch, my skin tingling. “I know. But Ava, being close to me, to any of us... it’s dangerous. If the wrong people found out what you know... It might ruin more than your investigation.”
“I don’t care,” I breathe. And I mean it. Whatever this is between us, this crackling, simmering tension, I want to see where it leads. Even if it’s dangerous. Even if it’s foolish.
He’s so close now I can feel the heat of him, smell the musk of his skin. His hand slides into my hair, his fingers twisting in the dark strands. A shiver runs down the back of my neck.
“You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now,” he rasps. “How hard it is to stay away.”
I swallow hard, my pulse thundering in my ears. “Then don’t.”
Dante frowns as if he were in pain. “Ava,” he whispers. “No one’s meant to be this perfect. Fuck. How am I supposed to stay away?”
“You don’t have to.”
“But I do. I do. You’re human. You can get hurt. You’re my best friend’s sister. He would get hurt.”
For a moment, I think he’s going to pull away. That he’ll step back and put that careful distance between us again.
He doesn’t. He stays there, staring at me, divided. I push my hands through his hair, but fingers brushing through the soft strands. I grab at the roots and pull.
Dante takes one look at me, his eyelids heavy, and he groans, so deeply it reverberates inside me.
“Fuck it,” he grunts. “Just this once.”
Then his mouth is on mine and every thought flies out of my head.
His lips are firm and insistent, his tongue tracing the seam of my mouth. My lips buzz like the other time. A rush of adrenaline makes me gasp. I open for him with a needy whimper, my hands fisting in his shirt.
Dante walks me back until I’m pressed against a tree, his body a hard line against mine. I can feel every inch of him, all that coiled strength and barely leashed power. It’s thrilling and terrifying all at once.
I need him. I need all of him.
His hands skim my sides, slipping under the hem of my hoodie to splay across my lower back. There’s no time to be insecure. His fingertips set me on fire. I arch into him, craving more of his touch. More of him.
His tongue delves into my mouth and it’s pure ecstasy. No kiss has ever felt like this. Every sweep of his tongue is electrifying. He groans in relief as if he’d been parched for this. I cling to him with everything I’ve got. He sucks my bottom lip so good I could literally come from this kiss.
Dante breaks the kiss. He breathes hard against me. My head is swimming. We hold on to each other for another moment, our bodies vibrating with energy.
This is too intense. What in the world is this?
I shake slightly when I meet his eyes. “You’re right.”
“About what?”
“Archer.”
Dante’s eyes are on my mouth, but he pries his hands off my hips. “Yeah. Archer.” He stares for another moment. “Yeah. Then I should… take you home.”
I nod, but all I want is to stay here with him. Would that be wise, though?
Archer is my last relative, my best friend. I couldn’t do this to him.
No matter how right it feels.