When the Wolves Cry (Twin Flames Duet #1)

CHAPTER NINE

TALA

Stumbling down the hallway, I turn into my warmly lit bedroom and charge at my bed, diving into the safety of fur and animal print.

It felt like my skin was stretching into flames, reaching out to roll in with his. Now that he’s not towering over me, I feel like a snuffed candle, diffusing smoke and pleading to be relit.

Maverick brought me home and walked me inside. He’s taking Nadia home too. She hurdled him back to the bar when Satan ran after me and was hammered by the time I found my way out of the maze.

I was aware that the savage worked for, or with Maverick.

What I didn’t know is that Maverick’s more than thrilled to have a demon stalking his best friend.

The asshole was smiling about it the whole drive to my house. It pissed me off. I didn’t even ask for Satan’s name.

Because. Screw them both.

I reflect on the night, sighing in self-hatred.

I didn’t get my mom pumpkins.

You’re a piece of shit. You were too busy tossing back poison and opening your legs for literal Satan, you couldn’t even get your lovely mom some goddamn pumpkins.

I’ll get them tomorrow. Fingers crossed my vagina behaves and I don’t start humping the fucking air if he appears again.

I rip my beanie off and chuck it across the room, watching the black fabric smack the wall through the gap of fur that’s poking my eye. I rotate my head towards his stalking chair, fixing on the silver sitting on my nightstand.Why is he kind of romantic? And he has manners?

The pressure returns with a heavy thrum, and my buzzed self leaps up and starts ripping my clothes off. I kick them into a pile and rush around my bed to close the black canopy.

Not that it offers much privacy. But maybe I want him to see.

Fully nude, I crawl into bed and lay on my back, widening my legs and caressing down my scarred inner thigh. I stop for a moment, staring down at my fully exposed and needy clit.

The dire urge to find relief combusts into flames.

I snap my legs closed, catching the large shadow entering my room out of the periphery of my vision. My skin tingles and terror possesses my lungs. The only sound out of me is a quick, sharp breath hitting the back of my throat.

His eyes are darker, melting my skin through the black lace as he slowly. So fucking slowly. Walks around to the end of my bed. His tattooed hands gently pry open the canopy, and although I’m naked, his obsidian remains stitched to my face.

“Keep going, baby. Show me how you like it.”

I’m finally able to make out the tattoos around his neck. They’re Japanese peonies on either side, framing a snarling dragon head in the center of his throat.

My cheeks flame and salaciousness coats my tongue. He holds the key to my dark desires. One look from him opens the door to everything carnal. “Do you want me to show you? Or guide you?”

His jaw tics through the scruff, and the doorbell rings, instilling panic to bolt through me. I scurry off the bed and towards my dresser, looking over my shoulder at the way his thick brows are furrowed.

“Expecting someone?” he asks irritably.

Adrenaline spikes my blood pressure, and I swallow nervously, fumbling through a drawer with the expectation of a heate d? handprin t? to smart on my pulsing cheek. I whip out a cropped tank top and a pair of sweatpants, frantically pulling them on—but not hearing his steps approach me.In fact. He’s gone.

Soundlessly.

“What portals are you and your dog crawling out of?” I huff, stretching the waistband around my ass.

I run out of my room and down the hall, fixing my hair in the mirrors as I speedily go down the stairs.

Satan’s answering my door for me with one hand bracing the door-frame dominantly.

The remaining buzz in my head makes me gawk at the image. I walk up to the behemoth, looking through the gap of his arm and scrunching my face quizzically at Viper who’s in the middle of explaining himself.

Viper looks at me with a slight head shake, wearing a simple look on his face. “I’m sorry, Tala. I didn’t know Jax was here.”

I slowly blink. I wasn’t ready to know his name.

I was worried it would be hot.I was correct.

“It’s fine,” I drone. “Can I help you?” I step through the veil of dark spices to get closer to the tired Russian man.

“I brought your SUV back. I was just ringing to pass your keys off.”

Oh. That was nice.

“How were you planning on getting home?” Satan grumbles.

I shouldn’t feel the reverberation of his voice on my back. I’m not pressed up against him.

Viper gestures his thumb over his shoulder, hinting that the gravel crunching is his ride. “Maverick.” He holds my key fob out to me, dropping it in my hand. “ U? va s? krasiv y? golos .”

I frown, not understanding. “Thank you…”

“ N e? privykay ,” Satan booms.

The power his low tone possesses stuns me.

Evidently amusing Viper given the grin that creeps up as he turns on his heel, heading towards the stairs.

Maverick’s black truck rolls up, his pretty smile hanging out the window. I step out onto the porch and mosey to the stairs Viper’s trekking down, thinning my eyes at Maverick.

“Is that a glow, killer?” Maverick hollers. Teasing me.

Dick.

I scrunch my brows and spin around into whiskey. I’m barely eye-level with his firm pecs. That’s how tall this demon is.

I tilt my chin up, gazing at the definition that forms his jawline.

His calloused palm skims my exposed back, and my goddamn nipples rat on me, pebbling tightly against the ribbed fabric.

Might as well grab a fucking blow horn and announce how desperate I am to everyone.

“Be a good girl for me,” he drawls, and whistles out into the night.

I was wondering if his dog was with him. But I’m mostly wondering why the hel l? good gir l? on his tongue is making me impossibly wet.

“Good night, Jax.”

His bottom lip draws in between his teeth, leaving a sheen behind that floods my mouth with moisture. “Good night, little wolf.”

His warm hand disappears from my flesh, and he steps around me. I check over my shoulder, glancing at Maverick backing out, before watching my stalker meet up with his dog on the sidewalk.

Only my SUV is in the driveway now.

My lips purse analytically. “Where did you park?”

He smiles over his shoulder, dark features swallowing the night and white teeth flashing off the lanterns. He says nothing.

Just walks off into the shadows.

Nadia grunts, heaving a pumpkin to the front porch. “So… he didn’t play with your pussy?” she strains out.

The pumpkin’s not big. It’s very average.

“No, saved by the bell. Literally.” I squat down, placing my pumpkin on the porch next to our gutting supplies.

We went to Harvest & Horrors when they opened this morning and got Mom her pumpkins, dropped them off to her, and now we’re doing what we do every year.

Talk smack, carve pumpkins, and pull out the ten bins I have of Halloween decor. We do as much as we can before nightfall, then we go back to Harvest & Horrors for the haunted houses and rides.

She bends over and drops her pumpkin. It thuds and shakes the porch, and she flips it onto its side to roll it over to me. “Why do you say that? If you’re not ready for something meaningful, just ride that stallion and send him home,” she says breathlessly.

I can’t tell her the full truth.

I throw my foot out, catching her pumpkin from rolling the hell away. “Having sex with him would just seal a deal I’m not interested in. I don’t even know this guy. He just fucking appears within the shadows. Did I tell you about his dog bringing dead flowers up to the house?” I sit down, folding my legs in front of my pumpkin and propping hers up across from me.

She drops to all fours, moaning dramatically and crawling towards me with tight eyes. I grab a knife and stab the top of my pumpkin, waiting for the sounds of porn to deplete. When she finally stops, she sits down with peachy cheeks, dreamily gazing at me. “He killed your abusive ex, brought you his teeth in a jar , brought you dead flowers, which are your favorite, and he says sexy stuff? Remind me why you aren’t fucking him.”

Aggressively sawing the stem off, I say, “Because someone’s clearly coming after my family, Nads. I’m not jeopardizing his life for good sex and lewd words. Even if I did want to, I’m not sure he’d be understanding of the desolate pit I fall into.”

Nadia is easy going. She flows with the breeze and lets shit roll off her shoulders. I overthink and talk myself out of stuff. Especially hefty decisions. I have a constant fear of doing something wrong and hurting the people around me.

“Isn’t he a hit man?” she questions. I shrug, not really knowing what he does. “Have you told him about those assholes trying to buy the wolves? He might know something about them.”

I rip the stem out, looking at her through the guts dangling down. “I’ve barely talked to Satan. The only reason I almost fucked his hand last night is because I was still buzzed. So. Nope. He doesn’t know.”

My phone buzzes insistently against my ass. I set the stem down, lean over, and rip my phone from my pocket. “One second, Nads. I don’t know who this is.” I accept the unknown call and hold the speaker up to my ear. “Hello?”

“Who were they?”

There’s no mistaking his rumbling voice. I don’t know how the hell he heard me though. And if he heard that, that means he’s most likely heard everything.

I scan around, landing on Nadia’s enthused face. “Hi, Jax, it’s so nice to hear your voice. What? Oh, I’m doing great. Thank you for asking, asshole.”

Nadia’s eyes are lit up.

Possibly as bright as the thrum his rich laugh induces. It’s subtle, but velvety smooth. And right in my ear.

“Goddamn, baby, I was getting to that. I just wanted to know the names of the fuckers I’m going to hunt.”

“How did you hear me?” I ask, shaking my head at Nadia humping the air.

“Just because you don’t see me, doesn’t mean I’m not there. I’m always watching. And I’m always listening.”

He’s eitherKrampusor he put cameras in my house.

Great. Must be why he didn’t care to see my body last night. He’s already seen it all without my consent.

I sigh, mildly disappointed. “I don’t know who the men are. Some guy with the nickname Pyro sent them.” I pull my phone from my ear, smashing my thumb into the screen to leave him with a dead call.

Nadia stops humping the air, furrowing her brows at me. “Why did you hang up on him?”

Because he’s no different.

“I didn’t want to talk anymore,” I mumble, letting my buzzing phone clatter to the porch.

One thing about Nads—she knows when to drop something. We quickly move onto the next topic of her latest hookup and finish carving our pumpkins.

We only have time to decorate the porch before fixing our faces, throwing normal human clothes on, and driving to Harvest & Horrors .

While waiting in line for Massacre Madness, my phone buzzes like pissed off bees in my leg bag.

It has been. And I’ve been ignoring it.

Growling in aggravation, I unzip my bag and yank my phone out. I’m half listening to Nadia talk to one of her toys, half focusing on the twentieth text Satan has sent. Can’t forget the fifteen missed calls from him. Jesus.

Satan: I need you to be a good girl and keep your head on a swivel. I’m busting a ring tonight and won’t be able to keep the wolves away.

I truly don’t know if he somehow knows Keep the Wolves Away is my dad and I’s song, or if it’s a coincidence. And I don’t know what “busting a ring” means. But I’m beyond aggravated.

I honestly wish he’d leave me alone.

Me: I don’t need a play-by-play. Nor do I need a babysitter.

His text bubble instantly pops up, giving me sickening butterflies. I would punch myself if a handsome stranger wasn’t trying to cut in line with me.

He’s about as tall as Maverick, same lean build. He has light, golden skin with tattoos peeking from his long sleeve shirt, a dark brown buzz cut, and a scar that slashes through his right eyebrow. That or it’s shaved that way. I’m not sure what maintenance he puts into himself. Enough to maintain his pencil mustache, I guess.

He’s smiling vibrantly, hands in his pockets and thin eyes respectfully roaming my face. “Hi, mija.”

“Oh, my God,” Nadia chimes dreamily, turning her back to her toy. “Get lost, Derek.”

I smile awkwardly, unsure where to look. This guy’s beaming at me, Nadia’s drooling, Derek’s pouting and walking away, and my phone is buzzing. “What’s up?”

“You mind if I scoot in?” he asks, his Spanish accent mild.

“You can scoot inside me,” Nadia smiles.

I look away from his blushing cheeks, down to my phone.

Satan: I’m just letting you know, baby girl. And I think you do. You didn’t notice the wolf following you last night.

Satan: That’s Leon. You can probably throw a scrapper punch better than him. He’s just my eyes and ears.

Me: Are you implying you were the wolf? If so, I noticed. And as for your buddy… He may get ripped to shreds. You threw a lamb to a lioness.

I lock my phone and shove it back into the bag on my thigh. The line moves up and Leon squeezes through Nadia and I, smiling like a kid in a candy store.

He’s adorable. I’m not sure how he’s friends with Jax.

I offer a handshake, returning a smile. “I’m sorry. I’m Tala.”

He accepts it, politely shaking my hand while Nadia helps herself to his spare arm. “No worries. I’m not used to being in the company of-ah…” He stares at me, thinning his lips.

I tilt my head, reaching up and grabbing his face to move it around. “Are you talking to him?”

He weighs his head, cheeks embedding into his teeth.

I let him go, slowly blinking. “I’m not doing this,” I mutter.

I pivot on my heel and dip under the rope, strolling into the dense fog illuminated in red. Metal bangs against metal somewhere nearby. I can only see a few feet in front of me. I’d be a little concerned if I didn’t know the path like the back of my hand.

It takes me a few minutes to get through the fog. Once I walk out of the strip of haunted houses, I only manage a couple of steps until a masked man is walking right up to me.

My steps falter to a stop as he takes the final step in between us.

“Wolf princess,” he cocks his head, voice muffled behind the plastic.

My brows knit, eyes absently roaming his mask.

Only my grandparents have called me that.