Light the Fire (Jackson's Hollow #1)

Chapter 32

As she suspected, Jo didn't have to wait long. She'd briefly debated taking her evening shower but didn't want to be in the middle of that when Ryker came back, so had instead settled on prepping everything for school and her interview tomorrow. She still hadn't had a chance to tell him about that.

Some quiet thumps on the steps and a soft whine-growl alerted her to movement outside. She cocked her head, listening, but Charlie didn't seem to be alarmed. So there was a good chance it was Ryker.

A few moments later that was confirmed after a brief set of knocks on the door. "Jo? It's me." She moved toward the door, but apparently not fast enough, because Ryker added, as if she didn't know--"It's Ryker."

Okay, as pissed and confused as she was, she couldn't help the small twitch of a smile that stole across her face at that. He could be such a dork sometimes for being a big, bad werewolf.

"Oh good, that totally reassures me you're not some doppelganger shapeshifter from the supernatural world that I didn't know existed yet," she retorted as she worked her way through the door locks. She swung the door open and before she had even a second to take in the sight of shirtless Ryker standing on her front porch, or even a moment to glare at him, his arms were around her, tugging her tightly to his chest as he buried his face against the crook of her neck.

"Ryker!" she huffed as his arms bound her tightly to him. "Can't...breathe..."

Ryker quickly stepped back with a mumbled apology, but he was still close, eyes searching her face, hands brushing her arms, as if searching for any injuries. What exactly had Duncan done to Ryker in the past?

"You're okay," he said on a soft sight, some of his tension finally releasing. Jo nodded, studying him in turn.

"I am, but I think we need to talk."

"Yeah, we need to figure out better security for this place," he said, sending a terrible glare at her door, as if Duncan getting in was its fault. His fixation on protection would've been cute if she hadn't already been so annoyed. "I'm sorry, Jo, I should've been here. It's lucky that Charlie was visiting his aunt, he smelled him--"

"I don't want to talk about security," she said. Well, maybe she did, but not right now. There were bigger things on her mind. She took a step back, her arms crossing over her chest as she frowned at him. "But we should probably go back inside. And Charlie, you can go home now. I think we've got it from here."

Over by the steps, Charlie whined and laid down, pointedly not looking at her. However, he did sneak a glance at Ryker.

"I mean it," she said, heat rising in her chest. "Ryker's not the authority at my house."

Charlie curled up in a circle, the tip of his tail covering his snout.

"Charlie! Seriously."

With another whine, the werewolf crept down the stairs, unhappiness written all over him, his ears tilted back like he was pouting. Slowly, he started off down the driveway, dragging his paws.

"I guess it's stupid to ask you what's wrong," Ryker said as she stepped inside and he followed her.

"Actually, the home invasion is only part of my problem," she said.

"Did Duncan touch you?" Ryker's eyes glinted yellow-gold.

"No, again, he stole an orange and wanted to talk."

"About what?"

"Now there's the right question," Jo said. She sat down in the old rocking chair by the couch, which meant Ryker either had to stay standing or sit down alone. He hovered in front of her, his face torn between worry, confusion, and anger, though she had a feeling the last was currently pointed at Duncan, not her.