Page 92 of Awakening the Beast
When I make my way downstairs, I head straight for the living room, but my steps slow the moment I spot Arlo. His small suitcase sits by his side, and a familiar worry grips my insides. I hate when he leaves, especially after everything that’s been happening. The second my eyes meet his, he sees the unease in them.
Without hesitation, he walks toward me, and I instinctively move forward to meet him at the same time. The space between us disappears in an instant, and his hand finds the back of myneck, fingers threading through my hair as he pulls me close to his body. He places a kiss on my forehead.
“You’ll be alright, won't you?”
I nod in response, but the anxiety still sits thick in my chest. “Of course,” I reply quietly, forcing a small smile as I look up at him. “Lil will be staying for the weekend and Cree will be here tomorrow. I’ll have more than enough company to keep me busy.”
His thumb strokes the nape of my neck, and for a moment, I feel anchored, safe.
“You’ve got this,” he adds.
“I’ll miss you,” I admit softly, my hand slipping up his back before I look at Lumi on my hip. “We both will.”
“I’ll miss you both too,” he replies, placing another kiss to my forehead, then to Lumi’s before stepping back slightly, his hand sliding down to my ass. “But I’ll be back before you know it.”
I nod again, forcing another smile as Lumi giggles in my arms. Arlo's gaze flickers to her, his face softening as he reaches out to carefully brush the back of his fingers across her rosy cheek in a loving gesture, completely smitten.
“If you need me, just call me. Everything is in place. People are on standby, the security cameras and motion detectors are on,” he says, his dark eyes meeting mine.
With one last forceful kiss to my lips that almost takes my breath away, Arlo grabs his suitcase, and I watch his every move as he walks out the door. As it slams shut, the quiet settles in, and I hold Lumi a little tighter to my chest.
It’s late at night, and with Lumi tucked safely in bed, Lil and I are lounging in the living room, sipping wine and half-watching a movie. It’s been fun catching up with her, but I can’t stop my mind from drifting to the USB stick and those documents hidden upstairs. The curiosity is eating away at me.
I stretch my arms above my head and let out a deliberately exaggerated yawn. “I think I’m ready for bed,” I say, my voice lazy as I attempt to hide what's really on my mind.
“Already? How old are you again?” Lil teases, giving me a playful nudge, and I laugh along with her.
After making sure everything downstairs is locked up, I turn off the lights, we head upstairs. I make my way to Lumi’s room first, peeking in to find her fast asleep. Her peaceful little face gives me a moment of calm before the adrenaline kicks back in.
Once I’m in my bedroom, I softly shut the door behind me, tossing my phone onto the bed without a second thought. My pulse beats faster as I stride toward the drawers. After grabbing the USB stick and documents, I settle onto the springy bed, legs crossed and pull my laptop closer.
As the laptop comes to life, I decide to scan the documents first. My brows knit together as the word “contract” catches my eye. I flip through the pages, skimming over the neatly typed words.
With each line, my heartbeat seems to hammer harder, and when I finally reach the signatures at the bottom, my breath lodges in my throat. My eyes widen in shock, disbelief washing over me as the names stare back at me, bold and undeniable.
No. Fucking. Way.
Suddenly, a chime from my phone cuts through the silence, making me jump. My heart skips a beat as my eyes dart toward the screen. With shaky hands, I snatch the phone and see a notification from the outside camera.Panic starts to creep in as I unlock the phone, swiping to pull up the live feed.
But one by one, each camera flickers—distorted static—then goes completely black.
Fuck, I know exactly what’s happening.
Scrambling to my feet, my mind races and my first instinct is to call Arlo. I pull up his number, but my thumb hesitates. He’s too far away. He can't help me from where he is. Swiping again, I pull up my mom’s contact, but before I can press dial, a loud bang echoes from somewhere inside the house.
My entire body stiffens. My head snaps toward the door, and at that moment, the lights cut out completely. The house plunging into darkness.
I toss my phone onto the bed, heart hammering in my chest, and rush to the door. My fingers shake as I quietly ease it open, peering cautiously around the frame. The hallway stretches out before me, cloaked in shadows, but I have no time to hesitate.
I move quickly but quietly, my mind focused only on getting to my baby. I push through the fear, reaching her room and Ienter to find her still fast asleep, her small body rising and falling peacefully under the blanket. Relief rushes over me for a split second before the fear returns.
I scoop her up, cradling her against me, feeling the warmth of her body as I hold her close. I take a steadying breath, then turn and carefully exit the room, moving silently, every muscle tensed.
Looking over my shoulder, I rush down the hallway and when I reach Lil’s room, I swing the door open. She sits up in bed, her face a twisted with confusion and alarm.
“Wren?” she asks, far too loudly.
“Shhhh…” I whisper harshly, grabbing her wrist and yanking her out of bed.
