switch, and when he didn’t, she asked, “Can we turn on a light?” Her night vision was impeccable, but there was so little illumination to work with, it was hard to see even the couches that were situated just a few feet in front of her.
“Skyler, there aren’t any lights. I took them all out when I moved in here. If I need light during the day, I open one of the windows I’ve boarded up.”
She didn’t understand. “So, you live in the dark? Like a bat?”
“No, I live in the dark like a bear. This isn’t a trailer to me. It’s my den. My bear requires it, or I won’t have any control.”
“Control over your animal?”
“Yes.”
His hand was still strong and warm, all wrapped around hers, and she squeezed. “Who else has seen your den?”
“Tagan. He knows how I have to live from when he and his mom took me in.”
“Tagan…and me?” It was heartbreaking that he had to live in the dark because of his inner animal, but he was sharing something huge with her. Something that scared him and made him hide from other people. He was letting her in.
“The others probably know, but it’s something I don’t share. My bear, he doesn’t like others in his territory.”
“But he’s okay with me in here?”
“My bear chose you before I even knew you. You’ll always be safe in here with him. With me.”
“Will you show me around?”
“Sure. Wait here.” His hand disappeared and, moments later, a thin stream of gray light appeared from behind a piece of plywood Kellen scooted off a window. The living room and kitchen were the mirror opposite of 1010 with the kitchen on the right-hand side. A gray couch and love seat sat in front of a mahogany stand with a flat screen television. The coffee table and end tables matched, and a painting of the processor Brighton operated hung on the wall. It was done in thick, dark paints with neon green and blue highlights, and in the background, the sky was littered with stars. A hurried but skilled brush had created the landscape, but the processor was detailed down to the last screw.
“Brooke paints,” Kellen murmured.
Skyler had only ever seen the pictures of Brooke’s attacker. She sometimes studied them when she was alone in 1010 and organized them into piles. They were mesmerizing, but this? This was incredible. Brooke had captured the mountain and the job site in a way Skyler never would’ve thought possible. She stepped around the couch and looked at it closer. “It’s stunning.”
She moved onto the kitchen with its whitewashed cabinets and quaint wooden cutouts. A countertop separated it from the living room. The sink was empty, and clean dishes were stacked on a drying rack. A small, two-seat table sat against the wall with a stack of outdoor magazines as the centerpiece. His furnishings weren’t what she’d expected. They were sparse and minimal but of fine quality. Everything seemed to be in its place, as if his bear couldn’t tolerate clutter.
Kellen watched her with an unfathomable expression as she moved around his space. His dark eyes never left her as she smiled and moved to his bedroom. Like the rest of the den, it was neat and orderly. His bed was made, the navy comforter wrinkle free, as if it was ready for a catalogue picture. A cup of water sat on the nightstand, and she brushed her finger down the cool glass before she turned.
Steeling herself, she squinted at his dark silhouette across the room and asked, “Kellen, why do you have to live in the dark?”
Kellen hesitated, lingering at the door. The dark stole his facial expressions, so she couldn’t tell if he was shutting down on her again or not. After a pregnant pause, he approached slowly and lay on his bed.
“Come here.”
“My clothes are wet. Will your bear get angry if I mess up your bed?” She didn’t understand the dynamics, nor had she realized how much his animal ruled his life. Her animal side wasn’t like that—a separate personality. Her inner animal
“Skyler, there aren’t any lights. I took them all out when I moved in here. If I need light during the day, I open one of the windows I’ve boarded up.”
She didn’t understand. “So, you live in the dark? Like a bat?”
“No, I live in the dark like a bear. This isn’t a trailer to me. It’s my den. My bear requires it, or I won’t have any control.”
“Control over your animal?”
“Yes.”
His hand was still strong and warm, all wrapped around hers, and she squeezed. “Who else has seen your den?”
“Tagan. He knows how I have to live from when he and his mom took me in.”
“Tagan…and me?” It was heartbreaking that he had to live in the dark because of his inner animal, but he was sharing something huge with her. Something that scared him and made him hide from other people. He was letting her in.
“The others probably know, but it’s something I don’t share. My bear, he doesn’t like others in his territory.”
“But he’s okay with me in here?”
“My bear chose you before I even knew you. You’ll always be safe in here with him. With me.”
“Will you show me around?”
“Sure. Wait here.” His hand disappeared and, moments later, a thin stream of gray light appeared from behind a piece of plywood Kellen scooted off a window. The living room and kitchen were the mirror opposite of 1010 with the kitchen on the right-hand side. A gray couch and love seat sat in front of a mahogany stand with a flat screen television. The coffee table and end tables matched, and a painting of the processor Brighton operated hung on the wall. It was done in thick, dark paints with neon green and blue highlights, and in the background, the sky was littered with stars. A hurried but skilled brush had created the landscape, but the processor was detailed down to the last screw.
“Brooke paints,” Kellen murmured.
Skyler had only ever seen the pictures of Brooke’s attacker. She sometimes studied them when she was alone in 1010 and organized them into piles. They were mesmerizing, but this? This was incredible. Brooke had captured the mountain and the job site in a way Skyler never would’ve thought possible. She stepped around the couch and looked at it closer. “It’s stunning.”
She moved onto the kitchen with its whitewashed cabinets and quaint wooden cutouts. A countertop separated it from the living room. The sink was empty, and clean dishes were stacked on a drying rack. A small, two-seat table sat against the wall with a stack of outdoor magazines as the centerpiece. His furnishings weren’t what she’d expected. They were sparse and minimal but of fine quality. Everything seemed to be in its place, as if his bear couldn’t tolerate clutter.
Kellen watched her with an unfathomable expression as she moved around his space. His dark eyes never left her as she smiled and moved to his bedroom. Like the rest of the den, it was neat and orderly. His bed was made, the navy comforter wrinkle free, as if it was ready for a catalogue picture. A cup of water sat on the nightstand, and she brushed her finger down the cool glass before she turned.
Steeling herself, she squinted at his dark silhouette across the room and asked, “Kellen, why do you have to live in the dark?”
Kellen hesitated, lingering at the door. The dark stole his facial expressions, so she couldn’t tell if he was shutting down on her again or not. After a pregnant pause, he approached slowly and lay on his bed.
“Come here.”
“My clothes are wet. Will your bear get angry if I mess up your bed?” She didn’t understand the dynamics, nor had she realized how much his animal ruled his life. Her animal side wasn’t like that—a separate personality. Her inner animal
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