HAYLEY’S POV

There was a knock on the door, loud in the stillness of that night. My heart jumped out. There was a quick glance between Aiden and me; both of us were instantly alert. And Marcus' messages still rang in my head, a reminder of what lurked just around the corner.

Aiden was the first to move; his animal sense of approaching danger was automatically on high alert as he approached the door slowly. If I followed close behind, my heart might explode. He peeked out the hole, and when he turned to me, he handed down his nod of approval. "It's Marcus."

A wave of relief came over...