“Yes, but you wouldn’t make it. The house would kill you before you reached the door. If you did reach the door, even more dangers would await you on the grounds—dangers you’d never see until you were dying from them.” I smiled at him. “Welcome and sweet dreams.”
“A female alpha…” he said as I walked down the hall. “I don’t think I’m cut out for a female alpha. Clearly they are a helluva lot more creative with their scare tactics. I’m going to have nightmares.”
“Welcome to the club.”
“Nicer to look at, at least,” he mumbled, not returning to his room. “Hey, quick question…”
I stopped and turned back, waiting.
“Are you and that enormous polar bear an item?” he asked.
“No. Just friends.”
“Sweet. Wanna bang? Quick or slow, up to you. I can pull your hair if you like. Or you can pull mine—whatever you’re into.”
For a moment, all I could do was stare while trying to process his offer. At least he hadn’t hit me up with innuendos and unasked-for intimate intensity. I kinda liked this approach better. Answer was the same, though.
“No, I’m good,” I said, my frown somewhat masking the lightness of my mood. I didn’t know whether to laugh or shake my head at him.
He made a gun with his fingers. “You sure? I can knock out a quick orgasm for you, if you want. You seem stressed. A little tongue tickle between your thighs might be just the ticket.”
The laugh won. He was so carefree and blasé about it. He put me at ease while propositioning me. That was talent.
“Nah, I’m good, thanks. Wine works, too.”
He dropped his hand and shrugged. “No worries. When you realize that wine doesn’t, in fact, work better, my door is always open. Mostly because you can apparently open it yourself. I’m good to go at any time, day or night. Just come hop on.”
“Oh my God, good night.” I laughed again and turned, happy to hear an answering chuckle.
“I’m looking forward to working under a female,” he called after me, laughter in his voice. “It’ll be a fun ride…”
There it was. Wow, these guys would take some getting used to.
I sighed as I closed my bedroom door. My pace slowing, I crossed the room to the little table by the window, looking out into the darkness. I could just make out Edgar by the labyrinth made of hedges, opening and closing his garden shears. Even after the day we’d had, he was tending to his duties, helping Ivy House stay beautiful and uncharacteristically weird.
I sat in a chair and allowed the memories to rush over me—plummeting through the air, landing in that spiderweb clearly meant to detain me, falling through said web and nearly splatting against the rocks, and being launched back into the air by Mr. Tom.
I hadn’t thanked Mr. Tom for saving my life. I hadn’t even remembered until this instant. He’d been hurt, under fire, and still he’d thrown me out of harm’s way, if only for a moment. It was his actions that had kept me alive long enough for Damarion and Ivy House to come to the rescue.
My heart swelled. Then guilt ate at me. I’d repaid his heroics by accidentally rousing him before he’d fully healed in stone form. He’d served drinks through the pain, then proceeded to make pizza for everyone because he couldn’t suffer for a paid establishment to do his job. At least Ivy House had helped heal him, but still, I’d been so mesmerized by Damarion that I’d forgotten about poor Mr. Tom. That wasn’t right.
“I’ll do better tomorrow,” I said to the quiet room as my phone chimed.
I pulled it out of my pocket.
A text from Austin: A mage escaped that fight. He’s dead now. I have some information to talk to you about. Can you stop by the bar tomorrow?
Yes, I texted, leaning against the chair back, watching Edgar work. What time?
Niamh’s usual drinking time is fine, he replied.
I nodded, as though he could see me, and noticed the three dots saying he was writing more. Looking out of the window while I waited for him to finish, I flinched a little when Edgar let go of one side of the shears and waved, his claws glinting in the moonlight from the nearly full moon. The light was out, but he’d noticed me anyway, because of course he had. He was a vampire.
Feeling a little stupid, I glanced at the phone. The dots had disappeared, only to flare up again, no text coming through.
Hurry up and spit it out, I texted. I’m tired.
The dots disappeared. The phone rang a moment later, his name coming up.
“Yup?” I said by way of hello.
“Hey.” His deep voice was soft and slightly raspy. “Just wanted to say…credit where credit is due. I covered more ground today than I ever have in my life, but I had enough energy left over to take down a pretty tenacious mage. I have as much strength and endurance as I did in my twenties, but I’m ten times smarter and more experienced. It matters. Knowing when to save energy, when to cut corners, when to go hard—it all matters. It makes me, right now, better than I’ve ever been in my life. It’s like the perfect storm of amazing.”