“We’re not that bad,” Bel replied, his tone sounding sullen.
“Fox is fine here with me. If something happens and I don’t feel I can keep him safe on my own, I’ll consider bringing him to Marcus’s.”
Fox released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and dropped his forehead to his knees. Winter was right. He didn’t want to go to the madhouse. The Variks were probably nice and would treat him well, but he’d be overwhelmed by all those people way too quickly. He preferred the relative quiet of Winter’s home. He’d been through enough unknowns and unexpected changes over the past several days. He longed for just a few nights where he knew where he was going to sleep and who he was going to wake up to.
“Okay. Just be careful.”
“I will.”
“And tell the others about him,” Bel added in a harsh, urgent whisper.
“I will.”
There was an extended silence where Fox was pretty sure Winter had ended the call with his brother. Emotions swirled in his chest, and he couldn’t quite make sense of them all. He was relieved that Winter was keeping him, worried that he was a burden, uncomfortable that he’d listened in to a call, and all-around annoyed that any of this was happening to him in the first place.
“Did you hear enough?”
Fox’s head popped up to find Winter standing at the foot of the stairs, his shoulder leaning against the brick wall and his arms folded over his chest. Fox winced under Winter’s stern gaze.
Straightening, Fox lifted his chin and said in the haughtiest voice he could manage. “You would have done the same under these circumstances.”
“Nope.” Fox’s mouth fell open, but before he could argue, Winter continued, “I would have recorded the call and traced it to the other person you were talking to.”
Fox dramatically threw up his hands. “I was wrong about you. You are evil!”
“I’ve never denied it.”
Fox sighed softly. “Sorry. I know I shouldn’t have.”
Winter pushed away from the wall and shrugged. “I get it. You’re stuck here with me, your life has been turned upside down, and you have no idea if you can actually trust me. You’ve got to watch your own back.”
“Thanks.”
“Was there anything you needed? Something to eat?”
Fox shook his head and got to his feet again. “I just wanted to check in with you again. Anything I should know about this place? The metal shutters are pretty damn cool.” He slowly came down the stairs to stand in front of Winter.
“Not really. The windows and doors have automatic locks. You can’t override them without me.”
Fox smirked. “So you’re saying if there’s a fire, I should wake you rather than trying to save my own skin first.”
Winter flinched and looked uncomfortable. Fox had stepped in it somehow. “Fires during the day…kind of every vampire’s worst nightmare,” Winter muttered.
“Fuck! You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry,” Fox said in a rush of words while mentally scolding himself for being such a thoughtless ass.
“Don’t worry about it. Feel free to raid the kitchen or use the TV and whatnot. I’d suggest getting some sleep while you can. I fully expect to be dealing with my insane family tonight.”
“I’m sure they’re not that bad.”
“No, but there’s a lot more of them than there used to be, and that takes some getting used to.”
There was a lot Fox wanted to ask him about his family and that strange comment, but the vampire was starting to look dead on his feet. His sleep the day before had been broken and uncomfortable. He could undoubtedly use several good hours in his own bed.
Fox’s brain was starting to slow as well. Getting on Winter’s sleep schedule would probably make things easier for both of them.
Smiling, Fox nodded, storing up his questions for a better time. Winter flashed him an awkward smile and climbed the stairs around him to his own bedroom. Fox would have preferred to crawl into Winter’s bed and cuddle him until nightfall. But instead, he settled on a glass of water, a shower, and some sleep in a surprisingly comfortable bed. The rest would just have to work itself out later.
Chapter 11
Winter woke slowly among the twisted blankets and pillows. He’d never been one to rest easily. His brothers frequently teased him that he battled his demons in his sleep. Luckily, he rarely remembered his dreams, so if that were true, he couldn’t recall any of those monsters.
At the very least, he’d finally gotten some good sleep in his own bed.
Yet, as he lay there, he realized something felt off. The feeling had nagged him that morning as he walked around the house with Fox, but he thought it was just the witch being in his personal space. He’d checked the security systems and video. The only people to infiltrate his home were Bel and his wolves. No one else came near the building.