The simple touch sends a shiver through me. My mate. My maybe mate. That’s who is touching me. That’s who I just slept with. My potential mate. The thought still feels surreal but less terrifying than it did a week ago.
"Okay," I agree softly.
Marlow plants a lazy kiss on my forehead and then smushes his head into his pillow without any ceremony, effectively ending the conversation in favor of getting some sleep. The hand that had been on my face finds its way to my chest, resting close to my heart. It’s still there when I close my eyes and drift off.
19.The Detective at Your Doorstep
Wynn
I slowly blink my eyes open in the morning. With the thick curtains covering the window, it's hard to tell the time, but morning is a good guess. I'm alone in bed, though Marlow can't have wandered far.
Something warm weighs down my chest. Oh, not alone after all. Iggy’s curled there like a tiny stone cat, his wings tucked close against his body. The little gargoyle is fast asleep. I freeze and settle back into the bed, not wanting to disturb him.
That's when I notice Marlow perched on the bed’s edge, watching us with the softest expression I've ever seen on his face. Whatever he was doing, he's stopped to watch me tangled in the sheets with his gargoyle companion snoozing on me.
Our gazes lock. For once, there's no smirk, no playful challenge dancing in those pretty blue eyes. Instead, something warmer rests there, something that makes my heart skip.
If I didn't know better, I'd swear he looksfond.
“Where were you?” I ask quietly.
“Kitchen, looking for some breakfast.”
“Bane didn’t skewer you for that?”
“Didn’t catch me. And look what I brought back.” He produces a silver-wrapped square and presents it to me. "Therewere no snickerdoodles, but I snagged the last helping of cinnamon Pop-Tarts."
Marlow remembered my preference for cinnamon-flavored treats and risked Bane's wrath to snag this for me. A simple, thoughtful gesture, no big deal… except my heart and sleepy brain insist it's ahuge dealand the most romantic thing in the universe. I try to tamp down the sappy emotion… I fail.
A dopey smile spreads across my face. "You got these for me?"
Marlow waves a dismissive hand. "No big deal."
"You slipped down to the kitchen at great personal risk to yourself," I point out. "What if Bane had caught you?"
"He won't really kill me," he answers sensibly. "Josh would throw a fit if he got blood all over their nice apartment."
"Okay, but he still could have annoyed you to death," I counter. Marlow's face goes a little green, apparently not having considered that particular horror.
"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose Iamsomething of a hero," he says, a hint of his usual playful swagger returning. He comes closer on the bed, and I can't resist the urge to press my lips to his in a grateful kiss.
"My hero," I murmur against his mouth.
Hiding out and being on the run is incredibly stressful, but somehow, an unexpected calm descends while we stay with my cousin and his mate. It's almost peaceful here. Over the next few days, we lie low and work out our next move.
There are a few dicey moments—living in close quarters with four grown men presents its own set of challenges—especially when three of us are werewolves and one is a demon who delights in ruffling the fur of the biggest wolf among us.
Marlow and I spend a lot of time holed up in the guest bedroom.
Yes, we often end up tangled together in the sheets. But we also spend hours just talking, which surprises me. It's been the two of us, and Iggy, hiding out in close quarters with no one else around. Haven't we already talked about everything we need to?
Turns out we hadn't even scratched the surface.
He shares stories of growing up in another reality—a place that sounds as enchanting as it is dangerous—and I tell him about living in a city full of magic. We talk about my family and friends and about the buddies he summons.
I'm getting to know him all over again or maybe I’m getting to know the guy underneath all the charm and come-ons for the first time.
When we’re allowed out in the living room, we're usually huddled around Josh's coffee table discussing our magical options.
