I rubbed my arms, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched. It still lingered, even here in my bedroom, far away from my magical realm.
The beast had shown up right after I’d sensed that other presence. And now that I thought about it, it hadn’t actually attacked me; despite the sharp teeth and claws, all it had really done was pin me down, scraping up my skin in the process.
“But… What the hellisit?” I asked.
Ronan held my gaze for a beat, then glanced at Haley.
She seemed to get the hint.
“I should… probably go,” she said, looking from me to Ronan and back again. “I just dropped by to leave you some stuffed shells and to tell you that Norah and Reva left.”
“What do you mean, left?” I asked.
“I don’t know much—just whatever Norah said in her voicemail. I guess she’s worried about Reva, and she decided to get out of Dodge until things calm down here.”
“What about the coven?”
“We’re on our own.” Haley sighed. “What’s left of us, anyway. After we heard about Norah, a few of the others shipped off, too.”
So much for strength in numbers.
“I can’t really blame them,” she said. “It’s not safe here right now. I’m just not sure it’s much safer anywhere else.”
I reached for her hands, giving them a squeeze. “You can’t lose hope, Hay. You’re in charge of the hope in this operation, and you need to keep it going. For both of us. Okay?”
She gave me a soft smile and nodded.
“We’ll figure this out,” I said, pulling her in for a hug. “And thanks for the stuffed shells.”
“Anytime.” She started to head out, but Ash stopped her.
“You need a ride? I’ve got a few errands to run.”
Haley smiled. “That would be great.”
Asher glanced at me, our eyes locking. Memories of my late-night fantasy flashed in my mind, and I realized in that moment he probably knew. Probably sensed the brief surge of sexual energy when I—
“You okay?” he asked. “You were asleep for two days. Figured you needed it.”
I lowered my eyes, knowing the burn in my cheeks was a dead giveaway. “I’m good. Still tired, but I’ll live. Thanks for… holding down the fort.”
“Not a problem.” He knocked against the doorframe. “I’ll take Haley home, give you two a chance to, ah, catch up. Be back in a bit.”
After a quick shower to clean up the mud and change my gauze, I stripped and changed my sheets, then found Ronan in the living room, staring out the window.
“It's a hellhound,” he said as I approached, already knowing it’d be my first question. “They won’t bother you again. But you might want to avoid the magic realm—at least until you get a better grip on your power. I’m not sure who they’re protecting you from, and until we know, it’s probably best to steer clear.”
“I can’t always control it.”
“I know. But the hounds can’t be trusted. They aren’t after you, but they’re too dangerous, anyway.”
“Okay,” I said, trying to take it all in. “So that’s a hellhound, and that makes you what—the hellhound whisperer?"
I’d meant it as a joke, but when Ronan turned and met my gaze, there was absolutely no humor in his eyes.
In fact, if I didn’t know him better, I’d say he was… nervous. Not about the beast that I’d pulled from my realm. Not about the fact that Death had manifested as a human. Not about any of the other crazy shit going on in the Bay.
But about me. About us being alone. About whatever it was he needed to tell me.
