Then I left, closing the door quietly behind me, already mentally composing the seventeen reports I would need to file about this interaction.
When I returned two hours later, Winter was still sleeping peacefully. I resumed my place in the uncomfortable chair beside her bed, tablet in hand but forgotten as I watched the steady rise and fall of her chest.
The new mark on her arm continued to pulse with its own rhythm, a mystery I couldn't yet solve. But for now, it was enough that she was alive, that she had woken up, that she had thanked me for staying.
It was enough that I had promised to return, and had kept that promise.
I reached out hesitantly, my fingers hovering above hers where they lay on the white sheets. Then, with a glance at the door to ensure no one was watching, I allowed my hand to settle over hers, our fingers entwining.
My ears burned with embarrassment at this unprofessional contact, but I didn't pull away. The new mark on Winter's arm glowed brighter at my touch, pulsing in time with my heartbeat.
She smiled in her sleep, and I found myself smiling back, a small, private expression that would have shocked anyone who knew me.
Bureau protocols could wait.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Rook
Ihadn't left my post outside Winter's room since they'd finally allowed her to return to the apartment. Fenric had arranged it, pulling strings I didn't know the uptight bureaucrat had. The medical team had protested, they always did, but Winter had made it clear she was leaving with or without their approval.
My back ached from hours spent sitting on the hard hallway floor, but I couldn't bring myself to move. Not when she was finally safe, finally 'home' after nearly dying at the containment facility. The memory of her collapsing, blue markings burning across her skin like wildfire, still haunted me. For three days I'd prowled the halls of the medical wing, snarling at anyone who tried to make me leave.
Now I leaned against the wall outside her bedroom, ears attuned to her steady breathing on the other side. The sound anchored me, proof she was still here, still alive.
The door opened, and Winter stood there, looking down at me with surprise.
"Rook? Have you been out here all night? You could have stayed inside the apartment like you usually do."
I shrugged, pushing myself to my feet. My joints protested the movement after hours of stillness. "Someone had to keep watch. It's less secure out here, I needed to make sure it would be safe."
Her eyes softened as she took in my disheveled appearance. "You look terrible."
"Says the woman who was unconscious for three days," I grunted, but there was no heat in my words.
Winter stepped closer, concern etching her features. "Seriously, have you slept at all?"
I avoided her gaze. Sleep meant vulnerability. Vulnerability meant failing her again. "I'm fine."
"You're not fine," she crossed her arms. "You're sitting in a hallway like some kind of gargoyle."
"Werewolf," I corrected, slightly offended. "Not gargoyle."
A small smile tugged at her lips. "Come on. At least come inside where there's coffee."
I followed her into the apartment, scanning for threats out of habit. Horrace was curled on the couch, all twelve eyes blinking in sequence when he saw me. The little monster had grown again, now the size of a medium dog. He made a musical sound that might have been a greeting.
"You know where the others are?" I asked, accepting the mug Winter handed me. I'd forgotten to check.
"Zane's handling something at headquarters. Milo's picking up supplies. Fenric's filing reports, as usual." She settled on the couch beside Horrace, who immediately draped a tentacle across her shoulders. "It's just us for now."
I nodded, taking a position by the window where I could watch both the street below and Winter simultaneously. The coffee was strong and black, exactly how I needed it.
"You don't have to stand guard every second, you know," Winter's voice was soft. "The apartment is secure."
"Is it?" I couldn't keep the edge from my voice. "You nearly died, Winter. One minute you were there, the next..." I trailed off, the memory too raw.
