Page 24 of An Anomaly of Sunlight

“Nothing is more important than you.” His reply is instant and summons an entire flock of butterflies. Sighing, he places a soft kiss on my cheek. Then he pulls back to check his phone.

I don’t mean to, but my eyes fall on the screen and read. It’s... Nitasha. She’s apparently trying to get him to cover her shift in the morning. She’s unbelievable.

I will give her hell for this.

I bite the inside of my cheek. Scratch that. I will most definitely not be telling her how she interrupted the almost-kiss between me and our boss.

Skyler unceremoniously tosses his phone back into its spot and rubs his temples. “Just Nitasha and her bullshit,” he sighs. He looks exhausted. "I can cover it.” I say without thinking, revealing that I was reading his messages. That fact doesn’t faze him as he gives me his full attention once again. “No, you need to rest and figure out what happened to the Jeep. I’ll just work a double unless I can move some shifts around to where I won’t have to close.”

“Again?” I question with raised brows. “Just a normal day for me, Sunlight.” He grins, but I can see the fatigue in his eyes. Shit. It’s the middle of the night after he’s already worked a double. Now he’ll have to do it again tomorrow.

“Thank you for tonight, my Angel.” I wink, gathering my things. “I better let you go get some rest or you’ll be dead on your feet tomorrow. Today... Shit.” He just chuckles. Assuring me with a warm tone, “I’ll be fine, Amethyst, I promise. Let me walk you in?”

I deeply consider his offer. How much I’d love to invite him inside. To stay with me. All the things that could entail. A part of me begs to do just that. To take him inside and finish what we almost started.

With regret plastered on my face, I manage to mutter, “Next time. I promise.” Reaching across the car, I squeeze Skyler’s hand. “We both need some rest, especially you.” He returns the gesture, not trying to persuade me otherwise. “Goodnight, Sunlight. Rest up so you can grace the world with your warmth again in the morning.”

My heart melts. Then my entire body melts as he raises my hand to his lips. I stop breathing as the kiss ripples through my whole body. With the last bit of my strength, I reach to open the door of the car. Stepping out, I whisper, “Goodnight, Skyler, I’ll see you soon.”

I hope with all my heart that he reads the longing in that promise. The need in my eyes.

Once inside, the door is cool against my back as I press against it. I’m left in the dark as Skyler’s headlights back out of my driveway. Instead of my thoughts, Skyler’s words replay in my head. My body heats, remembering how his lips felt against my skin.

I am utterly fucked.

I have fallen for my boss — for a shifter. That isn’t what scares me, though. It scares me because it’s real. Where Enzo broke my spirit; Skyler could break my heart.

Sixteen

Skyler

The gnawing feeling in my gut won’t ease. I try to force it out. To drown my thoughts in music. Nothing is helping. Something feels off. Wrong. I need to make sure Amethyst is safe while still respecting her boundaries.

If it were up to me, I’d be moving her things into my house right now. Or mine to hers if she wished. As I turn off Highway 18 and back toward Burrow’s, the pleading in my chest takes over.

Turn around. Turn around. Turn around.

My mind doesn’t hesitate to create several worst-case scenarios. What if Nitasha is performing some weird blood magic on my mate? What if that piece of shit vampire has somehow tracked her down? What if she’s stuck in another anxiety attack and needs someone to be the shield that stands between her and those brutal thoughts again?

Maybe it’s a harmless overreaction or perhaps the wolf’s senses invading my own. Either way, wolf or man, I want to make sure Amethyst isn’t in danger.

Pulling between the faded white lines of my usual spot is muscle memory now. The soft red glow of the Burrow’s sign shines inside the car as I check my phone one last time, happy to find a blank screen. Once again, hoping August is oblivious to my absence, I take the phone and both sets of my keys in hand.

Quickly stripping, I switch my uniform for a plain black tee and jeans that have been spelled to stay intact during shifting. I toss the uniform and keys into the trunk. Leaving the keys means the car will have to stay unlocked, but I don’t think anyone will be looting vehicles at three in the morning.

If they do? Good for them. Maybe they’ll ransack the store, and I won’t have to work another fucking double. Feeling two legs become four and the grit of the pavement against bare paws, I give the limbs one quick stretch. A heartbeat later I’m headed toward my Sunlight.

As the trees whizz past, I keep replaying the exchange between Amethyst and I earlier. She says her father left... her human father. If her mother were paranormal, wouldn’t she know? On the other hand, if she doesn’t know her father, that opens a realm of possibilities.

One thing is for certain. Someone, or perhaps everyone, is keeping secrets from Amethyst. A growl rises in my throat at the knowledge of what she’s gone through. How defenseless she felt when truthfully, she could’ve killed that fucker herself.

The beautiful vision of that cream wolf paints my mind.

If only someone had told her the truth.

A heavy pang of guilt roots itself in my chest. Fuck. I need to tell her. I’ve spent this time being afraid of scaring her away from me... Selfish.

Even if that’s the outcome, she deserves to know the truth of what she is. After the double shift from hell, then.