Page 24 of Virtually Guarded

“Of course. Have a seat.” He took another sip of what I assumed was coffee. “Do you want to speak privately? This isn’t really the place for it.”

I looked around at everyone walking past. Privately would have been better, but I couldn’t bring myself to say so. I shook my head. “I don’t want to interrupt your meal, Anax. Here is fine. I mean, I know everyone can hear, but if they listen, they get what they get.”

“Fair enough.” He picked up his mug again. “Ren, didn’t we agree that you would be staying in the farther guest house during this gathering? I’m not angry, and you face no consequences, but I would like to know why my instructions were disregarded.”

“I’m sorry, Anax.” A chill ran through me. I’d known I might get in trouble for coming back into the house. Xavier had said he would handle any issues that came up because of it, but he wasn’t here. And I didn’t want to throw him under the bus.

I bowed my head. “I did go out there the other night after the first guests arrived. It was…I can’t explain it. Too much silence, so I kept hearing things. I was terrified that the guys who assaulted me had tracked me down and would, I don’t know, kill me or something worse.” I really hoped he wouldn’t ask what would be worse than being killed.

“So you came back to the main house so you would be safe?” His gaze was heavy on me. I kept staring at my hands so I wouldn’t have to look at him. “Ren, this isn’t a formal meeting. Call me Tobias, and help me understand. If you couldn’t stand being in that house alone, how did you manage to come back here alone?”

“I didn’t.” I spoke even more quietly. There was no way to answer him without him knowing Xavier was involved, and I kind of hated myself for answering. “Xavier…I don’t want anyone in trouble.”

“Xavier came and brought you back over here,” he said. “How did you get hold of him?”

Again, I had to tell the truth. And again, I wished I didn’t. If Xavier wasn’t in trouble for getting me back to the main house, he might be for giving me his phone. The guards’ phones probably belonged to the Anax, and he wouldn’t want them randomly loaning them out. “He gave me his phone in case I needed something over there. He said he wouldn’t need it because he was off duty. He told me which guards were on duty at night, and I texted Laurits. I thought he would send one of the night guards, but he sent Xavier over to get me.”

“I see.”

“Please don’t consequence them, Anax.” I raised my head. “They were only trying to help me.”

“No one’s facing consequences, and I just told you to call me Tobias.” He smiled slightly. “There’s something between you and Xavier, isn’t there?”

“I…” That was the last question I’d expected. Face heating, I gulped. “I think so. I don’t know. I don’t know if there can be. But I think there is.”

“You don’t have to make decisions and plans right now,” he said gently. “Ren, werewolves live a very long time. Some of the ones you’ve seen walking around here are closing in on two hundred years old. You have plenty of time, you and Xavier, to decide who you are to each other, if it turns out you’re anyone to each other at all beyond friends.”

“That’s what he told me.” I let out a long breath and relaxed. “He said he wants to start as friends and see if it goes anywhere, and however long that takes is fine with him.”

“Good.” He glanced around the room. “Was that what you needed to talk about? Xavier?”

“Part of it.” Frowning, I looked down again to pull together some confidence. I hated asking for help. For anything. I’d learned early and often that asking was wrong. But I needed clothes. A phone. Most importantly, a home. So I took a breath and said, “The gathering ends tomorrow. Where…You said I could stay with you. I guess I need to hear it again.”

“You can stay with me.” He spoke firmly but I sensed compassion. “I can make a place for you in my household. We have one cook. Chloe. Those helping her here are temp workers.”

“But they’re human?” I was still trying to understand the whole thing where humans weren’t allowed to know about werewolves, but humans worked for werewolves.

The Anax chuckled. “Yeah, some lines get a little blurry, especially where high-ranked werewolves are concerned. The temp workers pledged secrecy about who and what we are. Humans in general don’t know we exist, but the Anax and some arkhons hire humans from time to time, with steps to ensure that they don’t reveal our existence. Anyway, they won’t be around after the gathering. We used to have someone—another werewolf—helping Chloe in our house in Winthrop, where Kyle and I live most of the time, but she left with her mate a few months ago. You could work with Chloe, or with Luz, our housekeeper. I don’t think I’d be comfortable having you as a guard. You’re too new to being a werewolf. But we could talk about that, too, if you want.”

Too much information. Too many words. While my brain worked on processing most of it, I answered the last thing he’d said. “I wouldn’t want to be a guard. I couldn’t even protect myself. But I’ve done cooking and cleaning before. I mean, mostly back home, but I’ve done some as work, too.”

“This isn’t a job interview, Ren.” He grinned “If you want to come back with us to Winthrop and work with Chloe or Luz, we can arrange it. I do give them final say over who works with or for them, but I don’t think it will be a problem.”

“Thank you.” I smiled so broadly my face hurt. He’d said before that he would make sure I had a place, but I hadn’t fully believed it until now. I had a place. A home. “Tobias, you don’t have to do all of that.”

“No, but I’m going to,” he said. “You’ll get paid, too. Everyone who works in my household, whatever their role, gets a paycheck. All of your living expenses will be covered. The pay is so you have money to spend on yourself and, I advise, to save in case you decide you want to leave at some point. You don’t have to spend it. You don’t have to save it. It will be yours to do with as you please, but I want to make sure that everyone who works for me has options.”

Before I could respond, or ask him about clothes or a phone, two more werewolves approached. Ones I knew. My heart sped up, and I gasped. They couldn’t be here. He couldn’t be here. Somehow I managed words. “Anax, that’s one of them.”

“One who beat you?” He turned to face the guys walking toward us. “Which one?”

“The guy in the green flannel.” I shuddered. “He wasn’t…He didn’t actually hit me. He, like, stood guard while the others did.”

“Okay. Stay here.” He got up and walked over to the pair. The man with the green and black flannel shirt flinched and immediately lowered his gaze.

I held my breath. The Anax wouldn’t let anyone harm me. And these men wouldn’t do anything to the Anax. But my heart pounded, and air was barely reaching my lungs. They couldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here. I should have stayed upstairs. Or in the guest house. I would have been safe there.

Despite the other noise in the room and the fact that the Anax kept his voice down, I could hear the conversation. “Gregory Malkin,” the Anax said. “And you are?”