Page 35 of Nightshade

Just because being bitten was hot didn’t mean I should focus on that.

Instead of saying anything, he slipped his hand from beneath mine and stepped into my space, wrapping his arms lightly around me and pressing his face into my chest for a moment. My heart sped, not at the threat of having a predator so near my throat, but at the intimacy of the action.

Altair, holding me.

When he pulled back, he didn’t meet my eye, just stared at the floor.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“I’d do this for anyone in your position,” I promised, then I reached up to cup his cheek. “But also, I . . . I like you, Altair. I believe you deserve a chance at the life no one ever let you have, if only because everyone deserves that. And you’re fun, and I like talking to you. You don’t owe us anything for basic decency, and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.”

He’d been starting to open his mouth halfway through my little speech, but he paused, rolling his lips between his teeth and swallowing hard. All he said when I finally stopped talking was a little whispered, “thank you,” again.

And then I was slipping out into the hallway, leaving him to settle in, but making sure to toss back, “You can come down whenever you want. I think you and Mama will get along well, and she loves company,” before I headed back downstairs.

CHAPTER 18

Altair

I didn’t go downstairs.

I thought about it, as I sat on the edge of Leo’s bed and stared at the floor. I didn’t owe anyone anything for decency?

It was a generous way of moving through the world, presuming that everyone had a baseline of generosity and kindness. Leo had told me enough about his past and his pack that I didn’t believe it was pure ignorance that had him believing that kind of thing, but he was wrong.

There was a limit. There was a limit for everyone.

I hadn’t found Leo’s yet, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t exist. It was just that so far, I hadn’t posed him much of a threat. I hadn’t attacked anyone that he cared about. He was still willing to give me his best.

Viktor, though we were at odds, had a clearer view of the world. No one would knowingly choose to put themselves or the ones they loved at risk for a monster.

Leo simply didn’t know that the witches weren’t the only threat I’d bring down on his family.

I had zero doubt that Ivan would rip his way through this werewolf pack, and I didn’t think a vampire his age would have any trouble managing it. Yes, werewolves healed quickly. They were incredibly strong and fast, and they had better senses than any other supernatural creature that I knew of.

Maybe there were other shifters who could match them. The fae were faster. We vampires could see better in the dark. But when looking at all-around strengths, werewolves ranked high in every aspect.

Me? A pack of werewolves working together would tear me to pieces. But Ivan never walked into a situation without knowing precisely how to manage it. If he thought there was even a chance he wouldn’t come out on top, he’d avoid it entirely.

There was a reason that he had the witches hunting me rather than showing up himself. If he wanted me back cowering at his feet, waiting to see where the pain came from next, he could manage that on his own—just not without risk.

He’d send others to do his dirty work until he was sure he could get his hands on me.

So clearly, the worst thing I could do was wander off on my own. The best protection I had was the number of people standing between Ivan and me, or Ermengarde and me. And I sincerely doubted that any of Leo’s pack except perhaps Leo himself would be particularly motivated to help me.

Maybe against the witches, but what happened when my sire descended on their pack?

Clearly, they’d hand me over. It was what I’d do, to save myself from Ivan.

Maybe Leo could be twisted into helping me escape.

And his whole pack would suffer for it. That’d be a wonderful thing to live with for the rest of eternity.

I stayed in bed while the sun rose, tension in my arms when I wrapped them around my legs. Vaguely, I thought about throwing the shutter wide and being done with it. If Ivan could tell that I was free, he’d feel it when I died. There’d be no reason for him to come here.

And I’d burn to ash in the middle of poor Leo’s bedroom. That’d be just the way to repay him for his kindness.

Thinking about him was what kept me in bed, not doing a single thing to help or hurt anyone. In the morning, I heard Aleks and Cash clearing out their room, standing on the landing and talking to Leo and Viktor, who were helping. It was loud for a couple hours before the house went quiet.