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"They stopped by last night while you were sleeping," Quinn admitted. He leaned into my touch for a moment, just long enough for me to feel it, then gently took my hand and laid it back at my side. He must have seen the discomfort on my face, despite my best attempts to hide it. This man sat at my side, hearing the very worst parts of me, the things I'd done that made me the monster I was, and still did his best to comfort me and ease my pain. I didn't deserve him.

"We didn't run because we were being merciful." He had to know everything. I couldn't let him give more of himself without telling him as much as I could remember. "We ran because we realized the other one was in the woods with us."

"The other chimera?" he asked quietly. "That's what Ori was calling it. And you, I guess. Kind of ironic."

"I don't know what that means," I admitted, combing my memories and coming up empty.

Quinn flushed and ducked his head. In the short time I'd known him, I'd noticed he did that whenever he talked about something he was passionate about. Any time he got excited over something, he'd catch himself and go quiet, like someone had made him ashamed of his interests.

If he ever told me the name of the man who'd hurt him, I would happily let the beast take control and ensure he never hurt anyone again.

"It's all tied up with Greek mythology, kind of. I was really into it as a kid and even a little as an adult. I know it's stupid, but⁠—"

"Hey," I murmured, gently interrupting him. "It's not stupid. I like hearing about the things that make you happy. There's a lot I don't remember and probably a lot that I didn't know even before all this happened. I'd like to hear about it, if you don't mind telling me?"

Quinn's soft, shy smile, tinged with hope, went straight to my heart, cementing what I'd already known, even if I hadn't dared admit it. I loved this man. Human, beast, both… every part of me loved Quinn. He wasn't ready to hear it, though, and now wasn't the right time.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly. "It's not really important."

"It is to me."

His smile grew wider, his eyes lighting up as he launched into a story, tentative at first, as if he expected me to interrupt him, then more confident when I just listened with interest. Knowledge of ancient gods and myths weren't memories I'd kept, so the names he said meant nothing to me, but I listened intently anyway. He cared, so I cared. For me, it truly was as simple as that.

Chapter 27

Quinn

After two days of complete bed rest, Lelo finally cleared Typhon to leave her house, so long as he promised to continue recovering and not move any more than strictly necessary. Only once we'd both promised not to undo all her hard work did she allow Ori to drive us back to my house. Together we got him inside and settled on the couch. I'd dipped into my dwindling savings and asked Lain to buy a large ottoman so Typhon could more comfortably stretch out on the couch. This way he could sit up easier if he wanted to, without moving too much.

"I'll come by in the morning to check on you," Ori said once we'd gotten Typhon settled. "Do as Lelo ordered, or she'll be the one coming by, and I promise you don't want that."

"I won't move," Typhon promised. A light sheen of sweat coated his forehead just from the little bit of walking he'd done to help us get him inside, and his golden complexion had gone ashen.

"Good. Quinn, I've got the rest in the car," they said, giving me an expectant look before turning and heading outside. Hardly subtle.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I said to Typhon, then followed Ori outside since they clearly wanted to talk to me.

As expected, Ori was leaning against the side of the car when I stepped outside. Their hair was once again impeccable, long smooth locks hanging nearly to their waist, beaded braids appearing and disappearing every time they moved their head. Now that I knew a little more about the secret community that existed alongside the one I'd always known, I couldn't help but wonder if the beads were magic, somehow. It wouldn't surprise me at this point.

"What's up?" I asked, mirroring them and crossing my arms over my chest. Somewhere along the line, Ori had slipped past my guard and into the tiny circle of people I could call a friend. My anxiety was a bitch, but it usually left me alone when I was talking to one of my friends. For years, the only person that included had been Lain, but now there was Ori and even, to a degree, Alex Copeland and Donovan Parker. They'd actually stopped in again yesterday to check on Typhon and make sure he was healing, which was more than most people with their history would have done.

"I wanted to make sure you're really okay with this, without an audience," Ori said, dark eyes studying me intently. "This is a lot for anyone to deal with on their own. You've only just been introduced to this world, and now you're caring for something that even we didn't know existed."

"I appreciate your concern, but we're going to be okay. I want him here."

"I know you feel that way now, but what about in the future? This isn't over. There's a very good chance those people will come after Typhon again. Wyatt said he would tell them he'd moved on, but even if we can trust him, if they find out he's lying…"

"Then we'll deal with it then," I said with a confidence I didn't exactly feel, but I'd fake it for Typhon's sake. "I've got plenty of security around my house."

"More than you'd think," they murmured, then shook their head before I could ask. "What about after he heals?"

That drew me up short. "What do you mean?"

"After Typhon recovers and can be on his own, what happens then?"

"Then… it's up to him. If he wants to leave once he's able to, I won't stop him." The idea left a pit in my stomach, aching and hollow. "We'll talk about it more once he's healed."

"I assumed your answer wouldn't change once you were alone, but I had to at least ask," they said with a rueful smile. "I'm not trying to discourage you from helping him. The last few days have been a lot, but you've handled it better than most would have."