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Natalie leaned forward. She still had hold of his hand probably to keep him in check. He was amused by it and decided not to let go. “Get some sleep. When you’re feeling better, let’s get coffee.”
“I’d love that.”
Natalie finally drew her hand from his. Since he was closest to the curtain opening, he led the way out. When he reached a private distance a couple dozen feet away, he turned to her, but spoke quietly. “I want to thank you again for all that you did, start to finish. I appreciate it.”
Her smile was crooked. “You can thank your wife and my Glock. You did the rest.”
He chuckled. “I admire your cool head.” He swept an arm in the direction of the med-bay, “And for checking into the future to figure out how to bring Talya back.”
She blew the air from her cheeks and rubbed her back. He wondered if she’d gotten hurt out at the Graveyard. “Least I could do. I thought for sure we’d lost her.”
“Same here.” He glanced toward the entrance doors. Dawn was coming. He needed to get back to Savage. “Are you headed home?”
“I am.”
“Feel free to say no, but would you mind if I accompanied you home? I’d feel better knowing you were secure after the night we’ve had.”
She put a had to her cheek and shook her head. “You know, I’d like that. Most of the time, I can tolerate our world, but tonight, yeah, it’s been rough.”
With another sweep of his arm he gestured toward the front doors. She put her feet in motion immediately. “Dawn’s getting close.”
“I’m feeling it, too.”
Once outside, she added, “We’d better get a move on.” She didn’t say anything more. Instead, she launched into the air, a solid shot that took her forty feet up with barely a show of effort. He caught up with her swiftly.
He flew beside her to her canal-side home and descended into her backyard. He had a quick impression of a structured, almost Mediterranean garden. He hovered in the air a couple of yards above a gravel path as he watched her enter by the back slider.
As she crossed the threshold, she turned toward him and for a moment she looked as though she wanted to say something. Instead, she waved, then closed the door.
He had the o
ddest sensation she’d just shut him out. But he supposed that wasn’t a bad thing. The woman, as beautiful as she was, with all that flowing, curly hair, was fae.
He rose swiftly straight up then vaulted south as he headed to his burrow home not far from the Meldorin Compound. Along the way, he contacted Ryan telepathically and let him know he would soon be bedding down for the night.
Ryan then informed him that Kryder had left the compound an hour earlier. Grant doubted he’d return, perhaps not even for a few days. He’d been doing that a lot over the past year and a half. Grant didn’t mind. With Kryder gone, his wolves would be safe.
Once inside his burrow home, he locked down the surface dwelling then headed to his living quarters belowground. He showered, secured his long hair in a fresh braid, then climbed onto his bed of furs.
His last thought before falling asleep was a wish that he was still human, that Natalie was as well, and that he could ask her on a date.
But she was fae.
He was a wolf of Savage.
There was nothing more to be said.
Still, he wished it otherwise.
Chapter Two
Later that morning, during his day’s sleep, a dream brought Grant to a half-waking state.
In the dream, he stood upright and looked around. He wore only his pajama bottoms which was exactly what he’d donned before bed.
At first, he couldn’t figure out where he was, except the location felt oddly French. He was in some kind of interior garden, inside what looked like an ancient, stone castle. It also felt familiar, as though he’d seen pictures of it recently, though he couldn’t remember where.
The shape of the garden was rectangular with stone pillars separating the castle structure from the garden. Overhead, the sun shone down on the grass and plants. His alter wolf senses, however, told him he was three hundred feet above sea level yet very close to the ocean. He swore he could smell the salt air.
