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“Indeed.” I could hear Fenris’s smile more than see it. “I’ve worked with many members of his family over the decades, but even among them, Walter is uniquely organized and focused. I am not surprised to hear that your friend hasn’t noticed anything at all.”
I couldn’t help but smile in return. “You know,” I said, detecting the fondness for Walter in his voice, “you say you don’t keep people close, but I’m pretty sure Walter is your friend. Maybe even your best friend.” Perhaps even like family, but I knew not to push my luck by saying that.
Even calling Walter a friend was apparently a bit much because Fenris pointedly ignored my statement. Instead, he turned me around, steering me from the stairs through the open-floor plan and into Keziah’s kitchen. I barely got a chance to look around a room that looked like it’d come straight out of aGood Housekeepingmagazine before my eyes fell upon what looked like a bounty of herbs, plants, and minerals on the large table.
“What’s all this?” I asked, peeling away from his side to get a closer look.
“Some members of the local coven brought ingredients for you. I wasn’t sure what you’d need, so…” He motioned to everything. “It looks like they were generous in their offerings.”
“That’s so nice,” I said, setting the phone down on one of the few open spaces on the table. I picked up a branch of dried lavender and took a sniff. The scent was so soothing—soothing enough that I decided not to pick at Fenris’s determination to remain emotionally isolated. I could leave that for another day.
Instead, my eyes fell on a small pile of books and papers at one end of the table. “And what’s this?”
“You mentioned psychic magic but didn’t elaborate any further than that,” Fenris replied as I moved over to them, his eyes following me. “I mentioned it to Keziah when I requested assistance from the coven, and this was what they turned up.”
“Wow.” I started leafing through the books and looking at the titles. “This will really be helpful. I’d love to meet some of them sometime, or at least say thank you!”
“I’m sure they know,” Fenris said. “It will be here if you want to rest some more or—”
“No,” I said, picking up the most interesting title:The Inner Workings of a Witch’s Mind. “I slept for almost two weeks and have wasted too much time. I want to make sure I’ve evicted Sabine and she never finds her way back.”
I swore I saw Fenris smile as I took the book back into the living room and sat down to read in an overstuffed armchair.
“Ugh. I’m never going to figure this out.” I squinted at the dried leaf I was holding between my fingertips. Frustrated, I dropped it back into the little pile I’d made.
Fenris glanced up from where he’d made himself comfortable on the couch, stretched out like a lord in an old Renaissance painting. “You will,” he said with a certainty I wish I shared. Hell, if I could have had a quarter of his confidence, I’d be in great shape.
“Maybe if I had more time,” I said, grumbling and glancing back at the pages I’d spread out next to me.
Fenris sat up a little more. “You’ve been learning at an incredibly rapid pace,” he said, studying me. “The magic I’ve seen you pick up in the last few weeks has been remarkable. Plus, you’ve only been working on this for one day. Give yourself more credit than that.”
“I can’t,” I said, shaking my head. “I have to make sure—”
Fenris grabbed my wrist, making me jump. He’d moved so quickly, I’d barely processed it, but he gently steered my hand away from the pages. “These will still be here if you take a break,” he replied gently. “Keziah said you could take as much time as you need. If you need more space, she’ll find it. Take a break and look at it later with fresh eyes.”
“If this was astronomy…”
“But it isn’t,” Fenris said, turning me away from the table. “And you will get it, but you have to give yourself a break. You must be hungry by now. After we eat and clean up, you’ll feel better, and perhaps all of this will make more sense.”
I turned over my shoulder to look at him. We’d eaten at Kal’s home, but that was hours ago, and now that he’d mentioned it…yeah, I could definitely use a shower. The longer I thought about it, the more I saw how wild I must look. I’d been stuck as a wolf for days and days. When I was engaged to Ben, I was careful to be pristine, not a hair out of place. My legs were always smooth, and everything was always trimmed. If I got a zit, I zapped it, and even though I didn’t usually wear makeup, I made sure I was always cleaned up.
And here I was, probably looking as much a hot mess as I felt, and Fenris was still looking at me like I’d personally hung the stars.I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being looked at like that.And maybe I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to start expecting it.
“Yeah, okay,” I finally said. A shower would be refreshing, if nothing else. “I’ll go clean up.”
“As much as I would prefer to stay by my mate this close to the full moon, if you prefer some privacy, I can stay down here and find something for us to eat,” Fenris offered after a moment.
I paused at the bottom of the stairs, inspecting him. A month ago—hell, even a few weeks ago—the “my mate” line would’ve irritated me. Instead, I found I felt the same way. After being kept apart for weeks, his presence was more comforting than anything else.
“I do want to clean up,” I said at last. “But…I like having you around. I…I just feel safer with you nearby.”
Fenris seemed to perk up when I said that, and with a flourish, he motioned toward the stairs. “After you, fair lady,” he said.
I laughed and headed up the steps, finding the guest bathroom Keziah mentioned earlier. It looked no smaller than I imagined her master bathroom did. The stone floor was cold against my feet as I stripped. I let out a little shiver, but thankfully, the water heated up quickly. Once I’d opened the glass door and stepped inside, I was enveloped in a blanket of steam.
I’d barely felt the first splash of water over my shoulders when I found myself backed against the shower wall, at the mercy of a ferocious kiss. The water was warm, but Fenris’s body was even warmer. I couldn’t stop my groan as I leaned into his affection, settling my palms on his biceps. Somehow, he’d already gotten undressed, but I didn’t question it. Anything I could do, Fenris could do faster.
It was a full-body affair that made my blood turn hot and my knees turn to pudding. If I’d thought the cold from outside would never leave, I was sorely mistaken. Even with the water raining down around us, I could still hear Fenris’s harsh breath as he pulled away, kissing my jawline instead. I tried to steer us back beneath the shower stream.
