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I decided to change the subject, because as much as I would love for things to be different, it wasn’t, and the past could never be changed. “You still had your boots and coat on. Do you always come home this late?”

I could tell he was not too pleased with me when he answered, “Not that it’s any of your business, you little fucking prick, but I had to stop in at the Alexander house after work to check on Baxter. He’s been spending a lot of time over there because I’ve been working so much. Hell, he even has his own bedroom over there now. With him being over there so much and her spending so much time here alone, it makes me feel so damn guilty.”

I never thought he’d answer me so honestly, and he sounded incredibly tired. I had never heard him sound anything other than strong and impressive as hell.

I didn’t like this side of him, but I felt grateful that he was allowing me to see it. I had a feeling he didn’t share this part of himself with others often.

It made me not want to give him any more shit. “So, what’s the deal with these dream catchers you were telling me about? Are they just your average ones that you can go out and buy at the store to keep the bad dreams at bay? Or are they something more?”

He yawned so loudly I heard his jaw crack. “It’s more than just a simple dream catcher. Tyson makes them, piece by piece, and he puts his magic into each and every single part of them. Magic and blood. I don’t know the whole thing, it’s his deal and not mine. You’d have to ask him about it. He’s a good kid.”

Oh, I planned on it. The problem was, Tyson Alexander didn’t like me all that much. There was no way he’d be willing to give me that kind of information.

I had a few more questions. “Does it have to be a dream catcher or can it be anything? I mean, is it just the symbolism behind the dream catcher because of what it’s supposed to do? We both know they don’t actually do shit without having magic put into them. It seems like if that’s the case, then simply any object would do so long as it was placed above where you were going to sleep at night.”

It would make sense for it to be any object. The intent of the magic being placed on it is what mattered. I knew a bit about blood magic myself, so maybe I wouldn’t need Tyson Alexander for any of this shit after all.

“By your reasoning, I would think any object would do. But, like I said earlier, it’s not my thing, it’s Tyson’s. You’ll have to ask him about it.”

I had a feeling I was right about not needing Tyson. “Did you lock up the house when you got home?” I asked him seriously. I needed to know if I had to get up and do it myself.

He chuckled quietly. “Do not insult me. Of course I locked the cabin up tight when I got home. Not that any of that should matter, nothing that means us any harm is getting past my wards.”

Damn.

Just, goddamn.

He reallywasstronger than I’d given him any credit for if his wards were that impressive, and I hadn’t felt a fucking thing when I’d walked through them.

“In that case, you should sleep, Rain,” I told him. “I’ll stay up and keep watch over both of you tonight. We can talk about all of this in the morning after Isobel wakes up.”

I really didn’t want to talk about any of it, not tonight and definitely not in the morning.

But I did want to watch over both of them while they slept.

It was a testament to how tired Rain was that he actually let me.

I didn’t sleep again that night, but both Rain and Isobel slept like the dead, and I kind of thought that might have been the best gift anyone had ever given me.

8

Alright, Precious

Isobel

I woke up in the arms of the man I loved, my ultimate obsession, for the very first time in my life. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced. The warmth his body gave off, and the safety I felt being wrapped up in all that was Rain Kimber made me feel precious and protected.

Until reality set in and I remembered falling asleep last night when Finn was here, and now he was nowhere to be seen.

Where was he? And why was there an ache in my chest when I thought about him when I had Rain in my bed beside me?

I was so confused when I should have been ecstatic.

Rain washere,in my bed with me. That was everything, or it should have been.

But I couldn’t help wondering why he was here in the first place when this was a line he never had any intention of crossing. What had happened now?

“I know you’re awake,” he grumbled, sounding sleepy, and I had never heard him sound that way before.