Page 14

I pull up outside the tower block that houses the Soldati Security offices and turn off the engine.

I probably should have called Zaiden. Or just driven to his place.

But it’s already well past one in the morning, what with the time it took me to pack up all my stuff and move it to the attic on my own, and I’m so exhausted that driving to the opposite side of the city felt too far. I’ll call him tomorrow.

Fortunately, the neutral zone is deserted on a Monday night. I can sleep in my car tonight and figure out what I’m going to do next tomorrow. One night in my car won’t kill me.

I set a ridiculously over-the-top ward on my car so no one can get in even if they break the windows, try not to freak out over the fact the murderer is still on the loose, and recline my seat as far as it will go.

I’ve just closed my eyes when a fierce knocking at the window startles the shit out of me. I ready my magic but dial it back when I see Ethan’s grumpy face glaring in at me.

I open the door and struggle to get out with the way my seat is reclined. Ethan grabs me and hauls me out of my car. “What are you doing out here? You scared me.”

“What am I doing?” Oh, my wolf boss is not happy.

He’s growling the way Dante sometimes does when Zaiden has pissed him off.

“Kit notified me that you were here. What the hell, Ayo? I thought you were at home. Here I am, trying to keep you safe, while you decide sleeping in your car is a good idea! This is not a safe place to be.”

I avert my eyes, unable to hold his gaze. “Nyoka kicked me out… because I work for you.”

Ethan’s silent for a beat, clenching his fists at his sides. “I think you’d better come inside and tell me everything. Bring your stuff.”

“To the office?”

“No. I have a flat on the fourteenth floor. You can stay with me.”

I won’t turn down a proper roof over my head for the night, especially not one as safe as Ethan’s place. I scramble to get the one small suitcase I allowed myself out of the car, then lock it and check the ward is properly set.

Ethan doesn’t say anything in the lift up to his place, so I don’t either, very aware that I’m landing on my feet in a way I didn’t expect. Sleeping on his sofa tonight will be more comfortable than my driver’s seat, that’s for sure.

Ethan unlocks the unwarded door and lets us in, placing his keys on a sleek mirrored console table in the hall.

He takes his boots off, so I toe my trainers off as well, casting a standard intruder ward while I do so.

The tiny hope I harboured that he wouldn’t notice is crushed when I look up to find him watching me speculatively.

Right. Wolf nose.

I shrug sheepishly. “I don’t like the idea of us being unprotected tonight.”

“A ward?” At my nod, he steps closer and lifts a hand, scenting my neck. “Better make it a good one, then.”

I suppress a shiver and exhale, my shoulders dropping. Now that I have permission, I take the time to send out the blue tendrils of my magic to fully map the boundaries of the flat to the millimetre, match the ward more exactly to that, and layer more precautions on top.

A standard intruder ward keeps out anyone who hasn’t been invited in.

I add a layer that keeps out anyone intending to do harm to Ethan or myself, an alert system with an audible warning if someone tries to manipulate the ward, and a rebounding spell that repels anyone who tries to break in using brute force.

It takes a while before I’m satisfied. Ethan waits patiently the entire time, even though he must be exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes attest to that.

“I’ve finished,” I say.

“Let me know how much I owe you.” He walks off before I can protest.

I quickly hurry to follow him past two closed doors and into an open-plan kitchen and living space decorated in navy, white and grey.

With the lights on, the wall of glass at the far end of the room mostly just shows our reflections, and there isn’t a single item of clutter anywhere in the room. Somehow, it’s entirely Ethan.

“Sit. Talk.” Ethan looks absolutely done in, so I don’t comment on how abrupt he’s being.

I sit on the corner sofa and thank him for the glass of water he gets for me, and when he sits next to me, the whole story comes pouring out.

I tell him way too much about my apartment, needing a new place to live, not having a deposit or first month’s rent saved, and being asked to move out early because the task force think I’m spying on them for him and his team.

“It’s okay if you don’t believe me,” I say. “It’s my fault I’m in this mess. I should have saved some money when I started working.”

Ethan’s mouth ticks up at the corners. “Most twenty-year-olds don’t save money. You’re not unique.”

Maybe, but I’m not sure that makes me feel any better. “Thanks for letting me stay here tonight.”

His mouth twists into a grimace. “Nyoka found out you worked for me because I told him at the clinic. It’s my fault you got kicked out several days early.”

“Whoa, hey, no, I thought I’d already told him. I wasn’t keeping it a secret. This isn’t on you.” Ethan looks doubtful, so I bump his arm with my shoulder. “I don’t blame you. But if you want to make it up to me, a night on this very comfortable sofa will do.”

That gets another twitch of his lips, and he squeezes my thigh before standing. “I’ll find you a blanket. I don’t have a guest room, but the bathroom is the first door on the left in the hall. My room is the one closest to the front door, so if you need me, come find me.”

By the time I’ve used the bathroom, Ethan has gotten me a blanket. He disappears into his room, and I take off my T-shirt and joggers since it’s a warm night. I tug the blanket over me anyway because it’s soft and smells like Ethan. Finally, I settle down to sleep.

I jerk awake with a hoarse yell, sweating and thrashing, the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to me.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. You’re safe, Ayo, you’re safe. It’s just a bad dream.” Ethan crouches in front of me in nothing but his underwear.

I’m too freaked out to appreciate his hairy chest and strong thighs, only absently noting the tattoo on his shoulder. My heart is still racing and I can’t stop trembling.

Ethan reaches for me slowly. When I don’t pull away, he tugs me into his arms. I wasn’t expecting it—I thought he’d just put a hand on me or something—but I go willingly even though we end up sitting on the floor. He holds me tight enough that I eventually stop shaking.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Ayo, it’s fine.”

I nod into his chest and burrow deeper, inhaling his reassuring scent, not wanting him to let go just yet. “What’s the time?”

“Around four.”

Shit, we’ve only been asleep a short time. “I’m okay now.”

He huffs, probably because I’m not letting up my tight grip on him. I yelp when he stands up, still holding me, and I wrap my legs around his waist for balance. “What are you?—”

“Shh, we need sleep.” His voice is deep and gravelly, and he carries me out into the hall, then into his bedroom. There’s a small amount of light coming from behind the curtains, but it’s too dark to see much. He puts me down on the bed, then climbs in beside me.

“Um, Ethan…”

“It’s a wolf thing. Deal with it.” He wraps me up in his arms again, this time lying down in an incredibly comfortable bed. He keeps distance between our hips, so I do too, but despite the fact that this should be weird or awkward, the way he makes me feel safe overrides everything else.

He pulls a sheet up over us, and I decide all my embarrassment and worries can wait until morning. Literally everything can be Tomorrow Ayo’s problem. Tonight, I’m going to snuggle up to my boss and make the most of the few hours we have before work.

This time, when I fall asleep, the nightmares stay away.