Page 34 of Gray

“Stick around long enough and I’ll tell you my specialty,” I said. Partly because I wasn’t ready for him to know. Clearly, he viewed me as some small, cute thing, not the cold-blooded killer I truly was. Well, how I used to be in my predator days. A lion.

I was just a fluffy kitten now.

“You drive a hard bargain.” Mason sharply exhaled. He did that a lot. Almost like he hoped the expulsion of breath would drive away other things too. Worry. Frustration. “I get the feeling I don’t have much of a choice.”

“Not to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re right. Alastair told Galen to bring you here. He wouldn’t have done so without a good reason. He’s even more cautious and untrusting than you are.”

“He wants me to fight in his war.”

“Our war.” I spun to face him. “Not only between angels and demons, but everyone. It’s human lives we’re fighting for.”

Mason didn’t respond.

“Good news though? A barrier’s around our property. No demons, monsters, or anything bad can come here. Only the people we allow in can find us.”

“Smart.”

“We have to be.” I shifted my weight from foot to foot, unable to stand still even if my life depended on it. “Sorry Galen kidnapped you.”

Mason barked out a laugh.

It surprised me, and I smiled up at him. The rich sound of his laugh was warm, much like his eyes as they flickered down to mine. Beneath his distrust of everyone, I bet he had a gentle heart. Just my impression of him as we stood under the stars, the dying echo of his laugh hanging between us.

He broke eye contact first. “What will happen if I decline Alastair’s proposal?”

“Why would you want to?”

“The other hunters might not like working under you guys. You’re supposedly on our side, sure, but you’re not human. It’s a trust thing. Some would be down for it, but I can’t guarantee they’ll all fall in line.”

“My mother was human. We may be half angel, but as Alastair said, we’ve sacrificed so much over the years to protect this world. Just like you fight now, we’ve been fighting since ancient times. Trust is hard. I get it.” Crap, I paused to yawn again. “What was I saying?”

A smile shone in his eyes. “You were talking about trust being hard.”

“Yeah! That’s right. Trust is hard, but if we have any chance of winning this war, we gotta put our differences aside and fight together as one united front. Or something like that.”

That smile finally touched his lips. “Great motivational speech.”

“I think I stole it from a movie. Maybe. I can’t remember.” Another yawn. Rushing through the mansion to find him had burned through my energy reserve. My tank was almost on empty. “Let’s go back inside. I’ll show you to your room.”

“I get a room?” Mason asked as we approached the porch steps. “And here I thought I’d be thrown into the dungeon.”

“You’re a guest, not a prisoner. Besides, we don’t have a dungeon. But our basement is super creepy.” I pushed open the front door and closed it once he’d walked in behind me. “I swear I can hear groaning and ghostly moans coming from down there. I think it’s where all my ambitions go to die.”

Mason lightly chuckled. Two laughs in one night. How lucky was I?

“You don’t seem as guarded now,” I pointed out as we ascended the staircase. There were so many steps. I wished I had one of those moving chairs that took you up the stairs with the push of a button. My life would be so much better.

He didn’t respond right away. It wasn’t until we reached the second floor that he faced me. “It’s different with you.”

“What is?”

A pause. “Everything. I can’t really explain it.” He shook his head and looked away. “Never mind.”

“Well, now I’m curious. You gotta tell me.”

“Not sure I know how,” he said. “I can’t make sense of it. But you don’t feel like a stranger to me, Gray. Here I am in a mansion filled with half-angel immortals. Two of which who’ve threatened me. I should be walking around with my Glock and a dagger as backup. Yet, standing here with you calms my nerves. I’m not as on edge.”

“No one here will hurt you.” My heart thrummed in my chest. He felt safe with me. “Even Galen. He’s a big meanie, but he’s not a bad person. He’s just overprotective, ya know? Stay for a while and you’ll understand. Oh, and guns can’t kill us. So your Glock is useless.”