He looked at her then and really saw her for the first time since he’d awoken.
When she had healed him of the damage the tiger had done, it had left her skin and bones. Standing soaked to the skin so that her fur hid nothing, she was very nearly plump. The feeding had not miraculously made her young again or sharpened her fangs, but she looked vital and dangerous.
Tonight was well done, she told him.For a time there will be less cruelty in the world. Evil being what it is and the world the same, all of that malice will eventually return in a new andterrible form. But for tonight, the innocents shall rest more safely because of what we did here.
Ruby didn’t go home when everyone else left. She locked the house up tight and then sat on the porch and watched the rain pour down. She had called in sick to work for tomorrow, so she could wait here until dawn. One of Angus’s wolves left her a blanket that he kept in his car, and it was enough, with her coat, to keep her comfortably warm.
“One date,” she reminded herself. Not enough for the incipient grief waiting to descend upon her.
Her phone dinged with a text message from Alan.
GPS hit on the car Asil was driving. It’s at the zoo. Tom is going to check it out. Good news is that both our little chicks report that they are sure the BBV is dead.
BBV was “big bad vampire.” The White Angel was dead. Didn’t that mean that Asil was still alive?
She called Asil’s number, but it went to voice mail.
“One date,” she said again, very firmly. “One date. One phone call that lasted fifteen minutes. Four texts.” She took a breath and tried not to hope. Tried not to grieve. “And a drive-by.”
Alan called.
“Hey, Ruby.” He did not sound like someone ready to give her good news.
“Tell me,” she said.
“Tom found the car in the lot by the penguins. Found Asil’s clothes over by the carousel.” He took a deep breath. “No Asil. No dead vampires. He said that the rain washed away enough he isn’t sure what happened. Except—” He sucked in another breath. “A lot of Asil’s blood, Ruby. A fatal amount of blood, maybe.”
“Okay,” she said. Her voice sounded small, but maybe that was just because of the rain.
“Angus told me to tell you that the Moor isn’t easy to kill.”
“It was only one date,” she said. She sniffed and pretended it was allergies. “If they don’t have bodies, does that mean all the vampires have already come back?”
“Maybe,” he said. “The old ones can come back really fast sometimes. Or maybe Asil hauled all the bodies to the sea. Or a salt mine, and that’s why we can’t find him. Can’t find him yet.”
“Or holy well,” she said. “What does that mean for Bobby and Mari-Brigid? If the Angel comes back?”
“The bond broke,” he told her. “It doesn’t repair itself. They’ll be okay.” He paused and said, “You should go home, Ruby.”
“In a little bit,” she said, and wished him good night and disconnected.
In the end, she fell asleep. She didn’t wake up until a bedraggled, limping, huge wolf slowly ascended the stairs and lay down beside her with a sigh. He put his muzzle on her lap and closed his eyes.
He was soaking wet and smelled like blood, wet dog, and (oddly) a little like cat. But he was warm.
She closed her eyes again and told him, “This date sucked. I get to pick the next one.”
The wolf sighed, wiggled a little, and let his muzzle rest more heavily.
“One date,” she told him. “Why do I feel like this?”
Gold eyes met hers.
Our Ruby, the wolf said.My Ruby.
She froze, her hand clenched in his fur.
“My wolf,” she whispered, unable to contain the fierce smile that took over her face. “My Asil.”
