"Stop right there." Tobi held up his hand. "The Shifter Council has already funded all security measures for the shifter community. That includes cameras, sensors, lighting - everything." He smiled gently at her obvious discomfort. "This isn't charity, Layla. It's protection that you and every other shifter deserve."
"But-"
"The Council set aside significant resources specifically for this, since shifters were outed to the public." Tobi kept his voice soft but firm. "They want to ensure everyone has what they need to feel safe in their homes and places of work."
Layla's shoulders slumped, relief warring with lingering embarrassment on her face. "I'm not used to... to people helping without expecting something in return."
"I know." Tobi's heart ached at the raw vulnerability in her voice. "But that's not how things work here. The shifter community - indeed, the Other community - takes care of its own. You know that, Layla."
Layla thought that over. "And someone will be here, very night?"
"Every single night, without exception." Tobi's voice carried absolute certainty. "I'm sending a request to Antonio, the head of the security company, that we include specific attention to this wing of the house. If either of you calls out, even in a whisper, we'll hear you."
The moonlight caught the moisture gathering in Layla's eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to contain it, but he could see the gratitude shining there.
Tobi continued, his tone gentle but firm. "Lord Damien has approved additional resources. More of our clan will be moving here in the next days and weeks, so we'll have better coverage."
"Why would a vampire lord care about shifters?" Layla asked, genuine confusion in her voice.
Tobi's expression softened. "The supernatural community may have its divisions, but we stand together against those who would harm our kind. Damien has lived for millennia - he's seen what happens when we fail to protect our own."
A tentative smile flickered across Layla's face. "I never thought I'd feel safer knowing vampires were watching me sleep."
"We're not the monsters humans make us out to be in their stories," Tobi said with a wry smile. "Well, not usually, anyway."
Her laugh was small but genuine - the first he'd heard from her. The sound lightened something in Tobi's chest.
"You should try to get some rest - in your own room," he specified, drawing another soft laugh from Layla. "I'll be patrolling until dawn, and I promise to keep a special watch on Yousuf's window."
Layla stood, her movements still stiff from hours on the hard floor. "Thank you, Tobi. For everything."
"You're welcome." He gestured toward the hallway. "And tomorrow night, I expect to find you sleeping in your own bed, not on that floor."
"I will," she whispered, the promise fragile but sincere.
As Layla padded softly back toward her room, Tobi watched her go, a fierce protectiveness rising in his chest. No one would harm this woman or her child - not while he stood guard in the darkness.
He waited until he heard her bedroom door close softly, then made his way to the front door. The winter air hit him as he stepped outside, sharp and clean after the emotional weight of the conversation inside.
He circled the house one last time, checking every entrance, every window. The pack house stood secure against the night, but he knew better than most that security systems alone couldn't keep nightmares at bay. Sometimes what childrenneeded most was the certainty that someone was standing guard against the monsters.
He paused beneath Yousuf's window one final time. The boy slept soundly now, his breathing even and untroubled. Tomorrow, Tobi would bring lights to push back the darkness. Small gestures, perhaps, but he'd learned over his long existence that sometimes small gestures mattered most.
With a last glance at the peaceful house, Tobi melted into the night, his footprints in the snow the only evidence he'd been there at all.
Chapter 16
Beth hummed softly as she counted gauze packets, penciling numbers onto her inventory clipboard. She'd grown to cherish these quiet evening shifts—the clinic settled into stillness, her tasks unhurried, no emergency calls disrupting the rhythm of restocking and paperwork.
"Beth?" She heard her name called from the lobby.
Warmth blossomed in her chest at the familiar voice. She set down her clipboard and hurried through the hallway, unable to suppress her smile as she rounded the corner.
"Hi! I thought you were off tonight." Beth's greeting faltered as she noticed the two people flanking Tyr.
A man and woman stood beside him, both with striking Mongolian features. The man carried himself with quiet authority, his dark eyes alert and assessing. Though he wore modern tactical gear, something about his bearing spoke of ancient battlefields. The woman appeared younger, perhaps Beth's age, but her eyes held centuries of wisdom that contrasted sharply with her delicate features.
"Beth, I'd like you to meet Jochi and Saikhan." Tyr gestured to his companions. "They're members of Lord Damien's clanwho've come up from New York City to assist with security in the Hudson Valley."
