She looked up, and her expression immediately shifted to a frown. “Do you ever knock?”
“I live here,” he reminded her, closing the door behind him. “Why would I knock?”
“Because it’s polite?” she suggested. “What if I’d been… I don’t know, doing something private?”
“Like what?” he asked, arching a brow.
Her cheeks flushed, and she scowled. “That’s not the point.”
He let it go, shifting his attention to the laptop. “You’re still researching?”
“Obviously,” she replied, lifting her cup to her lips. “Someone has to figure out how to break this bond.”
“And what have you found?”
“Not much,” she admitted. “Unless you’re interested in cautionary tales and vague warnings about ancient magic.”
“I’m not.”
“Didn’t think so.”
Grayson moved to the window, pulling the curtain aside just enough to scan the street below. It was quiet, as expected, but his wolf didn’t relax. It hadn’t relaxed since the night of the auction.
“You know, if you’re going to stand there brooding all day, you might as well start paying rent.”
He let the curtain fall back into place and turned to face her. “I’m not brooding.”
“You’re brooding,” she insisted. “It’s your default setting.”
“Do you ever stop talking?” he asked, though there was no heat behind the words.
“Do you ever smile?” she shot back, tilting her head.
Grayson sighed and leaned against the wall. “You’re awfully chatty for someone who claimed to need space.”
She shrugged. “You’re here. Might as well make it interesting.”
Before he could respond, a knock at the door interrupted them. Grayson tensed immediately, shifting to a defensive stance.
“It’s probably Laila,” Cora said, standing. “She said she might stop by.”
“Let me,” Grayson insisted, moving ahead of her. He opened the door carefully, relaxing only when he saw the familiar face on the other side.
Laila stood there with a bag in one hand and a knowing look on her face. “Relax, big guy. I’m not here to cause trouble.”
Grayson stepped aside, letting her in.
“Hey,” Cora greeted her. “What’s that?”
“Just some pastries,” Laila explained, setting the bag on the counter. “Thought you could use something sweet.”
Cora smiled, and Grayson found himself watching her a little too closely. Something about the way she lit up around her friend, the way the tension in her shoulders eased, made the bond pull at him even harder.
Laila glanced at him, quirking her brow. “And you? Do you eat things that aren’t meat and coffee?”
“I eat,” he said flatly.
“Good to know. Well, I’ll leave you two to it. Just wanted to check in.”
