Highly doubtful.
He cleared his throat loudly outside the bathroom door.
I rolled my eyes.
Can you bite his throat out and kill him?
His throat is too thick. I’d need to lock in for blood loss and suffocation. Fenrir won’t allow his host to die.
Ah well.
It was a nice thought.
???
He switched the lamp off, and we lay in silence. It was awkward, and I was grateful for the darkness.
“How were your family?” he murmured.
“If you could comprehend human emotion,” I said dryly,“you’d know how upset they’d be about their only daughter and granddaughter being missing for almost four months.”
“Mm,” he hummed.“Emotions are counterproductive.”
He had to be part robot. A cyborg, maybe.
“But I’m glad you have an adequate family.”
From anyone else, the statement would’ve sounded disingenuous. From him, it seemed… sincere.
Bouda could be right.
Perhaps I was rubbing off on him.
???
To my utter mortification, I’d rolled over onto his side during the night and now lay snuggled against his bare chest. There was no way I could get out of this without waking him. His hand rested between my hip and arse.
He does smell good. At least he’ll never have hygiene issues, Bouda said, stretching out.
You’re not helping.
No. I’m a simple shapeshifting hyena who is enjoying the moment, she chuckled.
I slowly began to inch backwards, wriggling like a snake until his hand slipped from my hip. His eyes remained closed as I slinked off the edge of the bed. I tiptoed to the bathroom, grinning when I saw the clean sink.
When I glanced up, he stood behind me in the doorway. His hair was rumpled, but his eyes were wide awake. I broke eye contact and began fumbling with my toothbrush.
He was gone by the time I started brushing my teeth.
You know he can smell you, right?Bouda drawled.
Whatever. It was probably hormones.
???
“Why are you getting out?” I asked the man who’d accompanied me in the car.“Wait.”
I pulled my new phone out to read the text message.
