As I carried him inside, close on Ko’s heels, the heavy doors closed behind us with a definitivethud, sealing us into this strange new world.
“She…” I stopped and cleared my throat. “She’ll be okay, right, Ko?”
He didn’t answer me, and I picked up my pace to breathe down his neck, staring over his shoulder at the girl as she lay limp against him.
“Of course she will,” I answered myself with one hundred percent certainty.
Because we would do whatever it took to make it happen.
#
Casimir
The foyer stretched out before me, a cavernous space that echoed with every step. Polished marble gleamed under the chandelier, but the emptiness gnawed at me like a bad omen. No servants. No staff. Just a grandfather clock ticking away in the corner.
I scowled, my gut twisting with unease. Father had promised a fully-staffed, secure estate, but the fang-rotted front door hadn’t even been locked.
I scanned the area quickly, my trained eyes picking out the exits, the blind spots. Habit. Always the first thing I did in a new space, but there was no time for a full sweep now.
Priorities had all shifted, every protocol and contingency ripped to shreds by the shrapnel from one word detonating like a bomb in my brain:Beloved.
I took the stairs three at a time, my boots thundering against the steps. The sound echoed up the empty hallway, making me grit my teeth at being so loud. Quiet was better.Alwaysbetter. But some things couldn’t be helped.
At the top, I paused, staring down the three corridors. Left, right, or up another flight? The estate was a maze, and I didn’t have time to explore. I spun to the right, and the first door I opened revealed a room that was larger than our entire former apartment, but it looked immaculately clean and had a bed.
Requirements met.
“Up here, Ko!” I bellowed, stepping back into the hallway.
I watched as he climbed the stairs much slower than I had, holding her in his arms like she might break if he tightened his grip. His face was soft, unguarded, and for a moment, I saw the boy he used to be, the one who’d held every stray animal, every broken thing, like it was his job to fix it.
Moving out of the way, I watched him carry the girl to the bed, his black hair falling in messy strands around his face as he bent to lay her down. He straightened her limbs and smoothed her long curls, his touch gentle, almost reverent. It was a side of him he usually kept buried deep.
My eyes went to the girl’s face. I hadn’t expected to feel this way, this fierce urge to protect and cherish someone I barely knew. I didn’t do vulnerability. I didn’t dofeelings. But here I was, staring at this beautiful stranger who had just become my whole world.
Zane still held the wolf pup, now tucked into his arms like a baby. As soon as the wolf saw the girl, he let out a weak growl that sounded more like a kitten’s mew. Zane hushed him, his fingers absently brushing his fur. It was almost tender. I raised an eyebrow, but kept my mouth shut. I didn’t like dires, didn’t trust them one inch, but it looked like I had to accept this one. At least until I could get the situation sorted out.
“Really?” I said, raising an eyebrow as Zane set the animal down on the bed.
“What? She’ll want him when she wakes up,” he shot back, crossing his arms.
“Fine,” I gave in so I could start issuing orders. “Z, kitchen. See if there’s anything we can feed her when she wakes up. Water, preferably bottled, and something for that animal, too, I suppose. I’ll doa quick perimeter sweep, then grab the med kit. Ko, don’t leave her side. She shouldn’t wake up alone.”
Zane griped, but didn’t argue, only hesitated and glanced at our beloved for a moment before disappearing down the hall with a dramatic flourish. As for Ko, he nodded, his eyes never leaving her face.
“Keep your phone close,” he said, and I rolled my eyes.
Like I needed to be told that.
9. On Our Watch
Koa
“Come on, Casimir!” I muttered under my breath, glancing back at the open doorway. “Where are you with that moon-damned med kit? I’m sweating bullets here!”
Not that we had a lot in the kit that would benefit our beloved right now. As dhampirs, we healed fast from all but the most gruesome injuries, so we didn’t stock first aid supplies. Bone saws, antitoxins, and hex elixirs, sure. Sutures and bandages? Maybe. Painkillers? Definitely not.
Cas will fix that ASAP,I thought with grim satisfaction.He’ll put together a whole med kit just for her.
