“Like what?” Brooks asked, wondering if maybe he was talking about apologizing to Selena or something like that.
“I could find out who’s making those energy drinks,” Ruben said slowly. “Ask around the gang people I already know, and get that info to you.”
“No way,” Brooks said. “It’s too dangerous.”
Ruben winced as he pushed himself up higher in the bed, dark eyes determined. “I’m not going to do anything stupid, and it might keep somebody else from overdosing.”
Brooks opened his mouth to argue, but Selena and Marguerite chose that moment to walk in. Brooks gave Ruben a pointed look, making sure he realized the conversation was over, then he slipped off the bed, making room for Marguerite as he motioned Selena toward the doorway.
“Everything okay between you and Marguerite?” he asked softly.
The girl had taken a seat on the edge of Ruben’s bed, and the two of them were already deep in conversation. Brooks had been a little worried when Selena and Marguerite had gone to the cafeteria. The girl had seen Selena’s claws and fangs. The drunk, high gangbangers on the roof had seen them, too, but nobody was going to believe them. Marguerite was different.
Selena nodded. “Yeah, it’s good. As far as Marguerite is concerned, she saw me save Ruben’s life. That’s all she cares about. And the only thing she ever plans to tell anyone.”
“You believe her?” he asked.
“Yes.” Selena glanced at her students. “Did you and Ruben get a chance to talk?”
“Yeah. I think he’s going to be okay,” he said as Marguerite leaned forward and shyly kissed Ruben. “Now that he’s got someone to keep him straight.”
He and Selena stood there for a few more minutes before she smiled at him.
“I think it’s time for us to go,” she whispered. “They’re okay on their own now, and I think it’s time the two of us had a long talk. Without me freaking out and running away.”
Brooks let out a soft chuckle. “I’m good with that. And if we can avoid the part when I run after you naked, that would be good, too.”
Selena laughed, taking his hand and tugging him close as they headed for the exit.
Chapter 17
Brooks opened the back door of his place and flicked on the lights, then stood back so Selena could enter. She stepped inside, hanging up her coat and purse on the rack by the door as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Like the fiasco from the other day hadn’t happened at all.
“I’m going to leave the keys right here on the top of the rack. In case you need to grab them again, okay?” he said softly, closing the door and locking it. “And the truck has a full tank of gas, so no worries there either.”
She turned and gave him an exasperated frown. “I’m not going to steal your truck again. We already talked about that. We’re going to sit here and have a nice calm, intelligent conversation about what it means to be a werewolf. There won’t be any claws, fangs, or drama. You have my word on it.”
He moved over to one of the wall switches to turn down the lights. It was nearly three in the morning. They didn’t need it to be so bright in there, especially considering the conversation they were about to have.
When they’d left the hospital, he thought they were heading to her apartment. But they’d stopped at Becca’s building just long enough for Selena to park her car in her friend’s visitor space, then she’d jumped in the passenger seat of his truck and said she wanted to go to his place again.
“You sure?” he had asked.
She’d nodded. “My apartment has thin walls. Talking about werewolves there is definitely a bad idea. And while Becca already knows about my situation, I’d prefer to keep the rest of the details from her for now.”
Brooks hadn’t been shocked to discover Becca knew about werewolves. Obviously, Selena had needed someone to talk to after the crap that had happened the other day, and Becca struck him as a really good person. She’d been there for Selena at least, and that meant a lot to him.
“You want something to eat?” he asked as he followed her over to the big sectional in the living room area.
Her gaze lingered on the back of the couch where they’d made out. A moment later, she shook her head, as if clearing the memories, but not before he caught a whiff of her arousal. His thoughts immediately wentthereat the scent, but he pushed it away fast. They needed to talk without the complications of sex.
“Thanks, but I’m good,” she said as she sat down. “I ate a muffin when I had coffee with Marguerite. Let’s just talk, okay?”
Brooks grabbed a seat at the other end of the sectional, putting some space between them. He wanted to sit beside her and drag her into his lap so he could kiss her for the rest of the night. But this was important, and the distance would make it easier. At least for him.
“I guess the best way to start is with an apology,” he said. “So, this is me saying I’m sorry for not figuring out a better way to tell you that you’re a werewolf. Springing it on you after a night of wild sex was definitely the very worst way I could have possibly handled it.”
Selena tilted her head at that, as if considering whether she should disagree. “I can’t say you’re wrong, even if the sex was mind-blowing, since the evening did end in catastrophe. But if we’re being truthful here, I can’t imagine any way you could have brought it up that wouldn’t have freaked me out.”
