I should probably be worried that the sight of a blood-soaked suit calms me, but I’ve decided to fully embrace my new, oddly violent life.
As I pull on Ezra’s navy-blue robe, wrapping myself in its warmth, voices drift upstairs, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee makes me smile. So does the sound of Ezra and Louie trying to out-bitch each other.
I follow the chaos into the kitchen, where Ezra pulls me in and buries his face in my neck.
“Good morning, Aurora.”
A shadow slithers between us, nudging Ezra’s hand toward me, demanding more. He swats it away, but it clings to my forearm, curling tight with theatrical flair.
“I hope you slept well. I tried not to disturb you when I got out of bed since our reunion was … wonderfully exhausting.”
He chuckles, then plants a light kiss right below my ear.
“Bloody hell! I’m standing right here,” Louie groans, choking on bacon. “Thank Christ human ears are garbage.”
Ugh. How humiliating.
“You two were less than discreet last night.”
Heat spreads across my face just thinking about the way I screamed and moaned for Ezra while he worshipped every inch of my body.
To distract myself, I open the fridge, pull out a bowl of strawberries, and then set them down in front of the hellhound without making eye contact.
“You okay, Aurora?” Louie asks with a mouthful of food.
We really need to work on her manners.
“Yeah, Lou, I’m fine. Just a little embarrassed.”
I pick at the side of my thumb while I stare at the floor. Ezra growls at Louie as he wraps his arms around me again.
“Little flame, you should never be ashamed about enjoying something that makes you happy or brings you pleasure.”
Ezra lifts my chin with his forefinger, then plants a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth while he cuts Louie with a disapproving glare.
“Shit, I’m sorry, Aury. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”
The hellhound comes around the island and hugs me from behind, nuzzling the space between my shoulder blades. Ezra smiles, then takes a step back, allowing me to turn and wrap my protector in a massive hug.
A curious wisp of shadow slips between us, claiming space with cold, unspoken intent. It’s gone in a blink, but I can practically hear them grumbling:She’s ours.
“What time is it? I have to get ready for work,” I say, stepping away from Lou to pour myself a cup of coffee.
When I turn around to go upstairs, I find the shade and the hound staring at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“What? What did I say?”
I take a sip from my mug while I patiently wait for their response.
It could be anything, from spilled coffee to a brand-new tail sprouting from my ass.
Louie and Ezra look at each other, then Ezra says, “Aurora, I understand your need to return to work, but there are things we must address.
“Even though I’d rather sit through Stephen P. Demon’s tight-fiveagain, we should visit Iain today. He might be able to give you and Louie some magical guidance.
“If what I’ve learned during my time away is any indication, trouble’s coming, and we’ll all need to be magically functional when it does.”
“But …” The weight of an argument presses against my tongue, desperate to be unleashed.
