I didn’t know how she knew or how she got into a room a werewolf couldn’t escape, but she did. I ran my hand along her scaled back, grateful for the comfort she offered. The little dragon would show up when I was at my worst, and I would wake up to find her at my side. My throat was raw, and my voice was raspy when I croaked, “Thank you, Ellie.”
She rubbed herhead against my hand before uncurling her body and stretching her wings. After studying me with those reptilian eyes, she gave a nod and walked toward my door. I wasn't ready to move yet, so I didn’t see how she left, but I knew she was gone.
Not being alone in a vulnerable moment was no small comfort. I was often disoriented and weak, especially after a bad bout like I’d had today. There was nothing worse than waking up and not knowing where you were or what you’d been doing, and having someone—even a small mythical creature—be there as I came back to myself was a balm on my weary soul.
Pushing myself up to a sitting position, I held my head as it throbbed from the motion. As much as I was a passenger when my beast took over, watching through his eyes, I wasn’t always fully aware or conscious within. I would wake with little to no memory, depending on how long I’d been in my shifted form.
A heavy sigh left me as I looked at the state of my room. Clothes had been strewn all over, some in tatters. My metal dresser was going to need to be pounded out again so the drawers would be able to slide back in. My mattress stood on end against the wall, but luckily it seemed relatively unscathed. I looked at my hands as I flexed and curled my knuckles. No, by the feel of them, my beast definitely didn’t waste his time hitting anything soft.
Fuck, I was so sore. And tired and lightheaded. I forced myself to stand up, staggeringas a wave of dizziness hit me, and climbed the steps up to the steel door. The stiffness in my joints felt as if I had just climbed five hundred steps instead of five. I could barely lift my arm as I reached to undo the multiple locks. Two of the chain locks had been snapped, but thankfully, the others held. I would have to replace and reinforce.
Outside my door was a tray with a cloche and two carafes. One with ice water and the other with what looked like apple juice. Grabbing the tray, I retreated into my room, unwilling to see anyone if they came back to my apartment, and sat on the steps. It was the only thing I had that worked as a chair in the lower room, aside from the mattress I usually kept on the ground, but I wasn’t yet in a position to try to move or clean anything.
Setting the tray beside me, I took the water carafe and put it to my lips, gulping down the icy water. It was refreshing and helped soothe my sore throat and clear my mind a little. Before taking the cloche off the plate to see what had been left for me, I opened the folded note next to it.
“Rest and replenish, but come see me when you’re ready—Maxime.” His name was signed in that big, angled cursive that looked like it could have been written on parchment and sealed with wax.
My hands went to my cheeks to cover the red flaring in them.Shit. This was bad. This was a really bad one. Was this the moment I became more of a liability thanI was worth? Would they ask me to leave? The thought made my stomach sink even more than it already had. Where would I even go?
I tried to push the thought aside. Maybe I would feel better if I got my blood sugar back up. Coming out of a shift when my energy was low and my belly was empty always left me feeling a little dejected. Although it wasn’t unusual for doubt to creep in, even when I hadn’t recently shifted.Sigh.
After a swig of the apple juice, savoring the sweetness that flowed over my tongue, I took the cover off the plate to find a whole serving bowl full of beef stew with big chunks of meat, carrots, and potatoes. The smell hit me, and my stomach growled nearly as loud as my wolf had earlier. I shoveled the stew into my mouth as quickly as I could, letting the warmth and meatiness of it seep into my body, pushing away the cobwebs. By the time I was done eating, the throb in my head had dulled, and I was starting to feel mostly back to normal.
My hands still ached from the brutal punishment they’d endured, but they would mend. Pain was nothing new. After finding clothes out of the rubble in my room, I went to the outer room beyond the metal door. The upper room was where my living room and bathroom were, all the amenities I couldn’t risk damaging when I was locked away.
When we first created our own spaces here during construction, I was planning to only have myinner bedroom, a place without windows that I could lock and secure, and figured I would use the public facilities on the main floor. But this was meant to be our home, as well as our business, so the team insisted I include my own accommodations and not just my cage. Given how often I needed to change or wash the dog off me, I was grateful for it.
After a quick shower, I was starting to feel more like myself. I dressed in yet another pair of baggy jeans and a loose tee, which was pretty much all I had. With a mixture of dread and resolve, I forced myself to head up the stairs to the lobby to face my fate. Worry crept back in as I replayed Maxime’s note in my head. Not sure what to expect, I turned the corner of the hallway into the main lobby and braced myself.
When I saw Kieran, Zephyr, Silas, and Ash sitting in the oversized chairs, trying to look casual, it felt like a vise gripped my heart. This was it. This was the end. Maxime was at the front desk, and when he saw me, he gave me a warm smile. It wasn’t the kind of smile that secretly said, ‘pack your bags,’ but if the whole gang was here, it couldn’t be good.
“Are you feeling better, Rudy?” Maxime asked as he came out from behind the desk to greet me and his hand went to my elbow in a gentle grip.
I ran a hand through my hair and shifted on my feet. “Yeah, I am. Thanks, uh, for the food and stuff.”
“Of course, friend. Come, let’s have a chat.” He nodded toward the group and guided me to jointhem.
I gave a half-wave to everyone and took one of the empty seats. When I met Zee’s gaze, he gave me a wink, which loosened the grip around my heart slightly, though I glanced around to be sure no one else would hear whatever they were about to tell me.
Kieran offered me a warm smile. His glacial blue eyes, which were nearly the same color as his short periwinkle hair that stood straight up, met mine. “It’s safe to talk openly. I’ve created an illusion that conceals us, both by sight and by sound. If anyone comes into the lobby, they will see it empty.”
“Cool,” I muttered without thought. My admiration momentarily interrupted my dread. The faerie so seldom used his abilities that I forgot he could do stuff like that. All these beings around me were incredible. Even Ash, who sat as still as… well, as a tree. The inhuman stillness he could find even in his human form always amazed me. I’d never felt that kind of calm in my life. Especially not now. Not now, with them all looking at me with concern and expectation, reminding me why we were all here.
“I’m sorry. Gods, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. If I did, I could promise it wouldn’t happen again, but I can’t even say that. I understand if you all want me to leave.” I slumped forward and put my hand on my face.
After a pause, I felt a hand on my back. The weight of it was both supportive and oppressive. “Wolfie?”
At the gentle prompting from Zee, I glanced up to see that everyone had leaned closer, making me feel small in a frame that didn’t typically allow for that. “Yeah?”
Maxime glanced around the group and returned his attention to me. “Nobody wants you to leave.”
“You don’t?” I asked, trying not to let the hope from that simple comment spread before I could be certain it was true.
“Of course not.”
“Are you sure? I mean… I fucked up. I fucked up bad.”
“I don’t see how. You kept your head enough to get back to your room and secure yourself inside,” Maxime said.
