“Ah. That explains it.” The chef had it out for me from the first meal, and I couldn’t figure out what I’d done to him.
Rudy sat up, and his eyes narrowed. “Explains what?”
“Your friend, Zee, has been a little hostile when I’ve gone to the dining room.”
His eyes turned a pinkish hue, and I could see his teeth visibly lengthen. It was incredibly fascinating to watch his face change right in front of me. “What did he do?” The words boomed out of him, deep and gravelly, and damn, if they didn’t go straight to my dick.
I reached across the table and grabbed his hand, keeping my voice calm. “It’s okay, Rudy. It was nothing more than a few pointed stares and a firm message. Even if I didn’t understand it at the time, he was trying to protect you, like you want to protect me.”
Rudy closed his eyes tight and breathed deep as I smoothed my thumb over the back of his hand, feeling him relax beneath my touch. When his eyes opened, they’d returned to his normal blue. I thought he would pull his hand away from me, since it seemed as if he’d been trying to keep some distance, but he turned it over and held my hand back.
With a half smile, he said, “I’m sorry he did that. I’ll talk to him.”
“It’s all good. At least I know why now. It makes me happy to know you have people looking out for you. Or… griffins? He’s really a griffin?” When Rudy nodded in confirmation, I asked, “Is everyone here some sort of animal-man-creature-person?”
Rudy relaxed more, but his hand stayed in mine. “No. There are all types of beings. You know Maxime, right?”
Ipictured the petite man who worked the front desk. “Yeah. What is he?”
He huffed out a laugh. “I’m not sure I should say, but I’ll deal with that later. He’s a vampire.”
“Holy shit! Are you serious?”
“Yeah. But don’t ask me how old he is, he won’t tell me,” Rudy said with a smile.
“A vampire? An actual vampire? What about the daylight? I’ve talked to him in the middle of the day.” I kept repeating the word in my head, as if that would make it more real. But then, I was sitting here with a werewolf, who also wasn’t supposed to exist, so what was the difference?
“He has to be careful in direct sunlight, but it’s not like you’ve seen in the movies.”
“Wow. Unreal.”
“I have a question for you,” Rudy said, his fingers still gripped lightly around mine. “How did you end up here if you didn’t know what this place was?”
My instinct was to play it off as a random occurrence, but Rudy had been so open and trusting with me and deserved nothing less in return. “I was led here by a series of events and guided by a variety of animals.”
“Really? Why did they send you here?” His head cocked to the side, making my lips tug up at the corners.
“They told me I would be safe here.” Of course, none of them told me what made this place unique, which might have been helpful information.
Rudy’s brow furrowed, and his hand tightened around mine. “Safe from what? Are you in danger?”
I sucked on my teeth in contemplation. “I don’t really know. I’ve been feeling this sense of dread for a while, and lately, the animals I’ve encountered have sensed it, too. At times, I can convince myself it’s all in my head, but other times… I’m not so sure.”
Before I could even blink, Rudy leapt over the coffee table and crouched beside me. He grabbed me and tugged me against him. When he spoke against my ear, I could hear the mix of wolf and man in his voice. “You’re safe, Bowen. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
I felt it. In his presence, in his embrace, knowing how big and fierce he could be, I felt safe. Wrapping my arms around his back, I nuzzled against him. The sensation of being held by such a large man was entirely new to me. I’d been with a few men in the past, brief as it was, but I never would have picked a person whose size and strength so outweighed my own. Now, I was with a man who could become twice his current size, and I wasn’t intimidated or afraid, but comforted by the knowledge of who and what he was. I would have stayed happily tucked against him if it weren’t for the ding of his phone interrupting the moment.
Rudy released me and sat back on his heels with a hesitant smile. “I should probably check that in case there’s an emergency.”
I bobbed my head, even as I hoped he wouldn’t have to leave. This was the longest conversation I’d had with another person in years, and for the first time, I found myself not wanting it to end. Talking with Rudy and learning more about a world I didn’t know existed was way more fascinating than any small talk I’d been forced to endure in the past. I liked being with him. He was sweet but also a little possessive, which was all kinds of thrilling and endearing.
With his phone in hand, he glanced up at me before returning his attention to the screen. “It’s nothing; they’re making lunch plans. I gotta admit, I’m hungry. It’s been a weird day, and I’ve worked up an appetite fighting my wolf all morning. But…”
My stomach grumbled in response. I was definitely ready for something to eat. “But what?”
Rudy blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m going to say something that might come across as too much. I don’t know how not to be too much with you, but know that you have a choice here.”
I reached up and squeezed his arm. “Tell me.”
