“You know I can teach you how to run the sanctuary. I know everything you need to know.”
Well, we’d almost made it back to the house without another argument. I stopped walking. Turning to face him, I felt the anger down to my bones. “Becausemyfather taughtyouwhen he refused to teachme!” Laken should’ve known. “You knew how much it hurt me when he shut me out, and yet… yetyou. He trained you. And you expect me to just be happy about it?”
Laken’s eyes darkened, but he said nothing. He gave no excuses, no apologies, nothing at all. I scoffed, shaking my head. The worst part? I did need the help.
Closing my eyes and tilting my head to the sky, I asked the Gods what the hell I did to deserve this. “And what’s in it for you?”
“Why does something have to be in it for me?”
Truly, I wished I’d been better at holding back my tone and watching the way I spoke. But I wasn’t that person. I said things I shouldn’t. I was hotheaded. I was… well, I could be bitchy. “Because Laken, people don’t do things without expecting something in return, and I especially don’t trustyouto be reliable to me out of the goodness of your heart. So I ask again, what’s in it for you?”
“You don’t think I care about the creatures, too? Don’t act like I didn’t spend half of my childhood here. You need the help; you can’t protect them on your own.”
That was rich. “Protect them? Protect them from what? They live in a sanctuary!”
Laken dragged his free hand down his face. “They are magical creatures, Reece. Rare and special. Do you not think there are people out there that would come for them?”
Taken aback, I paused, remembering what Alaric had said back when he brought me the news. How there was always interest.
“Is that it, then? You want to protect them.” I waited, wondering if there was more.
His jaw clenched, the air between us buzzed. For a moment too long, he stared at me with something I couldn’t decipher in his eyes. “That’s it.” He dragged his gaze off me and moved Benedict around in his arms.
Taking him seriously with a raccoon in his arms wasn’t easy. But I tried. I rubbed my eyebrows. Why did he give me such a headache? Because when I looked at him, Ialmostsawmy best friend. Ialmostsaw someone I loved. Unfortunately, Ionlysaw someone who left me. I didn’t know why I’d expected to hear anything different from him.
But I needed the help. And if there were indeed people—or worse, poachers—out there interested in my animals, it would be nice to have Laken nearby.
“Fine,” I nodded. “You start tomorrow, but only to teach me. And to fix my fence.” Laken furrowed his brows, but I’d explain that later. “After that, you leave.”
Laken tried not to smile and instead forced his dimples out. The morning sun glowed in his squinted eyes, putting a barely visible glimmer in them. The rolled-up cuffs of his tunic showed the best parts of his arms and his tattoos. I needed the help, but… something told me this would end badly.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
When I awoke to Laken Augustus busting through my bedroom door, I knew I’d woken up to a nightmare.
“Wake up, sunshine.” He raised his voice. “Time to get moving and grooving.” He pulled the curtains by my bed open.
What the hell happened?I snapped up, resting on my elbow with tired eyes and a racing heart. It took me a moment to realize it was just my ex-boyfriend determined to piss me off. Laken remained feet away from my bed with a smug grin as he leaned against the wall. Meanwhile, my body sat half-exposed in a silk nightgown. And I didn’t move as he noticed my bare skin.
I raised my brows. “What. The. Hell. Are you doing in my room?”
He pushed off the wall, tossing my boots to the edge ofmy bed. “Top reason the animals don’t like you? You sleep in too late and they’re hungry now. I’ll see you downstairs.” He turned around, making his way out.
I lay there, mouth parted and brows furrowed. Glancing at my boots hanging together by a thread, I silently said,Me, too. “How did you even get in?”
“I have a key.” He shut my door, and I dropped back on my bed. Staring at the ceiling, I simultaneously cursed the Gods for this and prayed I’d survive it.
About ten minutes later, I emerged from my sleeping cell and made it downstairs, where he waited with coffee. One sight of the drink in his hand and my smothered groans disappeared.
Laken held out a second cup for me as his eyes traveled my body. “I like the pants look.”
Taking a quick look at my brown pants, I shrugged with the warm mug now in hand. “My dresses are all getting singed; if I keep wearing them to feed, I won’t have any left.” The old raggedy boots barely hung to my feet, and I’d shoved my curly hair into a low bun, calling it good enough. I didn’t have anyone to impress.
He wore his usual loose but weirdly attractive shirt and brown pants with… “Is that a dagger?” I asked, staring at the weapon on his waist.
Choking on his drink, he set his cup down and glanced at his halter. “Oh, um, yeah,” he muttered.
“Why do you need a dagger?”
