I inferred that the dinner proposal was a euphemism for sex, but I didn’t press it. “What would going before the Guild have meant?” I asked.
“They might have put me in a labor camp or cut off my wings.”
“That’s barbaric,” I said, aghast at the thought of such beautiful appendages being harmed for a few stolen coins.
“They’d grow back eventually, but never quite the same. It’s a very painful and humbling experience, to have your wings clipped.”
“So, it was that or date him?” Didn’t sound like much of a choice to me.
“He made me an offer that at the time seemed more than generous. And that’s why I didn’t mention to you that he was royalty, because then you would know that I was nothing but a gold digger and a prince’s whore. And I care what you think of me, Hiero.”
I took hold of his jaw and tilted his face toward mine. “I don’t care about the terms of your relationship with your ex. It’s none of my business. I’m only asking because I want to protect you should he come back. That’s what a good Daddy does for his boy, right?”
His lower lip protruded, tempting as a jewel, as he nodded.
“I want you to finish out your shift, and then you’re staying with me tonight where I can keep an eye on you in case he comes back. I can sleep on the couch.”
“Or you could sleep in the bed with me? Just to keep me safe?” he said with a sly grin.
I shook my head at his very tempting offer and brushed a stray wisp of raven hair from his upturned face. “You’re irresistible to me, Skylar, you should know that by now, but I don’t want you to feel pressured the way you were with him. Sex isn’t a condition of my friendship or my protection.”
He swallowed tightly, pretty eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Thank you, Hiero.”
I nodded and tried to tame the wild beat of my heart. “You’re welcome.”
Chapter fifteen
Skylar
After the bar closed,we headed up to Hiero's apartment. He gave me one of his t-shirts to borrow and provided me with my own toothbrush. I insisted we share his bed, since there was more than enough room for two, though he was right about me needing the rest. I was tired from being on my feet all night, and my encounter with Cedrych had left me emotionally drained as well. I felt like a big, empty house–the ghosts of my former self had come back to haunt me.
Despite my exhaustion, my body was tense with unspent adrenaline, my mind still reeling. How had Cedrych even found me? And what if he came back? What if he made trouble for Hiero and the Wolfsbane Clan? Not to mention Cedrych had completely dismissed my feelings and made excuses for his behavior. Nothing had changed, no lessons had been learned. He was the same old self-absorbed ass. And I’d put up with his bullshit for two long years.
What a fool I’d been.
On and on my thoughts chased their tails. Meanwhile Hiero lay on his back beside me with both arms stretched behind his head, breathing evenly but not yet asleep, as if waiting for me to break the silence.
“Thank you for coming to my rescue back there,” I said to him in the darkness.
“Of course,” he said roughly. “I’d do the same for any of my people.”
My people.The fact that he considered me one of his own gave me a sense of quiet contentment. He’d offered me a job and invited me to his family barbecue. He’d risked his own safety and that of his kin to defend me against my ex. He was everything a man should be. “Even before that," I said. “The way you've welcomed me into your community.”
“It’s the neighborly thing to do,” he said humbly. “We love having you here, Skylar. You fit right in. You’re not thinking about going back, are you?” He glanced over at me with a worried pinch to his brow.
“No, just feeling a little embarrassed. I really didn’t want you to see all that.”
“I’ve seen worse,” he chuckled. “Hell, I’ve been through worse.”
“Have you?” I asked tentatively.
“Oh yeah, one of my exes got falling-down drunk and picked a fight with me while I was working, chased me around the bar with a wooden broom handle, then shifted into a wolfand tried to bite me. Enid chased him off and I never saw him again.”
“That’s terrible. What was the fight about?”
“He didn’t like that I was serving other people drinks.”
“But that’s your job.”
