Page 36

Uriel scrubbed a shaky hand over his face. The residual fear from his nightmare was still there, along with that horrible feeling of imminent danger.

He pulled his blankets tighter around himself, but he still felt terribly uneasy.

“Do you... want me to stay in here for a while?” Bruiser asked carefully.

Right. He was being nice. Because he knew Uriel was an omega.

The panic swelled again, and Uriel made himself breathe through it. Nothing had happened because Bruiser knew. Uriel was safe for now, unless he went back to sleep and fell back into the dream.

Bruiser was... maybe safe. He would fight off kidnappers, at least; Uriel knew that much.

“Could you...” His scars ached and prickled. “Could you stay in here for a while?”

“Sure. On the floor? In the corner?”

Uriel didn’t know how long it would take for him to calm down, but it seemed unfair to make the alpha sleep on the floor. He shuffled over to the far side of the bed. “You can... sleep over there for tonight. On the bed.”

A raised eyebrow. “You sure?”

Uriel shrugged. When Bruiser still did not move, Uriel nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Okay.” Warily, Bruiser got under the covers, naked save for a pair of boxers. “You’re not going to turn me into a frog?”

Uriel laughed weakly, surprised. “I’ll try not to.”

“That fills me with certainty,” Bruiser said dryly, but he turned his back to Uriel, glancing over his shoulder. “Tell me if you need me to leave.”

Uriel nodded. He already felt safer with Bruiser in the bed with him; he had seen the alpha take down human traffickers. Bruiser was between Uriel and the bedroom door.

Slowly, he unclenched his fists, settling back into the pillows. He turned his back to the alpha and tucked the blankets around himself, glad that Bruiser wasn’t asking about his nightmare.

It took a while. But at long last, with the sound of Bruiser’s slow breathing around him, Uriel fell asleep.

9

ONLY ONE BED

Uriel woke the next morning feeling completely safe.

It was an odd feeling, because so little in his life was guaranteed—he only had himself to rely on for his safety, and he had Cassie, who was solely his.

But he was warm right now, snug and comfortable, and he didn’t want to leave this bed.

This bed that he had never even slept in before today.

Alarm skittered down his nerves. He tensed a little, trying not to move in case anyone was watching him sleep.

Then he realized that there was something warm wrapped around his waist, and all along his back.

Actually, someone was behind and around him.

He almost flailed, until he caught a whiff of a smoky scent. Then he remembered last night—feelings of terror and helplessness—the nightmare.

Bruiser waking him up and offering to keep watch.

Oh gods, Bruiser knew he was an omega. But instead of laughing, instead of accusing Uriel of lying or demanding proof, instead of calling him names, Bruiser had accepted it. And he had apologized for being a jerk.

He had bought Uriel food and shared his fried chicken.