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To my surprise, Augustus has jumped out of the back of the rig. He pokes his head in again. “Hey, I’m gonna see her to the door. I’ll walk back to the station.”

Eric is quiet for a moment, then nods. Augustus closes the door, and the rig takes off before I can protest.

“You certainly don’t have to walk me to the door.”

He smiles again, and I can’t help but notice the way his fangs gleam in the light of the street lamp. “Call me old-fashioned. I can walk you to the office if you’d feel more comfortable with me not knowing where exactly you live,” he replies.

Again, he is making an effort to make me feel comfortable. I can’t explain what such a simple gesture does to me, but I relax a little bit more and find myself saying, “This way.”

He follows beside me, a solid, steady presence. It’s quiet but comfortable even though I can feel him watching me.

“This is me,” I say when we reach the door and unlock it.

When I meet his eye, he looks uncertain, like he wants to say something.

I lean back onto the door, pushing open just enough for Minna to wiggle her way through.

“Minna!” I yell as she pushes past me and goes straight for Augustus.

She stands on her hind legs, paws on his hips. Augustus beams at her as he scratches her head. “Well hello there, Minna. Aren’t you a pretty girl?” he says in a voice similar to the one I use when I’m talking to my fur babies.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. I love animals,” he says brightly as he continues to pet her.

“You say that now. If she gets any more excited, she’ll pee on you,” I laugh. “I need to walk her.”

Still petting her, he looks to me. “There’s a market going on a few blocks up. Pet-friendly. Plenty of places for her to take care of business. I’d be happy to walk you. They’ll be sidewalk vendors on the way up too.”

Again, he’s making a point of saying that we won’t be isolated and making sure I’m comfortable. And that has me saying “Ok” before my brain registers what my mouth is saying.

Chapter 6

Safety Is An Illusion

AUGUSTUS

“Ok,” Cordelya says softly. “Let me grab her leash. I’ll be just a minute. Minna, come.”

Minna obeys but not before licking my face as if to say thank you for the pets. She trots after Cordelya, the door clicking closed behind them.

Her scent, that has slowly been filling my lungs since she climbed into the rig, lingers where she stood. Caramel and pear and something that is entirely, uniquely Cordelya.

I worry for a moment that she won’t come back. Something clearly has her on edge. A nervous energy clings to her like a second skin.

The way her pulse quickened when I offered to bring her home, as if the thought of being alone with me frightened her, made my heart clench.

I didn’t like her fear. She’s afraid of something, and for reasons I can’t fathom, I need to know what so I can destroy it.

Cordelya steps back outside with Minna on her leash, the lead hanging loosely at her side. She doesn’t look at me, though. Her eyes scan the street up and down. Her pulse flutters just slightly as her gaze does another sweep. She exhales softly as her pulse slows, and she finally meets my eyes.

“Lead the way,” she says.

“My pleasure,” I say with a smile.

We walk in silence from her apartment back to the front of the complex and hang a right onto Main Street. Every few minutes she scans the street as Minna trots along beside us. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what has her so on edge, but I get the impression if I do, she'll turn on her heels and hightail it back to her apartment.

“How are you settling into Ravens Hollow?” I ask, hoping this is a safer route to get her to open up.