His jade eyes burned with worry. I fell into his arms, and he lifted me off my feet, hugging me close. He rubbed his cheek along mine, a gesture filled with affection. A few hot tears rolled down my face.
“Are you ok, Lex?” He spoke softly. “No, of course you’re not. I can’t believe this happened. I can’t believe it’s gone.”
“Did you see it?” I buried my face in his neck, breathing deeply of his scent. God how I’d missed this, just being with him without feeling the wall that had been built between us.
“Yeah, I saw it. It’s just rubble. Only the basement is left. They were still hosing it down when I drove by.”
His scent was soothing, calming the wolf inside. His presence meant the world to me. But, I never would have expected any less from him.
Eventually I had to pull back enough to gesture to Coby and make the necessary introductions. After what had just occurred, the news that I had turned Coby in a fit of bloodlust really didn’t sound so shocking. Shaz took it in stride like he did everything else. Offering a friendly hand to our new wolf, he played the Alpha role to perfection, even going so far as to invite Coby to stay at his place.
It went without saying that I would stay with Arys. It was the safest place for me to be. Having Coby with me was an unfair risk to him. He would be better off with Shaz.
By the time we got to Arys’s house, I was in dire need of a shower and sleep. I left Shaz to handle introducing Coby to Arys and headed for the bathroom. Through the living room and down the hall, their voices followed me as I went. Arys didn’t sound nearly surprised enough to learn that I’d turned Coby.
I closed the bathroom door on their conversation and peeled off my soot-stained clothing. The heavy scent of smoke clung to my hair and skin. My face was smudged with soot. A brief glimpse in the mirror revealed heavy circles beneath my eyes. I looked pretty rough, and I wasn’t feeling so hot either.
Arys’s bathroom became a sanctuary. The oversized tub with jets was perfect for two. He had a bigger selection of shampoo and conditioner than any woman I’d ever known. I turned on the water and stepped into the hot shower spray with a sigh. The tears burst forth, rolling down my face to mix with the water that cascaded over me. I let them come. Alone, I had no need to put up a front. I was hurting. And, where the hurt ended, the craving for vengeance began.
After scrubbing myself clean, I stood there with the water as hot as I could stand it. I must have been in there for a long time because the door opened and Shaz slipped inside.
“Lex? Are you ok in here? You’ve been in here for almost an hour.”
The hot water was beginning to cool anyway so I turned it off and stepped out to find Shaz holding a large fluffy towel. He wrapped it around me before pulling me tight against him. I would have sobbed if I hadn’t just cried myself out. Instead, I closed my eyes and drank in the comforting sensation of being in his arms.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I whispered, my throat raw and sore.
He smoothed a hand over my wet, tangled hair. “I’m just sorry I wasn’t there with you when it happened.”
For a long time, we just stood there holding one another. Shaz pulled back before I was ready to let go. He grabbed a hairbrush off the counter and began to pull it gently through my tangled mess of hair.
“Do you have any idea who set the fire?”
He broke the silence. Our eyes met briefly in the mirror. He looked so haunted.
“A vampire. Nobody I know personally from the sounds of it. He must be working for someone else.” The simple act of Shaz running the brush through my hair was comforting. So much passed between us with that gesture. “I’m going to find out who it is.”
“You should get some sleep. You look tired.” Shaz finished with my hair and pressed a warm kiss to my forehead.
“Stay with me?” I was both hopeful and fearful.
“Of course. I’ll take Coby to my apartment and get him settled in. Then I’ll come right back. Promise.”
“Be careful,” I warned. “Just in case someone’s watching those close to me. There are some scary-ass daywalkers out there.”
He kissed me again, his lips soft on mine. I hated that it took a horrible event to chase us back into each other’s arms. “But none of them compare to you. I’ll be back before you know it.”
He left me in Arys’s room where I made a halfhearted attempt to find a change of clothing that belonged to me. I had to have a few items lying around. I gave up and settled on one of Arys’s t-shirts and some silk boxer shorts.
I was sitting on the side of the bed, staring into space, when Arys entered the room. We looked at one another for a minute before he began to pace alongside the bed. I wanted him to hold me, to grab me tight the way Shaz had. I knew why he didn’t. He was keeping up that front, the one I had abandoned in the shower when the tears had flowed.
“Thank God you’re alright.” His voice broke, the one sign that steady, cool Arys was shaken.