self-imposed nun she’d been for the past two years.
“Listen, are you doing anything tonight?”
He blinked. She couldn’t refrain from smiling.
“I have nothing planned.”
“Good. Well, I know it’s dark out, but I’m not really ready to go home yet. I’d love the company, so long as you promise not to bite.”
He grinned, showing off his white teeth, the canines on prominent display. A delicious shiver ran through her. Those were some nice-looking fangs. Not too long, not too short.
Jeez, since when did I become a fang lover? Goddess help me.
Everything about this man was perfect. It would have made her sick except that he was looking at her with an answering heat in his eyes.
Friend, Eve. Friend. That’s all you want right now. Keep telling yourself that; you’ll believe it eventually.
She broke the electric silence first. “Okay, well, I’m gonna go grab my sweater and clock out. Give me about two minutes. In the meantime, why don’t you go ahead and eat, I know you must be starving after just rising and all.”
* * *
Cian waited until Eve was out of view, then he turned and headed outside, finding the nearest Dumpster and tossed the baggie into it. He didn’t want to hurt feelings, but there were limits to what he was willing to do, and that was one of them.
He leaned against the brick exterior of the shop and crossed his arms, waiting for Eve. He should have told her no. But he was sick to death of all the should-haves. For once he’d decided to go with his heart. He only hoped he didn’t regret it come week’s end.
A flash of red. He narrowed his eyes and twirled, his senses heightened, the prickle of another reaper traveling down his spine.
“Frenzy,” he hissed. The red could belong to no other. There was silence and yet the shadows breathed. He ground his jaw, his pulse kicking into hyperdrive. Footsteps pounding the pavement, he stalked to another Dumpster, tucked deeper in the alleyway. His eyes roved the darkness. The awareness of the presence grew steadily stronger.
The bell above the shop jingled as Eve walked out.
He turned, torn between finding Frenzy and going to her. It was his hand that decided for him. He glanced down and the fingers were flesh. Whatever the hell Frenzy had in mind, it wasn’t death, not so long as his hand remained normal. With one last glare into the darkness, he turned back.
The confusion written on her brows gave way to excitement as she finally noticed him walk up. She smiled. “There you are.”
“Aye.” He held his arm out to her, and after a moment’s hesitation she shrugged and slipped her arm in his.
Inside he trembled with rage. Breathe. Breathe or she’ll know something’s wrong. He couldn’t help but cast a quick glance behind his shoulder. Nothing. She never noticed.
“‘Aye,’ hmm? That’s very archaic.”
He ground his jaw; he hadn’t meant to slip into the old speech. He’d broken himself of the habit centuries ago, a telltale that had become too dangerous to use. Still, his mind was consumed. The betraying pulse of death was gone, but the memory lingered on. He rubbed his jaw, stretching out with his senses, listening for something. Except for the rustle of rodents and heavy shuffle of normals, he heard nothing to indicate danger.
She raised a brow. The smile on her face slipping, waiting for his response, a nuance, some validation that he’d heard her. He took a slow, deep breath and tried to pretend that everything was okay. That she wasn’t marked by death.
The truth was that everything wasn’t okay. Was it? Just like the fae he despised, he looked her in the eyes and, without missing a beat, forced a smile. Cruel deceit.
She sighed, and calm replaced the tension. “I like it.” She flashed him her famous crooked grin. “Sounds very chivalrous. So were you Irish before the big change?”
Whichever reaper he’d sensed was now long gone, and yet the cold reminder of her plight settled heavy on his
“Listen, are you doing anything tonight?”
He blinked. She couldn’t refrain from smiling.
“I have nothing planned.”
“Good. Well, I know it’s dark out, but I’m not really ready to go home yet. I’d love the company, so long as you promise not to bite.”
He grinned, showing off his white teeth, the canines on prominent display. A delicious shiver ran through her. Those were some nice-looking fangs. Not too long, not too short.
Jeez, since when did I become a fang lover? Goddess help me.
Everything about this man was perfect. It would have made her sick except that he was looking at her with an answering heat in his eyes.
Friend, Eve. Friend. That’s all you want right now. Keep telling yourself that; you’ll believe it eventually.
She broke the electric silence first. “Okay, well, I’m gonna go grab my sweater and clock out. Give me about two minutes. In the meantime, why don’t you go ahead and eat, I know you must be starving after just rising and all.”
* * *
Cian waited until Eve was out of view, then he turned and headed outside, finding the nearest Dumpster and tossed the baggie into it. He didn’t want to hurt feelings, but there were limits to what he was willing to do, and that was one of them.
He leaned against the brick exterior of the shop and crossed his arms, waiting for Eve. He should have told her no. But he was sick to death of all the should-haves. For once he’d decided to go with his heart. He only hoped he didn’t regret it come week’s end.
A flash of red. He narrowed his eyes and twirled, his senses heightened, the prickle of another reaper traveling down his spine.
“Frenzy,” he hissed. The red could belong to no other. There was silence and yet the shadows breathed. He ground his jaw, his pulse kicking into hyperdrive. Footsteps pounding the pavement, he stalked to another Dumpster, tucked deeper in the alleyway. His eyes roved the darkness. The awareness of the presence grew steadily stronger.
The bell above the shop jingled as Eve walked out.
He turned, torn between finding Frenzy and going to her. It was his hand that decided for him. He glanced down and the fingers were flesh. Whatever the hell Frenzy had in mind, it wasn’t death, not so long as his hand remained normal. With one last glare into the darkness, he turned back.
The confusion written on her brows gave way to excitement as she finally noticed him walk up. She smiled. “There you are.”
“Aye.” He held his arm out to her, and after a moment’s hesitation she shrugged and slipped her arm in his.
Inside he trembled with rage. Breathe. Breathe or she’ll know something’s wrong. He couldn’t help but cast a quick glance behind his shoulder. Nothing. She never noticed.
“‘Aye,’ hmm? That’s very archaic.”
He ground his jaw; he hadn’t meant to slip into the old speech. He’d broken himself of the habit centuries ago, a telltale that had become too dangerous to use. Still, his mind was consumed. The betraying pulse of death was gone, but the memory lingered on. He rubbed his jaw, stretching out with his senses, listening for something. Except for the rustle of rodents and heavy shuffle of normals, he heard nothing to indicate danger.
She raised a brow. The smile on her face slipping, waiting for his response, a nuance, some validation that he’d heard her. He took a slow, deep breath and tried to pretend that everything was okay. That she wasn’t marked by death.
The truth was that everything wasn’t okay. Was it? Just like the fae he despised, he looked her in the eyes and, without missing a beat, forced a smile. Cruel deceit.
She sighed, and calm replaced the tension. “I like it.” She flashed him her famous crooked grin. “Sounds very chivalrous. So were you Irish before the big change?”
Whichever reaper he’d sensed was now long gone, and yet the cold reminder of her plight settled heavy on his
Similar Books
