9. Nine

nine

I knew Quin was there. I'd offered to let him stay in the apartment with me, but he'd refused with such vehemence that it tipped me to the fact Drym must be nearby as well. It didn't take me long to work out where he was hiding.

Just knowing he was there made me feel better, which was absurd. My therapist confirmed that my attachment to my "mystery" rescuer was a trauma response. I tried to see it that way, but it didn't feel right.

I can't imagine a trauma response caused people to have incredibly dirty, sexy dreams every time their eyes closed. They were getting ridiculous. I'd even asked Quin if they had any psychic powers, thinking maybe Drym was in my head somehow. His ears had flopped to the side when he said no and it was so damn adorable I'd wanted to ruffle the fur on his head.

My entire world had shifted when Drym picked me up in the woods that night. I shrank from every man I needed to interact with, searching faces as I went about my day, scared to death I would see one of the men who held me.

Then I came home and felt safe because one seven-foot-tall monster slept in the maintenance room on my floor and another one watched obsessively from the oak tree outside my window.

It should have freaked me the fuck out. My brain should have felt scrambled and wrong. I should have felt ashamed every time I brought myself to orgasm thinking about a thick cock with a spiral of spikes down its length pushing into me.

I felt none of those things.

What made me feel weird was being out in the world. I hadn't needed to go back to work just yet, but my apartment felt empty and exposed. Walking down the sidewalk made me anxious. I was paranoid in the grocery store.

All I wanted to do was find a cave to hide in. One with a soft nest of blankets and a hot, furred body curled around me.

I shook my head. I wasn't sure what the future held for the wyrfangs, but I didn't see any way I fit into it.

I stepped back to let them in, chuckling when Quin's horns hit the top of the door frame and wrenched his head back. Drym shoved him the rest of the way through, ducking so he didn't repeat the mistake.

Quin rubbed at the base of his horns and shrugged at me. "We usually breach doors on all fours."

I closed the door and turned to find Drym close, staring down at me. I saw his hands wave at his side, like he wanted to reach for me, but decided against it. The slight movement broke my heart.

I stepped into him and dug my fingers into the fur on his back. My cheek pressed to his chest muffled my voice when I said, "Hi."

I felt the underside of his jaw press against my back and heard him whisper back. "Hi."

It started as a simple hug. I inhaled deeply and my nipples rubbed against his chest through the fabric of the thin cotton shirt I was wearing and heat flooded my body. My arousal was swift and so complete, I could feel how wet I was when I squeezed my thighs together.

A low rumble started beneath my ear and I knew he could smell how turned on I was.

Quin cleared his throat and I jerked away from Drym. I'd forgotten we weren't alone.

I cleared my throat and willed the heat out of my cheeks. "Are y'all hungry? Thirsty?"

Quin laughed. "I'm sure my brother is hungry, but he's going to have to wait. Right now, I need to satisfy my curiosity about what's in that note."

Oh, right. The note. The envelope was thin and sealed with an embossed circle of gold foil. I pulled out a single sheet of paper that was so smooth I knew it was expensive. There was no message, just a time and an address near the river.

I crossed to my couch and grabbed my laptop. There wasn't a business name associated with the address, but the satellite image showed a brick building with manicured landscaping in a fancy part of downtown Damruck.

Setting the meeting at eight at night meant as long as there were no floodlights on the outside of the building, Drym and Kragen could go with me. I just had to figure out how to get them there without being spotted.

Their size was an issue, but I'd seen Drym squat and tuck himself into a ball that made him seem far smaller. The horns were harder to hide.

"Okay, here's the plan. I want Drym to go with me, and I'm sure Kragen wants to go as well." I paused to make sure they were both following along.

Quin sank to the floor and tipped his nose skyward. "Thank fuck you didn't say me."

I snorted, then kept going. "Quin, you go back and tell Kragen to meet us at seven near the edge of the parking lot tomorrow. I'll go in the morning and rent a van big enough to hide you." I looked at Drym. "When we get to the address, it'll be up to you and him to figure out how to get inside."

"Good plan."

Drym's praise lifted my chest and I refused to examine that too closely.

"We better go before it gets too light out."

Quin stepped through the door but when Drym tried to follow, I stopped him. "Stay. Please."

He and Quin shared a look before the other wyrfang closed the door behind him with a soft click.

I watched Drym's shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath. "This may not be wise. I don't want to encroach on your space. I should go."

When he reached for the door handle I stopped him again. "Don't. I want you to stay." I took a deep breath of my own. "I want you."