11. Danny

Chapter 11

Danny

" W ant to explain why Matty is having to talk Riley down from setting your house on fire?"

I dropped the hose with a sigh. "Nope, not really."

"Wow, not communicating about something," Leo said, dropping his hose beside mine. "I'm so surprised. So. Surprised."

"Fuck off," I said gruffly. Usually I'd have more patience, but two weeks sleeping in the woods in my wolf form had left me feeling exhausted. "Don't you have a mate you can go and annoy?"

"Why would I do that when I can annoy you instead?" I went to walk away, but Leo blocked me with a smooth sidestep. "Seriously, man, what's going on? You look like shit. You've been biting everyone's heads off for the past fortnight. You've picked up every shift going when you're usually first out the door to go and see Riley. You're avoiding him. Hell, you're even avoiding me."

"I've apologised about that," I said, the now familiar guilt rising. "Missing your birthday was a dick move."

"I don't care about that. I'll have plenty more." That was true. Being mated to the Grim Reaper meant Leo could expect hundreds, if not thousands more birthdays in his future. "What I care about is that something's going on with you. I haven't seen you this quiet since you came back from Scotland."

I winced. After Matty had been mistaken for my mate and kidnapped, I'd paid a visit to my former clan. I'd done so with the intention of ensuring they didn't come after anyone else I was close to. To remind them that I would return if, and only if, I took a mate.

What I hadn't expected was the challenge that had been levelled. It turned out that the cunts who'd kidnapped Matty hoping to kill me and steal my powers were just the tip of the iceberg. Taking a mate wouldn't just mean returning to my clan, but an eternity of watching their back as well as my own. It was evident that there were those who wanted me to return, only so they could challenge me themselves.

The whole thing had been a startling wake-up call. For so long, I'd believed I'd never take a mate because I didn't want to return to my clan.

Now though, I knew I couldn't take a mate. Not unless I wanted to risk losing them, and my own immortality, as a result.

"It's nothing like that," I said. "I'm just…going through some stuff."

"Some stuff involving Riley?"

I looked up at him sharply. "I never mentioned Riley."

"No, you didn't. In fact, you haven't mentioned him in over two weeks now. Which is weird, because usually you never shut up about him."

I scowled to try and hide the heat rising in my cheeks. "I do not."

"‘Riley's got another audit this week. Did I tell you how great he looks in the coat I got him? Do you think it's weird if I sneak more food into his freezer? Riley said the funniest thing about Baldur's Gate the other day. Sorry, I can't come over tonight, I've got plans with Riley.'"

I glared at Leo, not sure what irritated me more, the ridiculous falsetto he'd put on, or that I could remember saying each statement. "So? We're best friends. I'm allowed to talk about him."

"But you're not talking about him now," Leo said bluntly. "So out with it. Tell me what's going on."

Never before had I prayed so hard for a call to come in. "Do I have to?"

"Yes." Leo smirked. "If you don't, I'll get Ferry involved."

"Pshh, that's not a threat. I could take Ferry any day."

"How about Ferry and Sebastian?"

I narrowed my eyes. "That's not playing fair."

Leo shrugged. "I'm not about playing fair when it comes to my friends."

"Fine." I blew out a breath. "Lately, I've been feeling…things."

"Okay…" Leo was now trying to smother a laugh. I glared at him. "Feeling things is normal."

"Not these things. I can't feel these things, not about Riley."

"Ah." The penny dropped, all laughter fading from Leo's face. "You've got, like, feeling feelings for him."

"I don't know," I growled in frustration. "Some stuff has happened recently, and now I can't stop thinking about him. And not how I usually do, but, like…sexually and stuff."

"Danny, you old romantic you." Leo dodged the lazy fist I threw his way. "I jest. But seriously, I'm glad you've finally realised it."

"Realised what?"

"That you and Riley are in love." Leo said the words so easily, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Everyone else can see it, it's about time the two of you wake up and realise it too."

"No." I stumbled backwards a step. "I'm not in love with Riley. I love him, of course, but not in that way. I can't."

A shadow passed over Leo's eyes. "Why not?"

"You know why." A few heads turned in our direction and I threw up a compulsion net with a muttered oath. "Look what they did to Matty, and I wasn't even dating him. You think I'm going to risk putting Riley in that position?"

"You've been practically living with the man for five years now. If anything was going to happen, it would've by now. Besides, you can keep him safe."

"I couldn't keep Matty safe," I said bitterly. Even years later, the guilt of that day still stung. "If it hadn't been for Sebastian, who knows what would've happened. I certainly wouldn't have tracked him down as fast as he did."

"You wouldn't be alone this time either," Leo said quietly. "If anyone tried to lay a finger on Riley, they wouldn't just have you to contend with. They'd have a long line of very dangerous supes waiting to get their slice of revenge. No one is going to want to fuck with Riley, not with the friends the two of you have around you."

Sarah's face flashed into my mind, followed swiftly by Maria's. They'd had powerful friends too. Sarah herself had been powerful. It hadn't been enough to protect them.

I hadn't been enough.

"It's not worth the risk," I said finally. "Besides, how I feel is irrelevant. Riley doesn't want a relationship, and he certainly doesn't want to be tied to a supe for all of eternity. He's told us often enough."

"He might feel differently if that supe is you."

I gave Leo a tight smile. "Or he might decide to end our friendship entirely. You think I want to risk that?"

"I think you're doing him a massive disservice by not discussing this with him," Leo countered. "I know you're used to keeping everyone in the dark, but this isn't okay, Danny. If stuff's changing for you, you have to tell Riley. Don't be a dick, not about this. It's not fair."

"Me telling him isn't fair," I said hotly. "Riley doesn't want an emotional attachment with anyone . He trusts me. I should be the one person he can rely on to not throw feelings in his face."

"He already has an emotional attachment to you. Don't you get that?" Leo now looked as frustrated as I was feeling. "You and Riley are a couple in all but name. One of you just needs to have the balls to admit it."

A muscle in my jaw jumped. "You're wrong."

Leo sighed. "What's the plan then, Danny? You're just going to ignore him forever?"

I huffed. "Not if I want my house to remain standing."

"He wouldn't really set fire to it…would he?"

I rolled my eyes at Leo. "I wouldn't put it past him. An angry Riley is terrifying. And stubborn. I'm amazed he's let me stay away this long, to be honest."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I said heavily. I couldn't go on ignoring him, that was for sure. Even if Riley hadn't threatened arson, my wolf wasn't prepared to let much more time pass apart from him. I was tired of fighting with him. If I didn't go to Riley soon, I risked my wolf taking the choice out of my hands. "I really don't know."