Chapter 12

S itting in the busy coffee bar, I stare into my coffee, watching the steam eddy across the top of the liquid as I think over the events of the day. I feel bad about how I left things with Garett, but where he was going with his feelings and declarations was a place I was not ready to travel. Hell, I might never be ready for that. I'm too broken and damaged for someone as perfect as Garett. I'm mean, rough around the edges, and have a tendency to push people away when I don't feel safe. Garett is the opposite. Not to mention the fact that I can't seem to control my panties around Alex. Or my closeness with Seb.

I sigh. What a mess my life has become. This is why it was easier not to have any friends. The only person I had to worry about hurting was myself.

I'm so caught up in my musings that I don't notice that someone has approached me until the seat opposite me squeals as it's pulled back. With a start, I look up into the smiling face of Eric Daniels.

"You look like you've had a rough couple of days," he comments, and I smile, rolling my eyes at him.

"You really know how to compliment the ladies, Eric," I tease, chuckling as he realises his faux pas .

He looks like he is going to say something but changes his mind. "I'm just going to get a coffee. Can I get you something?" he inquires.

I shake my head and watch as he walks over to the counter to order his drink. Now I know what you're thinking. What on earth am I doing in a coffee bar in the middle of the city meeting Dr. Hotstuff? This is exactly what I want to know. When I checked my phone earlier in the day, I found several messages from him, each one sounding more desperate, until he finally asked me to meet him here. Apparently he has something he needs to tell me. I wonder what it is and what is so urgent that it has pulled him from work. I feel unsettled and grouchy not being able to go to work. I worked damn hard to become a nurse, and now I am being stopped from doing that by supernatural bullshit. I sigh, running my hand through my hair. That's not true. I will still be able to help people, those people just happen to turn into wolves.

While Eric is standing at the coffee bar, I can't help but admire his looks. His tousled blond hair and dreamy, baby blue eyes are the perfect match for his boyish good looks and beaming smile. He has the kind of face that puts you at ease with a smile, which helps with his profession, not to mention that he's a brilliant doctor. Wearing his smart blue trousers and short-sleeved white shirt, he has most of the ladies in the shop admiring him, not that he seems to notice.

I think back over our friendship. We work well together, and outside of work we've hung out a couple of times, always with Tori present. But if I'm honest, I have always pushed away any of his attempts to take our friendship further. Part of this is because he's human, but I can't keep hiding behind this excuse anymore, especially if what I suspect about him is true. He knows too much about the supernatural—he must have known a shifter, perhaps dated one. His past comments and actions over the last year are starting to make more sense now. At the hospital, when the patient came in with the carving on his back, he knew when to get me out of the room before I lost control. But the real reason is because he wouldn't just be a one-night stand. I can see a future with Eric and that terrifies me. I also know he would want more from me than a ‘friends with benefits' arrangement. So I've kept him at arm's length.

I pull myself out of my thoughts as I see Eric walking back over to our table, a coffee in one hand, and a plate with an iced doughnut in the other. Eric sits with a sweet smile, but my attention is on the doughnut. His amused chuckle drags my eyes off the doughnut, reluctantly, to his smiling face. He pushes the plate towards me.

"This is for you," he tells me, his eyebrows raising as I immediately reach forward, shoving the heavenly cake into my mouth.

I've already eaten half of it before I smile at him, pretty sure there's icing on my face, but I don't care.

"You shouldn't have, I'm trying to watch my figure," I joke as I inhale the rest of the doughnut. I'm licking the icing off my fingers when I see he looks nervous. "Man, it must be bad news if you're buying me doughnuts," I say in a teasing voice, trying to ease some of the tension from his shoulders.

He laughs at my comment but doesn't relax at all. Instead, he looks even tenser. Shit. My comment must have hit a mark. What on earth is he going to tell me?

"Ari, how are you? You haven't been at work. Where are you staying at the moment?" he asks in a rush.

Whoa, question overload. I raise my eyebrows at him and take a sip of my coffee as I digest his questions.

"I'm fine, I just needed some time off work. I'm staying with a friend. Anyway, how did you know I wasn't staying at the apartment?" I ask, starting to get frustrated. Since when did this become an interrogation?

"I stopped by the apartment a couple of times and knew you weren't there," he tells me, looking down into his coffee cup, distracted .

I put my coffee cup down and stare at him, not sure I'm hearing him right.

"You stopped by the apartment?" I ask. Also, what did he mean by saying he knew I wasn't there?

"Well, since that guy keeps turning up at your apartment, I wanted to check that everything was okay," he continues.

At this point, I don't think he is fully aware of what he is saying or the hole he's digging. I've never seen Eric like this. He's usually so calm and composed, but here he is, rambling and unable to meet my eyes.

"Eric, what the hell are you on about? What's going on?" I've had enough. I want answers and I want them now. He grimaces, and I feel my frustration ease. Leaning forward, I place my hand on his. I don't like seeing him like this. I may have been keeping my distance, but we're still friends. I think.

Eric looks at my hand on his and his face turns into a grimace once again. I'm starting to think it's me and go to pull my hand away until he grabs it with his other hand, holding mine in place.

"Ari, you're in danger."

I go still at his words, running my eyes over the man in front of me. My inner wolf comes to attention, assessing the situation for the supposed danger, and my senses go into hyperdrive. I look around the coffee bar, trying to discreetly sniff the air for any potential threat. I can't smell anything unusual. In fact, the only thing that I can really smell is Eric. Okay, I know that sounds weird, but he has always smelled interesting to me, sweet and rich like honey, different from any other scent I have smelled before.

"What do you mean I'm in danger?" I ask, keeping my tone of voice low, although it doesn't hide the slight growl that slips from me.

Eric looks at me, and I'm hit with the full force of his stunning blue eyes, but even those aren't enough to distract me today.

"I've been hearing things. I have…friends. People are after you. Da ngerous people. I think you should lay low for a bit," he tells me earnestly, his grip on my hand tightening a bit as he leans towards me. "I have a safe house, you could come and stay with me. I'll look after you."

I pull my hand away and look at him incredulously. Is this guy serious?

"What is it with people asking me to move in with them today?" I rant, well and truly fed up. "And what do you mean you've been hearing things? Who are these friends? How do you know all this stuff?" I am practically spitting this at him as I try to keep my voice low, my anger making my words clipped and harsh.

My wolf doesn't like this. She wants me to fight or run and is pushing for control. I shove her back. I can handle this. I am in control here.

"Ari, I know what you are. I know you're a werewolf."

And with that little bombshell one of the baristas comes over to the table to ask if we have everything we need, flirting to the max with Eric. Ever the gentleman, he's politely trying to get her to leave, his eyes only leaving mine for a few seconds before darting back. Normally, I would find this amusing, but not today. I snap my head towards the simpering woman and narrow my eyes.

"We're fine. Thanks," I bite out.

She raises her eyebrows at me, and with another look at Eric, she leaves the table. She probably thinks I'm a jealous raging bitch, but I really don't care. I have bigger fish to fry.

"Explain," I order, not in the mood for this run around anymore.

Eric sighs, running his hand through his neat hair, messing it up in a way I've not seen before. It suits him. Focus, Ari, now is not the time.

"I've been part of the supernatural world all my life, so I know what you are. I know you're a lone wolf and you live with a witch—who has great protection on your apartment, by the way. I've been hearing some things that worry me. Things about you. I don't know what you've done, but you have pissed off some pretty nasty people," he explains.

I lean back in my chair and think over what he is saying. Is he guarding his words because of where we are, or because he's hiding something? He's telling the truth, that much I can tell, but he isn't telling the whole truth.

"Shadow Pack?" I ask. It has to be, but I need to know for sure.

He nods his head, his eyes worried. Dread fills my stomach. They really have come for me.

"They are my former pack, back in England," I mumble, and understanding fills his eyes.

"The patient that came in the other night with the symbol…" He pauses but doesn't need to explain anything further, we both remember only too well. "Was that Shadow Pack?" he finally asks, and I just nod. Guilt fills me that this was done to an innocent because they were sending me a message. The brutality of it was just a hint at how far they could go.

"It's not just Shadow Pack. You've also started to attract some other attention. There are some dangerous people in this city. Let me help you, Ari, please."

I rub my hand across my face, thinking through everything I've learned. Something about what Eric said is bugging me, but I can't think why. Wearily, I take a sip from my coffee, hoping the caffeine will give me inspiration. He seems to know too much for a human. Even if he has been brought up by supernaturals, no one would tell a human this sort of thing, unless he was dating someone who knew this information.

Unless he was a supernatural. Son of a bitch.

A deadly calm fills me. I place my coffee cup back down on the table gently and look up at the lying, traitorous man I started to call a friend. He can see it in my eyes, and he has the decency to look nervous.

"Ari, I— "

"What are you?" I demand, not giving him the chance to finish whatever his excuse was going to be.

"Ari, I'm human, I just know—" I cut him off again, anger practically vibrating through my body as my hands start to shake.

"Do not lie to me," I snarl, my fury wild and difficult to contain, and I realise why he picked a public place to meet me. I force myself to calm down. "What. Are. You?"

He isn't going to answer. I can see it in the way he is looking at me. Well, I'm done. I push away from the table, my cup spilling in the process, covering the table in leftover coffee. I am halfway across the shop when he calls my name.

"Ari. Wait. I'm sorry, I'll tell you," he calls, his voice sounding tired and defeated.

I let him sweat it out for a moment before nodding and walking back to my seat. I try to keep my distance. Eric has broken my trust, and it will take time for him to earn it again.

"I'll listen, but you have to tell me the truth," I tell him, and my heart hurts a little at his expression. Like I have promised to give him all his hopes and dreams.

"I don't know how to do this," he admits, and I understand that. If I suddenly had to admit I was Shadowborn, I wouldn't know how to do it either. When you've been hiding something for so long, it's difficult to break that habit. Doesn't mean I forgive him though. I stay quiet as he's working through what he wants to say.

"There isn't really a name for what I am, but the closest thing is an incubus," he finally tells me, not meeting my eyes, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Wait. Isn't an incubus a sex demon?" I ask. I've never met one before. In fact, I didn't think they really existed. I've only ever heard stories about them. Suddenly, I'm glad I didn't let my hormones get the better of me. He grimaces and shakes his head.

"No. Well, some are. Not me." He sighs, running his hands through his hair again. "I feed off energy like an incubus, but I feed off pain. "

Shock fills me. He feeds off pain…

"How does that work? Where do you feed?" I ask, a sinking feeling filling my stomach. My suspicions are confirmed when he looks up at me guiltily.

"Where is the place where people feel the most pain?" he questions as disgust fills me. "I only feed a little off each person, not enough for them to feel anything but slightly tired. I only feed deeper off those who are already dying."

I feel like I'm going to vomit. Anger fills me at the thought of him feeding off my patients.

"You are a doctor. You signed a Hippocratic oath to ‘do no harm.' How could you?" I demand, staring at him like I've never seen him before.

It is the ultimate betrayal of trust to harm a patient. I don't care what he says about only taking a little of their energy. He has done so without gaining consent, which in my mind is assault. Those patients come to the hospital and place their trust in us to care for them. The idea that a being who can feed off of pain has been working in the hospital fills me with anger and disgust. The fact that it's Eric makes this all the harder.

"Wait, how did I not know you were anything other than human? Even Tori thought you were human," I ask, confused. Not much slips by Tori.

Eric sits silently, looking pained as I speak.

"I'm very old, I can hide my presence."

I blink at him. For him to be able to do that he must be old , like five hundred years plus.

"Ari, I don't hurt anyone. Besides, I have to feed to live. Many of my kind like inflicting pain on humans and then feeding off it. I would never do that. I work as a doctor because I want to help people, not because I can feed off them. It just has the added benefit…" He trails off at my expression.

"I have to go," I say, as I pick up my bag, pushing my seat back.

"Ari, please don't go. "

I stand with a sigh. Why are things never easy?

"Eric, I have somewhere I have to be. Besides, I can't be around you right now. I need to think. You lied to me, but worse, you put patients in danger. I'm not sure I can forgive that," I tell him honestly.

He nods, looking resigned, almost like he expected my response.

"I understand that. Just, stay safe, okay?"

I don't answer him, just give him a slight nod before walking out of the coffee shop. I don't look back at him. I just walk to my car and begin the journey back to the pack compound.