Chapter 11
Bowen
Once our food arrived, we ate in contented silence.
Rudy scarfed down two double burgers, looking rather sheepish about it, while I had a delicious ranch veggie wrap.
At least Zephyr kept his distrust of me out of the food he served, because everything I’ve eaten here has been amazing.
I understood it now, though, why the chef was so in my face when I didn’t think I’d done anything.
Even knowing what Rudy was, or maybe because of what he was, I already felt protective of him.
From the little I knew of the man next to me, there was a sweet fragility about him.
I wanted to pull him into my arms and hold him, and tell him how amazing he was.
I got the feeling he didn’t hear that enough.
Maybe from his friends now, since it sounded as if they were a solid support system for him, which I was glad for.
Something told me that the werewolf side of him wasn’t the only part of him that needed to hear he was a good boy.
Maybe not quite the same wording, but a little praise went a long way.
After we ate, we continued to share stories with each other. It was unusual to feel so comfortable talking with someone, and freeing to be able to share a part of myself I usually kept locked down in human company.
In a quiet moment that settled between us, my exhaustion and full stomach caught up to me, and a long yawn fell out of me. I blinked my eyes hard and shook my head. It had been a rough few nights, and the adrenaline that came from discovering who Rudy was and being hauled back here was wearing off.
Rudy’s warm eyes narrowed with concern. “I’m sorry. I’ve kept you a lot longer than I meant to. You can go if you like.”
I reached across the couch and grabbed his large hand, threading my much-smaller fingers through his. Rudy flinched for a moment before letting out a sigh and squeezing my hand in his. “No. It’s not that at all. I just haven’t been sleeping well, and I’m starting to feel it.”
He slid a glance toward me, but his gaze returned to our interlocked fingers as if it were completely new to him. His hand felt so warm against mine. Rudy seemed to radiate warmth, more so than anyone I’d known before. “Oh? Why is that?”
Feeling the heat of him bleed through my skin was comforting, grounding, even now, as the images from my nightmares came to the front of my mind.
“You know the thing I’ve felt chasing me?
The thing the animals warned me about? It appears in my dreams as shadows.
A dark hand that reaches for me. I know it’s my mind playing tricks on me, but it feels so real in the moment.
I’ve been startled awake each night, fleeing the hand of shadows, making it hard to fall back asleep. ”
Rudy’s grip tightened on my hand, and I saw a flash behind his eyes. “What do you need?”
“I just really need some sleep, is all.” My free hand covered another yawn.
He bobbed his head slowly, and a look of sorrow changed his features. “Right.”
Rudy tried to pull his hand away from mine, but I held tight.
I could see that he was expecting me to leave, and I both loved that he didn’t want me to and hated the sadness in him at the thought of it.
“Can I stay? Would it be okay if I rested here? Rudy, being with you makes the shadows feel further away.”
His eyes rounded, and a crooked smile stretched his lips. “Yes!” He cleared his throat and spoke in a more reserved tone. “I mean, yes, of course. Uh, what, where, how?”
My lips stretched into a smile, and I couldn’t resist him any longer; he was just so fucking cute.
The last time hadn’t ended as I hoped, but maybe without advanced warning, it might be okay.
I leaned toward him and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth.
Enough to make him draw in a sharp breath and for the wolf to peek through his eyes as I leaned back.
It was a look I was really starting to enjoy.
Rudy closed his eyes and breathed deeply. When he opened them again, his blue eyes were fully human with a look of pride beaming through, and he gave me the sweetest smile. “I’m okay.”
I patted his cheek lightly and shared a smile with him. Choosing not to call attention to the fact that he was able to keep his wolf in check, I asked, “Can I just stay right here?”
“Yeah, of course. Do you want me to move? I can do something else.”
“No, Rudy. Stay, please. It’s nice to have you close; your presence is really comforting.”
That sweet smile that had been there a moment ago changed into a crooked one, looking incredibly adorable. He settled back into the corner of the couch, trying to give me as much room as possible. I kicked off my shoes and reclined against the other arm of the couch with my feet tucked between us.
He was stiff and tense beside me, but his steady breathing seemed to magically enchant me and remove the last bit of reluctance at falling asleep when all I wanted was to stay present with this incredible man.
I felt myself sink, felt sleep pull me under, and for the first time since I’d arrived here, I was completely at peace.
Beneath the layers of sleep, there was a hint of awareness as my legs were pulled straight, resting on top of a heat source that traveled through my body and into my chest, blooming from within. A heavy weight lay across my hip, making me feel safe and secure.
Dreams of shadows didn’t come. I wasn’t filled with a sense of dread.
I merely slept. Slept in a warm cocoon, tucked away from any worries or cares.
There was no sunlight shining through the window to give me a sense of time.
I found tranquility in the timelessness, with complete trust that nothing would happen to me while I was here.
A loud pounding in the distance broke me from my cocoon, snapping me back to reality.
I tried to sit up, but a hand held me in place.
A low growl sounded beside me. In the twilight of waking from the deepest nap I’d ever had, it should have been a disconcerting sound, but the recognition of it made me smile in my still-waking state.
Another knock sounded, and I realized it came from the door.
With my eyes blinking open, I saw my legs resting in Rudy’s lap and his hand on my side.
My glasses, which I’d been wearing when I lay down, were now folded and sitting on the coffee table.
The image of Rudy gently taking them off me and setting them aside made me sigh softly. Such a sweet gesture.
The knocking grew more urgent, and the man beside me let out a vicious snarl, curling his lips back, revealing elongated fangs. He roared out, “Go the fuck away!”
His hand never left my side, as if he was trying to make sure I didn’t try to flee from him, which made my heart do a little flutter.
“I’m sorry, Wolfie. I can’t do that. We have an emergency, and you haven’t been answering your phone. If you don’t come out, I’m going to have to come in.”
Rudy stiffened at my side, huffing deep breaths, and I could see the fight he was engaged in, torn between his responsibilities and not wanting to leave me.
I sat up straighter and grabbed my glasses off the table.
Rudy watched my every move in that in-between state of his where the wolf was moments away from coming out.
Reaching across to rest my hand on his arm, I said, “You should go. They need you. I’ll be fine.”
His eyes locked on mine, and I could see the gleam of his beast’s eyes give way to their natural piercing blue. Damn, that was cool. After exhaling long and slow, Rudy spoke in a soft tone, “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I feel a lot better, thank you for staying with me.”
An adorably sweet smile stretched across the bearded face next to me. “I’m happy you felt comfortable enough to rest.”
“I did.” I grinned as I pulled my legs out of his lap, realizing he must have positioned me like that.
Rudy might have been hesitant to touch me or get too close because of his wolf, but he’d been able to push past all of that to take care of and watch over me while I slept.
My heart no longer fluttered, it soared.
Reluctantly, he stood and stretched, his neck popping as he moved it from side to side. With his arms raised, I caught a glimpse of the black hair on his stomach, making me wish his shirt wasn’t so loose. Damn, what I wouldn’t give to see more of him.
A rumble in the back of his throat forced my gaze away from that sliver of skin, looking up at Rudy’s face. He was already so tall, and with me still on the couch, he towered above me, sending a thrill through me.
Rudy huffed out a laugh as his cheeks turned pink. “You gotta stop, or I'm not going to be able to leave.”
“Stop what?” I asked teasingly.
His nostrils flared, and his fists clenched at his sides. “Smelling like that.”
I shrugged with an impish smirk, loving the way he reacted to me and the way he wasn’t trying to censor his reaction this time. “I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
A deep chuckle sounded, but was followed by another insistent knock. Rudy glanced toward the door and back to me. He leaned down and brushed his hand gently against my cheek with a serious expression on his face. “Tell me I’ll see you again.”
I stood quickly, needing to reassure him, to do anything to erase his worry.
“Of course! I don’t really know how long I’m staying, but I’ll be here for the foreseeable future.
This was the best day I’ve had in a long time…
shit, maybe ever, even if I slept through half of it.
I like you, Rudy. I want to see you again. Trust that, okay? Trust me?”
Relief filled him, and he relaxed his stance. “I do. I trust you, Bowen. This was my best day, too, especially with you sleeping. You're welcome to stay as long as you need. I don't have anything to hide. Well, the thing I usually hide, you already know, so the rest doesn’t matter.”