Chapter 29
Delilah woke up to McKenzie crying in the other room. She clambered out of bed, instantly awake. After pulling McKenzie from her crib, she sat down on the floor against the wall and lifted up her shirt.
It wasn”t her shirt, however. Delilah had never before stolen anything in her life, but she hadn’t been able to resist this. She wondered if she should buy him a new one to replace it, but leaving a new t-shirt on his front porch would be weird.
She had just finished nursing McKenzie and laid her back in her crib when she heard a soft knock at the front door. She looked up, alarmed. She didn”t know what time it was, but the house was dark and it felt like the middle of the night.
She walked quietly to the living room. The clock on the microwave said it was only nine p.m. She laughed to herself. So much for the middle of the night. She hurried the rest of the way to the door and said quietly, ”Who is it?”
There was no response at first. She stared at the sturdy door in front of her, wondering just how easy it would be to break for somebody with a shifter’s strength. Ben had put a better lock on after the last one had broken, but was it strong enough?
Then a voice said, ”It”s me. Ben.”
Delilah unlocked the deadbolt and yanked open the door. He stood in front of her, as big and muscular as always, but with a pale tinge to his cheeks.
”Are you okay?” she asked.
”No.”
She stepped aside and he stomped into the living room. His gaze landed on the trash bags that she still hadn”t unpacked. She had once again gone to bed early rather than face them.
”Where”s McKenzie?”
Delilah stared up at him, puzzled. ”She”s in her crib.”
Ben touched Delilah”s shoulder as he walked past her and straight to the baby’s room. He paused in the doorway. From behind him, Delilah watched his great shoulders rise and then fall. He seemed...relieved.
”I”m staying here tonight,” he said.
He turned around after saying the words, and Delilah was struck by the raw fatigue in his gaze. If she hadn”t seen that, she might have argued with him. Like, who the hell did he think he was, showing up here like this and demanding to stay over? But the way he looked at her now, like he was struggling through quicksand, reaching for a lifeline—she couldn”t even pretend to put up a fight.
”Come sit down,” she said, pointing to the scum chair.
He started toward the chair, then seemed to think better of it and stopped. “Then there’s nowhere for you to sit.”
”It”s okay, I”m used to sitting on the floor—” Delilah started.
His hand shot out and he grabbed her by the waist. Hauling her up against him, he bent his head and kissed her on the lips.
All of Delilah”s thoughts flew out of her head like butterflies that had been kept captive too long. She twined her arms around his neck, wanting him closer. He licked her bottom lip and she opened to him, inviting him in. His tongue stroked through her mouth, claiming her, fighting for her, stealing her breath.
He pulled back from the kiss with a growl. ”So this is where my shirt went,” he said, tugging at the hem of the shirt Delilah was wearing.
She nodded. ”It was mixed in with McKenzie”s things.”
He gave her a wicked grin. ”That”s not the full story, is it?”
”Uh, not really.” She couldn”t help her giggle. Then she looked at him seriously. ”Why are you here?”
He led her over to the scum chair and eased into it, then pulled her gently by her hips until she sat in his lap sideways. He cradled her to his chest as he said, ”A couple of reasons.”
She snuggled against his chest, not really caring about any reasons, only caring that he was here with her.
He said, ”I planned to come here tomorrow. I wanted to tell you everything, how miserable I’ve been since you left. I can”t sleep or do anything without you and McKenzie in my life.”
”It”s been rough for me, too,” Delilah said. ”I thought you wanted us out, though.”
”Maybe that”s how I felt at first,” he said, ”but it wasn”t how I felt on Saturday, and it sure as hell isn”t how I feel now.”
Delilah liked the way his deep voice rumbled against her ear when she was pressed against his chest like this.
”And the other reason you’re here?” she asked.
His arms tightened around her. ”I think that rogue is gonna come back. I need to be here to protect you.”
She looked up at Ben. ”I thought he gave up on the knife.”
”I thought he had, too. But he lost our guy watching him, and you can’t lose a shifter tailing you on accident. My only idea is he still wants the knife.”
”I”m glad you”re here,” she whispered. She turned slightly in his lap so that she could look him more easily in the face. Then she put her lips to his and kissed him again.
Suddenly, Ben was standing up. He pulled Delilah with him, setting her carefully on the floor next to him.
”What? What is it?” Delilah asked.
He pulled his shirt over his head. ”I heard something. I think he”s here. Call Marlana.”
Delilah froze, listening. She couldn’t hear anything, but she didn’t have any of those super senses Viviana and Ben had told her about.
Ben reached for Delilah and pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Please be safe. You have Marlana’s number?”
“Yes, but…”
“Call her.”
”Ben, don”t go,” Delilah said. She wouldn’t be able to handle it if he got hurt.
He was already completely naked and walking out the back door. ”Lock this behind me,” he said. ”And call Marlana.”
Marlana could send more Guardians out here to help Ben. Delilah ran to her bedroom and found her phone. She scrolled through her contacts. Her hands were shaking so hard that it was difficult to hold the phone straight. She found Marlana’s name and dialed.
As soon as Marlana picked up, Delilah was talking. ”Ben just went outside, he thinks that other shifter is here and after the knife.”
”Help is only ten minutes away,” Marlana said. ”I’m sending Gracie and Fraze out to you.”
”Thank you. Please, tell them to hurry. I don”t want Ben to get hurt.”
”He”s one of our strongest,” Marlana said. ”He’ll probably have everything set to rights before Gracie and Fraze arrive.”
They ended the call, and there was only one place that Delilah could be. She grabbed a pair of shorts, then ran into McKenzie”s room and closed the door behind her. There, she sat in silence and watched her infant sleep while she listened for sounds of fighting outside. All was silent, but she expected the silence wouldn”t last long.