Page 97 of The Thief

From a sitting position, I looked around. Shadows danced on our living room wall. Behind me, a dying fire cast a dim light in the crowded room. They had spread across the floor and were fast asleep. Melody was curled against Lakota’s silver wolf, whose tail flapped a few times when he noticed me looking at him.

“Was I screaming?” I took a deep breath to slow down my heart.

“No. Just crying and… well, it sounded like you were in pain.”

Catcher padded over and licked my tearstained face, then rested his head on my shoulder and groaned before heading back to the door.

“Krys and Tak are outside,” Bear said quietly. “They weren’t sure if you were attacked or if it was just an accident, so everyone’s down here.” He scooted back. “Were you? Attacked?”

I glanced around at the sleeping pack. Only Lucian was awake, staring at me, his golden eyes rimmed in black and top fangs showing. The pack had formed a semicircle around me.

“Where’s Archer?”

“Guarding the back door,” Bear replied. “Do you want a drink? The Relic said you needed to rest for a day or two. Calvin’s fine with it. How are you feeling?”

Still caught in the net of a distant dream, I wasn’t sure which question to answer. My memories were slowly shuffling into the right order, though I couldn’t remember the drive home from the Relic’s house.

“I’d like a glass of warm milk, but I don’t want to wake anyone.”

Bear helped me stand and wrapped a brown blanket around my shoulders. I carefully stepped over Joy’s legs and weaved around Hope as Bear led me down the hall.

Someone might as well have tied sandbags to my legs, because I’d never felt so drained of energy in my life.

Bear stood me by the kitchen island and disappeared for a few seconds before returning from the dining room with a chair. Once seated, I watched him heat milk over the stove. It wasn’t the nightcap most people enjoyed, but it always helped me relax and sleep better.

I stared at my hands. There weren’t any scratches, only dirt in my cuticles and a broken nail. Phantom pain squeezed my throat as memories of Argento choking me came flooding back. Bear continued stirring my milk while the rest of the house slept. Hearing him turning off the fire and pouring the drink into a cup comforted me. They were the familiar sounds of home and safety.

He set the mug on the island next to me and leaned on the counter. “Drink that.”

I let the beverage warm my fingers before drinking. The perfect temperature. Not too hot.

“Mmm. What did you do to this?” I asked.

“A little sugar and vanilla. Feel better?”

I nodded.

“Listen, you’re probably gonna sleep for a long time. Why don’t you tell me what happened, and I’ll relay it to Tak so you don’t have to keep repeating the story.”

I liked that idea. “Where’s my scooter?”

“Calvin’s picking it up.”

I drank another swallow. “Will you bring it back? Even if it’s broken?”

“You bet.”

“How did that woman who found us know to call a Relic?”

Bear rubbed his jaw. “She must have visited the bar at least once and recognized you.”

I set the mug in my lap and told Bear the entire story from the moment I left the Rabbit Lounge to the last thing I remembered at the Relic’s house. I left out no details, including the nightmare that had woken me up.

He didn’t bombard me with questions or go on a rampage. He knelt, put a steady hand on mine, and gave me his undivided attention. Bear was a giant security blanket, one I needed more than anything right now.

“Krys checked all the locks in the house five times,” he assured me. “Five. Tak’s out front, and Lucian’s monitoring his security alarms—that’s why he’s awake in there.”

“Oh. I thought maybe my nightmares were keeping him up.”

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