Page 58 of Cursed by Death

Fox needed to sleep at some point because he couldn’t be on all the time. So, I got him settled in in one of the spare rooms that was the farthest away from my room that I could get him.

It was a spacious room with a little sitting area by the window and there was a television in there. It also had its own bathroom. Unless he planned on eating the rest of the contents of my refrigerator he had everything he needed in there with him and shouldn't have to leave his room for the rest of the night.

He seemed happy enough with the space and I left him in there after bidding him a goodnight.

I honestly felt bad for what I was about to do. I didn’t want Fox to be mad at me later or, worse, never trust me again. I just hoped he was a heavy sleeper and didn’t wake up while I was gone.

The twins had agreed to meet me in the movie theater parking lot of the mall. I didn’t bring up what Rally had said about hunters never going to the underground and I didn’t ask why they had agreed to go with me now.

I wasn’t about to look this particular gift horse in the mouth.

The Jeep was in the driveway and the lights were all off in the guest house. I hadn’t even thought about Ginger possibly being awake and might catch me sneaking out of my own house like a thief in the night.

I was just glad to see they were all tucked in for the night and hopefully sleeping. After Hunter and the others, who’s name’s I still did not know, who helped her move in had left Fox and I both decided to leave her alone so she could settle into her new home. She knew she was always welcome at my home and if she needed company she’d come over.

Overnight I went from living alone to having two people living in my guest house and another one sleeping in a bedroom down the hall from my own bedroom.

I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d gotten here but the result was me having to sneak out of my house for the first time in my life.

I drove the Bentley into town and I was so paranoid it felt like I spent more time looking in the rearview mirror for someone following me than I did watching the road in front of me.

They were already there, standing in the parking lot waiting for me when I pulled in. I didn’t see a car around so I had no idea how they’d gotten here. They probably parked somewhere else so I wouldn't know what vehicle they drove.

Whatever. They could keep their secrets for all I cared. Secrets didn’t make friends but that was okay. We stopped being friends a very long time ago. If we had ever been friends in the first place, which I found highly doubtful now that all their cards were on the table.

They both watched me carefully as I approached them. I hated that their faces were closed off to me and entirely emotionless.

Oddly enough, I was emotionless and blank, too. It was like on the ride here I had shut down and tucked my emotions away into a secret compartment somewhere inside of me. I’d probablypay for that later on when I exploded and all of my pent up emotions rained down on whoever was near me at the time. Since I was usually always alone I never had to worry about this. Now I had people I didn’t want to get hit with my mess.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Bane asked me in an emotionless voice when I reached them.

“It’s not safe for you down there,” Roan said. “You should give us some time and we’ll find whoever murdered that demon and the bum. Usually, we wouldn’t care about a dead demon or mess around with it but since it involves several dead human’s already we’ve been granted permission to look into it.”

Bane sighed in exasperation as he gave his brother a dark look. “You’re fucking this up. Just shut up if you’re not going to tell her why we’re really here and why we asked to keep looking into the case. If you can’t be real with her then maybe you should just keep your mouth shut so you don’t make the situation any worse with her. Fuck, brother.”

Roan glared at his twin before looking back at me. His face immediately softened. “He’s right. From here on out you get nothing but the absolute truth from us. We’re only looking into the death of the demon because it involves you. You don’t have to believe us, that will come with time as we prove ourselves to you, but we’re not going anywhere. We’re not about to let the other hunters tell us that we have to stay away from you anymore. We allowed them to do that for years and all it got us was you hating us and a life of loneliness without you. We’re not going back to that. We’re never going back to that.”

Bane nodded, as if in complete agreement with his brother. “And we’re not leaving you this time. We’re never leaving you again. We’re not going anywhere, Ruby Jane, unless you’re coming with us.”

“We’re telling the truth,” Roan said. “You’ll see. We’ll prove it to you. It’s just going to take time for us to do that and for you tosee it. We understand that we hurt you and it’s going to take time for you to get over that hurt.”

I just stared at them. I didn’t have either the brain capacity or the emotional capacity for any of this shit right now. I hadn’t come here for this and I couldn’t afford to get sidetracked by this. Not tonight.

They shared a look of concern before Roan asked me, “Did you hear us, Ruby Jane? We’re not leaving you this time. You’re going to have to make room for us in your life, whether you like it or not.”

“I’m not doing this right now. If you don’t want to go inside with me then that’s fine. Just go. Rally told me the hunters don’t come here so you probably shouldn’t come inside with me anyway. I’m sorry I even asked.”

Both of their faces darkened as soon as I mentioned Rally’s name. I didn’t like that. It pissed me off.

Apparently, I did have room for emotions tonight after all.

“What’s the deal with you and the wolf Prince?” Bane growled darkly.

“I’m his mate,” I said without hesitation. I suppose it was time I stopped trying to deny what was happening between Rally and myself. If he believed I was his mate then who was I to argue with him? I liked him and I wanted him in my life, so I was going with it.

And there was no denying our connection or how safe I felt with him. That meant everything to me.

“Shit, brother,” Bane whispered as he turned to Roan with a look of agony on his face. “She means that. What if we’re too late? I’m not about to walk away from her a second time. I don’t give a fuck about the shifters. I’m going to fight for her this time if that’s what it takes.”

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