Page 2 of The Fall Before the Heat

“Thanks,” I called back begrudgingly and started forward.

One of the wheels on the suitcase I gripped in my left hand snagged on the change over between carpet and hardwood. I yanked it free and tumbled forward as its weight found my calf.

“Shite!” I swore as the hardwood floor raced toward my face.

Something blurred behind me, casting shadows where light had been seconds before. Then I crashed into a black button-down shirt covering a set of brick abs. Softer than the floor? I wasn’t so sure about that.

“Hey, you okay?” Rex asked, his hands on my shoulders, righting me.

Was I okay? A bead of sweat dripped onto my nose, and I wiped it away before it dripped onto his nice shirt.

“I think so. Leg’s gonna bruise,” I said, trying to right the suitcase before they crashed into me again.

“May I?” Rex asked, letting go of my shoulders.

“Why not?” I sighed but didn’t let go of the handles until his giant hands took over.

He lifted one and then the other and headed through the kitchen before I got a good look at him. I followed, wincing. It felt like a draconic football player had kicked me with their cleats on, but I wasn’t about to complain. My parents drew out a huge amount of their retirement accounts for me to be here. I had no right to complain about anything for the rest of my life.

Rex nudged open the green door with a socked big toe and sat my luggage down against the wall. The room itself wasn’t much to look at. It had a twin bed pressed up in one corner and a desk in the other. There were two doors. One led to a tiny closet and the other to a tiny bathroom, with no tub, just a shower.

“Scholarship, housing, huh?” Rex laughed.

“I didn’t come on a scholarship,” I shook my head while staring into the empty closet thankful I hadn’t brought much with me.

“Oh, my bad,” Rex said.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with scholarships. I was just too average of a student in high school to get one,” I shrugged again.

“I’ll leave you to it. Let me know if you want me to look at that leg.”

“Huh?” I glanced over my shoulder, finally getting a good look at his face.

He had big amber eyes like you’d expect to see on a large feline shifter. His dark hair was messy in that casual way that was popular with Alphas back in London these days. The man had jawlines that went on for two days and lips that looked like they could suck in my tongue and never let it go.

“Huh?” I asked, realizing those kissable lips were saying words that I hadn’t heard.

“Not a perv thing. I’m a medical student. I’ll start hospital study after this semester if everything works out,” he said.

“If it works out? Are you bad at it or something?” I laughed.

“London Hospital is no more,” he shrugged one of his broad shoulders. “They sponsored my scholarship with the expectation that I’d go back and do my internship there. They’d employ me after that.”

“Shite!” I swore under my breath again.

“Bloody war,” Rex shrugged.

“I’m Delius, but call me Del,” I said, turning to shake his hand.

“Rex,” he smiled as we shook hands.

The smile was cocky, but in that natural way that meant it never occurred to him that it made him look cocky. Up this close and personal, he smelled more like a wolf than ever. He was a wolf like me, but those eyes – those amber eyes, pulled me and made me wonder what line of mysterious events led---

“My sire’s a lion,” he said as if he read my thoughts.

“Huh?” I asked again.

“That’s your favorite word. Shit! Are you hard of hearing? If you are, I take back the joke,” Rex said, our hands still together in the shake.

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