As uncomfortable situations go, thinking about a bossy djamphir while a loup-garou you’ve just

kissed and been rejected by stands there and stares is pretty high on the scale. Jesus. I never used to

have problems like this.

Graves slumped near the window. His face was shadowed; I couldn’t see his expression.

“You might as well come on back and get some rest.” I tried to sound gracious. “I mean, jeez. Unless you want to sleep on the floor.”

“Maybe I should go find Shanks.”

Hot embarrassment flooded me. Could he make it any more obvious that he didn’t want to hang

around me? Still, I wasn’t giving up without a fight. “Okay. I mean, if you want to. If you do, I’m

not gonna sleep though. I’ll go with.”

He straightened a bit, losing the slouch. “You don’t have to.”

“You think I want to be alone?” I sounded mad even to myself. “The only time I feel safe is when

you’re around.”

Which was half a lie, too. Because I felt safe when Christophe hugged me, and when he told me he

wasn’t going to let anything happen to me. It was like being with Dad again and knowing I had a

place in the world.

But Graves sounded relieved, and that was worth any kind-of half-assed lie I could dredge up.

“Oh.” His socks dragged as he shuffled across the carpet. “All right, then.” He paused by the foot of

the bed. “You okay, Dru?”

I closed my eyes. Put my other arm up so I was hugging the pillow. “Peachy.” As long as you’re

here, I guess. You’re about the only person I’m sure of. I’m just not so sure about some things to do

with you.

“Okay.” He settled down on his side stiffly, careful not to touch me. The flaming in my cheeks became hot trickles of water between my eyelids. “Dru?”

“What?” I hated to snap at him, but my throat was full and my eyes were beginning to leak.

A long silence. Then he settled in, moving around a little on the bed the way a cat will turn around

before it goes boneless. “Do you mean that?”

What, about liking you, or about feeling safe? “Of course I mean it.” I sniffed hard, pulling everything back up into my nose. “You’re the only good thing that’s happened to me since my dad got

zombified, Graves. You want me to put it on a billboard?”

“I just asked. Jeez.” But he moved a little closer, tentatively. And when he put his arm around me, I

didn’t move or protest. I just lay there stiffly until the relaxation started to feel natural. He breathed

into my tangled hair, a spot of heat, and all of a sudden I was content just to be still.