“Your sister’s going to kill you,” Nico declared.
“I wasn’t smoking,” Charlie protested. “Who is this?”
Nico saw through the deflection but let it go as he also noted the genuine curiosity. “Anne. Seeking shelter.”
“Cool. From what clan?”
“No clan.”
“Lone…shifter?”
“Just lone.” The thing was, he still didn’t know what kind of creature she was, and she didn’t seem inclined to share anything else.
Sensing her discomfort, he placed his hand on her lower back—a mistake as she stiffened immediately. Subtly, he transferred his touch to her elbow, where he felt her vibrating warmth. He deduced she was trying not to bolt, perhaps so used to her aloneness that having people hovering around her was too much.
“Anyway, I’m beat. Let me find Angelo so we can take a rest after,” he said, redirecting the topic. “See you guys later.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“See you around, Anne!”
When they were out of sight, Anne shot him a bewildered look. He bit back a grin. “That was Peachy, and yes, she overwhelms people who meet her for the first time…and yes, she’s human. She discovered our territory when she was young and was a childhood friend. She still likes to hang out with us.”
She continued staring as if the idea was something she had never heard. He shrugged.
“Clans like us do exist. Most clans are more exclusive but still mingle when need be in city gatherings. Then, some clans are exclusiveandoutright hateful to those unlike them. Vampires and witches exist, too, just so you know.”
Her baleful look told him she knew.
“Anyway, my cousins are mated to a vampire, a half-vampire, another kind of shifter, and a couple of different Fae, respectively. It’s very convenient, you know, having allies from that side of the supernatural spectrum. It’s why we were protected very well in our cottage and why we are generally left alone as a clan.”
She surveyed her surroundings, a quiet sweep that was thorough. When her back straightened from time to time, he deduced they were being watched but were mostly given space. They continued their walk until they reached the mansion, where she ogled more blatantly. He gestured when a man stepped out of the door.
“There’s my clan leader. Go to his office. He has some questions for you, but you don’t have to answer them. You don’t have to talk, either. Just show him you mean no harm. He’s a good judge of character.”
She looked so unsure. His hands itched, wanting to soothe her worries away, but he knew she would just stiffen all over again. So, he waited as she tucked the vulnerable moment away, squared her shoulders, and marched towards Angelo with a determined gait. Angelo met Nico’s gaze over her head, then smiled at her with that signature charm and ushered her inside.
When the door closed, Nico lingered a bit before he wandered off. Two shifters went up to greet him, and their line of questioning made him understand that they had been the ones spying earlier.
“Who is she? Is it true you found her trespassing in North Bear?”
“Is she a rogue?”
He shook his head. “Not a rogue and not a trespasser. Just hanging out close to North Bear.”
There were more questions he deflected before he excused himself and returned to Charlie’s spot.
“Peachy?”
“She went to find my sister. That woman never stops talking.”
But his tone indicated he didn’t mind. When he sensed a dreamy kind of energy, he looked around until he found its source. “Hey, Daria.”
The Fae glided away from her spot, balancing on a fallen trunk, following the sound of his voice. Charlie’s arm snapped out when she stumbled on a rock, steadying her with the ease of someone used to doing it. White orbs focused on Nico, blind as a bat.
“Hello, Nico. You smell of female.”
Right. Her being blind was compensated with her other senses. He smiled.