Her voice blossomed inside him, and he had to close his eyes from how potent it was. He had a goofy grin when he opened them and was thankful she couldn’t see it.
“She is. Peculiar at times, but who isn’t? She’s always here but mostly at night.” A pause. “Would you like to roam around at night?”
“No.”
The grin widened. “I see. That’s okay. Most are asleep, anyway. Contrary to popular belief, not all shifters are night owls.”
On the nth night, he brought a futon and pillow with him so he could lay down and was adjusting his position when she spoke.
“Vampires.”
“What about vampires?” he asked.
“Night owls.”
It stunned him so much that he could only gape at her shadow before he cleared his throat.
“Yes. A good majority are. Are they good or evil in your eyes?”
“Neutral.”
“I see.” No rivalry, then. “How was your day?”
“Good.” There was a smile to her tone. He latched on to it and leaned closer to the tent.
“Did you make friends?”
“Rosalie. Peachy.” A pause. “Michael.”
“You made friends with my brother?” he asked incredulously. He felt the struggle when she didn’t answer. “No, wait…he confronted you?”
“No.”
“Followed?”
“Yes.”
His body stiffened, the instinct to protect coming out in waves. His beast nudged, latching on to the emotion and wanting to take over. He nudged it back, then pushed it down more firmly until it returned to slumber.
“Did he touch you?”
“No.” Prompt and firm, as if she read where his mind had gone.
So, either his brother had watched over her to ensure her safety or so that she didn’t do anything suspicious.
“Okay,” he said, willing his body to relax. He scanned the area just in case, confident there were no eyes on the tent. But a decision had already formed. “I will sleep here if it’s okay with you.”
Her head peeked out so fast, he didn’t even notice her shadow move. Now he did, noting the dress she had on matched the off-white color of the tent. But whereas the tent was sturdy and thick, her dress was soft and thin, held together by thin straps and brushing over her skin as she straightened. Her face was scrubbed clean and her hair was up in a bun, exposing a slender neck and glistening tanned skin.Beautiful,was the first thing that came to mind, but he didn’t say it out loud. Green eyes met his, her mouth open in astonishment.
“Outside, I mean,” he said quickly. “Just to keep you company.”
Her mouth closed, and her head tilted. She took in his futon on the ground as her brows furrowed. “Inside.”
While she looked like that? He glanced at her neckline once more, then looked away.
“I’m fine here. I can watch over you better here. Just a precaution.”
Anne stiffened, catching on. “Michael?”