Page 48 of Bones

Kevin studied me for a few seconds before seeming to come to a realization. He dropped his hands and leaned forward. “That’s it. It’s goingtoowell, so you’re off to the next challenge.”

No, I’m off because my mate is here after centuries of searching.

And as fucking perfect as that is, it likely also means I’m off to fight dark magicks, dumbass humans, and evil bastards who want to steal souls.

So… yeah, fuck, you’re right. The next challenge.

I lifted my shoulder in a conceding shrug. Before I could say more, fear strangled my heart.

Aurora.

I was up and out of the office before Kevin blinked. Ignoring his calls after me, I stormed through the kitchen and into the front of the house just in time to see Justin place his hands on the table.

He leaned over, using his size and positioning to loom over her. “Are you stupid or just set on me calling the cops? The room for you is through the side door. It’s bad enough he insists on letting garbage in here?—”

“What the fuck?”

Justin whipped around at the boom of my voice, his mouth gaping. I wasn’t sure if it was that I was there or that I’d raised my voice—something I never did even in the middle of our worst dinner services—that shocked him. I also didn’t give a damn.

He recovered quickly, fighting to downplay what I’d seen. “Boss, hey. I thought you were off today.”

“Can tell that. What thefuckdo you think you’re doing?”

He gestured behind him without looking. “I came inearlyto prep for the day, and she was sitting in here instead of the side room like the sign says. The FOH staff will be in soon, so I was just trying to help?—”

I almost laughed at the emphasis he put on the word early, like getting there five minutes before his shift would save his ass, but the feeling of terror wafting off Aurora was still like a vise grip.

“Help by insulting her or by threatening to call the cops?” I asked and watched the defeat sink in as his shoulders slumped when he realized how much I’d overheard.

“Boss—”

I closed the distance, taking a small amount of pleasure at the way Justin darted to the side. He began talking to whoever was behind me, but I didn’t pay attention to what excuses he spewed. My focus was on my mate.

At some point after I left her, she must’ve gone out to the truck to get my hoodie because she wore it with the hood pulled up. Dirt smudged the sleeves where she had her arms wrapped around her bent knees, the book shaking in her trembling fingers.

A shielding position she should never have to be in.

Should’ve kept her closer. Protected her better.

Crouching so I was even with her and not looming like an intimidating dickhead, I tugged the hood from her head so I could get a better look at her face. “You okay, baby?”

She dragged her wide gaze from Justin to blink at me.

“Baby?” Justin asked before groaning. “I didn’t know. She’s dirty and bruised. I thought?—”

It took all my control to keep my voice even since more yelling wouldn’t help her. “I know what you thought, and it doesn’t make a damn thing better.”

Shortly after opening Black Horse, I’d noticed someone picked through our dumpsters for food waste during the night. Since that was a fucked thing for animals to have to do, much less human beings, I repurposed the side entrance that led into a small storage room. Anyone could come in, cool off or warm up depending on the time of year, get water, and help themselves to the leftovers or sandwiches we stocked with additional nonperishables.

The door into the restaurant had to be locked off, and there was a list of enforced rules to keep everything up to code, but we’d never had a problem. Not once.

If anything, the people who utilized that room appreciated it more than the ones who could afford to eat at Black Horse. They didn’t complain that their order came out without the special requests they forgot to make, that their well-done steak took too long during a slammed Saturday dinner rush, or that we wouldn’t accept a gift card to the restaurant that used to occupy the space.

Feeding them fulfilled me more, too.

If Aurora had been someone who’d ventured into the dining area, that wouldn’t justify the way he’d spoken to her.

“Get the hell out,” I ordered Justin.

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