Page 4 of Toward Immortal Ruin

Too fixated on how near she’d come to death, she mutely nodded, trying to think over the rush of adrenaline in her ears. The man wasn’t dressed in a recognizable uniform, had no police or army designations, but his clothes did seem to be a type of armor-reinforced safety gear to her untrained eyes. Whoever he was, the stranger had saved her life, and she needed to thank him properly. The moment their eyes met, his widened.

He had the bone structure of a Greek god and looked at her like she was a phantasm. Golden-brown skin, with no trace of a blemish or wrinkle, hinted at a Pacific Islands ancestry. Dark chocolate hair, shorn into a short faux hawk, played off against a sharp jaw without a single trace of scruff. His eyes were kind, as though he’d never spoken a foul word or broken someone’s heart. Eden could’ve stared into that mesmerizing brown gaze for days without a break. He was undoubtedly the most attractive guy she’d ever seen.

Someone yelled out ‘All clear’ outside the alley, startling her from her reverie.

“Thank you,” she said. “For saving me.”

He blinked.

“Did you … hit your head? Areyouokay?”

“You. You’re—” He cleared his throat, flustered. “I’m fine. I didn’t hit my head. And I’m happy you’re alright. You aren’t injured, aren’t you?”

Eden glanced down at her soiled coat and laptop bag. “I don’t think I’m any worse for wear. But that wolf looked like it took a chunk out of your leg.”

“Yeah, I definitely was a chew toy for a minute there. Fortunately, a briefcase-wielding Samurai came to my rescue. You took him out like a pro.”

Nervous laughter bubbled out of her, underscored by the bone-deep shivers that racked her frame. Across from her, the stranger’s concern pulled his eyebrows together.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s the adrenaline surge after shock. Just breathe through it, I promise it helps. And before you tell me you don’t usually do breath exercises with strangers, I’m Nero.”

The stranger extended his arm toward her, as if he wanted to support her, a sort of yearning hope on his face. If her fear response hadn’t drained all the blood from her face, she would’ve blushed.

“I’m Eden.”

The sound of another growl broke them out of their introductions, and Nero spun so quickly that she stiffened. At the mouth of the alley, another wolf had appeared, but it was already being surrounded and captured by a pair of men in the same sort of gear her rescuer was wearing.

“What’s going on?” Eden asked. “Why were there wolves just running around Chicago? Are you guys from the Wildlife Service?”

Nero cast a look back at her over his shoulder. “The box truck moving them from zoo to zoo was accidentally opened. Total freak accident.”

Before she could question the explanation, one of the other men called out, “All clear, Nero! Do we have … clean up?”

“No—no,”Nero reiterated. Then, he turned around to face her. “Do you live around here? How far are you from safety?”

“I’m just down the block.”

Eden refrained from pointing to where her apartment was. Even though he’d saved her life, she wasn’t about to show any axe-carrying stranger where she lived.

“Are there any more wolves out here?”

“We’ve taken care of all of them,” he grimaced, “but I feel like I should walk you home.”

“You’re … carrying an axe.”

She pointed one accusatory finger at the weapon, which he immediately tried to hide behind his back with a bashful smile.

“All the better to protect you with!” With a chuckle that was a little forced, he added, “Can I see you tomorrow to make sure you’re alright?”

She mulled through the possibility. He was the literal stranger danger people warned about: someone she met in a dark, risky alleyway, and who had hacked two wolves to death with a wild-looking weapon and given a not completely convincing explanation for all of it. And yet, Nerohadsaved her life tonight and been nothing but sweet to her.

A part of her was flattered that the most handsome man she’d ever seen wanted to see her again—if only to ensure she was unharmed. She could meet him somewhere public, where she’d be surrounded by other people. The risk was minimal. She’d take her taser.

“Tomorrow, I’ll be lecturing at the University of Chicago. One p.m., in the Cobb Lecture Hall.” Eden gave him a smile. “You can check up on me there if you’d like.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Eden.”

Something about the way he said it made her realize he was speaking the truth. There was a genuine concern and interest in his gaze, and she found it flattering. It had been too long since anyone other than doctors or nurses had paid any attention to her.

---