Page 63 of Toward Immortal Ruin

Nero didn’t mention it, seamlessly transitioning into the most helpful man she’d ever known. Her father had been cleaning up after dinner. Nero eagerly jumped in to put away the food, clean up the table, and wash dishes so she could spend as much time with her dad as she wanted.

She’d never appreciated him as much as she did in that moment.

For the next three hours, they played card game after card game, ranging the gamut from euchre to gin rummy and blackjack. Nero was shamelessly proficient in all three of them, wiping the table with their fake chips and penny purses.

Her father grilled Nero about every aspect of his life and ensured that he was treating Eden right. A happy smile seemed to keep finding its way to his face, and she knew that Nero had passed all of the tests her father had sent his way.

By the time he started to yawn, Eden was more than ready to sleep herself. She made every promise to return swiftly, peddling the story that Nero travelled for business often and could take her along. They left her father’s home arm in arm.

The chill of the night had her tightening her blazer. Then her eyes found the nearly full moon, and it no longer seemed to matter.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” She barely recognized the breathy voice as her own.

“Gorgeous. And in a few nights, you’ll be running beneath it as your wolf.”

Heavy emotion made her shiver. Knowing that werewolves were real was mind-blowing enough, but facing her death—being almost assured of it—was something entirely different. After speaking with Aidan, she knew that time was short. Telling Nero had to be her priority. Tomorrow morning, she would tell him the truth, and bank of a good night’s sleep helping her find the right words.

“And you’ll be with me?”

“Every step of the way, Eden.” His arm closed around her shoulders, offering her the support and warmth she needed. “And after your wolf is steady on her paws, we’ll run together beneath the moonlight.”

A part of her couldn’t wait.

Nero shifted beside her. “I did a poor job of giving you time alone to think, Eden. I’m sorry for that.”

“I’m not. You gave me the opportunity to speak to Aidan and Lucy about werewolves, and then you brought me to see my dad.” She turned to him. “Thank you.”

“Always.”

“I’m not sure I need any more time to think,” she admitted.

“No?”

“No. But I am tired.”

He nodded. “I’ll see you back to Oahu.”

“Good. Then we can both get some rest. Your bed is comfortable.”

Chuckling, he planted a kiss on her temple. “I know.”

“I’m looking forward to snuggling again.”

“How forward of you, Miss Hawthorne.” Mock admonishment curled Nero’s lips.

“If you prefer, I’ll go snuggle with the werewolves instead and have a ‘Wolves Rule, Panthers Drool’ T-shirt made for the full moon. Wouldn’t want that now, would we?”

Two minutes later, they were back in Nero’s bedroom. Eyelids heavy, she went through the machinations of getting ready for bed on autopilot, and barely crawled into bed beside him before collapsing from exhaustion.

His silk sheets wrapped her in a soft cocoon, and the warmth radiating from Nero only enhanced her comfort. The massive Raeth male was gently massaging circles into her outstretched palm.

She murmured a sleepy, “I think I love you, Nero.”

“I think I love you, too.”

***

Restful sleep made the night pass blissfully as she lay curled in his arms. Eden smiled as she woke to the blissful white room, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

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