Page 9 of Forbidden

“Fuck,” Wolf groaned.

Ira nodded in commiseration. “Then I had a vision of you being attacked tonight. You would’ve died. I didn’t want that to happen.” The admission sounded soft to his own ears.

“Why not?” Was Wolf leaning closer? He smelled good, like pine soap and mint.

“What?” Ira asked blankly.

“Why didn’t you want that to happen? Why do you care what happens to a demon like me?” He wasdefinitely leaning in now, one arm braced on the back of the couch and the other planted beside Ira’s thigh, like a predator about to pounce.

“Um, I…”

A knock on the door broke the silence, and Wolf turned with a hiss, as though reluctant to get up. Ira, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief as he moved away.

That is, until he returned with a pizza box and set the whole thing on the coffee table in front of him.

“Eat,” he ordered.

Ira blinked at it, and then at him. “What?”

“Your stomach has been growling. Eat.”

“You… bought me a pizza?”

“Yes. Everybody likes pizza.” He paused, slanting a look of uncertainty at him. “Do you not like pizza? Are you vegan? I should’ve asked, shouldn’t I? That’s one of those human things we forget about.”

Ira shook his head, trying hard to quell the happiness blooming in his chest. “It’s—It’s fine. No allergies. Not vegan. Just… surprised.” He opened the box, curious about what Wolf ordered. “Is this a supreme?”

“Mm-hm. I just ordered my usual. Is that okay?”

It was better than okay. It was hisfavorite.His stomach cramped with want. He was too weak to resist this. Maybe if he had a slice, he wouldn’t have any more visions for a few days. Doubtful, but he could hope. He always hoped. And they always kept coming.

“It’s great,” he said, picking up a slice.

Wolf brightened as he watched Ira take his first bite, letting the salty flavors bloom on his tongue.

“So, you were telling me about these visions.”

Ira shoveled more pizza into his mouth as Wolf took aslice for himself, to stall as much as to savor. Wolf chuckled, a gravelly sound that burned right through him.

“I’ll wait, don’t worry.”

Ira shot him a glare that had no effect whatsoever.

He inhaled the rest of his slice and downed half the bottle of water, then sat back with a groan.

“You can have another,” Wolf said, nudging his knee with his own.

Ira shook his head. “No, I shouldn’t. I haven’t eaten in about twenty-four hours. In my experience, eating too much after a fast like that leads to bad things. I’d rather not have to hurl in your toilet on the first night we met.”

“Do you often go that long without eating?” Wolf asked, studying him intently.

“Sometimes, yeah. The guild teaches prophets that we must fast to receive our visions, so it’s not uncommon for us to go a day or two without eating. I didn’t mean to go this long, but I lost track of time today while I was meditating.”

Wolf curled his arm under his head on the back of the couch, looking intrigued. “Is that something else you do to have these visions?”

“Mm-hm.”

“And you saw me in this vision?”

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