Page 8 of Forbidden

To his surprise, Ira hesitated.

Wolf started the car. “It’s not supposed to be a difficult question. When’s the last time you ate?”

Ira squirmed, turning to look out the window. Wolf narrowed his eyes at the back of his head, took out his phone and placed a quick order to the pizza place near his apartment.

They drove in silence, and when they arrived, Ira got out before Wolf did, walking into the high-rise and into the elevator like he’d done it a thousand times. When he pushed the button for the fifth floor—hisfloor—Wolf gaped.

“Why are you seeing visions of me?” he asked as theelevator rose.

Ira hugged his elbows loosely. “I don’t know.” But he said it in a way that implied he reallydid.

He took a breath as the doors opened, but Ira stepped out before he could ask any more questions or tell him where to go. Of course he knew where Wolf’s apartment was. He was a fucking prophet, wasn’t he?

But what did thatmean? Why would a prophet care abouthim?

Chapter 3

Ira shouldn’t be here.This was exactly the kind of thing he’d been hoping to avoid. He couldn’t guarantee his visions wouldn’t come to pass if he was invading Wolf’s space, answering his questions and telling him about all thethingshe’d been seeing.

Wolf opened his apartment door and ushered him inside. Ira went with a defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping as he trudged into the darkened apartment. He’d already come this far; it was too late to go back now. He flicked the light on as he passed it. He’d seen Wolf’s apartment often in his visions of the two of them. Apparently he could grow to be quite comfortable here, and being in the space for real made him realize why.

It was cozy. The wood floors were a rich brown, the blue sofa piled with multicolored pillows and blankets. There were tall bookshelves on either side of it, filled to the brim with books—overflowing, in fact, as there were stacks of books beside the couch, as well. There was no television, but art hung on every wall. There were decorative trinkets on ateal accent cabinet across from the sofa and plants in every corner and hanging in front of the glass balcony doors.

It wasperfect.

He walked over to the couch and sat down hard, burying his fingers in his hair. Wolf rustled around in the kitchen for a bit, and Ira listened with one ear while he panicked with the rest of him. He should leave. Walk outside, call a cab, and never look back. People who got involved with the halflings were banished orworse.

“Here.” He raised his head. Wolf was holding out a bottle of water. He took it gratefully, cracking the seal and taking a sip.

Wolf sat down beside him, and Ira set the bottle aside, turning to look at Wolf in the light for the first time.

He was just as beautiful as Ira’s visions implied. Tall and packed with muscle. His ash-blond hair was shaved on the sides and drawn into a thick braid down his back, and his crimson eyes were like ruby gemstones, glittering in the warm light. His jaw was clean-shaven and cut like marble. Ira knew how those thick brows drew together in ecstasy, knew the pitch of his whines as he lost himself to pleasure.

Embarrassment flooded him, and he looked away.

“You’re blushing,” Wolf rumbled. His voice was deep and soft, like rolling thunder in the distance.

“No I’m not,” he protested stupidly.Of coursehe was.

“Tell me about these visions, holy man. You said you’ve been seeingme?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Ira sighed. “I don’t know why. We never know why. Prophets, you see, we just log our visions with the guild. The council decides what to do with them, which ones are apriority and which ones aren’t. Usually, we see people in danger. Commander Sloan sends a squad to investigate. They save the innocent or avenge them. Rinse and repeat. But… six months ago, I saw Alex Hawk and a black-eyed demon saving a family in Irvine. I gave the information to him directly, because I knew Sloan would put a stop to it, and the family would die if he did.”

Wolf’s expression cleared. “Oh,you’rethe prophet who gave him that information.”

Ira blinked at him. He hadn’t known Wolf knew about that, but he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Wolf knew all of them. “Yes. I also saw Luke with his red-eyed demon.”

“Malachi.”

“Oh, I’m well aware.”

Wolf’s mouth twitched, but he gestured for Ira to go on.

“After that, it’s been nothing but demons. Paladins and demons working together. Doing… other things together. I haven’t logged any of these visions, because the guild wouldn’t like it. I don’t know what they’d do to me, but I couldn’t risk finding out. This morning, Sloan made an announcement that the guild has increased the halflings’ threat level, which means that any paladins you come across now have permission to attack you on sight.”

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