Rex heard him shift to his wolf form before he’d exited the barn. When Rex looked back down Margery had moved to the bottom of the stairs. She looked impossibly tired and vulnerable, her eyes even bigger in her pale face.
“Thank you and…I’m sorry for putting that on you. I’m so weak and I just…” She trailed off and he let out a savage curse.
Jumping back down, he scooped her up in his arms before she could protest. To his surprise she wrapped an arm around his neck and curled into him. He hated the circumstance, but he loved the feel of her against him. She was soft and warm, and her scent clung to him, heightening his need to protect her.
“Did they do anything other than the silver?” he asked, unsure how else to phrase it and not wanting to upset her even more.
She shook her head, her eyes growing heavy-lidded with fatigue. “No, except for the female attacking me right before you arrived. You don’t have to come with me, you know. I’ll be okay.” She slumped against him, seeming more tired with each word. The way she curled into him so trustingly made his heart squeeze.
He snorted at her last statement. “I’m going and it’s not up for discussion.” Even though Rex had more questions, now wasn’t the time. All he was concerned with was getting her to safety. Tightening his grip around her, he ascended the ladder and pulled her closer to him. He planned to take care of her as long as she’d let him. Hell, he’d use his inability to walk in the daylight as an excuse to stay with her today, to watch over her. No one was ever going to hurt her again. Not as long as he was alive.
Chapter 6
Margery let the near-scorching water from her showerhead pound her shoulders and back as she stood under the steady fall of water. The pain from the silver poisoning had almost diminished. She was exhausted and a little jittery but she finally felt safe in her own home. Especially since Rex had come back with her. The sexy male’s presence was incredibly reassuring.
Though she didn’t want to get out, she’d been in here too long and couldn’t keep avoiding the very concerned vampire waiting in her living room. On the drive back to the compound he’d kept her tight in his lap and she hadn’t been inclined to move because his warmth and strength wrapped around her had been exactly what she’d needed. Especially with that unknown male vampire still on the loose.
Rex was proving to be sweeter than she’d thought. Not to mention he was incredibly protective. Something that had never been a huge turn on for her before. But she liked the way he’d taken charge after finding her. He’d done exactly what she’d asked by telling Grant she didn’t want to see anyone. And he hadn’t asked a ton of questions or tried to tell her that she needed her pack for support right now. A shifter male would have done just that. But Rex let her take back the control she’d lost without being pushy.
He was just so damn kind and concerned. Which should set off her alarm bells. She knew the vampire wanted to get her into bed. But she wanted him naked too and she knew he would never hurt her. She knew it was time to stop hiding behind her past, especially since the pull she felt toward him was the mating pull. She couldn’t deny it any longer, even if she’d wanted to. So far Rex had been nothing but honest and honorable. It was just so damn hard to let go of something she’d been using as a crutch for so many years.
Sighing at herself, she shut off the shower and got out. After drying her hair until it was damp, she changed into short black and pink pajama bottoms with dogs on them and a pink tank top. Talia had gotten her the pajamas as a Christmas present, thinking the dogs were funny.
When Margery stepped out into the hall, she jerked to a halt to find Rex leaning against the wall just as she’d left him earlier. He was still rumpled and dirty and she could smell faint traces of butter. “Didn’t you want to take a shower?” she asked.
He shook his head, that hazel gaze raking over the length of her body and making her nipples bead. “I wanted to make sure you were okay and…didn’t want to leave you unguarded.”
His words stunned her speechless for a long moment but she finally found her voice as she crossed her arms over her breasts. “Have you been waiting out here the whole time?”
He nodded, his expression unreadable.
It bothered her that she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “I’m sorry. You can—”
“Margery, I need to tell you something. You were taken because of me. I was hunting a vampire and accidentally killed him. Well, he killed himself, but that’s not important. You were targeted because someone saw us together at your bakery and assumed we were together. If I’d thought it was a possibility to bring danger to you I never would have pursued you. I’m sorry.” His handsome face was so stressed, so filled with guilt she couldn’t help but step closer and grab his hands in hers.