“Yes. I’ll be all right. Thanks.” He’d be fine as long as he didn’t have to leave with her.

“All right. Don’t forget to eat and all that. I bought food. I’ll be back later.” She left, closing the door behind her.

Lindsay turned his attention to Noah again. Maybe the oil was a good idea. He picked up the bottle and poured a little in his palm. Smoothing it over Noah’s back, he watched it disappear like he was pouring it out on dry ground. Noah’s arms and legs soaked up the oil too. Lindsay couldn’t do the front of Noah’s body, but that could wait. He closed the bottle and put it aside before curling up beside Noah to watch him sleep.

When Noah stirred, Lindsay tensed, ready to help with whatever he might need. But Noah didn’t wake. He stretched out instead, sighing, and then sprawled over on his back, long limbs spread out all over the bed.

Oh. That was... Lindsay had forced himself not to pay attention in the shower after Noah’s confrontation with Kristan. Now he couldn’t help but notice how good Noah looked. The new skin was stretched tight over a sleek, lean body that Lindsay ached to touch. He knew better, though, and kept his hands to himself.

Keeping his hands to himself worked well, right up until Noah rolled over halfway and—with remarkable accuracy—got a hand on him. Grumbling quietly, Noah tugged Lindsay toward him.

Swallowing down a startled noise, Lindsay tried to resist, but soon realized that he couldn’t get away without waking Noah. And, if he was totally honest with himself, he didn’t want to get away. Being close to Noah was nice. Better than nice.

Noah put his head on Lindsay’s chest and trapped him with one arm over his waist and one leg over both of Lindsay’s. He seemed extremely contented and still deeply asleep. And he was warm, as if he’d been soaked in sunshine.

Lindsay settled in with a sigh. It wasn’t a hardship to be here, taking care of Noah like this. He ran his hand lightly over the soft fuzz of Noah’s hair, a barely there dusting that tickled Lindsay’s palm. Noah was beautiful.

But Noah was more than his looks. He was strength and trust and need and fragility and confidence all wound together so tightly Lindsay sometimes had trouble telling them apart. And he was Lindsay’s.

Lindsay hoped he could live up to all that entailed.

Chapter Nine

Noah slept for long enough, his body radiating heat with every breath, that Lindsay found himself getting some rest whether he liked it or not. The stress of the last few days had been nearly unbearable.

Being forced to relax was as good as the scraps of restless sleep Lindsay had been able to scrounge since everything went wrong. Eventually, Noah roused, grumbling and snuggling until he woke enough to be aware of his surroundings.

“Did that really happen?” he asked, pushing himself to sitting.

“Which part?” Lindsay’s relief at seeing Noah whole was dampened by the reminder of everything that had brought them here.

“The part where I fucked up.” Noah sat up, inspecting his hands and chest, and ran his fingers over his face. “I remember it. And the healing. Not a dream, right?”

Lindsay’s smile faded. “Not a dream. But you didn’t fuck up. It was Lourdes. She took away your control. That’s why you got hurt.”

“I thought I felt someone.” Noah pushed himself back to lean on the pillows. “I should be dead.” He looked at his hands again, then at Lindsay. “You saved me.”

Lindsay tugged at his sleeves and closed his eyes, but all he could see was the burnt and dying body he’d held in his arms just last night. Shaking himself slightly, he opened his eyes and focused on how much better Noah looked now. “I couldn’t let you... Not if I could help.” He’d watched Dane die. That was enough for one lifetime.

“Thank you.” Noah pulled a sheet over his lap to cover his nakedness. “I hope you won’t be sorry you did it.”

“I won’t.” Lindsay didn’t know why Noah would even say such a thing.

“Kristan says she’s heard from Vivian,” Noah said quietly. He looked pained but resolute. “Dane never made it home from the military base. He hasn’t been seen. They don’t know where he is. He’s just gone.”

He’d been so intent on saving Noah that he hadn’t considered how much danger he was putting Dane in by leaving him behind. The blood drained from his face. He hadn’t calculated the sacrifice Dane had made.

Kristan had to be wrong. Dane...

“I have to go. I have to—”

He scrambled off the bed and was out the door before he knew where he was going. One of the other rooms, the one Kristan was using, had a window that opened onto the porch roof. Lindsay scrambled out into the cool night air.

Cyrus would be able to hear him from here.

“Where is he, you old bastard?” Lindsay yelled. “Tell me how to find him!”

Silence. The only noises came from the street below and the nearby freeway.

His gut was in knots and all he could taste was the bile welling up in the back of his mouth. Dane...

Oh God, Dane. Moore had him, and Lindsay had no idea how to find him. There was no way she’d stayed in New Jersey, not after they’d taken Zoey.

“Where is he?” he screamed to the sky. “Goddamn it, tell me!”

Still nothing.

“He’s not coming, little one.” The touch on his mind was as gentle as fingertips touching his cheek.

“I’m sorry that you’re all alone.”

“Lourdes. Get out of my head, damn you.” Lindsay took a step back, not that it would do him any good. Then he registered what she’d said. “No, wait— Who’s not coming? Cyrus? Why not?”

“When they came for the girl, he refused them.” Lourdes sounded genuinely sorrowful. “The Hounds are what they are. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Cyrus was dead. That opened up such a massive well of questions Lindsay couldn’t answer that he pushed the knowledge away to be dealt with later, so he wouldn’t drown in it. He couldn’t think about it right now. Other things were more important. Like what Lourdes hadn’t said.

“Did they get what they came for?” Lindsay was talking to air, to nothing but a voice in his head, but he had to know. There was a moment of silence.

“No,” Lourdes said at last. “He succeeded in keeping her from them. I didn’t mean for you to be left alone. I’m sorry for that as well. It was not my intention to kill what was yours.”

What was... Noah. She wasn’t snooping around inside his head. In that case, he’d let her go on thinking she’d killed Noah. No reason to give up the surprise factor.

“So you do have Dane.”

“ She has him.” Lourdes sounded cold and far away. Distressed, maybe. That was interesting. Lindsay tried to use it to his advantage.

“Where?”

“The same place she has Jonas.” Lourdes pulled away from him a little. “Your friend accomplished that much, at least. You should be proud of him.”

“I am.” Lindsay made his voice and his mind flat, to keep her from seeing what she’d missed.

“You must be strong now,” she said, coming closer again. “You will see Dane again, if you are. I know you can be. I’m proud of you, little one. You are never quite as alone as it seems.” Lindsay could feel her startle at something, and she whispered, “I have to go.”

Without further niceties, she was gone.

As gone as she ever was, apparently. You are never quite as alone as it seems. If Lindsay could’ve had nightmares, those words would have been enough to prompt several.

“Are you all right?” Noah was at the window, leaning on the sill. He held his hand out. “Come back in, Lindsay.”

“No, I’m not all right.” Lindsay put his head in his hands and took a slow breath. Raising his head again, he moved carefully back toward the window. The sagging floor creaked underfoot. “Cyrus is dead.