Gwyneira could not possibly fathom how they could go back to the way things were.  Not after that.  Not after he’d pulled her closer to him so they could sleep together snuggled up under the covers.  Her heart couldn’t possibly just let him go.  Not when he woke her up later in the evening with a kiss to the forehead like a lover would.  Not when he asked her to help him learn how to operate the coffee pot so he could bring her a cup himself.  

Once dressed and in her office with a piping hot cup of coffee in her hand, she couldn’t help but ask, “What are we doing, Emrys?”

“Well, I planned to visit the library tonight,” Emrys replied. “This one author I really love just published a new book and the librarian promised to put a copy on hold for me.” The way his lips crinkled into a smile made it hard not to grin back as he went on about his favorite romance author.  It made her a bit sad to cut his ramblings short. 

“I meant with us,” she clarified.  “After last night…”

“Right.” Emrys dragged his thumb across the bottom of his lip.  

A shiver raced down Gwyneira’s spine as she looked down at her desk, trying to make any slip of paper more important to focus on than that delighted glint in his eyes. “So, what does that make us?  This?”

“Whatever you want us to be, Gwyneira.” 

“Honestly, I don’t know.” Gwyneira rubbed the tiredness from her eyes, groaning softly.  She never should’ve let him get this close, but how could they possibly return back to normal? Did she even want that?  “It’s highly inappropriate for a lawyer to form a romantic relationship with their client.  Not illegal, of course.”

“Don’t I have attorney-client privilege?” Emrys asked, leaning face forward against her desk with a smirk that was too comfortable.  “Anything I say stays between us, doesn’t it?” His fingers inched closer to brush against hers.  “Client-attorney confidentiality and all that.”  

“Well, yes.  I suppose.” Gwyneira agreed, bringing herself to look into those mesmerizing crimson eyes of his.  She’d never found the shade charming until meeting him, only seeing it as the frightening hue of blood his kind spilled to quench their insatiable thirst. 

“Nobody ever has to know about whatever this is between us.” Emrys brushed his thumb along her knuckles.  “If you prefer that.  Or I can leave the moment you clear my name and never bother you again, if that’s what you want.”

“Can you truly do that?” Gwyneira murmured.  “Pretend as though nothing happened and move on?”

“For you, of course.” The confidence in his voice had wavered, soft features hardening into a deep frown.  “I understand the fears of being with someone of my kind.”

“I don’t think I can.” The truth rolled off her tongue with ease, yet it left her heart pounding in her chest because she was falling deep down into dangerous territory.  

Emrys brought a hand to her face, tenderly stroking her cheek. “You don’t need to, Gwyneira. I think I made my feelings for you very clear last night.” His thumb moved to brush the seam of her lips. “How do you feel?”

As he moved his thumb away for her to speak, she sputtered for the proper words, lost in the depths of his beautiful eyes. She was tempted to lean up and kiss him, let her body say the words that wouldn’t form. 

“It scares me how good this feels.” 

Emrys stepped back like she had burned him. “I’m sorry. If I’ve crossed a line-“

“You haven’t.” Gwyneira rushed to assure him, rising from her desk to come toe-to-toe with him. “Last night was beyond anything I’d experienced before. I don’t want it to end either.” She reached up, fingers lacing in his soft midnight hair, purposefully touching the sensitive tips of his ears.  “Maybe it’s selfish to ask you to stay, but I don’t want you to go.”

Emrys kissed her softly, his lips much warmer than she remembered earlier that morning.  He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she felt him smile against her own lips.  

When he pulled away, he still had such an adorable, moonstruck grin on his face.  It went against everything she was taught about his kind.  They were ruthless predators, only cared for one thing and nothing else.  Yet Emrys was none of that.  

Ever since he’d shown up on her doorstep desperate for help, he’d been nothing but a gentlebat, although admittedly quite suspicious at first.  The tips of his pointy ears burned red as they curved inward and his soft, slightly darkened lips had yet to wipe his smile away.

“Do you have court tonight?” Emrys let a hand linger against her face, fingers caressing her cheek.  

“Yes,” she murmured.  

“Would you be okay with being a little late?” Emrys teased her with a kiss, whispering against her lips, “You could make a grand entrance for those vamps.”

Gwyneira giggled, but the mirth vanished from her face as quickly as it came.  “I wish I could, Emrys.  They don’t take kindly to anyone who shows up late.  It would only make my client look bad, and myself as well.”

“I understand.” It looked as though it physically pained him to move away from her.  “Perhaps we can spend time together in the morning?  There’s this sweet cafe that sells the best donuts in the country across from the library.  I used to go there all the time just for their raspberry glazed donuts when I could still digest mortal foods as a dhampir.  I’ll bring you back some.”

“That sounds lovely.  I can’t wait.” 

If Gwyneira could’ve called a sick day, she would have.  Just to stay with him for the night because her heart yearned for it.  Everything within her begged her to stay as she slipped on her boots and donned her enchanted scarf, comforted by the magic that tingled against her skin. 

“Be careful out there, Gwyneira.” Emrys squeezed her tightly, pecking her cheek.  “Keep your guard up at all times.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”  Gwyneira opted to use her hidden door over her front entrance, just to be cautious.  The remnants of the curse should be gone by now, but she’d take no chances, so Emrys followed out with her.  Nightshade trailed at her heels as well.

“Crush them in court today, love.” Emrys couldn’t resist stealing another kiss from her.  “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Can’t wait.  See you then.” Warmth bloomed in her face as he stepped back and shifted into his bat form.

She watched him soar up into the pitch black sky, devoid of any stars that night.  Not even the moon glowed as bright as it normally did, shrouded behind thick, dark storm clouds, as if it were hiding.  Was it too soon to think about spending more mornings together cozied up?  She’d yet to clear his name from Iron Fangs’ murder, but at the very least, she had a little bit of relief from her brother-in-law as they investigated matters further.

With a sigh, she summoned her broom and mounted before soaring up into the sky much like Emrys had.  She found her head in the clouds as she flew over snow-capped buildings, thoughts consumed by nothing but Emrys. 

The courthouse wasn’t very far from the county’s library either.  Perhaps she could even drop by and visit him if court finished up early that night.  The thought brought a smile to her face because she knew Emrys would certainly enjoy her seeking him out just to spend more time with him.

Those fanciful thoughts lingered as she lowered herself to the ground just outside Sanguine City’s courthouse.  Nightshade landed gracefully at her feet, nudging her head against her ankles.  The wind roared in her ears as she dispelled her broom away, forcing those thoughts of Emrys down so she could mentally prepare herself for her client’s case.

She’d only taken one step when Nightshade growled at her feet, hair prickling as she turned toward the alleyway nestled between the courthouse and an office building.  Knowing her familiar wouldn’t do that for just anything, Gwyneira drew her wand with a shaky hand and held her breath, awaiting a potential killer to slip out from the shadows.

When nothing emerged, she took cautious steps down toward the alley.  Nightshade remained at her feet, following with low growls that warned of danger lurking somewhere near.  She inhaled a sharp breath, willing her heart to stay at a steady beat.  

A frantic heartbeat always alerted predators.  She wanted whoever it was to know she did not fear them.  Not even when her throat tightened and her trembling fingers betrayed her when she glanced down the mouth of the alley.  With a silent chant and wave of her want, the tip of it illuminated to shine along the brick walls and filthy ground.  

Dead rats scattered amongst wads of to-go wrappers and litter, their remains peeled open like morbid bananas with chunks of guts missing from them.  Not even Nightshade tore open vermin like that.  Vampires had no taste for rodent blood either, and she hoped none had craved the flavor of rat innards either.

She knew she needed to turn back.  The courthouse would keep her safe from whatever was hunting her, and whatever had ripped those poor rats open.  Yet when she turned to run toward the courthouse’s concrete steps, invisible claws raked down her arm, and she spun around with a scream as it tore through the fabric of her coat.  

Drops of blood painted the sidewalk as she staggered into the opening of the alleyway, scanning the street around her for the source of what attacked.  She clenched her bleeding arm as Nightshade hissed at nothing but air. The stench of rot overwhelmed her nostrils like a sudden slap to the face, but before she had a chance to cast an invisibility-revealing spell, something rammed into her at full force.

The impact knocked her wand from her hand as she scrambled to pick herself off the ground, desperately crawling away from whatever it was. Nightshade clawed at the air, and Gwyneira’s eyes widened at the sight of blood spraying the ground that wasn’t her own.  Spells cast from one’s own body without a wand to conduct were taxing on the body, but Gwyneira risked it to real the creature, corning her in the alleyway.

Putrid, sagging skin dropped from the rotter’s face.  Its black pinstripe suit was riddled with tears and stained with gore of only the Goddesses knows what. Blood smeared its lips and coated its inhuman, sharp teeth as it growled at her. Gwyneira trembled with each defensive spell that spilled from her lips, sparks of magic dying on her fingertips with each one she uttered.  Nightshade continued to claw its ankles, but it pushed her away like nothing.  

It took a moment for recognition to click as Gwyneira cursed the creature with every spell she could remember.  She scanned the alleyway for her wand with a sickening defeat at the sight of it beneath the rotter’s heavy foot, and much to her horror, it bent down to pick it up.  Although rotters had no consciousness within them, it inspected the wand with a curiosity before snapping it in half right before her.  

With all hope draining from her, Gwyneira did the only thing she could think of at that moment.  Familiars always listened to their owners commands.  “Get help, Nightshade.  Go.” The words came out barely above a whisper through her chattering teeth, and she watched her precious familiar hesitate before doing as she said.  

Even if it meant leaving her behind to face the wrath of the rotter, the missing corpse of Mr. Blackthorn.