Head Hunter (City Shifters the Pack #3) - Layla Nash Page 0,113

but he could only kill them once and they were already dead.

Dodge almost tip-toed into the living room, desperate to hear her voice, and braced for her to be afraid, or uneasy, or to run in the other direction. Instead, Persephone tried a smile, which turned a little wobbly as her chin quivered. And then she burst into tears, covering her face and sobbing.

His heart cracked. He didn’t know what to do. His instincts said to hug her, to comfort her, fix whatever made her sad, but with Evershaw’s warning... Dodge looked at Deirdre and held his hands up in a “what the fuck?” gesture, and the witch rolled her eyes. She gestured for him to go to Persephone, though her eyes looked suspiciously red as well. Dodge didn’t wait for anything else. He inched over to Persephone, hyper-focused on moving slowly and easily so he didn’t startle her, and eased his arms around her.

The moment she was safe in his arms, the world clicked into place. Parts of him that he’d never known were tense started to relax. Tranquility slid through him and promised better rest than a bottle of whiskey ever had. She was safe with him. She was close and he was never leaving her side again. He closed his eyes as he inhaled. His nose twitched. She didn’t smell quite right. But after everything she’d been through, that wasn’t a real surprise. That much pain and trauma and healing could affect a person’s scent, and besides, he’d given her blood. Maybe it was how she smelled as a shifter.

He didn’t dare think about that conversation. They’d have to talk about it sooner rather than later. He didn’t want to keep a secret from her, but for that moment, he just wanted to enjoy her company. Dodge exhaled and held her closer, rubbing slow circles on her back, and rested his cheek against her head. Finally, all was right in the world.

Chapter 52

Percy

I almost turned and fled when Dodge entered the room. My knees knocked together and I didn’t know what to say or how to start. And then, the moment I set eyes on him, the moment the air changed because he was there... A relief so intense I almost passed out rolled through me, and my legs weakened.

I managed to stay standing but I couldn’t control my tears. They escaped in a rush. My face crumpled and I felt like a total idiot, but I sobbed and didn’t know how to stop. I had no idea how much I’d missed him until he stood in front of me. It was like I’d had an immense hole in my guts that I didn’t know was there, and that only he could fill.

The floor creaked and I knew it was Dodge moving closer. Then the warmth of his arms drew me in and I rested my cheek against the soft, clean-smelling fabric of his shirt. I squeezed my eyes shut and held onto him, desperate to feel whole again. I felt safe – really safe – for the first time since I’d knocked on the Evershaws’ door looking for a job. I leaned into him as Dodge murmured nonsense and nuzzled behind my ear, his arms squeezing me tight until I didn’t even need to stand up on my own. He had me. He supported me.

I had no idea how long we stood there, me crying on his shoulder and Dodge holding me close. Eventually I straightened and tried to wipe my cheeks and my nose so I didn’t dribble all over myself and him. I’d already left some tears on his shoulder, but adding snot to the mix was just plain rude. My cheeks heated as I looked down, embarrassed by being so out of control and falling all over Dodge the moment I saw him.

“Hey now,” he said softly, gently brushing at the moisture on my cheeks. He gazed at me with an intensity that made my stomach flip, like he searched for something. In a moment of panic, I wondered if he smelled the pregnancy just like Rafe had. Dodge held my face and leaned to kiss my forehead. “I missed you.”

I sucked in a breath and tried not to let my hope shine like a beacon. He missed me? He really missed me? I nodded slowly, unable to form words that weren’t just blurting out that I loved him and needed him in my life. I swayed as the ebb and rush of