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bottoms, a dirty Superman T-shirt, and socks that had started to turn brown. He had a toothbrush in his hand and he had foam in the corners of his mouth.
    A sudden gush of emotion rolled over me. I forgot about the wolf, something I would have never done if I’d been on my game. His hair was disheveled, but otherwise, he looked complete and whole, undamaged by the wolf I’d just about killed.
    “Holy crap,” he said, coming the rest of the way into the room. “I thought I heard your voice.” He licked the foam from the corner of his mouth and swallowed it. “I thought you were dead.”
    I staggered toward him, surprised by how much I really had missed him. The sight of Ethan alive had me just about in tears. He was like family to me— was family for all intents and purposes. I never should have left him alone for so long.
    Ethan rushed across the short distance between us and threw his arms around me. I stood stiff against him, unsure what to do. I was afraid if I hugged him back, I would squeeze him in half. Tears filled my eyes and I fought hard to keep them at bay. I so didn’t need to be crying in front of him, especially with the werewolf watching us.
    I settled on patting him on the back with one hand, leaving the other to hang dead at my side. I had no idea why I’d been so sure Jeremy had killed him. I mean, the wolf had helped me with my brother. Other than that first night we’d met, he’d done nothing but try to be helpful.
    Ethan stepped back and the joy in his face faded, only to be replaced by anger. “Where have you been?” he demanded, shaking his toothbrush at me. “I was certain you’d been killed. Do you know how hard it’s been here without you?”
    “I’m sorry,” I said, and I meant it.
    He grunted and turned away. He took a shuddering breath, and I knew without seeing his face that he was crying. Ethan wasn’t just important to me. I was important to him too. I was his only family. Count Valentino had killed both our families. It was the reason we’d ended up living together. Two broken people who had drifted together, hoping the other could fill the void left behind by those who were murdered.
    And I’d abandoned him. I was all he had in this world, aside from the demon, and I’d left him to fend for himself. I felt awful.
    The sound of something moving behind me reminded me Jeremy was still here. I spun around to face him, my guilt being replaced by anger. “Why is he here?” I asked. A growl entered my voice, something I hadn’t quite intended.
    Jeremy immediately stopped moving and raised his hand. He looked from me to Ethan and back again. He wisely kept his mouth shut. If he had tried to explain himself, I might have leaped at him.
    “He’s here doing what you haven’t been,” Ethan said. The bitterness in his tone caused me to turn back to face him. “He’s protecting me.”
    “From what?” I didn’t know if I should be pissed or happy that someone had decided to watch over Ethan in my absence. It was stupid, really. I should have thanked Jeremy, but I couldn’t help but feel as if I’d been replaced.
    Anger warred with relief and confusion. I wasn’t sure what to think, whom to be mad at. It was as if my emotions had gone haywire, pushing me from one end of the spectrum to the other with the slightest of provocations.
    “From everything.” Ethan picked up the glass on the end table nearest him and downed it. His hand was shaking bad enough he spilled some down his chin. “When I came back and you were gone, I didn’t know what to do. I panicked.”
    “But him?” I jerked a thumb at the werewolf. “Why him?”
    “Because that’s who Jonathan sent.”
    Jonathan. The name filled me with both anger and longing. Part of me wanted to see the Luna Cult Denmaster, to make sure he was okay. He’d been cut by one of my swords, cut by my brother in a mindless rage. He could have died that night. He’d only wanted to protect me.
    But another part of me hated