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“He isn’t like that, and you know it,” I snapped. “I agreed to talk to you, so talk. I don’t want people to panic if they see us talking out here.”
“I’m surprised at your willingness, honestly,” he said. “I was almost certain you’d run back inside and send your little guards after me.”
“I would like to...” I admitted. “But the fact remains that you put your neck on the line for me and my husband, and I wouldn’t have felt right about it. Besides, I was hoping...” I trailed off, realizing how stupid it sounded the moment the thought formed in my head.
“Hoping?” Curt repeated, lifting his cigarette to his mouth and taking a long drag.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Oh,” he said, grinning with amusement. “You were hoping I’d come here to tell you that I changed my mind? That I wanted to drop the war after all? Sign a treaty for peace and be all kumbaya?”
“Don’t mock me,” I said. “There’s a reason I decided not to say it.”
“It’s cute,” he said, ashing his cigarette.
I hated how he sounded like some cool college guy, and I hated even more that it got a rise out of me. It wasn’t like I was interested in Curt, not by a long shot, but he had the same devil-may-care attitude Wyatt had. That same sort of lazy charm that had won me over when I was a teenager.
“Curt, why are you here, and why are you flirting with me?” I finally asked.
“I’m here because I want to give you an opportunity to come over to the dark side,” he said. “And I’m flirting with you because I’m trying to come for my enemy’s girl.”
“So, it’s a territory thing?” I asked. “A pissing contest?”
“No, it’s not just that, but it does make it more enticing,” he said. “Actually, what really convinced me that I wanted you was that night at the clubhouse.”
“The clubhouse?” I asked. “A tight mini-dress and some high heels were that convincing to you?”
“Not exactly,” he said, pausing to take a long drag of his cigarette. “I think it was that fire behind your eyes. You came into enemy territory, dressed yourself up like shifter bait, and had the gall to sit with me, smoke a cigarette, and make demands.”
“I didn’t have the luxury of being picky about the help I was looking for,” I pointed out. “And I didn’t have the luxury of being weak when I was talking to you.”
“Well,” he said, “too bad for you. Now you’ve got me to deal with.”
“So, run the terms by me again?”
“Come be with me, and I’ll call off the war.”
I scoffed. “No.”
“Worth a try,” he said with a shrug. “Although I gotta say I’m surprised. You used to be pretty prone to self-sacrifice for the benefit of others. What happened? Learned to be a little selfish?”
“I learned not to be so naïve,” I corrected. “Is that all you wanted to talk to me about? If so, this conversation is done.” I turned and started walking away from him, assuming he’d just come to spy or try and ruffle my feathers. I wasn’t interested in playing his games or folding to his petty manipulations.
“One more question,” Curt said, pausing to take the last puff of his cigarette before stamping it out under his foot. I stopped and turned partially back toward him.
He leaned his head back, looking up at the moon before sliding his dark eyes over to me. “Why didn’t you tell him?”
“Tell who what?”
“Tell your beloved husband that I was paying you a little visit? Worried he’ll get jealous?”
“He’s got enough on his plate as it is,” I said. “Telling him you’re here would only freak him out and make him cut his trip short and rush back home. I know you’re not going to hurt me, and it would be stupid and cowardly for you to execute an all-out attack while our alpha is gone. So...it’s not relevant.”
“You’re so sure about that, are you?” he asked. “That I won’t hurt you? That I won’t attack your pretty new headquarters?”
I examined him for a long moment and then nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “If you were going to hurt me, you would have done it already. Maybe even way before this meeting we’re having right now. And if you were going to pull a cheap shot in the war, you wouldn’t have told me you were about to do it.”
Something darkened in his expression, his dark brows furrowing a bit as his eyes became a little distant.
