The slight clench of her jaw was the onlyindication she didn’t like this news before she gave a smallnod.
“Come with me,” he said.
Her eyebrows rose as her mouth parted. “Ican’t.”
“It will only be for a couple of days.”
“I can’t leave Sahira here to deal witheverything on her own. She hates the stables; she claims theysmell. And now that the market is gone, it will be harder to findfood, and our gardens aren’t ready to be harvested yet. I have toomany responsibilities here to go, even if it’s only for a couple ofdays.”
And no matter how much he didn’t want toleave her, especially after yesterday's events, he had too manyresponsibilities to stay. There were far too many lives dependingon him to return.
But staring at her, he didn’t care aboutthose lives, the war, or how insane the Lord was; he preferred tostay with his mate. But he did care about his brothers and father,and if they didn’t stop the Lord, her life was in jeopardy too.
Nowhere was safe from the Lord and his hordeof dragons.
Cole stepped away from the window and crossedthe room to her. She’d fallen asleep in a baggy T-shirt thatsomehow managed to hide her lush curves but still made her looksexy as hell.
He could drag her into the Gloaming; she’dfight him every step of the way and probably end up hating him, butit was better than leaving her here where he couldn’t protecther.
“What about Malakai?” he asked.
“What about him?”
“What if he comes back while I’m gone.”
She gave him a sad smile as he stopped besidethe bed. “It won’t be the first time I’ve had to deal with him, andit won’t be the last.”
That may be true, but he hated the idea ofleaving her here. “Come with me.”
“I can’t.”
Cole wasn’t used to anyone telling him no,but he especially wasn’t used to the women he was sleeping withsaying it. She had no reason to fear becoming shadow kissed.
“What if Iinsistthat you come withme?” he asked.
“Don’t,” she said simply.
“Don’t?”
“Yes, don’t. Because I won’t go, and youwon’t become a tyrant like the Lord or Malakai.”
He almost recoiled at her words but managedto stop himself. No, he wouldn’t be like either of them, but theidea of leaving her here….
He looked to the trash can and the noteagain. He couldn’t stay, and she wouldn’t leave. He could make hergo, but that would destroy the trust between them. A large part ofhim did not care, but the smaller part wanted to keep his matehappy.
And if he forced her into the Gloaming, shewould not be happy.But what does her happiness matter if sheisn’t safe?
Cole rubbed at his temple. He hadn’t expectedto find his mate, but once he did, he’d assumed it would be easy.He hadn’t expected her to be stubborn and set in her ways.
But he wouldn’t have Lexi any other way.Lowering his hands, he met her quizzical look. “I’ll return as soonas I can,” he said.
He could return to the Gloaming and be backin a day. She would be okay for a day, and after what happened lasttime, he doubted Malakai would return any time soon.
Bending, he rested his hands on her hips andplucked her from the bed. She gasped but didn’t protest when heslid onto the bed beneath her and settled her so she straddled hislap. She draped her arms over his shoulders.
CHAPTER 52
Lexi didn’t know how to respond to the fact he wasleaving or that he wantedherto gowithhim.
