I stopped walking to face her when her wordstrailed off. “Or what?”
“Some leave or are forced to leave. Some…change and become something completely different.”
There it was, what I believed to be the rootof this rift between us. Lucifer had gotten into her head whenshe’d dreamed of him and turned her fears against her. I could notwaitto kill that prick.
“I can assure you, I’m never going to leaveyou,” I told her. “Or change.”
Her brow furrowed. “I didn’t say youwere.”
“But you will leave or change?”
“Time will tell,” she murmured. She tore hereyes away from me and looked around the place where we stood. “Isthis where I’m supposed to sleep tonight?”
Frustration warred within me. I wanted toshake her, to demand she talk to me. At the same time, I wanted todraw her close and hold her. However, she’d purposely changed theconversation, and pushing it would only cause her to withdraw fromme further. I ran a hand through my hair as I turned away from her,deciding to let it go, for now.
“No.” I started walking again, leading hertoward a copse of trees that would keep her more sheltered than thehumans settling into the clearing.
“Being segregated from them isn’t going tohelp them trust me,” she said.
“But it will keep you safe.”
“They’re not a threat to me. Eileen was afluke. She was obsessed with you and saw me as an obstacle to beingwith you.”
The reminder caused my fangs to lengthen. Ithad been my past with the human that had nearly gotten Riverkilled, but I’d never promised the woman anything, or ever offeredto further our relationship to anything beyond our one sexualencounter.
“Her sense of reasoning was flawed,” I toldher.
“Maybeyoursense of reasoning is flawed,” she retorted.
“Sex was the only thing between us.” I hatedher involuntary wince from my words, but there was no denying whathad happened between Eileen and me.
“She disagreed.”
“She was an idiot, and if she hadn’t tried tokill you, she would still be alive.”
“We’re so different,” she murmured.
“We are,” I confirmed. “Your compassion for awoman who would have gladly seen you dead confounds me. I willnever understand it, but I accept it.” Her head tilted to the sideas she studied me. “You have to accept that anyone who is a threatto you will meet a violent death by my hand, no matter if youwelcome me into your bed again or not.”
Her eyes darkened at the reminder of what wehad once shared. She instinctively swayed toward me. When I pressedcloser to her, her breath caught and she bit on her bottom lip asher head tilted back to watch me. The scent of her arousal causedmy cock to swell.
“He’ll use me against you,” shewhispered.
“No one will get the chance to do that.”
“I could become like him.”
“That’s alie. Don’t you ever believe it.”
Her hands lifted toward me before fallingback to her sides. She shook her head and took a step back.
“River—”
“Kobal!” The shout drew her attention awayfrom me and toward Bale as she strode across the grass toward us. Iopened my mouth to tell Bale to leave us, but her next wordsstopped me. “Something has been spotted on the horizon!”
I gripped River’s arm, pulling herprotectively against my side as I walked with her out of the treesand back toward the hill where the demons and some humans hadgathered. I stepped in between Bale and Corson as I searched whereBale pointed into the city. An icy chill ran down my back when Irecognized the creatures on the horizon.
“What are those?” River breathed.
