“I’m pretty tough,” I say with a soft smile.
“Apparently. But . . .” Her gaze lifts to meet mine again. “It was bad. And when I was alone in those tunnels . . .” As her words drift off, a single tear escapes her eye and slides down her cheek. Reaching up, I gently rub it away.
“Hey. I’m all right. I didn’t expect the demon to be that powerful, so yeah, it was bad, but shifters heal quickly. The more powerful the shifter, the faster we heal. And I’m pretty powerful.”
The ghost of a smile lifts the corners of her mouth. “And modest.”
I shrug because it’s not bragging, it’s just true.
She takes a shaky breath and sits up. It feels like more than a physical separation.
“I think maybe . . .”
“Yes?” I ask when she doesn’t go on.
She bites that lower lip again and it’s all I can do not to lean forward and capture her mouth.
“You should go,” she says, her gaze dropping along with my heart.
“Oh.”
The rejection is warranted, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t still hurt. I should have steeled myself better.
I throw my legs over the side of the bed and get to my feet. Haven can’t meet my gaze, and I hate that. I can’t just leave like this. Hell, I don’t know if I can make myself leave at all. She looks so fragile and lost sitting on the edge of that tiny bed.
I don’t have the right words, but I have to say something.
“You’re not her,” is what comes out of my mouth. “I know that.”
Her head jerks in my direction, eyes wide.
“Becks,” she starts, and I already know from the tone she’s going to push me away. And I can’t let her.
“No,” I say, cutting her off.
“No?”
“Whatever you were going to say, don’t. Because I need you to listen to me, and if you don’t want me after you have to hear what I have to say, well—” I run a hand through my hair, knowing that I need to go with total honesty now. “If you say you don’t want me, I probably won’t believe you, and I’m probably not going to drop it either.”
She lifts a brow. “Was that supposed to convince me to hear you out?”
I shrug. “It’s all I’ve got. Because you probably think I used you, or that you’re second best, but the truth is, even if you try to push me away, nothing you can say or do is going to change the fact that I’ve fallen in love with you. And I’ve learned to fight for the things I love.”
Thirty-Two
HAVEN
I forget how to breathe. My heart might have just stopped too. Maybe I’m dead, because I think Becks just told me he loves me.
I don’t know if it’s the declaration, my injuries, or just lack of oxygen from holding my breath, but my head gets light and I sway. Becks is there in an instant, his strong hands anchoring me as he grips my biceps firmly but gently.
I’ve fallen in love with you.
I stare at Becks as he crouches in front of me, his concerned gaze sweeping over my face. “Do you need to lie down?” he asks, and I shake my head, even though I probably do.
“You think you’ve fallen in love with me?” I ask, my voice scratchy, and thick with emotion.
He shakes his head and there’s a dropping sensation inside, disappointment that he’s taking back his words. But I should be relieved, right? It can’t actually be true. It’s too soon, too?—
