Page 29 of Fat Enemy Mate

He tosses his mug in the sink and begins running the water.

“No,” he tells me, his voice tight.

“So, I’m a prisoner,” I reply flatly.

“You’re not a prisoner,” he says. “You’re a woman the rogues want, and you’ve been in the safest place in this cabin. From tomorrow, when the wards begin to fail, the safest placewill be Silven Haven. That’s the truth, and I’m not going to pretty it up for you and just tell you what you want to hear.”

“You’re not going to pretty it up,” I repeat. “And that’s supposed to be the final word, is it?”

“Lara,” He says.

“No, don’t Lara me,” I snap. “You just called them up and decided all this. If you can decide when I leave and where I go, what you tell your pack, and whether or not I can go home, then I’m a prisoner.”

He sighs and runs a hand over his stubble. “You’re right about one thing,” he says. “I should have told you about the rogues first and then made the call. But I would still have made that call. The rogues are on the wards, and you’ll be safe in Silvercreek for now. I’m not letting you just walk out there and face them because you’ve got a fixed idea about my pack when you haven’t even met them yet.”

“I have fixed ideas about shifters for good reason,” I reply quietly.

“I know,” he says, “But I’ve done nothing but help you since I pulled you out of the hut. I’ve been honest about my pack and who we are. I’ve been more open and honest with you in the last few days than anyone in years. And I’m taking you off this mountain tomorrow because that’s the best decision. If you go out on your own, you’ll die, and I’m not having that happen on my watch.

I look at him and see the hard set in his eyes, and I find myself struggling even more with the way I dropped my guard with him last night.

“So that’s it then,” I say, my voice steady despite how scared I feel at the thought of going to Silvercreek. “You’vedecided: the truck is coming tomorrow, I’m going to your town. I’ll have to talk to your pack about my voice, just like the rogues obviously wanted to know all about it. Maybe they’ll want to use me, too, after all, you have a witch, as well. It sounds like the only thing you haven’t told them is what we did last night.”

“That isn’t fair, Lara,” he says, his voice rough.

“Isn’t it?” I fire back, “Which bit have I got wrong?”

“I didn’t tell them about last night because…” He starts, but I cut him off.

“Because you’re ashamed to sleep with a human? Or a prisoner?” I ask, knowing that I’m goading him, but feeling so angry I don’t care.

“That’s bullshit,” he snaps. “I didn’t tell them because it was private. That’s between you and me, no one else.”

I struggle to reply, feeling waves of confusion as my anger ebbs and flows. He closes his eyes, and when he opens them, the green has gone darker now.

“It doesn’t feel like bullshit to me,” I say quietly.

“Lara,” he starts again, but I push the chair back, silencing him. This time, the sound is satisfyingly loud, and I walk away, leaving the coffee on the island. I cross the room without looking at him. My ankle hurts, but I’m not going to let him see it.

He doesn’t move from the counter and doesn’t follow me, but I feel him watching my every movement. I don’t turn around. I walk into the bedroom and close the door behind me. I bolt the door behind me, even though I know it’s pointless, and lean my head against the door. I don’t cry, but that’s only out of stubbornness.

The cabin feels quieter now, too quiet. I cannot hear him moving around and wonder if he’s gone back out. But if he had, I’d have heard the security system resetting loudly because he’d never risk leaving me alone after that conversation. I know for certain he’s not going to follow me; he’s clearly made his decision.

The morning draws on, and the grey light at the window is decidedly less grey, a sure sign the snow is going to thaw. I sit on the bed for far longer than I intended before going to wash my face again just to try and clear my mind.

He doesn’t knock, and I’m definitely not going back out there.

Chapter 15 - Wilf

We barely speak for the rest of the day, and honestly, that’s probably easier because I know anything I’ll say will only make things worse. I’m not going to change her mind, and she’s clearly furious. Still, I find myself caring less about that and more about keeping her safe and thinking about the best thing for the pack—both reasons to take her back to Silvercreek.

She’s got her feelings about shifters, and I get it after what happened with her father. But I’ve seen her walls come down, and I know Silvercreek is no threat to her. I can only hope she sees that, too, so she can help us to help her.

I make some lunch and leave a portion for her in the pot on the stove and cover it, but it remains untouched. I hear the door open and close a couple of times, but I keep myself busy doing inventory ahead of the truck's arrival, making notes on what needs replacing, updating, and repairing before the summer season starts. I’ve already decided the firewood shelter needs an entire overhaul rather than a patch-up job, so I decide to go back out, secure it up, and take some measurements for new timber. Might as well cut some new logs for the inside store in case we get another late snowfall and the roof gives way. No point wasting good kindling.

Besides, I can’t stand the deafening silence from Lara, even if I understand it to a degree. I’m trying to ignore the memory of her body under my hands, or the heat of her channel clenching around my cock as I touch her, because she clearly doesn’t want a repeat, and my wolf is just going to have to deal with it.

The cold helps, as usual, forcing my wolf to focus on something else for a moment. I split a round, stack it, and moveon to the next. The work is solid and repetitive, and just what I need. He doesn’t want silence from Lara; he wants to feel her fall apart again under me and scream in pleasure. I swing the axe again, refusing to engage him in his thoughts about Lara.