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Whatever happened between them seemed over and done with. He was keeping his distance for a reason. Presumably, the same reason why his eyes never left her face, devoid of the hunger she could recall. By the second, the man who’d touched her so intimately felt more like a dream than reality.
“You should sleep for a few more hours. But…” He frowned imperceptibly. Then he sighed. “Tonight, we’re leaving. There isn’t time to pack much, but Naomi will bring some clothing for you.”
“Where are we going?” she asked. Though deep down, a part of her already suspected the answer.
“To Black Mountain—”
“No!” She lurched to her feet, leaving the sheet behind. Her knees buckled, barely able to support her weight, but she gritted her teeth and fought to remain standing. This was a conversation she couldn’t passively accept. “I’m not going anywhere. You promised!”
“You should rest,” he suggested without so much as blinking—he’d been prepared for this reaction. “I forgot to warn you that there might be side effects from exploring those memories. You’ve been put through the wringer, physically and mentally. We won’t leave until later tonight—”
“Why?” she demanded, horrified for cutting him off. But rebellious anger smothered the guilt. He deserved it for treating her like an afterthought once again.
“You’re going to be emotionally raw for a few days,” he explained, audibly straining for calm. It was the way he’d spoken when explaining why she needed to go off with a stranger like unwanted baggage.
Because he knew best.
“Stop treating me like a child. You said you’d let me stay. You said—”
“Will you listen to me?” He raised his voice by only a fraction, but she stiffened, her teeth slamming together. A familiar tingle raced down her spine—once again, she was experiencing firsthand his uncanny ability to manipulate and control.
But a part of her lurched, panicked. He wouldn’t make her listen this time. The desire to move wasn’t conscious. Her body took over, staggering past him before he could think to stop her.
“Loren, wait!”
Run!She tore down the stairs and ran through the front door before she did something stupid. Scream, punch, kick? Act like a spoiled child?
She just wanted to knowwhy…
Why was he so intent on pushing her away? Eyes blurring, she made it out onto the porch, intending to run—disappear beneath the trees.
The second she took a step, someone appeared at the bottom of the steps, barring her path. McGoven. A twitching muscle in his jaw was the only sign of exertion. How in the world had he managed to move so quickly? She doubted she would ever understand.
“Loren,” he said, still utilizing that firm tone. “Just let me explain—”
“Stop!” She slapped her hands over her ears, anything to keep that tone from penetrating deep. “I don’t want to hear your rationale. I’m tired of you playing with my head. You’ve been planning this the whole time, haven’t you? To throw me away again?”
He had the decency to look ashamed, at least. His lips moved, words distorted by the pulse rushing through her hands, but she didn’t dare take them down.
She could guess his excuses.It’s for the best. You just need to understand…
“Loren.” He mounted the bottom step, and she scrambled back, throwing her hands out in front of her.
“Don’t touch me!”
“Loren—”
“I’m eighteen,” she shouted over him. “You can’t make me go anywhere I don’t want to.”
His eyes flashed in a way that clearly said—The hell I can’t.
“I’m not making you do anything,” he insisted out loud, stressing every word. “We will go there together, so that I can contact the pack—”
“Screw the pack!” Loren didn’t even recognize the sound of her own voice. It was loud, high pitched—the shriek of a crazy woman, but she felt too on edge to really care. All that mattered was the feeling ripping through her chest. Pain. Once again, she was being thrown away, pushed to the side like an unwanted toy.
“I don’t want to go withthem,” she insisted. “I need to stay with you!”
He flinched as if she’d slapped him. The next second, those eyes narrowed, deepening to a dark shade of steel.
