AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Just one night was all it took for things to get thrown upside down. We were floating aimlessly in limbo at this point, meandering toward an exit that we knew would break us apart. Was that his goal the whole time? Was I just something to pass the time? Without my help, would he have even bothered giving me the time of day?
Emotions roiled my gut. I crumpled the maps together and gathered the other materials Nina had brought. Most of them were the same research folders Adam and I had perused in my office. Gods, I didn’t want to think about any of that right now. Why would I? It was merely a distraction.
My throat tightened.That’s all I was, a distraction.
“Charlotte?” His voice carried worry, but I was having trouble believing the tone. “You alright?”
“Yep.”
He caught my upper arm before I could leave the kitchen. Haphazardly rolled up maps spilled to the floor. Folders flapped open. Pages fluttered over the table. I sighed heavily while dropping to my knees to clean up the mess. Through the blur of tears, I managed to do it without bumping into Adam.
Things had changed so fast. And I wasn’t sure how it happened.
“Let me help,” Adam offered while taking some of the maps. “I’ll carry it to the living room.”
“I’m taking them with me.”
He halted. “What?”
“I’m going back to the inn with Nina. I need to check in with the staff in the kitchen and make sure everything is okay.”
“Oh, I thought…” He trailed off while shaking his head. “Can’t you stay?”
I sighed. “No.”
“Please, Lottie. Will you stay with me? Just for a few hours?”
“Why would I?”
He struggled with a response. And it was hard to see why. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“I’m sure you need to talk to your alpha.”
“He might be with Sasha at the inn.”
I forced a polite smile. “I’m sure he isn’t.”
“Why are you pushing me away?”
“I’m not doing anything you haven’t done.”
He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“I have to get going. And you need to rest if you want to be sharp in a few hours.”
“Lottie, wait.”
I stepped out of his reach, heading toward the doorway with a committed expression. “Please, don’t call me that anymore.”
Hurt spattered his features like a can of paint exploding over the sidewalk. He drifted back an inch and then leaned against the table, trouble caking his features as he lifted a few maps. “Okay, sorry.”
“Thanks.”
Nina met me in the living room. Adam quietly followed us to the front door where Nina gathered the maps he extended. While she led me to the car, I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder. My wolf released a forlorn howl inside me as my entire body ached.
The farther away I got from Adam, the more I felt sick. Feverish shivers assaulted my body in the car. When we reached the highway, I broke into a cold sweat, huddling over my knees in the front seat of Nina’s Mercedes.
She reached over the center console and touched my forehead. “You’re burning up. I think you might be coming down with something.”
