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“I want my son to be safe.”
“Assuming that was a given, what else would you want?”
“I haven’t been able to assume that was a given since I realized I was pregnant,” she said crisply. “I don’t think I can start now. Anyway, it’s my turn to ask a question.”
“Please. Go ahead.”
“Why is there a wolf sleeping outside my door? Does Stone think I’ll run, or does he think I’m in danger?”
“Both.” I considered her for a moment, then let the bomb drop. I wanted to know whether that was Nathan’s mark or Brennan’s on her skin, but first, I asked, “Why did you kill that man from your pack?”
Her eyes widened.
“Welcome to the King pack, where there is always someone watching,” I told her. “Anyway, I won’t hold what appeared to be a cold-blooded murder against you if you tell me why. Cookie?” I held the package out toward her again.
She leaned back against the counter, avoiding my eyes. “There’s something wrong with you.”
“Look at that, you really are gunning for that position as Karissa’s bestie. That’s what she always says too.” I dropped the cookies on the counter, then caged her in with my arms. I didn’t want to scare her, but I wanted an answer to my question. She looked up at me, her eyes only growing wider, but I could’ve sworn I felt an answering flare of heat from her body.
“Answer me,” I said, my voice soft. “Look at me, Amelia. I’m not going to hurt you. But answer me.”
We were standing so close that I could smell her scent, like pine and rain, even though she’d been inside all day. She smelled like the first run after the rain, my favorite kind of shift.
“I was afraid of what he’d do to my sister,” she said finally, looking as if the words were being wrenched from her lips. She stared up at me, and despite myself, I felt the strangest urge to lean down and brush my mouth against her soft, rounded lower lip.
I’d kissed plenty of women in my life, but I’d never wanted to kiss anyone quite as intensely, as desperately, as I wanted to kiss her. Usually, women chased me. They accepted the little crumbs of my interest.
Wolves mate for life, but I’d always been happy alone. I only liked to have someone warm my bed for a little while.
So why was my heart hammering in my chest like I’d die if she rejected me?
I had to focus. “What was he going to do to your sister?”
She shook her head. “My turn.”
Then she put her hand against my palm and pushed, and I took a step back. “Why are you in my personal space?”
“Women don’t usually complain when I’m in their personal space.” I offered her my most charming smile.
She met my smile with a bright one of her own. “Then today is a special occasion.”
Oh, she had a spark. The tea kettle began to whistle.
“I’m glad to see Nathan didn’t beat all the spirit out of you,” I said, taking a guess at who had left her black and blue.
She stared at me with her jaw clenching. “Don’t. You don’t know me.”
“I don’t,” I agreed. “But I did know my own mom. Honey? Lemon? Milk?”
“Plain is fine. What happened to your mom?”
“Sweetheart, I don’t think I’m any more ready to talk about who hurt my mom than you are ready to talk about who left all these marks on you.” I touched her cheek lightly, my fingers hovering over the bruises; for some reason, I couldn’t resist touching her. She didn’t pull away at my touch. She looked up at me with heat flaring in her eyes, heat that surprised me, thrilled me, enthralled me.
But she was Brennan’s, even though he was dead. My fingers dropped to the mark on her shoulder. “Or this one.”
She pushed my hand away. “Don’t touch me.”
She didn’t sound as if she meant it, but I still let my hands fall to my sides.
