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Instead, a growl comes from deep within his throat. "I'm not saying anything with them here," he grits out, eyeing the two other wolves.
Elara nods to them to let them know they can leave. Not needing further prompting, they race away to join the rest of the pack in the direction Elara came from.
She lets her eyes drift over Kade and hates how her heart beats so fast looking at him, how the simple act draws a blush up her skin. At least the dark should hide that. "Don't you have clothes with you?" she asks softly, knowing he can hear the way her heart pounds because she can hear his too.
"Maybe I do, but I couldn't exactly get to them with those two twitching every time I breathed." He moves to the side, though doesn’t take his eyes off of her.
She follows him, trying not to get too close, afraid she might do something rash. Whether that would be punching him or kissing him, she isn't quite sure. There's a pull there, the sire bond maybe, or maybe something else...
Either way, she knows better than to act on it. He turned her against her will, and he’s in much more control as a wolf than she is. She doubts it was a simple mistake. He’s been stalking her and refusing to talk. He’s practically a monster.
Nerdy girls don't fall for monsters.
Kade finally breaks eye contact when he leans down to grab his shirt from a crumpled pile of clothes discarded a few yards away.
Elara doesn't glance away for a moment, telling herself it's because she's afraid he'll run again. Then, both of them fully dressed, they stare at each other for an eternity.
"You can't hide things from me anymore," Elara says, fracturing the heavy silence. "There’s no point. This proves you turned me. You came when you thought I was hurt."
"Who knew trying to come to your rescue would get me in trouble," he scoffs darkly, his eyes glinting in the waning moonlight.
"No, you don't get to do that. I’ve given you plenty of opportunities to answer my questions,” she says, her voice rising as she steps closer. “Instead, you stalk me and then run away like a coward when I get close. I’m done with this. I deserve thetruth!" By the time she’s finished, she’s yelling, standing toe to toe.
Kade's chest rises and falls quickly as his nostrils flare with his own anger, though there's something else there too, like a buzzing in the air between them.
Elara takes a step back, wanting to avoid it.
“Yes, I turned you,” he says softly. “I made you what you are. Are you happy now, Elara?”
The way her name sounds on his lips, even as he growls it out in frustration, makes her stomach heat up. But she shakes her head, hot, angry tears stinging her eyes and threatening to spill over her cheeks.
“No, I’m not happy. You ruined my life, Kade!"
He flinches at her yelling, and Elara wonders if he actually feels remorse.
Kade shifts on his feet, his muscles rippling with the simple movement. “A war is coming. A war that will expose the supernatural to the world, and there’s only one way to stop it.”
Elara blinks, knowing the war he’s referring to—the one with the shifters, but how does that excuse anything?
He sighs, his shoulders seeming to settle an inch lower after. “I sensed a strange power in you, Elara. Turning you almost wasn’t a choice. It was…fated.”
“And the other animal attacks?” she demands, unwilling to acknowledge the sympathy trying to make its way into her heart. “What about the other people who died?”
His gaze drops. “They were supposed to turn, too. But they didn’t, and I don't know why.” He glances down at his hands, lifting them palm up. “Their deaths are on my hands.”
Kade’s voice strains at his admission. Elara wants to reach out to him, to grab his hand, touch his face, comfort him and his vulnerable, crumpled heart. But she crosses her hands over her chest. She can't give in to whatever this is. Kade has killed. He’sforever altered the trajectory of her life, whether she wanted him to or not.
Elara takes a step back. Then another. “I can’t trust you, Kade. Not after all you’ve done. I can tell you regret it, but I…just can't.” She chokes out the last two words. Her insides scream at her in turmoil, not knowing whether to turn her back and never talk with him again or allow him to beg for her forgiveness and give it willingly.
Kade nods solemnly. "The smart thing to do is stay away from me."
What the hell does that mean?
She shakes her head, planting her feet on the dirty ground. "Even if a war is coming, you had no right to turn me into something I didn't want to be.” She draws in a steadying breath. “I don’t want anything to do with you anymore."
It's likely the biggest lie Elara's ever told, but it’s for the best.
Kade opens his mouth to respond, but she puts a finger up to stop him. “And now I’ve turned poor Laith. Do you realize that’s two lives you’ve?—”
