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“What’s wrong? Are you ill?” He pulled into a parking garage, heading straight to the far end, which was mostly empty. Before he’d put the truck into park, she bailed out.
“Fuck.” He jumped out, leaving the motor running, expecting her to be vomiting. Instead, she was racing away. She was fast but no match for him. He caught her by the shoulder and spun her around. “What the hell?”
“Don’t touch me.”
He held both hands in the air, his gut clenching. She wasn’t merely afraid. She was terrified. His wolf whimpered, hurt by her reaction. He’d never felt more like a monster.
“You need to leave. It’s not safe for you to be around me.” Her breath was coming so fast he feared she might start hyperventilating. “I’m a liability, a distraction. You said it yourself. They’re going to use me to hurt you.” Her eyes were haunted, but her chin tipped up with determination. “I can’t allow that.”
Chapter Fifteen
Mages, magic, werewolves—it was all too much for Zoe. As terrifying as it was, it was nothing compared to the knowledge she would somehow be the instrument of Devlin’s downfall.Not if I can help it.“You have to let me go.”
“Never.” His eyes were glowing in that strange way they sometimes did. Emotion wouldn’t sway him. Neither would reason. He felt responsible for her, maybe even had feelings for her. There was no denying the simmering sexual attraction between them.
She shoved aside the pleasure that bloomed inside her.It’s all a mage’s trick.The reminder didn’t make a dent in the emotions swamping her.
I’m falling in love with him.Real or manipulated by magic, it didn’t matter. The result was the same.
There was no other explanation for what she was about to do. Leaving him was akin to signing her own death warrant. “Look, I’m grateful you saved my life and all.” She rubbed her damp palms over the thighs of her jeans. “And the sex was great.” Understatement of the century. It was mind-blowing.
His brows lowered and his frown deepened. She didn’t need extrasensory abilities to figure out he was pissed with her. Good. He needed to be if she was going to get this to work. “It’s too dangerous for me to be around you.” She waved her hand in front of her. “All this werewolf stuff is too much. I want out.”
A low growl made all the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Time to go in for the kill. She forced herself to smile. “The hot sex, whatever is between us, is nothing more than magic. You’re not my type.” God, her heart was shattering into a million pieces. Pain threatened to send her to her knees.
She held strong because she had to—his life was on the line. Without her to worry about, he’d be able to leave town and devote all his attention to figuring out what the hell was going on.
It hurt to breathe, but she managed to suck in enough to keep on talking. “I don’t want you with me. I’m safer on my own.”
This time, he flinched. The light in his eyes dimmed, becoming flat. She glanced away, hating that she was hurting him, but it was for the greater good. Her gaze was drawn to the tendons and veins in his thick forearms. So strong, yet so gentle when they’d made love.
She hunched slightly as he came toward her, realized what she was doing, and straightened her shoulders. He loomed in front of her, as wide and unyielding as a mountain.
“This is what you want?”
Her chuckle sounded strained, even to her own ears. “It’s been…interesting, but I have a life to get back to. No hard feelings.” She clamped her lips shut before anything else stupid spilled out.
He leaned forward, his nose brushing against her neck. “Are you sniffing me?” She took a step back. When he did it again, she batted at him with her hands. “Stop that. Don’t take it personal, but I’ve had enough of you.”
“Liar.” His soft whisper might as well have been a shout.
There’s no way he could know. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself.” She sidled back toward the truck. As much as she wanted to make a fast getaway, it made sense to take her purse and the rest of her belongings. She was still on the run for her life, and her resources were limited. “I’m going to grab my stuff and take off.”
When he said nothing, she prayed she’d finally convinced him. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of never seeing him again. She bit her bottom lip, using the pain to steady herself.
It was still surprising when he didn’t stop her. Maybe he didn’t care about her as much as she did about him.You’re being ridiculous. You want him to let you go. Right?
She opened the door, but a big hand slapped it shut. He crowded her against the side of the vehicle. Heat and strength radiated from him. It would be so easy to lean against him, to let him take care of her.
Time to step up and do the hard thing. “What are you doing?” She somehow managed to keep her tone light, almost disinterested, while inside she prayed he’d step aside before she crumbled. Grabbing the door handle, she held on for dear life.
He nuzzled her neck, nipping hard enough to make her jolt. “Did you bite me? Stop that.”
“You’re lying.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God, she chanted, praying for strength.Or maybe this had more in common with Hell than Heaven. This wrenching of the soul had to be what tortured spirits endured in purgatory.
“I’m the white wolf.” His arms slid around her from behind. She closed her eyes and let her forehead rest against the cool glass. “I told you before, I can smell deception.”
