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“You both refuse to admit how you really feel about the other. He’s frightened, you know.”
I scoffed at the idea. “Of what?”
“Of losing you again.”
“No, you’re wrong about that. We used to be friends, but that was a long time ago. I was actually thrilled to see him for a few moments when he first showed back up out of the blue, because I’d been told he was dead. I was happy—and then he opened his mouth.”
“I see.”
“There’s no romance here. No mates. Don’t you understand? He was a school friend. Nothing more. We used to practice how we’d be with our omegas someday. A few kisses for practice. That’s all we were doing.”
“You seem to be trying hard to convince me. Or is it yourself?”
I made a scoffing noise and got up to take off outside—just as I remembered Roxbury had already done that, stomping off like a teenage girl.
And what does that make you, a treacherous little voice inside me asked. You were about to do the same.
“Why don’t you go outside and talk to him?” Grimora said. “It might help.”
“If I go out there, I’ll kick his ass, which is sounding more and more like a damn good idea.”
“Go on then. Go and tell him exactly how you feel.” He hesitated and looked me up and down. The twinkle in his eye was a bit suspicious, so I hesitated some more.
“Unless you’re afraid,” Grimora said softly. “Is that it? Are you afraid of your feelings for him?”
“Ha!” I said and turned to leave the cave. I did not storm out, however—an important distinction between me and that stupid ass, Roxbury.
The fog was as thick as ever outside—so thick it seemed almost solid. Roxbury could have been a foot away from me, and I doubt I would have seen him. Foolish man to venture outside in this. I hope he had the sense to stay well up on the ledge and not try to climb around or he’d surely fall. Not that I cared in the least. Rearranging his face could only improve it.
I sat down near the entrance to the cave, drawing up my legs to hug my knees. It was cold out here in the damp fog, and I wondered why I’d allowed Grimora to goad me into going outside. The things he’d said had bothered me, and I didn’t want to hear any more of them. Was my health in decline like he’d said? I had suspected that for weeks now but had been afraid to say the words out loud or even to allow them a place in my head. Apparently, Grimora saw it, though, and that meant others might have seen it too. Was that why Harrison had sent me on this journey to start with? Had he hoped the sea air might help me?
Too many questions with not enough answers. I was sick of the worry. I surged to my feet, just as someone came out of the fog and ran right into me with a loud “oof” sound. It was Roxbury, of course. I’d know that strong scent of spice and new leather anywhere. Roxbury had always smelled like that to me while he used to complain that I smelled like cinnamon apples. Those were pheromones, of course, that neither of us should have been able to smell on another Alpha. It didn’t seem to matter what we were supposed to do, though, and it never had when it came to the two of us.
“Get off me!” I cried out, shoving him as he cursed and swore and rolled around on the ground, clutching his knee.
“You’ve injured my leg!”
“Oh please, you can’t be that hurt. Anyway, I didn’t do it. You did it to yourself. Stop carrying on so much.”
“I’m hurt,” he said, groaning. “How was I supposed to see you squatting there in the dark like some evil toad frog?”
“I’m sitting right in front of the damn cave, and if you opened your eyes instead of flapping your fat lips, you could have easily seen me.”
He sat up beside me, rubbing his leg and narrowing his eyes. “You deliberately tripped me.”
“You’re ridiculous. If anything, you fell on purpose to mess with me.” I bent over to see him better and found myself nose to nose with him. His damn spicy scent was clogging my nostrils and filling my brain with nonsense. Words like, “lover,” and “mine” filled my head. Words I never wanted to hear or think. Damn him. I didn’t love him. Even though I used to think I did. It was only because I felt badly about him being dead. Then when I found out he wasn’t gone after all, everything had changed. Everything was different now, and all he did was get on my nerves.
****
Roxbury
There I was, minding my own business and trying to get a little fresh air when I got a little chilled and decided to go back to sit beside the opening of the cave. The fog had gotten even thicker in the past few minutes, and soon I might not even be able to see the light coming from inside it. The last thing I needed was to get caught outside in this pea soup, wander off somewhere and not be able to find my way back.
I walked confidently toward the light, not bothering to look down, because I’d just come this same way, after all, and there had been nothing to obstruct my path. No rocks or crevices in the cliff—nothing at all to block me. Or so I thought.
I was strolling over to sit down by the entrance when I stumbled over something on the ground and fell all over myself, barely stopping my nose from connecting with the rocks and instead, smashing my knee into them as I caught myself. I’d skinned up my palms too, and they were stinging like a bitch. I fell over on my side, moaning, and that’s when I heard Brandon’s big mouth, telling me to get off him. And to add insult to injury, he began castigating me, because I was in pain.
“Oh please, you can’t be that hurt. Stop carrying on so much.”
