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Margo waggled her eyes at Tori and skipped back to the café’s back door, turning her head and giving us one last smirk before slipping back inside.
I huffed and stood up, swiping dirt off my clothes. Tori stood with her head in her hands, embarrassment oozing off her.
After adjusting myself, I went to her and wrapped my arms around her, then kissed her temple, working my way down to her lips. She took a slight step back, breaking the contact. The hand she flattened on my chest stopped my lips from moving downward, and then she pushed me back.
“You heard Margo. Clawson’s looking for you.” Her voice was soft. “You should get your ass in there to find out what he needs. You also need to tell me the details of this murder case as they come in, so I can actually be of some use instead of awkwardly nosing around town,” she added.
I dropped my arms and stepped back, putting my hands in my pockets as I studied her. She crossed her arms and wouldn’t look me in the eye. She nervously tucked her loose hair behind her ear, then returned her arm to a defensive posture in front of her.
Tori didn’t let me witness her unguarded side often, but her interaction with Zander and what happened after, then having Margo come upon us, obviously had her out of sorts. I wasn’t too fond of it. I loved the fiery, infuriating side of her. When she displayed this vulnerability, I wanted to slay her demons and carry her to a place nobody could ever reach her. It brought out a primal urge in me.
If only she’d stop fighting what was going on between us. We had something, and I wanted to explore it with her because it had the potential to be something epic and remarkable that would be the envy of many. I believed that to the very root of my soul.
This wasn’t something I’d ever experienced before. Indeed, I was willing to bet Tori hadn’t been in a situation like this, either.
“I’ll make you a deal,” I said. “From now on, I’ll tell you absolutely everything I know about the murder. Including all the details I kept from you out of my loyalty to Clawson’s strict investigation policies. I’ll also tell you anything new that we find out.”
Her eyes lit up, and the vulnerability started shedding from her body. “What’s the other end of the deal?”
“Go running with me tonight. In your wolf form.” That was more than a fair trade. It was more in Tori’s favor than my own. I didn’t care, though. I wanted to be with her wolf. I wanted to be with her all the time and in both forms.
“Hell, no,” she burst out, flinching. “I’m not shifting ever again, so you can just forget it.”
I staggered back a step as if she’d pushed me. She was open about how much she disliked her wolf, and I knew she hadn’t shifted often, butnever again?What the fuck?
“How often do you shift if you think you can keep fighting it indefinitely?” What shifter never wants to shift again? I’d never heard of it.
Bowing her head, she lifted her arms across her chest, and the vulnerability popped up its ugly head once again. I had to strain my ears to hear what she said. “The other night was only the second time.”
Twice ever?I stepped back, dropping my jaw. I was speechless. This determination was the unhealthiest thing I’d ever heard of. I’d never witnessed a shifter fighting their wolf so hard that they never let them out. No wonder she was going feral.
The pain and anguish she and her wolf endured must be immense. Why in the world was she doing it to herself? She was making herself go mad.
I hardened my resolve. I’d do anything to protect her, even from herself. This wasn’t normal. Something significant had happened to force her to repress her wolf so fiercely. What trauma had caused this? Who’d hurt her so irreparably that she wouldn’t do one of the most natural things in the world for her to do?
Moving closer to her slowly, since I was inevitably approaching a wounded animal, I swept my hands from her shoulders down her arms, finally taking her hands in mine and entwining our fingers. I leaned down and rested my forehead against hers. Relief softened me as she allowed me to touch her. She kept her eyes closed, but I waited for them to open.
“Tori, I want to change the deal.”
She slowly opened her eyes, and we stared at each other. The pain and fear buried deep in her gaze made me physically ache. I wanted to take it all away.
Squeezing her hands, I said, “I’ll tell you everything about the case from now on. I’ll give you access to whatever you want, if you tell me what’s made you fear shifters this badly.” I kept my voice soft and even, careful not to fuel her desire to run, which was her initial reaction to everything.
She sucked in a breath but didn’t move away from me. Her eyes danced with mine. I could see she was torn. She bit her bottom lip, worrying it between her teeth as her breathing grew heavier.
Shutting her eyes, she said, “Can I get back to you? You really should go and talk to the sheriff before anyone else finds us back here.”
I didn’t want to leave her. She was in a fragile place at the moment, and I didn’t want anything to happen to her. But the fact that she was willing to think it over was a huge step forward in my book. A couple of days ago, she would have told me it was none of my business and to go to hell. The fact that she had her guard down, considering the idea of opening up to me, meant a lot to me.
Gaining her trust and being a confidante for this little wolf would be the best accomplishment of my life. Something to be cherished, as she was somebody to be cherished. And I wanted to be the one to do that.
But this was a significant leap for her, and I didn’t want to push her too hard. “Okay, I’ll let you think about it. I’ll talk to the sheriff.”
She opened her eyes and nodded. I kissed her forehead before I stepped back and untangled our fingers. I hated not touching her.
“I’ll see you back at the manor later. I noticed you didn’t take the car. Do you need a ride?”
“No, I’ve got it covered.”
