With the grace of a panther, he drew closer, his gaze mysterious. “That’s not easy to do in a city with humans. A female gave me a ride.”
“I find that hard to believe. You look like a hobo.”
He gave her a sideways smile. “She called me charming.”
Blue swiftly branched away so she could roll her eyes. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Matteo caught up, his long legs taking short steps to match her stride. “That male almost killed you.”
“Is that so? I could have shifted.”
“Balderdash. He was too close. You wouldn’t have had time.”
She gave him a piercing look. “And how do you know what I canandcan’tdo? Or maybe you think because I couldn’t escape the lion that I’m weak.”
“I never said that.”
“You implied it. Skulking in the shadows and following me all over the city proves you think I need a bodyguard. Maybe that’s the kind of flattery Chitah women need in their lives, but I won’t tolerate it. This is a secretive job, and if my boss found out you were following us, he’d have your memory scrubbed. What you did helping us with those kids won’t matter. You have no right to meddle in our business.”
“For that I apologize. I have no desire to…meddlein your affairs.”
“No. You just want to make me your bride and fill me with babies.”
Matteo came to a hard stop.
Blue faced him and studied his downward glance. A shadow crossed his features, one so black that she could almost feel its presence as if it were a living thing. “Look, I don’t want to get deep with you. I also don’t want to tiptoe around your feelings. You shouldn’t be here. I’m not the one. I’m just a girl you rescued one night when no one else could carry me.”
He lifted his gaze. “If you choose me, I’ll always carry you.”
“I don’t want to be carried. And I don’t want a man who thinks Ineedto be carried.”
Incensed, she marched up the road. How the hell was she going to shake this guy off her tail? Chitahs and Shifters had one thing in common: they were persistent. Shifters she understood, but how could she turn off a Chitah?
Matteo caught up again. “Tell me about your kin.”
“Next question.”
“How can I woo you if I don’t know what you desire in a family? Did your name come from your eyes?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I just assumed…”
Blue stopped in her tracks and shot him an icy glare. “You assumed what?”
He lightly shrugged. “It’s uncommon to see a Native with blue eyes.”
“It’s also uncommon to see a Chitah with dark hair. What’s your point? Do you think I’m a product of a mixed mating? Or maybe you’re suggesting something more sinister.” She turned away, thankful she didn’t have her tomahawk.
His hand gripped her arm. “Wait. I have no wish to insult you, female. I want to know you. I want to learn all there is about you.” He released his hold, and his gaze softened. “Tell me something.”
She pondered a minute before giving in. What could it hurt? “My name is one I gave to myself, and that’s a story you don’t get to know about. Yes, my eyes are blue. All my people have blue eyes.”
“Is it because you’re a falcon?”
“No. It’s just a trait within my tribe. I’d never seen people with brown or green eyes until I left my childhood home.”
He tipped his head to the side. “You were isolated as a child. That’s unusual in these times. What did you think when you first saw brown eyes?”
