“There are worse things, aren’t there?”
“Wow. You’re just full of comforting words today.”
Grayson leaned against the counter, but his calm exterior only fueled her irritation. “I’m not here to comfort you, Cora. I’m here to keep you alive.”
She bristled and scoffed. “I didn’t ask you to keep me alive. I didn’t ask for this bond. I didn’t ask for you.”
“You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to be tied to someone who fights me at every turn?”
“Then leave!” she shouted. “If it’s so unbearable, just walk away.”
Grayson’s gaze locked onto hers, and for a moment, the air between them felt charged with something she couldn’t quite place. His wolf stirred behind his eyes in the briefest show of something untamed lurking beneath the surface.
“I can’t,” he answered quietly.
“Why not?” she demanded.
“Because the bond won’t let me. And neither will my wolf.”
Cora swallowed hard. She hated how his honesty made her defenses waver, how the tension between them felt less like anger and more like something she didn’t want to acknowledge. She turned away, pacing to the other side of the small kitchen.
Grayson followed her with his eyes but didn’t move. “Starting tomorrow, I’m walking you to and from work.”
She spun around, her anger flaring again. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he said, his tone firm. “Voss has eyes everywhere. I’m not taking any chances.”
She threw her hands up. “The bakery is literally downstairs. You think Voss is hiding out in the stairwell waiting to pounce?”
“You think he won’t?” Grayson countered. “If he gets even the slightest opportunity, he’ll take it. And I’m not letting that happen.”
“Unbelievable. You already decided this, didn’t you? Without even asking me?”
“Do you want to die?”
“Of course not!” she shouted. “But I also don’t want to be babysat by someone who thinks he gets to control my life.”
Grayson stepped closer, and his towering frame made the kitchen feel smaller. “This isn’t about control. It’s about survival. You need to trust me.”
“You’ve done nothing to earn my trust. You dragged me into this mess, and now you act like it’s my fault for wanting out.”
For a moment, she thought he might argue. Instead, he took a slow step back. “I’m not your enemy, Cora.”
She let out a sharp exhale before she said, “Then stop acting like it.”
They stood in silence for a long moment, just watching one another. Finally, Grayson’s features softened, just barely, and he reached out as if to touch her arm. The movement was slow, almost hesitant, and it caught her off guard.
Her breath hitched as his hand hovered just inches away, and the warmth of his presence drew her in despite every instinct screaming at her to pull back. A spark of heat flashed through her, and her skin tingled where his fingers lingered. The sensation was subtle but undeniable, and she couldn’t tell if it was just the magic of the bond or something more.
He dragged his tongue over his bottom lip, and her eyes tracked the movement. It sent a strange, almost electric rush through her, making her heart stumble. His expression darkened, and his gaze flicked down to her mouth. Her heart pounded in her chest, and for a fleeting moment, she thought he might—
No.
Cora stepped back abruptly, breaking the fragile moment. Her cheeks burned, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
“Don’t,” she stated. “Just…don’t.”
Grayson’s hand dropped to his side. He didn’t speak, but the weight of his silence was louder than anything he could have said.
