Suddenly, believing my avoiding her didanythingto the bond is stupid. Avoiding her was to ensure there was no attachment between us before Twilight Grove came, but all it did was make me mourn her company—make memissher.
Her curiosity.
Her smile.
Her attitude.
She’s impossible to ignore when her very being, her presence, is in my fucking bloodstream.
My hand reaches for her wrist, hauling her back around with a gulp of air we both hear her take but ignore. She could pull away if she wants to, and I could release her, but neither of us make motion to.
My offer rests on my tongue, ready to kill the hurtIput in her striking eyes. To see her smile again, like she was earlier. “I’m going to the caves, if you’d like to join me.”
Hope covers her apprehension, and the start of a smile that has the ability to become my everything creeps onto her face. It’s killed quickly with narrowing eyes. “Are you fucking with me?”
“Why would I?”
I eye her clothing of leggings, hiking boots, and a thick buttoned-up cardigan; she’s dressed appropriately for the trip. She’s fifty percent town girl and fifty percent camper, and it’s a cute mix that’s entirely ideal for the weather, setting, and all that is Carina.
Her lips purse as she extracts herself from me. “No reason, I guess. We’re going now?”
Gesturing, I have her follow to the opposite side of the camp where we slip out behind a row of cabins most of the people of Dad’s generation reside in. I lead her into the patch of woods and towards the mountain directly in front of us. It’s close enough there’s no point in shifting, if only to have the ability to talk to her.
A few minutes pass and the short pants she occasionally releases as I attempt to direct her through the simplest path makes me smirk.
Around the next patch of greenery, I hold limbs aside for her to step beneath, she asks, “Have you really been busy or have I—?” Her teeth sink into her bottom lip and her steps increase.
“Have you what? Finish that,” I bite, cutting into her path. She shouldn’t be so scared she won’t speak her mind.
“Do you hate me? You haven’t been around since that night, when you held a…a witchin your arms.
Oh.My wolf growls in warning to not fuck this up. For making her have such beliefs. “I wouldn’t have gone near you if I hated you being a witch. I kept busy for other reasons.”
For reasons you can never know.
But of course, my curiousnîkâkîstisblinks up at me. “Such as?”
“They’re not important.” I gesture for her to continue walking. “The terrain gets rocky, so be careful.”
“Er,”she mumbles. “Rockier. It’s already rocky.”
“Only to someone who doesn’t leave her house.”
She rolls her eyes, the playfulness brushing aside the turbulence from camp. “Witches enjoy nature.”
“But not camping.”
“Alright, you’re right.”
And yet, your dreams are to leave town.
She falls silent for a short bit, focusing on the uneven ground. I fall into step beside her, ready to catch her if she stumbles. More minutes pass with only her huffs, and I find myself missing her voice.
“Heard you’ve been hanging out with Leah.”
“Checking up on me?” She glances to the right, only for her foot to roll off a rock, and she stumbles into my side.
I catch her with an arm around her waist, keeping her upright. Even when she’s steady on her feet, I opt to not let go, using my speed to propel us faster, giving a reason to maintain my hold.
