“Call me whatever you want, as long as you do it behind town lines.”
“Ryder!”
I slap a hand on her ass, shutting her up with a quick intake of breath. “Quiet. Can’t warn anyone who might be nearby.”
And then I take off, running as fast as I can with her over my shoulder. She bounces and I keep an ear out for any indication of the motion making her sick. Eventually, the road leads into town, the barrier a shimmer to anyone looking for it.
I walk towards that sign while staying out of view, stopping a couple feet away from the barrier before lowering her to her to her feet, maintaining space between us, and crossing my arms before doing something utterly stupid.
Stupid is still standing here when, if I were wise, I’d take off now.
Only…I don’t.
Maybe it’s because this is the final time to ever see her. It’s all that’ll be allowed. Within minutes, we’ll return to being two strangers, two species, two creatures who never interact.
She bites her lip and sighs. “For what it’s worth, Iamsorry about your dad. I tried.”
I glance at her palms, where I know much of witches’ magick is rooted—and where the Darkness rests invisibly beneath her skin. She’s taken enough sacrifices for us to last a lifetime.
“I’m aware of what you’ve done.”
She follows my gaze to her palms before huffing lightly and curling her hands into fists. “I’m not sorry I did that.”
“You should be. He was dying anyway.”
She tilts her head. “We’re really going down this path again?”
“No,” I reply softly—resigned. My eyes complete one final sweep of her—head to toe, memorizing everything. The invisible connection, still unfused, tugs lightly, insisting I stay.
So I back up a step, proving to both it and myself what our future will involve.
She follows, rendering the space pointless. Her mouth opens and shuts, hesitating, her mind spinning with questions and what-ifs until she finally forms a mumbled sentence. “You’ve said so many weird things today. Things I can’t keep up with. Xander did too, something about losing paws if he carried me on his back. What aren’t you telling me?” She shakes her head, brows coming together. “I mean, maybe I’m making it all up, but itfeelslike there’s something I’m missing.”
She’s smart and perceptive, and she nearly cracks a smile in my resolve.
And she deserves the truth.
So I tell her in the only way I can. The only way, before officially walking away and never knowing what becomes of Carina Hargrove. She’ll move on, hopefully survive the coven war—and whatever’s coming in the future from the Celestials—and meet a nice warlock who’ll treat her well or risk having his throat torn out. I’ll be expected to take a mate eventually—one actually claimed. She’ll take Carina’s spot. She’ll give me pups. She’ll lead the pack beside me.
It sickens me because it won’t be the woman I’ve come to want.
I approach, my hands collaring her waist to tug her closer. My cock, pressed between us, twitches with need—the need to bury itself inside her. To push her to her knees and teach her how to please her Alpha.
But I don’t. Iwon’t…no matter how tempting.
She’s watching me with emotion, her eyes darting between mine. Confusion makes her eyes milky, but it fades into longing.A sweep of her tongue nearly sends me to my knees. Her breath vanishes like the sun before a storm. Another roll of her lips—uncertain whether I’m about to yell at her again.
I lower my head and slant my mouth over hers, allowing myself this much. A small taste—which only makes the wolf inside hungrier…and the man. She whimpers before submitting, her lips slightly parting, and I’m greedy enough to keep all I can of her.
I tell her the truth in a language she’ll never understand. With my mouth fused on hers, my hands holding her in the only way I’ll ever be able to. Thefinalway. After this, I’ll go home. Be Alpha. Return to my cabin and try to ignore the fact that the entire place—fuck, the camp as well—smells like her.
She winds her arms around my neck and falls against me, and it takes every muscle—every fibre of strength—before I finally grasp her wrists to unwind her. She can’t touch me.
I hold her hands in my own and step into her, hard enough that she’s forced backwards.
We’re five steps from the boundary line where her mother’s spell lays.
Four steps…
