And as I watch, her head lifts from whatever jar she’s studying. I see the way her shoulders lift, tensing as she glances around.
And then she turns. Deep, dark brown eyes meet mine, set over strong, dark, almost hawkish brows that furrow as she meets my gaze. They widen as she steps back, the golden skin of her face turning ashen.
I take one step. She takes another in response, her eyes still on me. Wary. Her eyes flicker toward the direction of the exit.
“Don’t.” My voice is a warning. “Don’t you fucking dare, Kennedy.”
But she does.
She fuckingruns.
The jar in her hand drops to the floor, smashing as she spins and takes off. Cursing, I follow her, our feet hammering against the tiled floor as she throws herself around the corner.
I barely hear Henry’s shout, my whole body focused on her as she rips the door to the shop open and vanishes.
It’s a red flag to a damn bull. She practically screams guilt with every step she takes to get away from me.
I catch up to her halfway down the street. She’s panting, but she’s already slowing. It’s nothing for my steps to catch up with hers, for my hand to wrap around her arm and jerk her to a stop. Her heavy breathing stutters. “Let me go.”
“You’re back in town.” I don’t let go. I don’t fucking trust this omega for a second. “Why thefuckare you back here?”
“I never—,” Her words cut off as she pulls against me. “I never left. Take your hands off me.”
I step closer instead, crowding her against the wall as I lean down. She’s tall for an omega, but I’m damned tall for an alpha, and she barely brushes my shoulders as I run my eyes over her. “You look like shit, Kenny.”
Not what I intended to say. Not when there’s so fucking much to be said – but then again, my thoughts haven’t made sense for a while now. Frowning, I shake my head. “Theo wants to talk to you.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but she pales further. The hundreds of freckles sprinkled across her face almost vanish as she pushes her hand against my chest. “Get back, Oscar.”
“No. You could have gotten away if you wanted to.” She always had legs like a damned gazelle. There was nothing and nobody that could catch her when she took off. It was a joke between all of us, that she could outrun the apocalypse if she needed to.
But now she’s stiff, her head turned to the side. She doesn’t look at me at all, and it only stokes my anger higher. She’s acting like a fucking martyr. “You owe us a conversation at least, don’t you think? All of us, since you’ve ignored us for six months.”
“I don’t owe you shit.” She wriggles, but it’s like caging a wildcat made from nothing but air. I don’t move an inch. “Get thefuckoff me, or I’ll—,”
Anger floods me. “You’ll what? What will you do, Kennedy?”
Her jaw lifts. “I’ll scream.”
I lean closer at that, my brow raising. “You think anyone in this town will lift a finger to helpyou?”
She flinches. It’s true. I can feel eyes on us, know that the town rumor mill will be going into full swing after this little show, but even if she begged, nobody would intervene. Enough rumors floated around after Brett’s death, no doubt helped along by Charles, that there isn’t a single person in town who doesn’t despise her.
I take a breath, but my face twists in revulsion. “And what the hell is up with your scent?”
She finally stills. “None of your business.”
Fine. She stopped being my business a long time ago. “You going to come nicely, or do I have to carry you?”
Kennedy blanches. “What?”
“You’re coming with me, right now.” I keep hold of her arm. “Theo is fucking broken. You don’t get to walk around as if you didn’t rip his family apart, Kennedy. So you’re coming with me, and we’re going to sit down and talk like we should have done six fucking months ago.”
My head feels clouded. She’shere. Here, and real, and anger entwines with something unnamed in my chest. She looks as if I’m going to fucking beat her, her head pressed back against the wall. And her scent spikes again, with something that tastes a lot like fear, catching in the back of my throat and making me feel nauseous. “Stop that. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“My arm.” It’s almost a plea. “It’s hurting. Please.”
I release her immediately, my brows knotting. “I didn’t grip you that—,”
