Olivia stopped talking when Zoe came out of the bathroom. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, her nose pink. She looked so vulnerable and lost that his chest physically constricted. He’d done this to her.
She glanced at him briefly, then started down the hall. He tried to reach out, but she pushed past him.
“Don’t try to stop me.”
“Zoe, we need to talk.” He followed her when she walked upstairs to her bedroom. She started to shove her clothes into a duffle bag and he grabbed her arm to stop her. “I won’t let you leave.”
“You got what you needed.” Tears glittered in her eyes and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Now let me go.”
“You belong with me.” Jack dropped his hands to his side and clenched his fists to keep from going postal.
She spun on him, anger blazing in her eyes. “I killed people tonight.”
Jack grimaced and took a step towards her, but she flinched away the moment he tried to touch her.
“I need some space. I gave you everything you wanted. We had some fucking incredible sex, you got to augment your powers, and your clan is safe. I wouldn’t take any of that back. Really, I wouldn’t.”
“We’re mated. That’s for life, Zoe. I know you can feel that.”
“Yeah, I feel it.” She closed her eyes and breathed out hard. “But I can’t livelike this.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed and dragged his hands over his face. “My life isn’t always like this. Most of the time it’s fairly normal.”
“I don’t belong in your world.” She shook her head and glanced down at her hands. Her eyes squeezed shut and a tear slid down her cheek.
She started towards the door, and he caught her arm.
“There still might be someone out there threatening you. I won’t lose you. I just found you.” He pulled her against him.
“If you really want to make this work, then give me some space to adjust.” She sighed and placed her forehead against his chest.
“How much space?”
“I don’t know. Let me go back to New York, go to work.”
He clenched his teeth, fear paralyzing him. Getting angry wasn’t going to help.
“We’re mated,” he said again. “There’s no walking away.”
“But that’s all it is. Nothing more.” Zoe lifted her head and stared into his eyes.
She left the giant question mark hanging between them. Jack knew what she was looking for, but he wouldn’t lie, at least not about that.
“It’s enough,” he said finally.
Zoe sighed. “Not for me.”
Chapter 17
“No, absolutely not!” Jack’s voice boomed into her dream.
She moaned and blinked her heavy lids, not wanting to wake up to reality. The morning sun cast a yellow haze in the small room, and the smell of fresh coffee wafted through the door. She’d let Jack convince her to stay the night, but today she would head back to New York.
For her own sanity, she had to.
Jack and Olivia continued to argue just outside her bedroom door.
“Be reasonable, you need to tell her, Jack.” Olivia’s voice sounded tired and strained.
