“Different how?”
“I can’t be harmed.” She lifted her shoulder, uncertain how to explain the extraordinary power that had been part of her all her life. “Whenever I’m in physical danger, my body creates a kind of shield around me. Nothing can penetrate it.”
He scoffed. “No wonder you’re not afraid of anything.”
“That’s not true.” She shook her head. “I am afraid, Knox—for Riley. My ability is no use to him. It only protects me, not anyone else.”
“Fuck.” He took a step back, and she could feel his displeasure and frustration rolling off him. “What about your sister? Was she a Breedmate too?”
“Shannon is human,” Leni said, refusing to talk about her missing sibling in anything but the present tense. “We’re half-sisters. Her father was a local man. Mine was something . . . other.”
Knox grunted. “Are you in touch with him?”
“No. I never knew my father.”
“Where is he now?”
“I have no idea. My mom was in Portland on vacation with some friends when she met him. He was living on a large sailboat then, traveling the world. Apparently, he wasn’t the type to stay put in one place for long. Why do you want to know?”
“Because you and the boy need somewhere safe to go. You need to be with someone who can protect you.”
“I already told you, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving Parrish Falls.”
Knox’s gaze flared brighter with the curse that gusted between his teeth and fangs. “You’re a fool if you stay, Lenora. From everything I’ve heard and seen tonight, you and I both know it’s going to be that kid upstairs who pays the price if things escalate between you and the Parrishes.”
Leni’s hackles rose as he spoke. In her heart, she knew he was right. For six years, she’d known eventually she would have to choose between keeping her sister’s memory alive and keeping her nephew away from the brutal man who’d fathered him.
But dammit, she wasn’t ready to let go of Shannon.
She wasn’t ready to allow herself to imagine her sister was truly gone.
“I’ll find a way to keep Riley safe.”
“What about yourself?” he demanded. “Just because you can’t be physically harmed doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to hurt you. How are you going to feel when that boy is ripped away from you? Because you know it’s going to happen. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have asked me to kill Travis Parrish for you.”
God, she hated the sound of that. Hated to think how low she might be willing to stoop out of love for the sweet little boy sleeping so innocently upstairs. But she couldn’t deny it. She couldn’t pretend she wouldn’t be capable of anything if it meant keeping him safe.
“I’ll manage on my own. I always have.” She folded her arms, squaring off against the fuming Breed male in front of her. “Thanks for the advice, but we’re not your problem, Knox.”
He scoffed under his breath. “Yeah. That’s what I’ve been telling myself all night. I should’ve kept walking right past this damn town. My first mistake was stepping inside your diner tonight. My second one, stopping to pull you out of that ravine. But the biggest mistake of the night is all yours, Leni.”
He took a step toward her, furious and immense. Seething with a dangerous, animal rage.
A low growl rumbled deep inside him, yet another reminder that he was far from human. Especially now, when his reaction to her Breedmate mark still had him pulsing with aggression and barely contained rage.
“You knew what I was,” he said, his deep voice deceptively calm, given the intensity of the rest of him. “You recognized I was Breed as soon as you saw theglyphson my hand. You should’ve steered clear, Leni. You should’ve told me to get the fuck out of that booth, not invite me to stay. I would’ve left this town and never looked back.”
She swallowed as he closed the meager distance between them.
Apparently, she had lost all grip on her sanity tonight. Because instead of fearing the predator in Knox now, she stood firm against him. Refusing to back down.
God, even worse, she couldn’t stop wondering what it might feel like to be caught in those strong arms, pressed against all of that power.
Yep, crazy. Along with reckless and stupid.
He was right. She had made a terrible mistake tonight. She had enough problems in her life right now without inviting this snarling, dangerous new one any closer.
Not that he wanted that, either.
