“Yes,” she said. “That’s what you said last night.” She lifted her chin. “Where were you all night?” Not that she had a right to ask, because she didn’t. Except they had slept together.
“I was hunting with pack members,” he said. “We’ve got outside packs edging closer. They know we’re in disarray. I was shoring up defenses.”
That was a decent explanation for why he didn’t jump through her window last night. Not that she’d wanted him to, except she had. She led him into the sunroom and sat on the green floral sofa. Sunlight filtered through the glass. Dust motes drifted in the air. “Well,” she said, “that’s fair.”
He crossed his arms and loomed above her. “I don’t know how to say this any clearer than I’m about to. So listen.”
She looked up. His eyes were dark and serious. He really was handsome. Annoyingly so.
“Do not leave your protection detail again,” he said, each word deliberate.
She leaned back. “I don’t answer to you.”
“Yes,” he said. “You do. Pretty soon everyone will. Tell me you understand.”
She stiffened. “I understand.”
“Good. Bulwark wants you dead.”
She lifted both hands. “I didn’t feel like I was in danger last night.”
“Oh really?” he said. “You think Bussy and Margaret can stop Bulwark?” His chin firmed, and a muscle ticked down his neck. “Your detail is assigned to you for a reason.”
“They were still at the house,” she said quietly. “I snuck out.”
He stared at her.
Yeah, it was the entire situation of her going to fight for her man. She hadn’t exactly considered the downsides.
Silence stretched.
“Okay,” she said. “I get it. But what about you?”
“What about me?”
Seriously? “Bulwark is after you too.”
“I can handle my brother.”
She wanted to argue. She didn’t. It would make her sound stupid. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
“What do you want, Nadia?” he asked softly.
Warning prickled down her spine and she didn’t know why. “What do you mean?”
“You were happier when you visited your friends in Copper territory.”
“I was,” she admitted. “There’s no strife there. No challenges. Nobody trying to kill me. I know who I am there. Here, I’m still finding my place.”
He moved closer and crouched in front of her, placing both hands on her knees. “I think that’s fair.”
She looked down at his wide hands. “We shouldn’t touch.”
“Excuse me?” One of his dark eyebrows rose.
She needed to explain without sounding like a moron. “The grimoire says we’re not supposed to be intimate outside of individual challenges,” she went on. “I hadn’t realized how bad it would be for Margaret and Bussy if we got caught. They’d get in trouble. Or at least get ridiculed for not doing their jobs.” She glanced toward the doorway. “It’s a big deal.”
“I’m not going to stop touching you unless you want me to,” he muttered. “For our sakes. Not for stupid challenge rules.” His hands slid up her thighs.
