Then, she looks away. “It doesn’t matter what I feel.”
“It’s the only thing that matters.”
“No.” She pushes at my chest, and reluctantly, I step back. Just enough for her to slide off the counter. “You still said those things about me to your father. You tried to keep me from working in your department. And I won’tforget that.”
The shift in topic catches me off guard. She’s deflecting. Using old wounds to rebuild the walls between us.
“I said those things because I didn’t want you to work there,” I say cautiously.
Her head snaps back, eyes flashing with anger. “Why? Because I’m not good enough?”
My next words burst out before I can think of better ones. “Because you’ve always been sick, Violet! You’ve always been frail.”
“Excuse me?” Her hands are on her hips now.
“I didn’t want to put additional stress on you.” I’m already in too deep, so I push ahead. “And now that you’re an adult, pack members will treat you differently because you can’t shift. Because you’re physically weak. I was trying to protect you.”
She stares at me, and something cold settles in her expression. Something sharp and knowing that makes my wolf whine in distress.
“You’re lying.”
“Violet—”
“No.” She walks away from me, toward the bedroom. “I hate liars.”
Terror claws at my chest. “You’re right!” I explode desperately.
She freezes, her back to me.
“You’re right. I am lying.” I run both hands through my hair, feeling like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff. “The truth is that I didn’t want to be near you.”
She turns slowly, and there’s a new look in her eyes—maybe one of hurt, but it’s buried beneath wariness. “Why?”
Tell her. Tell her the truth. That you’re mates. That you’re bound together.
But I can’t. I can’t tell her that. Not when she doesn’t seem to know. Not when I can’t even honor our…
“Because of this.” I gesture between us, frustration bleeding into every word. “Because I didn’t trust myself around you.” I force myself to meet her eyes. “I did think the others might harass you, yes. But that wasn’t the main reason. The main reason was that I couldn’t…” I stop, my jaw clenching. How do I explain this without revealing everything? “I couldn’t be near you without wanting you.”
She wraps her arms around her stomach, and I hate that slightly defensive, self-protective posture. I wait, my heart pounding, but for several seconds, she just stares at me with those hazel eyes.
When she finds her voice, it is quiet. “Well, you were right.” She looks away, her expression closing off. “This can’t happen again. Not ever.”
She begins walking toward the bedroom once more, and I hurry forward to block her path. My body fills the hallway, not letting her pass.
The words tear out of me. “Nobody has to find out. This can just be for us. Our time.”
My wolf is in a frenzy, demanding I do something—anything—to keep her here.
She shakes her head. “I don’t understand why you would risk your position as heir just to sleep with me.” The laugh that escapes her is bitter, self-deprecating. “I can’t be that good in bed. Or did you just like the thrill of sleeping with your stepsister?”
Rage surges through me, hot and violent. My hand covers her mouth before I even register moving. “That’s not what this was.”
The snarl in my voice is feral and possessive.
She turns her head away, dislodging my hand.
I stand there, feeling utterly helpless. My fingers hover near her face because I want to touch her, need to touch her, but I don’t know if I should.
