Leo’s expression grew thoughtful. “I don’t know her that well. I’ve seen her around town, but never really spoken to her. I suppose you could say we move in different circles.” He paused. “Did she say something that bothered you?”
Everything about her bothered me, Estelle thought.
She knows what we are,her dragon added.
“She just seemed suspicious,” Estelle said carefully. “About us.”
Leo nodded slowly. “I asked my mom about her... Don’t worry, I didn’t mention you. She said Fiona has a reputation for getting into people’s business. But she’s never caused trouble that I know of.”
Yet,Estelle’s dragon said grimly.
“Let’s hope she doesn’t decide to make an exception,” Estelle replied.
“Well, if she comes around again, I’d appreciate knowing,” Leo said, his tone casual but his eyes serious. “Just so I can... keep an eye on things.”
The offer of protection was subtle but unmistakable. Estelle felt a flicker of warmth in her chest, quickly followed by alarm. She could not let him get involved, could not let him take risks for her and Adara.
Yes, because Fiona is a dragon shifter and Leo is no match for her, even if his heart is in the right place,her dragon replied.
“Leo,” she began, setting down her mug. “I appreciate the groceries and the company, but...”
“But you’re not looking for complications,” he finished for her. “I understand.”
“It’s not that simple.” Estelle took a deep breath. “Being around me—around us—could be dangerous. There are things you don’t know, things I can’t explain right now.”
Leo’s gaze held hers, steady and unafraid. “I figured as much.”
“And that doesn’t... concern you?”
“Of course it does,” he said quietly. “But not in the way you think.”
Estelle stared at him, this man who had walked into her life mere hours ago and already seemed to understand her better than people who had known her for years. “You should stay away,” she whispered. “For your own safety.”
“I’m not great at doing what I should,” Leo replied with a small smile. “Never have been.”
Estelle shook her head, frustration rising. “I’m serious. What is between us, no matter how it makes you feel—it’s not worth the risk.”
“That’s not your decision to make,” Leo said, his voice gentle but firm. “I get to decide what risks are worth taking in my life. Just like you do in yours.”
The words hung between them, challenging and undeniable. Estelle looked away, unable to hold his gaze.
“I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me,” she admitted, the words barely above a whisper.
Leo did not interrupt. He did not rush to fill the silence or offer easy reassurance. He only held her gaze with that same impossible steadiness, as if he meant her to understand that he was listening to every word she was not saying.
“I know what this is,” he said quietly. “And I’m not walking away.”
Something pierced her chest. That should have frustrated her. It should have made her want to push him farther away, lock every door, and remind herself that closeness was a liability she could not afford. Instead, his words slipped past her defenses and lodged somewhere tender. Somewhere dangerous.
Told you.Her dragon stirred, warm and certain beneath her fear.He means it.
That was the problem. Estelle was beginning to believe him.
And if she believed him, then she had to face something even more frightening than Fiona’s veiled warning or the threat of being found. She had to face how much this man was already beginning to matter.
Not just because he was their mate. Not just because Adara had smiled at him and trusted him and reached for him as though some part of her had already recognized what Estelle was still trying to deny. But because Leo, with his quiet kindness and careful patience, was becoming important to her in a way she had never meant to allow.
If anything happened to him because of her, it would not be a distant regret. It would break something in her. Something she might never be able to mend.
