He gave a terse nod, slung an arm around her shoulders, and hurried to the cabin. With his Guardian instinct deeply ingrained, he couldn’t in good conscience remain in hiding when danger trolled. “Yeah. I’ve got to get back on patrol tonight. Trouble’s brewing.”
“Because of those demons kidnapping the children?” she whispered, sliding her arm around him to rest on his hips. Fates. He reveled in her touch. Now, he just needed to convince her to stay.
“Yeah.”
Her blunt fingertips dug into him. “We have to find Tomas, Týr.”
“I will,” he promised. “But I need you safe while I’m on patrol.”
* * *
Kira stood near the window, staring out at the falling snow. In the distance, two faint black blurs loped along the edges of the trees, then both shapes faded into the whiteout. Her fingers squeezed the half-drunk cup of coffee in her palms. She and Týr still hadn’t discussed what would happen next between them once they left here.
At the sound of soft footfalls, she pivoted. Týr jogged bare feet down the few stairs, a towel slung low on his lean hips. The red in his damp hair remained despite his shower. He looked so darn sexy that desire unfurled, making her too aware of him. But she put it aside for now, more worrying thoughts swamping her.
He glanced at her, a brow cocking in question as he headed for the kitchen. She shook her head and set her mug down on the windowsill. Exhaling roughly, she pulled the scrunchie from her hair, scraped back the loose strands, and weaved her unruly mane into a braid.
“What’s wrong?”
Startled, she looked up from fastening the ends of her hair with the hair tie. Týr watched her from the counter as he drank his coffee. Perhaps it was better having this conversation here than at the castle.
Not wanting to just dive into it, she asked, “What did Michael want?”
“Nothing.” Abruptly, he set his mug down, crossed to the table with the sports bag, and pulled out a change of clothes. He dropped the towel, and of course,thatdistracted her a little, eye-feasting on an utterly sexy man.
She forced her mind back to what she’d asked as he pulled on jeans and then put on a gray t-shirt. “Týr?”
“Let it go, Kira.”
That set her off. “So, is this what it’s going to be like? Every step forward we make, you take several back when I ask you something? We might as well call it quits right—”
One moment, he was at the opposite end of the living room. The next, he was in her breathing space. “Don’t threaten me, Kira.”
She reared back in shock, not expecting him to react so vehemently. The tingling in her palms surged again. Before she opened her mouth, he said, “Answer me this because you sure haven’t said a word about anything since we talked—no, no, sinceItalked and you protested, never really committing. Do you plan on staying with me once we leave here?”
Her mouth opened and then shut. Yes, she wanted to see where this led, but she hadn’t thought in terms of moving in with him. Not this fast. His intense gaze remained fixed on her face. “Týr, if you were human, this wouldn’t be a problem at all. But you aren’t.”
“So, you hold that against me?”
“Of course, I don’t.”
“Then you’ll move in with me.”
“I can’t—”
“Why not?”
How did she make him understand this dread that took hold of her every time she thought about what could happen? “I’m not your destined mate, you know this. And I…”
“You what?” His expression grew darker.
God, she wanted to be with him every waking hour, wanted to spend every moment available with him, but that wasn’t going to happen. With the Guardians finding their mates so quickly since they started the hunt for the rising psionic females, she didn’t dare let herself feel more than she already did. It was asking for heartbreak. But, she suspected that she was already on the road to despair. “Týr—”
“I’m only good for a few quick fucks, is that it? Let’s get it over with then.”
“Don’t.” Pain slashed through her at his bitter fury. “Don’t you understand? No matter how much we may wish to be together, your destiny is already tied to another. When she appears, you’ll be drawn to her, even if you don’t want it. You cannot fight the compulsion. Look at Aethan and Echo. Or Blaéz. And he didn’t even have his soul. What about Dagan and Shae? Need I go on?”
“So, you’re willing to throw our time together away over a fear of what the future might or might not bring?” he demanded. “Over whether or not I have a destined mate? Or when the hell she’ll show up—which could be centuries from now. You won’t give me a chance to prove that we just might have something that could last a lifetime?”
Her mouth opened then shut.
“Fine.” His expression blanked, concealing every bit of emotion and feelings there. He pivoted for the fireplace and put out the fire with a wave of his hand. “Leave everything. I’ll make sure your things are sent back to the castle.” Not giving her time to absorb what he said, he shrugged on his jacket and headed for the door.
Her stomach hurting, Kira stepped out to where he stood on the porch, the silence excruciating. Before she opened her mouth, he pulled her into his arms. With the emotional distance between them, she might have been standing across the lake for all the notice he seemed to take of her as he dematerialized them.
Tears burned her eyes. He’d already shut her out, and she couldn’t stop the pain spreading through her as if someone had sliced off a piece of her heart.
