I grind my teeth. “I didn’t have a lot of time to come up with a good story.”
“You didn’t have to?—”
“—don’t start,” I interrupt.
I don’t want to hear any more about how I didn’t have to come with her, partly because she’s right. I didn’t have to follow her, and I know I shouldn’t have. I know that neither of us should be here right now, but I also know that if I hadn’t followed her, Aurelia would be dead. Just the thought of that makes the wolf pace in the back of my mind, growling as if he wants to burst out of me.
“You don’t seem to understand the danger you’re in here,” I say, desperately fighting to keep control of this conversation.
“Of course I do.” She puts her hands on her hips. “Do you really think I didn’t know that coming here would be dangerous?”
“I have no fucking idea what you thought.”
“Of course I knew,” she snaps. “I just didn’t realize that the monsters wouldn’t be my biggest threat, it’s really the soldiers who are supposed tofightthe monsters.”
I wince. “To be fair, the monsters will try to kill you too.”
She doesn’t seem amused. “I just think it’s appalling that the wolves don’t even know me, but because I might do magic, they immediately hate me.”
“Shifters have good reason to be suspicious. We’re raised to believe Fae are dangerous.”
“But you’re half-Fae.”
“Yes, and magic has only ever made my life worse.”
“So you agree with them.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I don’t know. I don’t hate magic. How could I, when I have lived with Daemon and Kas and Jett for years? Why would I be in Vernallis?”
“You don’t like it though,” she says accusingly. “You’ve made that clear more times than I can count.”
“It…I’m not used to it,” I hedge. “I think it’s dangerous.”
“I’d never hurt you or anyone else,” she snaps.
“I’m not fucking worried you’ll hurt me, I’m worried you’ll hurt yourself!”
A ringing silence follows that statement, and I immediately wish I could take it back. I have no idea where that came from—I wasn’t even aware that’s what bothers me about her magic until this moment. Maybe at first I was a little prejudicial toward the use of magic, but now…it’s not that.
“What did you want to talk about?” Aurelia asks in a completely different voice.
I flick my gaze back to hers, forcing myself to remain calm. “You’re not acting like a mate.”
“Oh, really?” She tilts her head, pointedly exposing the bite on her neck.
I have to bite back another growl. “Don’t flash your throat. It’s a sign of submission.”
She moves her head back, letting her hair fall over her shoulders to hide her throat. There’s a slight pink tinge to her cheeks that wasn’t there a moment ago. “I just meant, I thought you said the bite would be enough to convince them.”
“It should be, but not when you’re so uncomfortable.”
“I’muncomfortable?” she snorts a laugh. “You’re the one who didn’t want…anything public. I thought I was respecting that.”
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. Fuck me. Everything about this situation is so fucked up.
If I had to have that conversation from the other night again right now, I would say exactly the same thing. I wouldn’t want to, but I would. I’ve learned twice now what happens if I’m selfish, and I don’t need to be taught a third lesson.
That doesn’t change how I feel, though. I’m aware I care about Aurelia, but I don’t love her, which means she’s still safe.
