“Really generous of you,” I say sarcastically. “I don’t know how I survived my whole life without you watching my every step.”
Shane stops and looks up at the sky, then sighs heavily as he turns back to face me.
“Hyacinth, I really think I should show you something.”
“Like what?” I mutter, hoping it doesn’t involve him taking off his pants.
Dan did that all the time. “Hey, baby, I’ve got a surprise for you. It’s my dick.”
“Just follow me,” he says a little angrily.
My frosty veneer cracks just a little when I hear his tone. He’s genuinely tired and emotionally exhausted as well.
I’m not about to give in to him or let him touch me again—but maybe I should cut him a little slack.
We walk through the woods in silence, and part of me misses the easy conversation we had earlier in the evening.
But the rest of me is just too fucking scared and angry to let those thoughts win.
Chapter 15 - Shane
The walk back through the woods seems to take forever. My body aches with every step, and I have to be careful where I put my feet in case I fall.
I relied on my wolf too much. Without my powers, I’m helpless, and I hate it.
I can hear Hyacinth’s steps behind me. She seems to be walking easily, not tripping or stumbling. I’m relieved that she doesn’t need my assistance—especially since I feel completely inept at the moment—but I’m also puzzled.
How can she walk through the forest so easily in this darkness? It’s like something changed inside her right after we…
Even though I want to think about the intimate moment we just shared, I push it out of my mind. It hurts that she doesn’t want to talk about it, and it hurts even more that we were so close to each other tonight—and now, we are further apart than ever.
Hyacinth… I wish I could tell you everything that’s in my head and in my heart. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I think I want to try. Not for my pack, but for me. For us.
The words lay heavily on my tongue and become stones in my heart. As badly as I want to say them, I just keep my mouth shut.
We come out of the woods and walk around the lake, still moving in silence. There is a bit more light, and I breathe a sigh of relief that we’re back on even ground.
A wolf afraid of the woods. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
When we get back to the car, I rummage around the back seat, searching for my gym bag. I pull it out and hand it to Hyacinth.
“There’s a clean towel in there, and spare clothes and shoes if you want them. It looks like you fell in the mud,” I say.
“I did,” she replies. “Do I look that bad?”
“No. I just thought you might want to clean up a little.”
“Where are you taking me, the Hilton or something?”
“No,” I sigh, trying not to snap. “It doesn’t matter how you look. I just literally thought you might want to clean up.”
Hyacinth looks at me for a second, then grabs the bag. She pulls out the towel, wipes her face, and starts pulling leaves out of her hair. I get into the driver’s side to wait, but I can’t help myself from checking her out in the mirror.
Covered in rust-colored leaves and crowned with tiny, delicate flower petals, she looks like a forest goddess.
I try to put my whimsical thoughts aside and focus on where we’re going next. I feel bad that I went out on a date with Hyacinth and had a good time when I really should have been with my people.
It’s like being in a meat grinder. Building my life with Hyacinth is supposed to help my people, but all it seems to do is make things worse—then I feel bad for neglecting them.
