I let the shift bleed into my voice, low and dangerous. “Or you won’t make it back out.”
For a moment, silence stretches. Then he laughs. Actually laughs.
“Oh, I’m not here for the town,” he says. “Not really.”
A warning bell goes off in my head.
“Then why are you here?” I demand.
His smile sharpens.
“To see if the rumors were true.”
My fists clench. “What rumors?”
He steps closer, lowering his voice like he’s sharing a secret. “That you’ve developed a… soft spot.”
My blood runs cold.
“Tessa, right?” he continues. “Pretty little human running that bookstore.”
I move before I realize it, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and slamming him into the nearest tree.
“Say her name again,” I growl, “and I’ll rip your throat out.”
He grins through the pressure. “There it is.”
Rage floods my veins.
“Get. Out.”
His expression shifts—not fear, but calculation.
Then he raises his hands slightly. “Relax. I got what I came for.”
“And what’s that?” I snap.
“Confirmation.”
He shoves me off and straightens his shirt. “You’re compromised.”
The word hits harder than any blow.
He backs away slowly. “Protect your little human all you want. Just remember—attachments are weaknesses.”
My claws itch to tear into him. But he’s already retreating into the darkness.
“And weaknesses,” he calls over his shoulder, “get exploited.”
Then he’s gone.
I stand there long after his scent fades. Every instinct in me screams one thing: I’ve made a mistake. Not letting him in. Not trusting her. Caring. Fury coils tight in my chest. They know. Or at least they suspect. And that’s enough. Tessa is a target now.
Because of me.
“Damn it,” I mutter, turning toward town.
I should have stayed away. Should have kept my distance. Should have never let myself?—
