“It’s not,” he says firmly. “It’s survival.”
I consider that. Then nod once.
“Alright,” I say. “I can work with that.”
His eyes narrow slightly. “That was too easy.”
I smile faintly. “Don’t get used to it.”
Another silence settles. But this one feels?—
Different. Like the beginning of something instead of the breaking of it. I glance around the bookstore, taking it in with fresh eyes.
“This place,” I say slowly, “is basically a beacon now, isn’t it?”
His expression tightens. “Yes.”
“Great,” I mutter. “Love that for me.”
“You can still leave,” he reminds me.
I shake my head. “Not happening.”
He studies me. Then nods.
“Then we adapt.”
I push off the counter, stepping closer to him.
“Then we adapt,” I echo.
Because that’s what I do. That’s what I’ve always done. Life changes. Throws something impossible at you. And you figure out how to live with it anyway. Even if it means accepting that the man standing in front of you?—
Is also a tiger. I glance up at him, meeting his gaze.
“Next question,” I say.
He exhales, almost amused despite everything. “Of course there’s a next question.”
“Oh, there are a lot of next questions,” I reply. “But we’ll start with this one.”
I cross my arms, tilting my head slightly.
“How many other secrets is this town hiding from me?”
Archer actually smiles. And somehow?—
That’s the most unsettling thing of all.
16
ARCHER
Ishouldn’t have brought her here. The thought circles my mind like a predator that won’t leave, pacing just beyond instinct, teeth bared and patient.
Tessa stands in the center of my living room, arms wrapped around herself like she’s trying to hold in something bigger than fear. Bigger than confusion. The air between us is thick—charged in a way that isn’t about the storm clouds gathering outside.
Everything to do with me. With us. My tiger is restless beneath my skin, prowling, pushing forward. He doesn’t understand restraint. He never has. Not when it comes to her.
