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I knew he liked it.How many times had I caught him looking at my hair?The way he’d touched it after I’d kissed him that one and only time.But why was he telling me this?

Why was he doing this to me?

He needed to leave.This was too much and, honestly, too painful.

He’d rejected me the night before in front of everyone in the clubhouse, and in a way that was cruel and careless.Now he thought he could just come here and I’d let him take care of me like we were something special to each other?We weren’t.

I thought we could be, but I’d been wrong.He couldn’t have it both ways.He couldn’t look at me like I was nothing and then tell me I had pretty hair.

He couldn’t follow me on Nightscape and spend three months asking for photos, then make it clear he wanted nothing from me until his instincts kicked in, telling him to protect his mate because that’s what had happened tonight, then expect me to just let him look after me.

No.

That’s not how this was going to work.And it wasn’t fair for him to think any of this was okay.

ChapterSix

Sutton

I gave him a shove.“My hair’s dry enough.”

A growl rattled through his chest.“No, it’s not.You’ll catch a cold.”

“Well, then it will be my own fault,” I said and pushed his hand away when he brought the towel toward me again.

He dropped his hand, studying me like I was some impossible puzzle to solve.

“I think you should go.”

He frowned.“You’re concussed and no one else is here.I’m not leaving.”He relaxed against my headboard like a stubborn jerk.“How about you tell me why you were at Dogwood?Why did you break into that building?”

His square jaw was like granite, his green eyes piercing through me.If I didn’t give him some kind of answer, I knew I’d never get him to leave.“Fine.A member of our coven is missing.I saw him at the fights the other night when I was working.I don’t know what I was thinking, that I’d find some kind of clue, I guess.It was a stupid idea.”

“Yeah, it was,” Jagger said.“Why’d you think you’d find something there?That makes no sense.”

“Jeez, thanks, Charming.Now that we’ve covered what a moron I am, you can get your pants on and leave.”Then I remembered I had found something, so not so stupid after all.

“Give me this missing male’s details and I’ll ask around.”

“No, thanks.”

His brow lowered.“No?”

“I don’t want your help.”

He actually looked confused.“I can do this for you.”

“I said, no.”

“Why are you being unreasonable?You can’t do this on your own.It’s too dangerous.”

“First, who said I’d do it on my own?There are other people I can ask…otherhoundsI could ask if I wanted to.”He growled.I ignored him and carried on.“I can do a lot of things on my own.I’ve been on my own most of my life, as a matter of fact.You certainly weren’t there to protect me when I was living on the streets and forced to run from breeder scouts, or when I was attacked while sleeping rough in a park and had to stab some rabid demon in the eye to get away, or when someone beat the shit out of me and stole all my things…or when I found them, hexed them, then stole my things back.No, I got through all of that on my own.I survived.I even survived the monster who broke into this house”—I survived you leaving me and rejecting me—“and I plan on continuing to do so.I don’t need your protection?—”

“Stop talking.”His eyes flashed hellhound red as his canines extended and his face contorted with rage.“If you keep telling me the shit that’s happened to you, I’m not sure I can hold back the beast.”

I held that red gaze.“Why?”I pushed.

“Because I don’t like it when females get hurt.”