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Jagger strode out, head and shoulders above everyone else.

You have got to be shitting me.I hadn’t seen him in there.I had no idea he was following me.But why else would he be here?

He stopped outside the door, tilted his head back and, eyes closed, scented the air.His head swiveled my way immediately, eyes narrowing on my exact location.

Fuck.

His massive body changed direction, turning and striding straight for me.

My cover was blown.Staying crouched in the bushes was pointless.What the hell was I going to tell him?Rune told me not to tell anyone what I was doing.

You don’t owe him an explanation.

No, I didn’t.I didn’t owe him anything.

He stood up to your mother, he covered for you.

I hadn’t asked him to do that, he’d taken it upon himself, and now he was apparently stalking me.With nothing else to do, I stepped out from my useless hiding place and straightened my spine as he closed the space between us.

ChapterFourteen

Jagger

Sutton’s eyesflashed red when I reached her.

She wanted to hit me over the head with a heavy stick, and I wanted to drop to my knees and beg her to forgive me.I wasn’t sure that was the right play though.I’d hurt her, repeatedly.It would take more than that to win her back, if it was even possible at all.

But right now, her safety was more important than anything else.

“Why are you here alone?”I asked, my gaze sliding over her.“And why were you hiding in there?”

She drew in a deep breath, her eyes rolling upwards as she looked to the parking lot behind me.“Why do you think, Charming?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you.”

“I was trying to avoid…this,” she said waving a hand between us.

“You were hiding from me?”

Her jaw lifted.“Well, yeah.I know this is hard for you to get through your head, but I don’t want to see you, and I don’t want to talk to you.”

I could hear her heart thudding in her chest.Her cheeks were pink and her hands trembled slightly.Even if avoiding me was her goal, she still felt the pull between us.

“Let me take you home.It’s not safe here,” I said, choosing not to address what she’d just said, that wouldn’t help an already tenuous situation.A situation that I’d created, yes, but even I knew talking about all the ways I’d let her down wouldn’t help my cause.

“Nope.I’m not going anywhere with you.”She shook her head and gave me another of her humorless laughs.

I scowled, clenching my fists.“Tell me what you’re thinking.”The demand slipped free before I could stop it.

“You really don’t know?”

“No.”

“Are all hounds as emotionally stunted as you?”

“Yes.”Though, I wasn’t as stunted emotionally as I had been several months ago.Not even close.

“Fine.Let’s do this, one more time.”