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“I don’t want anyone to touch me.” She dragged the words out through tightening vocal cords.

“Woman, do you hear your animal? I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole right now. I don’t want none of that smoke.”

With a frown, she took stock of her body. Tension hummed through her, and her skin tingled, and when the roaring in her ears died slightly, she could hear it—the snarl that rattled her chest.

Stunned, she jerked her attention to Kade. “She’s…”

“Here? No shit.” He twitched his chin at the room. “You’ve made this whole place feel heavy.”

“I’m…I’m sorry,” she whispered as the growl faded in her throat.

“Don’t be,” he said, standing. “It’s hot.” He stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at her with one eyebrow arched up. “Want me to kill him?”

“What?”

“Want me to kill Derek for talking to you like that?”

“Ummm…” Her frown deepened. “No?”

“Suit yourself.” He made his way to the kitchen and pulled the pizza box out of the fridge, grabbed a slice, and began chewing it thoughtfully.

“Do you want me to heat that up?” she asked numbly.

“No.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He canted his head and pointed the half-eaten pizza at her. “That velvet bag on your bedside table. Is that the locket Derek is talking about?”

She pursed her lips and refused an answer.

Kade nodded thoughtfully and took another bite. “You’re witch-blooded?” he asked around it.

Jess crossed her arms over her chest and relaxed back into the couch. “I think you should leave.”

“Mmm,” he rumbled, chewing. “You’re cursed?”

Jess glared, tears of anger rimming her eyes.

Kade took another huge bite, and leaned back against the kitchen counter, just watching her. “Do you want to talk about the locket?”

“No.”

“Sweet, what’s the good news?”

Jess frowned. “What?”

“You said on the phone, you had good news and were celebrating something with Raynah.”

She just sat there with her mouth open in confusion.

He swallowed and grabbed another piece of pizza. “This is me giving you a subject-change, Cactus. Take the bait.”

“You’re…you’re not going to push me for information?”

“I’m curious, for sure. I’m super interested. I think you just upped your interesting points by like…a zillion. I’m not a thief though. If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to talk about it.”

This was a trick, right? He had an angle.