Page 21

After the day we’d had, going from place to place, it was nice to get the dust off my skin. If nothing else, I’d be able to go to bed clean.

I glanced over to the bank, where he reached back, pulling his shirt off. The ridges of his abdomen flexed with the movement. I turned away before his shirt cleared his head, or more clothes were removed.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen him naked either. I just wished I could stop staring when he was. I faced away from him, dunking my head to cool my cheeks.

“Maybe you should’ve told me the possible outcomes of marking me,” I said when I broke the surface. “You acted as if it were all to my benefit. You never once mentioned there was a possibility that I’d become your mate.”

“At least I told you that I was marking you. You took the final step without saying anything when you knew I didn’t want you to.”

There was a splash of water, and then he emerged a few feet away from me, shaking his head, the water glistening on his skin.

I jumped. “Why are you on my side of the lake? Stay on your side.” He was going to have to keep his distance. That was the only way I’d get out of this situation mentally intact.

He held his hand out. “I was bringing you soap?”

“Oh.” I took it, trying not to touch him when I did. “Thank you.”

“I’ll go back to my side of the lake now.” He tilted his head in the other direction, making it very clear that I was acting like a ninny.

My face felt hotter than before. I was so fixated on hiding the urge to touch him that I was making it even worse. Why was it so impossible to act like a normal person?Why?

I dropped my head back, scrubbing my scalp, trying to think of anything but him. Instead of enjoying the water, I scrubbed myself raw, rushing to get back to the bank.

I struggled to get my clothes on my still-wet body.

“I’m heading back,” I said.

“You need to wait.” The water splashed behind me.

“I know the way. I’m fine.” I took a few steps, and a fully naked Kaden was in front of me, blocking my path.

I backed up before he touched me.

“I don’t think you understand,” he said, everything about him looking more intense than before. “This looks like a nice, quaint town, but it is an outlaw community. Every person here is hiding for some reason or another, and until I make it clear that there will be repercussions for touching you, I’m not taking the chance of someone stumbling upon you alone.”

“You forget that I’m not totally helpless.” With everything happening, I’d actually managed to not think of my grandmother, and what I’d done to her, for a few moments. But there it was. I was a killer. I was the one people should fear.

“You have ability, but you aren’t consistent or reliable.”

If I tried to leave, he’d touch me. He’d get closer, and he had no clothes on. If I couldn’t even swim in his vicinity without acting the fool, this would not go well.

“Fine. Are you almost done?” I took a few steps away from him.

He was watching me, as if trying to figure out why I was acting so insane. I moved to sit on a large rock, not wanting to give him anything more to work with.

“Is Tiber Kradix?” I asked, trying to shift his attention.

He went over to where his clothes were. “You already know. You need to start trusting those instincts.”

He was right. Ididknow. I’d sensed it as soon as I met Tiber. There was something I’d felt that seemed familiar, but not as strong as what I could sense with Kaden.

“Not Luisca, though,” I said. “I can’t senseanyKradix in her, not even a touch.”

“No, but not for lack of trying. Tiber marked her, but it didn’t take. That’s much more common than what happened with us.”

His gaze was shuttered, but I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know where his head was.

“Talk about trusting my instincts—they’re telling me that’s the only reason you ever marked me. You never imagined this outcome in a million years.” He never would’ve done it, either, and I’d probably be dead by now. Did he regret it? The possible answer might be too crushing to risk asking the question.