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“For now. I’ll help you clean it tonight and then reapply.”

Oh no, he was not sponging down my back. That was where I drew the line.

“I’m good. I’ll go to the lake with Luisca.”

I stood, wrestling with my shirt to get it back on. Instead of helping, he was watching me.

He got up and moved in front of the door, making it clear he wasn’t completely done with me.

“What?”

“I have one thing I want to discuss.”

“Which is?” Just when I thought I was getting away from him, it felt like he was about to drop a bomb.

“Why would you think I’d ever, in a million years, be happy that you took a beating?”

I mentally searched through all the things I’d said in the last few days, until I hit upon the one thing he was referring to. “I think that was taken out of context.”

“No, I don’t think it was. Luisca was attempting to explain how you thought you were doing the right thing and I’d be relieved. She was trying to defend your insane actions. Are you telling me she misspoke?”

I let out a woosh of breath, not quite sure how to answer, since, said in that way, it was quite accurate. It sounded as if she were trying to calm Kaden, even though it seemed to have had the opposite effect.

“We’ve talked about this. You didn't want me to stir up trouble. So yes, I thought keeping the peace, even if it meant taking a beating, would be a good idea. Can’t you just get over it?”

Because as long as he kept making it a thing, I couldn’t seem to forget it. And I wanted to forget it.

I finished fixing my shirt, as the last thing I wanted to do was fight while I was partially naked. Even when I was irate, something churning around in my blood made me think it was other feelings going on.

“No, I can’t just get over it because every time you move, I can see the stiffness. Every time you undress, I catch a glimpse of what happened to you. So no, I’m not over it, and even after I kill Mason, I might still not be over it. We need to get something very clear right now—no one touches you. Ever.”

I could see his chest rise and fall, as if he wanted to kill someone right now. As if the thought of someone hurting me made him crave blood.

“Stop acting like we’re really a thing. Like you care. The only reason you’re upset is because of the mating bond.” I moved to the door, trying to get around him.

He didn’t budge. “I’m so glad you know my emotions so much better than I do so you can inform me of when I care.”

“How am I supposed to believe you care about someone hurting me when you’ve goaded men to hurt me ten times in the last week alone? Butthisis different?” I tried shoving him from the door, but he wouldn’t give an inch.

“I never would’ve let those men hurt you.”

“You told them to attack me and stood there! What else would I think?” I was glad no one was in the house to hear me screaming.

“Because I needed you to believe it so you could defend yourself.”

“Well, trust me. I believed it,” I said, dragging an arm across my face, hating that I was tearing up. It was only because he got me so riled up. That was it. Nothing he could do at this point would hurt me.

“Billie…” He reached out toward me, and I backed away.

“No. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I’m done listening to you. I’m done with it all. Leave me alone. If you didn’t want me to get hurt, you wouldn’t have made so many of them hate me.”

He took a step toward me. I backed away, and he looked as if I’d punched him in the gut.

“I wasn’t trying to make them hate you,” he said, his voice soft. “I was trying to assure that no matter what happened, you had a chance at protecting yourself.”

“I’m finished talking about this. I don’t want to hear what your intentions were anymore. I’m tired of it. We’ll get through this and then we’ll go our separate ways. You don’t want me, and I don’t want you. Now move out of my way.”

He stood there as if he couldn’t quite believe what I’d just spewed at him, but I didn’t care. It was the truth, and I was sick of pretending otherwise. It was less hurtful to have it all out on the table than to continue on like this. As it was, my eyes were burning, as if I were going to cry some more.