Page 61 of Change

He cocked his head, studying me in a way that made my skin crawl. “I don’t believe you.”

My breath caught in my throat and I moved back an inch on the table. “W-what are you doing?”

“Showing you why you’re not ready,” was his only reply. His features were surprisingly blank. “You’re not going to challenge me now?”

What the heck? What was this nonsense?

My ire began to swell once more. I searched through the items on Titus’s desk. Where was it? I’d left it here earlier, when Maria dragged me downstairs.

“What are you looking for?”

“My purse!” There it was—he’d set it behind his laptop. Right next to his drink too, which was just a terrible place for a purse. It wasn’t like you could throw these things in the washing machine.

Zero consideration.

I grabbed the bag and blindly shoved my hand around inside until I found what I was looking for.

“Here!” I jumped off the desk and faced him, holding up the can of pepper spray in front of me. “Just try me. I’ve done it once before and I’ll do it again!”

He was frowning at the pink can, cautious in a way that most animals were when confronted with something they feared. “It’ll hurt,” he pointed out.

My resolve wavered, but only slightly. I didn’t like the idea of hurting him, but sometimes annoyingly overbearing men needed to understand that life wasn’t about them. Like when we first met, I wasn’t about to let him tell me what to do, even if he did think it was for my own good.

“Yes, it will,” I agreed. “And your face doesn’t look very pretty all swollen either, but I’ll still do it!” I shook the can. “I’ll do it again and again and again until you realize that you’re not in charge of me.”

Titus laughed—the nerve—and closed the distance between us, pulling me closer. My face squished against him with the pepper spray harmlessly pointing out to the side, rendering my weapon useless in terms of defense.

I should have been scared, especially considering how he’d acted only a moment before, but I wasn’t. The can slipped from my fingers, falling to the floor with an echoing ping.

“Fine,” he said against my hair. “We’ll go together.”

Well, of course. I nodded.

“Damen and Gregory too.” He rubbed his hands in circles over my upper back. “They’ve been helping me. Damen will follow your lead on what you want to do.”

Uncle Gregory could linger in the background, like a fly on the wall, I didn’t care. But why did Damenhaveto come? He was very pushy and had an issue with boundaries. He’d probably ask a million questions—rendering my plan to not talk useless. And I might throw up on him again.

Actually, maybe that was a good idea.

He’d proven useful during moments of physical sickness. And it hadn’t been all that bad when I was talking to him in that tent in the woods. He’d been supportive since my period—less moody than before.

“Fine,” I agreed.

Titus’s commands just kept on coming. “Don’t tell Julian right now.”

“Um…” I’d grabbed his shirt, not missing the way his breath slightly hitched at the order. “Why?”

“Let’s just say that you’renotgoing to convince Julian it’s a good idea.” Titus’s reply was almost hesitant. “Damen and I will tell him when it’s time.”

“But…” I wasn’t sure about this, but I really didn’t want to have a similar fight with Julian. I didn’t think I had it in me to yell at the man, but I hated the thought of disappointing him. “Will it be okay?”

“We’ll have Miles nearby to help if we need,” Titus replied. “But Julian still has some issues of his own to work through—it has nothing to do with you. I want to keep this small, so other than Damen and Gregory, Bryce should come too.”

Oh, come on! I pushed against Titus’s chest, stepping away from the dragon. After Bryce’s recent actions, I didn’t want to be around him at all right now. “Whydoes he have to come?”

“Two reasons—” Titus began, squaring his shoulders. “Believe it or not, besides Julian and me, he’s beenthe mostoutspoken about why youshouldn’tgo. When he finds out…” Titus frowned at his finger. “We cannot talk to him like Julian. He’s not one of us. The only way he’ll shut up is either by me killing him, or if you include him. Besides, he might as well come. He’s there every day anyway, trying to find something.”

I swallowed. Bryce had been there already?