tree line. A fine sheen of cold sweat dotted my forehead and residual fear kept hitting me low in the stomach. What had I done? When my house came into sight, I felt the familiar tingle along my neck. Branches and leaves crunched, and I turned.
Daemon’s steps slowed as he spotted me. He pushed a low-hanging branch aside as he neared. “What are you doing out here, Kat?”
Several moments passed before I could speak. “I just blew up a bunch of windows.”
“What?” Daemon moved closer, eyes widening. “You’re bleeding. What happened?” He paused. “Where are your shoes?”
I glanced down at my feet. “I took them off.”
In the blink of an eye, Daemon was beside me, knocking off tiny pieces of glass. “Kat, what happened?”
Lifting my head, I sucked in a sharp breath. Full-blown panic squeezed my chest. “I was walking and I ran into Simon—”
“Did he do this to you?” His voice was so low it sent shivers through me.
“No. No! I ran into him, and he was upset about you.” I paused, my eyes searching his. “He said you beat him up?”
“Yeah, I did.” No apology in his voice.
“Daemon, you can’t beat up guys because they talk badly about me.”
“Actually, I can.” His hand clenched at his side. “He deserved it. I’m not going to lie. I did it because of what he was saying. It was bullshit.”
I had no idea what to say. Ha. Me. Speechless.
“He knows what he did—what he tried to do—and to spin that around on you?” Daemon eye’s flitted to the shadows seeping among the trees. “I’m not going to let some punk-ass human talk about you like that, especially him or his friends.”
“Wow,” I murmured, blinking rapidly. Sometimes I forgot how protective Daemon could be…or how downright scary. “I don’t think I’m supposed to say thank you, because that seems wrong, but, um, thanks.”
“Anyway, that’s not important. What happened?”
Taking several deep breaths, I let the words come out in a rush. When I was done, Daemon wrapped an arm around me, tugging me against his chest. I didn’t resist him, pressing my face into him and clutching his sides, feeling safer in his embrace than I did any place else. And I couldn’t blame the connection for that. Even before it was formed, his arms had always been a sanctuary of sorts.
“I know you didn’t do it on purpose, Kitten.” His hand pressed a soothing circle against my back. “Simon was drunk, so there’s a good chance he won’t even remember. And if he does, no one will believe him.”
Hope sparked. “You think?”
“Yes. People will think he’s crazy.” Daemon pulled back, lowering his head so we were eye level. “No one will believe him, okay? And if he starts to talk, I’ll—”
“You’ll do nothing.” I shimmied free, drawing a deep breath. “I think you’ve already scarred the boy for life.”
“Obviously not,” he muttered. “What were you thinking back there? You were upset. Why?”
Heat infused my cheeks, and I started walking toward my house.
Daemon let out a long, suffering sigh. He was right beside me. “Kat, talk to me.”
“I can make it back home without your help, thank you very much.”
He held a branch out of the way so I could pass under it. “I would hope so. It is right there.”
“Shouldn’t you be making out with Ash right now anyway?”
He stared at me like I’d grown two heads. I recognized my mistake immediately.
“That’s what all of this is about?”
“No. It had nothing to do with you—or her.”
“You’re jealous.” He sounded smug. “I’m so going to win this bet.”
I stomped forward. “Me? Jealous? You’ve lost your mind. I wasn’t the one trying to scare off Blake.”
He grabbed my arm, stopping me just as my porch came into sight. “Who cares about Ben?”
“Blake,” I corrected.
“Whatever. I thought you didn’t like me?”
My hand curled in the air. There was no breaking his hold. “You’re right. I don’t like
Daemon’s steps slowed as he spotted me. He pushed a low-hanging branch aside as he neared. “What are you doing out here, Kat?”
Several moments passed before I could speak. “I just blew up a bunch of windows.”
“What?” Daemon moved closer, eyes widening. “You’re bleeding. What happened?” He paused. “Where are your shoes?”
I glanced down at my feet. “I took them off.”
In the blink of an eye, Daemon was beside me, knocking off tiny pieces of glass. “Kat, what happened?”
Lifting my head, I sucked in a sharp breath. Full-blown panic squeezed my chest. “I was walking and I ran into Simon—”
“Did he do this to you?” His voice was so low it sent shivers through me.
“No. No! I ran into him, and he was upset about you.” I paused, my eyes searching his. “He said you beat him up?”
“Yeah, I did.” No apology in his voice.
“Daemon, you can’t beat up guys because they talk badly about me.”
“Actually, I can.” His hand clenched at his side. “He deserved it. I’m not going to lie. I did it because of what he was saying. It was bullshit.”
I had no idea what to say. Ha. Me. Speechless.
“He knows what he did—what he tried to do—and to spin that around on you?” Daemon eye’s flitted to the shadows seeping among the trees. “I’m not going to let some punk-ass human talk about you like that, especially him or his friends.”
“Wow,” I murmured, blinking rapidly. Sometimes I forgot how protective Daemon could be…or how downright scary. “I don’t think I’m supposed to say thank you, because that seems wrong, but, um, thanks.”
“Anyway, that’s not important. What happened?”
Taking several deep breaths, I let the words come out in a rush. When I was done, Daemon wrapped an arm around me, tugging me against his chest. I didn’t resist him, pressing my face into him and clutching his sides, feeling safer in his embrace than I did any place else. And I couldn’t blame the connection for that. Even before it was formed, his arms had always been a sanctuary of sorts.
“I know you didn’t do it on purpose, Kitten.” His hand pressed a soothing circle against my back. “Simon was drunk, so there’s a good chance he won’t even remember. And if he does, no one will believe him.”
Hope sparked. “You think?”
“Yes. People will think he’s crazy.” Daemon pulled back, lowering his head so we were eye level. “No one will believe him, okay? And if he starts to talk, I’ll—”
“You’ll do nothing.” I shimmied free, drawing a deep breath. “I think you’ve already scarred the boy for life.”
“Obviously not,” he muttered. “What were you thinking back there? You were upset. Why?”
Heat infused my cheeks, and I started walking toward my house.
Daemon let out a long, suffering sigh. He was right beside me. “Kat, talk to me.”
“I can make it back home without your help, thank you very much.”
He held a branch out of the way so I could pass under it. “I would hope so. It is right there.”
“Shouldn’t you be making out with Ash right now anyway?”
He stared at me like I’d grown two heads. I recognized my mistake immediately.
“That’s what all of this is about?”
“No. It had nothing to do with you—or her.”
“You’re jealous.” He sounded smug. “I’m so going to win this bet.”
I stomped forward. “Me? Jealous? You’ve lost your mind. I wasn’t the one trying to scare off Blake.”
He grabbed my arm, stopping me just as my porch came into sight. “Who cares about Ben?”
“Blake,” I corrected.
“Whatever. I thought you didn’t like me?”
My hand curled in the air. There was no breaking his hold. “You’re right. I don’t like
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