feeling she didn’t have a choice.
She was in love with him, but she didn’t really know him
at all. What did that say about her feelings?
She was scared to find out.
Chapter Eight
Toby paced in front of the couch at his cabin—the place
where he’d shared his life with Krista for the past month. God, he didn’t want
to lose her now. He still had almost two weeks with her, and he needed every
second of every day of her time remaining here to get his fill of her, knowing
deep down he never would, but he was unable to help himself. He loved her. He
wanted her. He knew it was wrong, but that didn’t matter. Her happiness was now
his. Her pain his. And the look on her face when she saw the scene unfold,
realized what was happening, it was like a thousand daggers piercing his heart.
He never wanted her to be afraid, to be hurt in any way, but in that moment
he’d destroyed her confidence, her trust.
Maybe it was for the best. It wasn’t like he could have
her. Maybe she needed to see him for what he truly was. From the look in her
eyes, she wouldn’t accept easily. If he loved her as much as he believed he
did, he would push her away, make her hate him so it’d be easier on her to move
on with her life. But he wasn’t that strong.
God, he didn’t know what to do, and grinding a path into
the hardwood as he paced didn’t seem to be helping one bit.
He heard the front door open and spun around. “Krista,”
he breathed. She looked so lost, and he was frozen in place, battling the urge
to run to her, unable to decide if she needed immediate comfort or space. She
stared at him wearily, and he fucking hated it. “Baby—”
“Stop.” Her hand flew up to cut him off. “Just explain to
me what the hell is going on. All Mikaela said was that you’re stuck here
because of some lethal instinct to mate with available women and figured I
would be safe with a boyfriend. But she didn’t explain anything else.”
“I.” The catch in his throat made him stop and clear it.
“I think you should sit down. This might take a while.”
She pursed her lips as she stared at him. After several
seconds, she nodded and walked toward him; she sat on the opposite side of the
couch from where he was standing. He sighed before sitting down, keeping the
distance she’d put between them.
“We’re mountain lion shifters through my father’s side of
the family,” he said slowly, starting the dreadful conversation. “Or at least
we assume it’s a family trait since his parents died before he could ever learn
the truth.”
“And poof he just changed one day out of the blue?”
“Er, you’d have to ask him. We’ve tried, but he’s quiet
about his past. Only saying he was lucky our mother would have him, and that
was that.” He shrugged.
She nodded, looking away before making eye contact again.
He didn’t interrupt. Instead, he preferred to let her set the pace. “So, you’ve
always been here. Never leaving this land?”
“Um, no. My brothers and I used to go to a public school.
We were okay around females until we hit puberty. One-by-one, my parents took
us out of school, not wanting to pull us all out at the same time. They wanted
us to live a normal life as long as possible, so as soon as one of us started
changing, they yanked that person out. Eric—he was the youngest—had the hardest
time letting go. He stayed in touch with all his friends, which made it
difficult to explain why he couldn’t be around them ever again, but somehow
Eric worked around that.”
The few seconds of silence stretched into minutes as he
watched and waited for her to say something again. It was agonizing, but he
forced himself not to grovel at her feet, begging her to stay, or to put up
emotional walls and ask her to leave. He didn’t want her to hate him, and he
feared there was no way around that.
“I don’t even know what to say, Toby. This is so
unbelievable. I mean, I know it’s true. I saw it with my own eyes, but
She was in love with him, but she didn’t really know him
at all. What did that say about her feelings?
She was scared to find out.
Chapter Eight
Toby paced in front of the couch at his cabin—the place
where he’d shared his life with Krista for the past month. God, he didn’t want
to lose her now. He still had almost two weeks with her, and he needed every
second of every day of her time remaining here to get his fill of her, knowing
deep down he never would, but he was unable to help himself. He loved her. He
wanted her. He knew it was wrong, but that didn’t matter. Her happiness was now
his. Her pain his. And the look on her face when she saw the scene unfold,
realized what was happening, it was like a thousand daggers piercing his heart.
He never wanted her to be afraid, to be hurt in any way, but in that moment
he’d destroyed her confidence, her trust.
Maybe it was for the best. It wasn’t like he could have
her. Maybe she needed to see him for what he truly was. From the look in her
eyes, she wouldn’t accept easily. If he loved her as much as he believed he
did, he would push her away, make her hate him so it’d be easier on her to move
on with her life. But he wasn’t that strong.
God, he didn’t know what to do, and grinding a path into
the hardwood as he paced didn’t seem to be helping one bit.
He heard the front door open and spun around. “Krista,”
he breathed. She looked so lost, and he was frozen in place, battling the urge
to run to her, unable to decide if she needed immediate comfort or space. She
stared at him wearily, and he fucking hated it. “Baby—”
“Stop.” Her hand flew up to cut him off. “Just explain to
me what the hell is going on. All Mikaela said was that you’re stuck here
because of some lethal instinct to mate with available women and figured I
would be safe with a boyfriend. But she didn’t explain anything else.”
“I.” The catch in his throat made him stop and clear it.
“I think you should sit down. This might take a while.”
She pursed her lips as she stared at him. After several
seconds, she nodded and walked toward him; she sat on the opposite side of the
couch from where he was standing. He sighed before sitting down, keeping the
distance she’d put between them.
“We’re mountain lion shifters through my father’s side of
the family,” he said slowly, starting the dreadful conversation. “Or at least
we assume it’s a family trait since his parents died before he could ever learn
the truth.”
“And poof he just changed one day out of the blue?”
“Er, you’d have to ask him. We’ve tried, but he’s quiet
about his past. Only saying he was lucky our mother would have him, and that
was that.” He shrugged.
She nodded, looking away before making eye contact again.
He didn’t interrupt. Instead, he preferred to let her set the pace. “So, you’ve
always been here. Never leaving this land?”
“Um, no. My brothers and I used to go to a public school.
We were okay around females until we hit puberty. One-by-one, my parents took
us out of school, not wanting to pull us all out at the same time. They wanted
us to live a normal life as long as possible, so as soon as one of us started
changing, they yanked that person out. Eric—he was the youngest—had the hardest
time letting go. He stayed in touch with all his friends, which made it
difficult to explain why he couldn’t be around them ever again, but somehow
Eric worked around that.”
The few seconds of silence stretched into minutes as he
watched and waited for her to say something again. It was agonizing, but he
forced himself not to grovel at her feet, begging her to stay, or to put up
emotional walls and ask her to leave. He didn’t want her to hate him, and he
feared there was no way around that.
“I don’t even know what to say, Toby. This is so
unbelievable. I mean, I know it’s true. I saw it with my own eyes, but
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