Her body tensed when he knelt before her.
She stepped backward but caught her foot on the pile of clothes. She scrambled backward as he crouched down. “Dannika, what is it? I smell your fear.”
Her lips formed a white line as she pressed them together. “Nothing. I just... I need to go.”
CHAPTER24
Raine’s body pulsed with need. He assessed Dannika with glowing blue eyes, a predator protecting his prey. He had learned so much about her, but he had missed something. She had stood up to him, to the clan leaders without hesitation, yet now her eyes darted to the door.
“Did I scare you?”
Her eyes roamed his body in appreciation. “It isn’t you. I have to leave before it’s too late.”
“Your mind and body are at war. I assumed you were nervous about a sexual relationship, but I do not think that’s the case.”
She snatched her clothes from the floor, tugging them on. “You don’t understand.”
He grabbed his pants and put them on to make her more comfortable. “Explain it to me.”
It was all he could do not to pull her into his arms. Her face took on a pained expression, one that had permanent residence in her heart. This was not about the transition. About being a shadow wolf. This was personal. Excruciating.
She threw up her hands. “I’m trying to protect you. I can’t get close to anyone. You have to let me go.”
Her voice cracked as she spoke.
“I don’t know what has spooked you, but whatever it is, we will deal with it together. There is no need for your distress.” He stepped up to her, touching her chin so he could feather his thumb back and forth across her skin.
Her glowing green eyes stared up at him. He had seen the fantasy in her eyes, the need to believe him, and the moment she didn’t.
“God, you’re arrogant. I’m not trying to protect myself. I’m trying to protect you.”
He stepped closer, crowding her body, fighting both the shadow and the wolf within. He was a fighter, a protector, and his chosen woman didn’t believe in his strength. It’d been a long time since he had fought with failure.
His tone dropped, echoed by his shadow warrior. “You do not protect me, Dannika. I am a warrior—your warrior. Tell me why you say such a thing.”
“He will come for me and you can’t help me.” The words tumbled out in a rush.
If she had slapped him in the face, it would have hurt less than her belief he was an ineffective protector. He had never been questioned, never failed on a hunt, yet when it mattered most, he inspired no faith in his abilities. It was a humbling experience that had him rubbing his chest.
“You fought Maddock. You stood up to the other clan leaders without question. Tell me who inspires this kind of fear.”
She stepped back. “I already told you.”
The lie slid over his skin like a velvet caress. “Do not feed your shadow by lying. It gets off on it. Soon you will find it difficult to separate a lie from the truth. You will follow the path of a reaper.”
“I wasn’t lying. Not exactly. I told you about the things that happened to me and that’s part of it.”
He growled as his wolf’s frustration manifested. “You think a reaper fixated on you. That he hunts for you. This is entirely possible, but your lack of faith in me is not. I have fought reapers for decades. Your past is unfortunate, but how can you believe I wouldn’t protect you? Worse, that you need to protect me.”
Her face paled. “It wasn’t just my family. They were the first people to make me believe I could have a normal life. After they died, I shut down. I didn’t let anyone get too close. If I had been smart, I would’ve kept it that way. My weakness caused another innocent to lose their life.”
Raine’s wolf stilled. He’d never heard of a reaper following a human subject for years. A reaper stalker was a scary prospect. “What happened after your family died?”
“At first I was closed off. I barely talked to anyone. Eventually, I made a few acquaintances at one of the group homes I was staying at. I didn’t get too close, not like my family, but if I was too friendly, if I even looked like I had a friend, something happened to them.”
His heart skipped a beat. “What happened to them? Did they die?”
She shook her head. “No. That’s why I could never be sure it was me. They would get sick or have a strange accident. One girl disappeared, but it was rumored she’d run away. Eventually, I gave up until Carmen.”
