Nero threw his head back with a laugh. “Mate causing trouble?”
“You’ve got no idea,” Atlas shot back over his shoulder on his way out again.
He drove a little too fast and pulled into his home barely fifteen minutes later. Lilliane wasn’t on the porch, but Jasper sat on the steps.
“She in there?” he asked.
Jasper nodded. “Sorry, Alpha.”
“No. You did good. This is on me. I shouldn’t have left. Learn from my mistakes, kid. Don’t leave your lady hanging.” Atlas opened the front door, and he was scarcely inside when Lilliane poked his arm.
“You! You left again! You left and left me with guards without telling me I have guards!” She poked him with more force each time.
“I’m trying to fix everything. That means being away from you. I already told you that you’re a distraction, Lilliane. I can’t be distracted and saving you at the same time.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Save me. See, I think that’s the issue here. You’ve got some savior complex bullshit. I asked you to help me, not go full secret agent.”
“Lilliane,” he sighed. “What do you want?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m confused.”
“Yeah. That’s why I’m keeping my distance. This whole situation is a mess, and I know I didn’t help it any with …” He broke off when she gave him a warning glare. She really hated it when he brought up how he’d taken her away over his shoulder. He couldn’t forget it, though. He would never forgive himself. “You’re confused, and I don’t want to complicate any of this for you.”
“Well, you’re doing a crap job.” She crossed her arms, and he couldn’t help but grin.Here we go.“Because if you really didn’t want to confuse me, you wouldn’t have gone down on me before disappearing. That’s confusing, Atlas. It is very, very confusing.”
“I’m only a man, trouble. I try to resist you, but it’s fucking hard. Even right now, I’m going out of my mind. All I wanna do is pin you against that wall and kiss you till you can’t stand.”
“Fine. Do it.”
His jaw dropped. Lilliane took a step closer to him. “Atlas, you just told me what you want, and I am telling you that you can have it. Me.”
It took all his self-control to shake his head. “No. You’re confused. You said it ten seconds ago. This isn’t the right time to tumble into bed together and muddy things.”
“You. Made. Me. Come. On. Your. Tongue.”
“Are you trying to kill me?” he growled.
“No. I’m trying to understand you. You’re hot and cold. You know that, right?That’sconfusing.”
“A mate is forever, Lilliane. If we go down this road, there is no going back for me. It’ll be forever. You can’t make that decision for yourself when you’re locked in here while I try to end your stalker’s reign of terror.”
“Ah,” she nodded. “There it is. You’re doing it again. You’re comparing yourself to Victor again.”
“Lilliane,” he hissed in a warning.
“What? That’s it, isn’t it? You think you’re this big bad wolf for keeping me in here with your wolf guards. That’s why you didn’t tell me. Because you didn’t want me tofeellike a prisoner, but you still think I’m here against my will.”
He shrugged and avoided her gaze, but she wasn’t done.
“If I wanted to leave right now and go stay with Val, would you let me go?”
His jaw ticked. “Yes.”
“But you wouldn’t like it because I’d be with Nero onhisland. Away from you.”
Another tick. “Yes.”
“Okay,” she nodded. “Okay. That’syourside of it. Now, you’re gonna listen to me, Atlas Silvers.” She crossed her arms again. “Iwantto be here. Ilikebeing here. I’m sorry I selfishly didn’t think you were spending your days away from me to come up with some genius plan to get rid of Victor. That’s on me, but it’s also a bit on you.
