Chapter 12
Lucan
Iwas going to roast Zarek.
I stormed up the steps to his cabin, my temper simmering below boiling. When I’d heard from Reese about Liz’s visit to the office and Zarek’s “interrogation,” I’d nearly shifted where I stood.
My dragon rumbled under my skin, agitated and ready to confront the threat to our mate. Not that Zarek was technically a threat. He was a first-class pain in the ass with boundary issues.
He knew I was coming. The whole area probably knew with the waves of irritation rolling off me. I didn’t bother knocking when I reached his door. I just shoved it open and walked in like I’d done it a thousand times before.
“Make yourself at home,” Zarek said dryly from his kitchen, not bothering to look up from where he stood chopping vegetables. The rhythmic sound of the knife hitting the cutting board only added to my annoyance.
I closed the door behind me. “What were you thinking?”
Zarek didn’t look up from his cutting board. “You’ll need to be more specific.”
I leaned against the counter, forcing myself into his line of sight. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. What the hell was that with Liz today?”
“Standard security protocol.” His knife sliced through a bell pepper. “A stranger camping in our territory requires investigation.”
“She wasn’t camping anymore. She came to the office upset, and you treated her like a suspect.”
Zarek looked up, his blue eyes cooler than usual. “She had information we needed.”
“Information like what? How many marshmallows she toasted? How many pine needles got stuck in her hair?” I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “She’s my mate, Zarek. Not an intruder.”
“A mate you met once.” He resumed his methodical chopping. “A mate who doesn’t know about dragons. A mate who showed up out of nowhere with one of our treasures.”
My hands clenched at my sides. “I gave her that knife. Do you really think I’d make that up if she’d stolen it?”
His knife paused momentarily before resuming its precise work. “Possibly.”
“She’s allergic to pistachios.” I felt like a broken record, repeating what I’d already told them when I found out.
Zarek’s expression hardened. “We know nothing about her.”
I barked out a laugh. “What do you want to know? Her favorite color? Her credit score? Her feelings about which direction the toilet paper roll goes?”
“Why she was really camping alone.” His voice remained steady. “Why she left her previous situation with nothing but a car and a tent. Determining whether anyone might be looking for her.”
I took a step forward, my control slipping. “She’s not running from the law. She’s running from a bad relationship.”
“And you know this how?” Zarek tilted his head, watching me with unnerving focus. “Because she told you over dinner? Or because your dragon says so? Your dragon isn’t particularly objective.”
I gritted my teeth. “Neither are you, apparently.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. We stared at each other, a silent standoff neither of us would break. This wasn’t really about Liz. It was about how his dragon thought he’d found his mate once, and he was wrong.
“She returned the check,” I finally said. “Twenty thousand dollars, and she gave it back because she doesn’t trust me. Your interrogation only reinforced that distrust.”
Zarek set his knife down. “The quad’s safety always comes first.”
“This isn’t about safety, and you know it.” I leaned forward. “This is about you not wanting to believe she’s my mate because it changes things.”
“It changes nothing.”
“It changes everything, and that scares you.”
His jaw tightened. “I’m not afraid of change.”
“No, you’re afraid of not controlling it.” I pushed away from the counter. “She deserves a chance, Zarek.”
“Trust is earned.”
“So is respect.” I headed for the door, pausing with my hand on the knob. “I really hope your mate is the most insufferable, stubborn woman on the planet. Someone who challenges every rule you’ve ever made.”
I left before he could respond, letting the door slam behind me.
Outside, the fresh air did little to cool my temper. The worst part was knowing Zarek wasn’t entirely wrong—we needed to be careful. But his approach had only pushed Liz further away when I needed her to stay.
I felt the pull toward her, the invisible thread of our bond stretching between us.
If she left Wings End, I’d lose her. The thought made my chest tight with panic. I had to give her space while showing her I was the man for her.
The choice was ultimately hers. And right now, I wasn’t sure she’d choose me.
I tried to head home. I really did.
My feet didn’t cooperate. They carried me away from Zarek’s cabin, past the turnoff that would take me to my place, and straight toward where I’d left my truck at the front office. Before I could second-guess myself, I was behind the wheel with the engine running.
The bond pulled at my chest like a fishhook lodged somewhere near my heart. My dragon prowled beneath my skin. I could feel Liz’s presence the way I felt the shift of seasons or the approach of a storm.
Ten minutes later, I pulled into Split Pine’s parking lot.
I sat in the truck for a moment, gripping the steering wheel and trying to talk myself out of whatever I was about to do.
The words were all lined up in my head as I climbed out of the truck.
I walked inside and spotted her immediately. I took a step in her direction before common sense caught up with my instincts.
Liz moved through the dining area, carefully carrying a tray. She wore jeans and a Split Pine T-shirt, and the tight set of her shoulders told me everything I needed to know.
She was still on edge. Pushing her now would only make things worse.
The realization hit me like a bucket of cold water. I’d already overwhelmed her multiple times. The last thing she needed was me cornering her at her new job, demanding she listen to explanations she hadn’t asked for.
To a human, this probably looked like stalking. But it’s not like I was a frequent patron of Split Pine.
So instead of turning around and going back out the door, I redirected toward the bar, sliding onto a stool near the end where I could still see most of the dining room.
Beck appeared within seconds, one eyebrow raised. He grabbed a pint glass. “Your usual?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak yet.
He pulled the tap, watching me in a way that made me want to make up an excuse to leave. “She’s doing great, by the way. Fast learner. Good with the customers.”
“That’s good.” My voice came out rougher than intended, and I cleared my throat. “I’m not here for her, though.”
“Sure.” Beck set the beer in front of me before shaking his head and moving down the bar to help another customer.
I forced myself to relax or at least look like it. I nursed my beer and watched Liz work. Every time she passed within speaking distance, it took all my effort to stay put.
She delivered plates to a table near the bar, close enough that I could have easily said her name. My mouth opened slightly, the word ready to escape.
I clamped it shut.
For a fraction of a second, her gaze flicked toward me. She didn’t seem surprised. She didn’t even look curious about why I was there. She just seemed aware.
Then it slid away just as quickly, as if I wasn’t there at all. Her focus returned entirely to her customers. Professional. Competent. Completely unaware of the internal war I was fighting.
The bond thrummed between us, an invisible line connecting my chest to hers. My dragon clawed at my ribs, frustrated by my continued inaction. Every instinct I possessed screamed at me to touch her shoulder, to make her look at me and see that I was sorry.
Instead, I took another drink and stayed where I was.
I could respect her boundaries even when every cell in my body rebelled against it. Well, at least somewhat.
Liz returned to the kitchen, disappearing through the swinging door.
“You’re doing the right thing.” Beck reappeared, wiping down the bar near me. “Even if it doesn’t feel like it.”
“How do you know what I’m doing?”
“Because you’ve had the same beer for forty minutes, and you look like you’re fighting yourself.” He tossed the towel over his shoulder. “She needs time. You’re giving it to her. That’s the right call.”
I wanted to argue and insist that time wasn’t enough, and I needed to fix what I’d broken. But Beck was right, damn him.
Liz emerged from the kitchen with another tray loaded with appetizers and delivered them to the people sitting next to me at the bar. She was actively ignoring me, and that stung worse than I expected.
This was torture. Pure, exquisite torture.
Time stretched out. The restaurant’s noise faded to background static. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart, the restless growl of my dragon, and the quiet voice in my head reminding me that if I approached her now, she’d flee.
I finished my drink, paid my tab, and headed for the door.
I caught her scent when she passed by, and my feet stopped moving. My mouth nearly betrayed me. Every muscle tensed with the need to turn around and finally say her name.
I somehow got myself outside and took a deep breath. My hands shook slightly as I fished my keys out of my pocket.
This felt less like patience and more like walking away from something I already knew I couldn’t afford to lose. But maybe that’s what love looked like sometimes. Choosing her comfort over mine. Her needs over my wants. Her boundaries over my instincts.
I climbed into my truck and started the engine, but I didn’t drive away immediately. Instead, I sat there in the parking lot, feeling the pull of the bond stretch and strain as I prepared to leave.
Tomorrow, I’d find another way. Tonight, I’d have to live with the ache.