I just had to deny myself that absolute closeness.
And keep my wolf from going mad with longing. Having her wasn’t enough for my inner animal. My greedy wolf wanted what it could never have.
She stood up, her arms crossed. “I’m going back to my room. I need some time alone. I need to think,” she said tightly.
I didn’t want her to leave. I needed her with me, needed her soothing strength, her sweetness. I just needed—her. “Daphne…” I growled.
She leapt to her feet, gesturing angrily. Her eyes shone with hurt. “You kept this information from me! It makes me feel like I’m nothing to you!”
“You’re everything to me!” I protested angrily.
She shook her head. “No. The pack is everything to you. I’m the human you have the hots for at the moment, but not enough to fully commit to. Excuse me, I need to go.”
And she stormed out of the room, taking a piece of my heart with her as she went.
Seventeen
Daphne
I tossed and turned most of the night and woke up cranky and confused.
I could hear my mother’s voice echoing in my head. “You can never trust a man, Daphne. They only want one thing from you, and when they get it, they move on to the next one. Best to get whatever you can from them while the getting’s good.”
It was a philosophy that I loathed. And yet, somehow, her cynical nature had seeped into my very soul and it was really hard for me to believe that any man could love me for…well, for me.
Of course, I had to admit that I couldn’t think of a single reason Killian wouldpretendto care about me. I wasn’t rich, I wasn’t connected, and whatever magic I had was mysterious and elusive—if it even existed.
There were countless gorgeous girls who’d happily throw themselves at Killian if he so much as glanced their way. So he wasn’t using me for sex.
But he also had all but lied to me with the way he was hiding information from me.
And he’d flat out told me he would never fully commit.
He also had neglected to tell me that his grandfather hated me and was dead set against the relationship.
What kind of future could I have with a man who kept huge secrets from me? And what else was he hiding from me?
Two more days before the full moon came.
Glumly, I made my way to the bathroom and went through the motions of a shower, brushing my teeth, putting on some makeup and doing up my hair. Yesterday someone had delivered even more clothing for me, draping them across one of the chairs in my room. I chose khaki slacks that were butter soft, a green shirt, and a necklace strung with colored stones.
Aimlessly, I wandered the manor, looking for breakfast.
I passed the great room, only to see Killian moving a couch around with Talon and Gage. Sarah sat curled up in a chair reading a book. She had done a little braid and wound flowers into it. She waved at me when I walked in.
“Maybe we should try to make a circle with it?” Killian stood back, scowling at the furniture. Then he spotted me. “Ah, good morning.”
“For some,” I grumbled.
“Are you mad at him too?” Sarah asked hopefully.
“You look very nice today. I like what you did with the flowers.”
“Thank you. So, why are we mad at my cousin today?”
“Oh, he exists. He’s breathing. That’s enough for me.” I shot Killian a narrow-eyed look.He keeps secrets,I added in my head. But I didn’t want to drag Sarah into it.
“No, put that chair there!” Killian pointed, and Talon and Gage picked up a chair and moved it into a corner, angled in a way that set my teeth on edge.