War of Hearts(44)

Growling under his breath, Conall felt his wolf tremble for release.

She was trying to run from him.

Again.





*



The knot in Thea’s gut wouldn’t loosen. It just seemed to wind tighter as she hurried along the edges of town, hoping against hope she didn’t bump into Conall.

Rationally she knew that he could find her but the hope she was wrong about his ability to track her kept her moving. She couldn’t face him again. She couldn’t face the inevitable questions about her back.

And not because she didn’t want to tell him, warn him, just how evil Ashforth was, but because she thought he might not believe her if she did.

Why did he have to see her scars? Did they repulse him?

Oh, who gives a shit. She never had before.

Throwing the thought away, Thea realized she was wandering aimlessly. She had no idea where the bus station was or if there was one. She turned left down a street she was sure was only one or two over from the main square, thinking how glad she was to be without Conall—for many reasons, most important of which was that he was beyond conspicuous—when she felt the hair on her neck rise.

Too late.

A strong hand clamped down on her biceps and she looked up into Conall’s angry face just as he dragged her between the dark alley of two stores. “What the hell?” She ripped her arm from his and stumbled against the wall.

Damn his goddamn tracking weirdness!

The wolf glared at her.

He was a volcano of intimidation, but she refused to quake beneath him.

Thea threw up her hands. “Oh, come on. I just thought I’d test out your little nose trick; make sure there wasn’t any permanent damage to it from the car accident. But it looks like it’s still working.” She dared to slap his upper arm. “Congratulations.”

The muscle in his jaw flexed so hard, the scar on his cheek rippled. Okay, so that’s a little intimidating.

“Do you think this is a joke? There are police all over this town looking for us, Thea. They’ve blocked the exits. And you’re trying to fucking take off again!”

Narrowing her eyes, Thea stepped toward him. “Well, if there are police hunting us, maybe you should keep your voice down.”

He lifted his hands and clenched them, like he was dreaming of fisting them around her throat. “I have enough on my plate without you running off, especially when you know it’s fucking futile.”

“I went for a walk,” she lied.

Conall bent his head toward her, his nose almost touching hers, his eyes hard with knowledge. “You ran away so you wouldnae have to explain your back.”

Thea felt her anger and fear building and building, reminding her of all the times she’d lost control. She clenched her own fists, trying to even out her breaths.

“Thea.” Conall took hold of her shoulders, concern stealing the irritation from his expression. “Your eyes.”

Realizing they’d probably turned golden, Thea tried harder to control the energy that was rising inside of her.

“Why are you afraid?” Conall whispered.

She shook her head frantically. “I’m not afraid.” And telling her she was wasn’t helping.

“I can smell it, lass,” he said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“It’s not”—she shook her head again—“it’s not that …”

Conall’s grip on her shoulders turned bruising. “Police,” he bit out, before he shoved her up against the alley wall, pressing the full length of his body to hers.

The action pulled her from her mounting panic, distracting her. Thea listened and could hear the approaching footsteps and the sound of conversation over a police radio. Finding her control again, she mentally reached out to the shadows and felt Conall stiffen against her as she cloaked them.

She looked up at him, her heart stuttering at how close his face was.

What are you doing? His eyes asked.

Trust me.

The footsteps stopped at the alley and Conall looked over his shoulder, his body rigid, ready for a fight. Thea grabbed his waist, restraining him, and he looked down at her. She shook her head.

They heard the two officers exchange a few words before they spoke into the radio. And then they disappeared.

As soon as they were gone, Thea felt Conall relax and in doing so, she became aware of the fact that almost every inch of his hard body was touching hers and that she was gripping onto his waist. The heat and power of him was overwhelming and …

A tingling of heat between her legs increased in intensity by the second.

She flushed at the embarrassing realization she was getting turned on.

Conall let out a guttural sound of disbelief and Thea’s eyes flew upward. His nostrils flared, his lids heavy over his eyes as he stared down at her in realization too.

Oh shit, could he smell that she wanted him?

Horrified by the thought, Thea dropped her hands from his waist. “You can get off me now.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he pushed off from the wall and took a few steps back. “What was that?”

The blood in her cheeks turned hot. “Uh … what?”

If she wasn’t mistaken, the wolf looked like he was trying not to laugh.

If he laughed, she’d kill him.

“The shadows,” he said pointedly, an arrogant smirk quirking his lips.