Warrior (Relentless #4)(37)

She drew back. “I’m sorry I’m such a trial to you, but no one is asking you to stick around here. You can go back to doing your warrior thing – hunting vampires or whatever you do – and forget all about me.”

I could sense she was hurt by my words, but all I could think of was keeping her safe. When she tried to march past me, I blocked her, grabbing her bike so she couldn’t move. I leaned down, and her scent surrounded me. “If I was a vampire, you’d be dead – or worse.”

Her body stiffened, and I heard her sharp intake of breath. As she lifted her eyes to mine, her warm breath caressed my throat. For several seconds, I forgot everything but those soft lips inches from mine.

She averted her gaze. “Does it even matter?”

I blinked as her words pierced the spell she’d cast over me. “What?”

“You said that day on the wharf that you can’t save every orphan. What difference does one more make?”

The suggestion that her life meant so little, that she was nothing more than a job to me, made my chest tighten. If she only knew how precious her life was to me. How did I make her understand that I only cared about her welfare and happiness?

She pulled away from me. “Do you mind letting go of my bike? Nate will be home soon, and it’s my turn to make dinner.”

“Khristu!” My grip tightened on the handlebars until I thought the metal would bend. How could someone make me want to shake them and kiss them at the same time? “Do you not understand the danger you’re in? I know you want to believe you’re safe here surrounded by your werewolf friends, but someone went to great lengths sending that pack of crocotta to find you. If it is that vampire, he won’t give up.”

This time she couldn’t hide the fear that crossed her face, and guilt stabbed me for making her afraid again.

I laid my hand over her smaller one. “If you are honest with yourself, you’ll admit I’m right. I can protect you if you’ll let me.”

I felt her tremble, saw the uncertainty in her eyes, along with some other emotion I couldn’t read. Just when I thought she was going to admit I was right, she pulled away.

“I really need to go inside now,” she said quietly.

I stepped back to let her pass and followed her as she wheeled the bike around the building to the back door. I watched her fumble for her key. “You can run away from me, but you can’t run from the truth. The werewolves can’t protect you forever, and eventually, you’ll have to leave New Hastings. What will you do then?”

She froze for several seconds, and I knew my words had hit home. There was a slight tremor in her voice when she spoke again.

“When that happens it’ll be my problem, not yours.” Opening the door, she shoved the bike inside. “I don’t want you following me around anymore.”

My hands clenched at my sides. “And I don’t want you to keep putting yourself in danger. Seems like neither of us will get what we want.”

The door closed between us. I went back to my bike, pulling out my phone as I walked. I dialed Chris’s number, and he answered on the third ring. From the rumbling in the background he was on his bike.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“What’s up is that I just found Sara riding her bicycle a few miles outside of town. Why weren’t you watching her?”

Chris sighed loudly. “I’ve been driving around for the last hour looking for her. Is she okay?”

“Yes, but anything could have happened to her out there.” I paced in front of my bike. “How could you lose her?”

“She gave me the slip,” he replied sheepishly. “I followed her home from school, and I thought she was still inside. A couple of girls from her school showed up, and they kept coming over to talk to me. I couldn’t get them to leave. Then one of them mentioned seeing Sara riding away on her bike. She was gone by the time I went to look for her. She’s been so predictable this whole time, and I never thought she’d take off like that. I’m sorry, Nikolas.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll just have to keep a closer eye on her.”

“What was she doing outside town on her bike anyway?”

“She wouldn’t say.” I looked up at her window. “I think she’s hiding something.”

“Like what?”

I straddled my bike. “I have no idea, but I’m going to find out. You want to come back here and watch her place while I go check it out?”

“I’ll be there in five minutes.”

As soon as I saw Chris riding down the waterfront, I set off for the area south of town where I’d found Sara. I drove up and down the empty stretch of road, but there was nothing but trees and rocks in sight. No houses, businesses, or buildings of any kind. I did find an old gravel road that was so overgrown it was little more than a track. I followed it for a mile where it ended at an abandoned mine that didn’t look like it had been disturbed in years.

After an hour of searching, I had to admit there was nothing suspicious in the area. Was it possible that Sara had just been out riding her bike? I quickly banished that thought, remembering her nervous reaction when I’d asked what she was doing out here.

There was another possible answer, one I hadn’t wanted to entertain. It could be that she had met up with someone, a male she didn’t want anyone to know about. The thought of her with another man made my stomach burn like it was filled with acid. I had to remind myself that she was oblivious to my feelings and to the bond, and it was only natural that she might be seeing someone.