“It’s my quick wit and determination, isn’t it? Knowing it doesn’t matter what you say. I’m not going to fold.” Yet my stomach twists with worry.
He’ll come around.
He flashes me a single quick smile before strolling past me like he hasn’t a care in the world. And we’ll see which one of us folds first. Because I have a feeling he’s going to make it a race.
ChapterSeventeen
Tasha
Getting used to being in Reid’s home kind of sucks on multiple levels, and I’ll be the first one to admit that. It suckspersonallyfor a few of them because it’s way bigger than the motel room I’ve called my own. Massively big. It takes ten minutes to get from one end of the house to the other, and there are so many rooms and hallways that getting lost is a thing.
Also, I’m starting to like it here.
Fuck, if I can’t be honest with myself, then I’m going to be nothing but a liar for the rest of my life.
I like it here,andI’m surprisingly becoming more comfortable.
Which is a really bad thing. Being comfortable automatically implies that I’m letting my guard down, which opens me up to more danger.
And worse.
It opens me up to liking the people here too.Wolves. I have to constantly remind myself that they are wolves and they are my sworn enemy because they seem like decent people. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive some of them for their laughter, jeers, and taunts during the whipping, but if I put that trauma inducing incident aside, they’re… sort of nice.
Although,fuck, at this point everyone is my enemy, even the other witches. Especially the other witches. I really need to be on guard and watch my front, back, left, center, everything in the middle and in between. I definitely don’t need to open my legs for Reid, but… he’s just so damn sexy.
How fucking dare he!
And as much as I hate to admit to this, too, I really do like him. The witches drew the truth out of me with their serum, and even hearing myself say it out loud then… it didn’t feel as real as it does now as I walk down the stairs toward the kitchen.
It’s not just because I’m drawn to him in a strange way. He’s a good person. He tries hard to lead his people properly, and we really do have more in common than I originally thought.
I stop at the bottom of the stairs as my knees clack together, and I realize I’m not able to picture a future without Reid in it. Which doesn’t bode well for me because…
It can’t last.
None of it can last because this relationship, whatever it is between us, is built on a super shaky foundation. There is nothing but lies, a desire for murder, and sex between us. Really good sex, but that shouldn’t make a difference.
Right?
The smart thing to do is to cut my losses and bolt before I become any more invested in him than I am right now.
I’m better off alone.
It’s been the theme of my life and the scariest thing about getting involved with Reid—besides the obvious—is potentially becoming dependent on him.
I like looking at his face. I like being around him and the way he puts me at ease without even trying. What happens to me if I decide I can’t live without him?
It puts me in a pretty damn terrible position.
Pushing those thoughts aside and noting, and hating, the way my fingers tremble slightly, I saunter into the kitchen for my daily breakfast with Liam. He’s sitting in the same chair at the kitchen table, alone as usual, and glances up briefly at my entrance.
“Morning, Tasha,” he says with a hesitant grin.
He’s got the cream on the table waiting for me.
I narrowly resist lifting my hands to my heart and giving him a swoon he’ll see as fake despite my sincerity. “You’re a peach, you know that, Liam?”
He ducks his head to hide his expression, but I still see the slight blush on his cheeks.