Page 18 of Lion's Crossing

Sitting at the table, I waited for Knox to come out. Had his heat ended? What did that mean for us?

Though I’d been hungry before, the sight of the food repulsed me. I didn’t want to eat, only to pull Knox into my arms and hold him there forever.

Shit, where had such thoughts come from? Other than physically, Knox and I still barely knew each other. I needed to get a grip.

In a flurry, Knox rushed out of the guest bedroom, trailing his suitcase behind him. “My train leaves in an hour. I need to go.”

Fuck!My lion thrashed around inside me, itching to get me to shift so he could pounce on Knox, drag him to my room, and keep him there.

I simply sat at the table, trying to process his words and that so much time had passed. “It’s Friday already?”

He nodded like a bobblehead. “Yep. I’m sorry I took up all your time. It wasn’t the vacation I’d planned, but I’ve got to go.”

I gestured toward the food I’d prepared for him. “Eat a little before you leave. I’ll drive you to the station.” Vices clenched my heart, but I didn’t know what else to say to him.

“You’ve already done so much for me.” He chewed on his bottom lip and stuffed his hands into his pockets, maintaining the distance between us. “I appreciate all of it, but I can’t ask for more from you. I’ve disrupted your life enough.”

Resisting the urge to slam my fist on the table, I stood up instead. “Knox, I insist on driving you. Everything I did for and with you, I did because I wanted to. Please let me see you onto the train, at least. All I wanted to do was keep you safe while you were in Saramto.”

With a tear trailing down his cheek, he gave me a quick nod. “Okay.” He turned away to wipe his cheek. “But I can’t eat right now. My stomach isn’t…”

I took the food over to the counter. “I’ll put it in a couple containers for you, then. You can eat it when you’re hungry.”

Another curt nod before he headed for the door.

Shit, had I done something wrong? Had I hurt him somehow? I’d only tried to help the entire time he’d stayed at myplace, let him tell me what he wanted and when. Had I misheard him at some point?

With the containers in my hand, I headed for the foyer and grabbed my key fob before holding the door open for him. It was time to send him on his way, no matter how much my lion objected. Because Knox wasn’t mine. I doubted he ever would be.

Chapter Nineteen

Knox

“You can go to work now.” I gripped the handle of my suitcase and stared down at the wet asphalt of the platform. It had been sunny when we left, but dark clouds had quickly rolled in and it had started to rain. Linc stood with me under the covered waiting area, but I couldn’t impose on him anymore. I’d already taken too much from him. “I’m good from here. Thanks again for everything you did for me while I was here.” I couldn’t look at Linc for fear I would start crying. Crying about my ruined vacation, crying out of embarrassment at having to ask a near stranger to look after me, and crying because after everything we’d been through together over the past week, Linc hadn’t asked me to stay. Everything the alpha had done for me was simply out of kindness, not because he felt a deeper connection as I thought I had. But maybe I’d been mistaken. Maybe I simply wasn’t used to an alpha showing any sort of compassion to me at all.

I dug my toe into the ground, trying to figure out why he hadn’t left. “Oh, sorry. How much do I owe you?” I should have guessed. None of his kindheartedness came for free. “For the use of your guestroom, all the food, and for…you know.”

I jumped back when he gave a low growl, his eyes hard as he shook his head. “I don’t want your money. I thought…” He threw his hands up in the air. “Fine. I’ll go. I hope you have a safe trip back home. You have my number if you need me.”

I winced as he spun on his heels and headed into the rain. What happened that placed the wedge between us? I didn’t remember much from the haze of my heat, but I did recall him holding me in his arms, his gentle kisses, and his whisperedwords of comfort. Had that all been an act so he could fuck me through it all?

Then I remembered his reluctance to the idea of helping me through my heat, how he’d dropped everything to save me at the museum before that, and even the offer of letting me stay at his place for one night after my reservation was canceled. He didn’t have to do any of it. Yet, he did. Before he knew I was in heat.

I glanced in his direction, considering going after him to apologize, to ask him to stay with me until the train arrived. But he was already out of sight. My deer urged me to text him to come back, but I hesitated. What good would that do? I was heading back home anyway. Back to Shifter Crossing. I didn’t live in Saramto. Proved that I couldn’t handle staying in the metropolis on my own. I didn’t belong in a big city. Yet, Linc had lived there for all his adult life. He’d returned only to help his dad then headed back to the metropolis. Our lives were very different. Even if there was the connection I’d thought we had, nothing would work between us.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I heard the horn from the approaching train. It was time for me to go back to the life I knew, the one where my parents kept trying to set me up with a dickhead alpha, and I kept saying no. I would work at the high school as long as I could, and maybe start to collect figurines. Lions. Just to remember the time I’d left the small town and traveled on my own.

The train wasn’t as full as it had been on the way to Saramto. I had a seat to myself and spent the entire ride staring out the window being pelted with rain, while I streamed music. I had to skip the FNL songs on my playlist, because listening to them caused my heart to ache.

Nothing happened on the trip home. No breakdowns. No bodies flying over the seat to cause an alpha to pull me into his arms.

When I stepped off the train at the station in my hometown, the skies had cleared, yet I felt empty. Sure, I hadn’t eaten all day, but my stomach hadn’t been in any condition to consume the food Linc had sent with me. Yet the hollowness felt much deeper, like I’d left a good part of myself back in the metropolis.

I sighed as I grabbed my luggage and began the walk to my apartment. No point in dwelling on things that were never meant to be.

When I reached my place, I opened the door with my key. No fancy entry codes in Shifter Crossing. Though I had nothing worth stealing anyway.

I hadn’t worn most of my clothing, having spent most of the week naked in Linc’s guest bed, so I didn’t have to wash my laundry right away. Plus, I still had a couple days before I had to return to work. After placing the oatmeal and fruit from Linc in my fridge, I flopped onto my bed.

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