Page 200 of Elven Crown

“Listen, I know you’ve been doing everything on your own for so long, you might not even remember what it’s like to have someone on your side. Someone who has your back, no matter what. But you won’t be alone anymore, Rebecca. Itwillbeeasier this time. You and me. We can leave tonight. I’ve already arranged the whole thing. The fastest route back through the—”

“You just don’t get it,” she hissed, whirling on him and fighting to keep her voice down while the rest of her self-control had already shattered. “Nothing you say is gonna change my mind. I don’twantto go back. You keep talking about this like I’m some kind of prisoner here, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’mchoosingShade, so save your breath and fucking drop it.”

His eyes had widened when she’d rounded on him, and they remained that way as he studied her without expression. Then his hazel gaze narrowed as he leaned in close again and hissed, “You’ve been lying to yourself for so long, you’ve forgotten one crucial point in all this. You can’t lie tome.”

“Andyou’veforgotten how to listen.”

A hot flush rose, strangely, along the back of her neck and the tops of her shoulders before it crept up into her cheeks. She didn’t think anything of it. Her frustration with Rowanwouldmake her body respond like this.

“I’ve told you nothing but the truth since I found you in that holding room,” she hissed, “and you still refuse to hear it. You refuse to believe me, and believe me, I haven’t forgotten anything. If you can’t see that, you’re not the elf I left behind. And you’re certainly not who I thought you were.”

He blinked once, slowly and with heavy exaggeration, his mouth popping open.

Rebecca couldn’t decide if she’d finally stunned him into silence or if he just needed a little more time to come up with another barb he thought would convince her she wasn’t already where she belonged.

The heat in her cheeks became almost unbearable a second before Maxwell’s low, warning growl rose from directly behind her.

“If I have to tell you one more time to back off, elf…”

Rowan stepped to the side, as if willingly rearranging their little huddle to let the shifter enter, and spread his arms with a chuckle. “Just having a congratulatory chat with our commander, wolf. Everyone’s already talking about tonight. It’s like a little private party. Why don’t you go join them?”

“You first,” Maxwell muttered.

“Nah, I’m good, thanks. I’ll finish this little talk withKnoxfirst.”

Maxwell surged forward and would have knocked Rowan backward away from Rebecca if the Blackmoon Elf hadn’t been quick enough to take several steps back first. “Youjust got here. Earn your place!”

The underlying threat in his command, echoing from the hallway and across the common room, made all the conversation dwindle while the operatives tore themselves away from their stories and exhausted celebration. Now, they stared at their commander, their Head of Security, and their newest elven member all squaring off in the hall.

Great. This was not the kind of attention Rebecca needed now, especially after she’d already spoken to Maxwell and Rowan more than enough times about getting a grip and leaving each other alone.

Apparently, she’d picked the two guys least likely to follow her orders because they just despised each other that much.

After everything, Rebecca didn’t have it in her to continue keeping the peace.

51

“You know what?” Rebecca backed away from Maxwell and Rowan and lifted both hands in concession. “I’m done with both of you. Clearly, whatever you’ve got going on with each other trumps anything I’ve asked of either of you. So go ahead. Do whatever you need to do to get it over with. I’m done.”

They both gaped at her.

“Seriously?” Rowan asked, looking both dubious and ridiculously excited by the prospect.

For once, Maxwell ignored the Blackmoon Elf’s comments and took a hesitant step toward Rebecca instead, his eyebrows drawn together, that same look of pained indecision contorting his features.

That same look that had almost crippled her every other time she’d seen it, and she still didn’t know why the hell she thought she could feel his pain.

“Knox,” he said. “I didn’t mean to—”

“I don’t care,” she said. “Not now. And until you two learn how to figure this out on your own, I don’t want anything to do with either of you. Goodnight.”

As she spun away from them both, meaning to cross the common room for the hallway leading to the residential wing and her private twin-sized bed practically calling her name, Rebecca noticed that next zap of painful, tingling energy battling against the normally pleasant warmth of Maxwell’s presence.

Like she’d hurt him and was feeling it now reflected to her.

Right now, she didn’t care. She just wanted this day to be over.

When she stepped away from Rowan and Maxwell and that sharp pain subsided, she figured she was making the right choice. If they had to talk about it later, fine, but right now, she had to call it a night before she ended up doing something regrettable and inarguably unbefitting of a Thon-Da’al.

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