Page 43 of Ash

He was worried about her. Caring about her.

She held onto that feeling as he answered his question. "Would it seem strange to you if I was wondering... how real this was? This... thing between us?"

He held out his hand to her and she took it, feeling the reassuring heat of his skin against her. "I would say that you're all too human." A corner of his mouth tugged up. "Or perhaps you're all too much of a shapeshifter. I'm worried that you'll go to sleep tonight and wake up in the morning thinking that you've made the wrong decision and tell me to stay away from you.

"Maybe you'll wake up and think that I'm crazy. And decide that you don't want to see me again. Or that Mystic Mountain isn't where you want to be, and you'll get on the bus the next time it comes through town and leave."

She felt him stroke the inside of her wrist with the pad of his thumb. "So I'm not the only one worried?"

He shook his head.

"My bear is worried, too."

That was a shock. "Your bear?"

He gestured at the center of his chest. "He's worried, but not about you... about your feelings or mine. He's worried about leaving you alone. Leaving you here without us."

Suzannah was surprised to see his cheeks heat with color. Compared to the salt and pepper of his hair and the tanned surface of his skin, the blush was nice to see.

"I meant what I said when I talked about taking care of you. Having you away from me... from us... is going to take some effort."

She wasn't sure what he meant by it.

"He doesn't want me to leave you here alone." Ash lifted his free hand and rubbed his palm against the back of his head. "He worries about what could happen when we're not here to protect you."

Suzannah frowned at the thought. "Is there a lot of crime here in Mystic?"

Ash shook his head. "No. Hardly any at all, unless someone is passing through. But that doesn't stop us from worrying about you. Especially before you wear our mark."

She frowned, her brow furrowing at the thought. "I don't..." She stifled a yawn. "I don't understand."

He let go of her hand and her hand felt incredibly empty without his touch, but a moment later she felt the warmth of his hands cradling her face.

"You're too tired to hear it all now."

She frowned at that. "But I want to know."

Ash leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead. "If I told you everything tonight, you might really run for the hills. Go inside. Rest. And I'll see you in the morning."

Suzannah felt his hesitation.

She felt how much he didn't want to leave.

At least she thought she did.

He was right.

There was so much swirling around inside of her.

Feelings.

Information.

And still there was an undercurrent of fear.

Fear of loss.

And fear put in her head and her heart by that man at the diner.

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