Page 206 of Silver Elite

His hand stills in my hair.

“I’m trapped in the cave, and it’s like the entire weight of the ocean is pressing down on me. I’m frantically searching for an escape, but the walls just stretch on endlessly. My lungs are burning. I don’t know how much longer I can hold my breath.”

His fingers slip out of my hair.

“The panic sets in. My vision is blurring, darkness closing in around me. And there’s this sinking sense of dread because I know I have no choice but to inhale. Ineedto breathe. I open my mouth and take a deep breath, and the water rushes in, filling my lungs. My wholebody starts convulsing, fighting it, but there’s no relief. I’m choking, dying—”

He moves so fast that I don’t see it coming.

In a heartbeat, I’m flat on my back with a knife at my throat.

Cross’s eyes are wild. Blazing. Every muscle in his body coiled tight as he peers down at me and snarls, “Who are you?”

Chapter 46

I can’t stop myself.

I start to laugh.

Deep, gasping, shaking giggles. He blinks in shock, but my laughing fit is uncontrollable. All I can do is shudder beneath him as he straddles me with a blade to my throat. Each time I laugh, I feel a sting against my flesh. Soon it’s going to draw blood. That just makes me laugh harder.

“Who are you?” he repeats, his breath escaping in a hiss. “Who told you that story?”

“Can I…” I try to speak through the laughter. “Can I ask you something?”

He raises the knife. Just millimeters. He’s still wound tighter than a cobra. He can slice my throat at any second.

“Is your favorite animal still a wolf?”

He freezes. Staring at me, as if he can’t comprehend what I’m asking.

“Because mine isn’t a daisy anymore. My favorite flower, I mean.”

His breathing becomes ragged. The knife rises another half an inch.

“It was, at one point.” When I lived in the Blacklands, but not evenWolf knows where I came from. “Except then wild daisies started taking over the north pasture of the ranch, spreading like a weed, and the cows didn’t have enough grass because of those stupid daisies. So it stopped.” I giggle. “Being my favorite flower, that is.”

Sensing I’m no threat to him, Cross lifts the knife. It hangs loose from his fingers now. I can see his brain working, trying to make sense of this.

When he speaks, it’s one hoarse word.

“How?”

“I don’t know.” I sit up and lean against the headboard. “I only figured it out the other night.”

He gives me a questioning look.

“Your mother’s room. Her painting. The white hull, the blue stripe, the red flag.” I start to laugh again. “All this time I thought you lived by the ocean. I didn’t realize you were describing a painting.”

Cross studies my face as if he’s never seen me before in his life.

“Daisy?” he finally says. His voice shakes slightly.

“Wolf.” A smile spreads across my lips. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

We eye each other.

I blink and I’m in his arms. They’re wrapped tightly around me, as if he’s trying to melt me into his body.

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