Page 27 of Torgash

But standing this close to her, seeing the way her lips part slightly when I crowd her, the truth cuts through all the defenses I've built.

“It's about making sure the only person in this town who can actually arrest the bastard doesn't get buried for her trouble.”

Her eyes widen, and for a moment, I think she might bolt.

Instead, she presses herself flatter against the wall, creating distance she immediately seems to regret. "You don’t get to push me around."

"I’m not backing down, Sheriff."

"I could arrest you for harassment."

"You could try." Anger sparks in her eyes. I brush a strand of hair away from her face, the touch deliberately gentle. "But we both know you won't."

"Why's that?"

She leans into my touch for just a heartbeat before catching herself. The slip costs her, and we both know it.

I don't move away, don't give her space to retreat. "Because you want someone strong enough to stand between you and the monsters." My thumb traces along her jaw, and she doesn't pull away. Doesn't stop me from touching her like I have the right. "Someone who won't flinch when things get ugly."

She closes her eyes briefly, and when she opens them, I see surrender warring with pride. See her wanting to say yes and trust me with this.

To trust me with her.

"When?" she asks.

"Now. Tonight. Pack whatever files you need, anything you don't want them accessing if they decide to escalate beyond monitoring."

But instead of moving toward her bedroom, Nova goes completely still. When she looks up at me, the surrender is gone, replaced by something harder.

"No."

My jaw clenches. "What?"

"I said no." She pushes against my chest, and this time I let her create distance. "I'm not packing anything. I'm not moving to your clubhouse. And I'm sure as hell not playing by your rules."

My beast snarls, confused by her sudden shift.

What the hell happened?

"Nova, you saw the footage. They're monitoring you."

"So I'll be more careful." She crosses her arms, chin lifted in that stubborn gesture I'm learning to hate. "Close the blinds. Vary my routine. Take precautions."

"That's not enough—"

"It's enough for me." Determination flashes in her eyes. "You think because you showed me some footage, I'm going to run crying to the big, strong orc with my tail tucked? That I'll just hand over my independence because you say it's dangerous?"

I step forward, towering over her. "This isn't about independence. It's about survival.”

"It's about control." She doesn't retreat an inch, meeting my advance with her own step forward. And suddenly I understand what shifted. What made her change her mind? "You want me where you can monitor me, manage me, make decisions for me. But it's more than that, isn't it?"

Hell. She's too smart. Sees right through me to the territorial asshole underneath who wants to lock her away somewhere safe.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

You're the one who said we need to keep a distance for optics." Her voice turns sharp. "Now you want me living in your clubhouse? That's a brilliant strategy, counselor."

My chest tightens because she's right. I'd been so focused on keeping her safe that I hadn't thought about how it would look.

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