“I’m in way over my head,” I admitted to myself.
There was a part of me relieved to see him go, but also a bigger part that wanted to beg him to stay.
How was I supposed to sleep here in his bed after that kiss?
I’d always imagined what my first kiss would feel like. Never in my wildest dreams did I suspect anything like that.
Damn, he could kiss.
A growl escaped me.
He was a man he knew how to kiss a woman. I’d be willing to bet he got plenty of practice too.
I growled again.
And I was a girl who had no clue what I was doing. It did seem to come naturally though. He certainly didn’t seem to complain.
I started to giggle.
Reaching for the pillow, I covered my face with it to stifle the sound.
Instead, I was rewarded with a lethal dose of his scent.
“Gah!” I threw the pillow across the room.
Then I immediately jumped up and retrieved it, hugging it to my chest.
What was I going to do?
It was insane that I was still here. If Peyton knew the truth about me, she wouldn’t want me anywhere near him.
And if he discovered the truth, he’d throw me to curb.
Who could love a witch?
No one by my experience.
Staying here was nothing more than a childish dream of a true mate—something I didn’t believe in until now.
It was only going to hurt more later. I was stubborn and reckless earlier deciding to stay. After the kiss I knew I was only here for heartache. And right now, there was simply too much at stake for me to take a chance on a mate while risking my own life, and possibly his.
They could very well still be tracking me, even here.
I could put Brady and his whole family, hell this entire Pack, at risk.
I’d already grown to like those I’d met here: Lily, Ruby, Peyton, her family, and of course Brady. I liked them more thanjust about anyone still alive back home. That meant I couldn’t put them at risk by staying here.
It was time for me to go.
Tears stung my eyes as I realized I didn’t want to, but this was a sacrifice I could make for him. He may never know it or understand it, but I could do this to keep him safe from the trackers.
Pulling myself together, I packed up what few things I had. And then I went through his drawers and found a shirt that smelled like him and stuffed it into my backpack too. Maybe I was crazy for wanting to carry a little piece of him with me, but it comforted to know I’d be taking him along for the rest of the journey.
I was on the stairs on my way out when a car pulled up the house.
Peyton and her family spilled out of their family van and came inside laughing and enjoying each other.
I had never really witnessed that kind of closeness before, only in movies.