Page 54 of Alpha Rising (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

“Like I told you, I came to check things out in person. This meeting was proof enough that he—” He pointed at me. “—can’t keep you safe. I’m staying at a motel in town tonight, then I’ll be working in Minneapolis for the week. We’ve got some options. I’ll be in touch.”

John touched his lip again and checked to make sure that the bleeding had stopped. Then, glaring at me one last time, he stormed out with Sam on his heels.

Toby exited next, turned, and—after meeting my eyes for a brief second—closed my office door behind him.

That left Sarah and me alone. We faced off in silence.

Her cheeks were pink, but her eyes were apologetic. While John’s arrival had clearly surprised her, the reason for his visit had not. She knew they were looking at moving her, and she’d never mentioned it to me.

So much for having no secrets between us.

“How’s your head?” Some things took precedence over my wounded ego.

“It’s fine,” she said. “I shouldn’t have tried to get in the way.”

No, she shouldn’t have, but it was my fault she was hurt.

Sarah took a step closer, then stopped. “Is Johnreallynot human?”

Jealousy clutched at my chest as the mountain lion pulled back its lips in a snarl. “That seelie likes you.”

Sarah bowed her head and shook it slowly. I hated that I was continuously rocking her sense of the world. It was amazing she’d hung in this long. I didn’t know how far I could push her before she broke.

“I’m hiswitness,” she said. “It’s professional.”

“Maybe it started that way, but that’s not where his head’s at now. He wants you.”

She lifted her head, irritation flashing in her eyes. “And you know thathow?”

“I can smell it on him.”

She swiped her hand through the air dismissively. “That’s ridiculous.”

“If you want to think that, fine. It doesn’t matter how he feels about you, he’s not moving you to some place where I have no control.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Have you ever thought that maybe it would be for the best if he did?”

“No. I haven’t. And how can you even ask that?” My head was a mixture of anger and panic. My skin itched with the need to shift. To run. To claim. To hold on and never let go.

“Because Sam explained it to me when you were gone. This…urgeto take a mate. I know you’re fighting against it, and you’re probably right to fight. I’m not who you should be with; or at least, I’m not the person you should be with long term.”

It was a good speech, but I could tell her heart wasn’t in it. She was trying to do what was best for me, and I couldn’t be mad at her for that, even if she’d kept the truth from me for days.

I barely suppressed a smile and stepped closer.

She put her hands up defensively and took a step to the side. “And me being here is only keeping you from finding the person youshouldbe with.”

“Is that right?” I asked.

We were circling each other now, and I heard her swallow. She glanced behind her, apparently having forgotten that Sam had already moved the chairs out of the way.

“That’s right.” She took a step back. “You’re making the sacrifice part of the mating gambit. You’re losing your self-control without any intention of ever gaining the advantage of a mate.”

“You’ve been thinking this through for a while, haven’t you?” I took another step to the side, and she mirrored me, which had the effect of putting her back to my desk.

Sarah nodded, oblivious to the lion crouching inside my mind, wrapping its tail tightly around its body, holding still, readying to pounce.

“In the meantime,” she said, “this war in your head is distracting you from what youshouldbe paying attention to: your family; your business; these…peoplewho are trying to undermine the resort and get at your property.”

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