Page 180 of The Demon's Pet

“Why are you pushing me away? Because we’re getting closer? Damn it, Sam. Don’t do this!”

“You’ll be fine, Cleo. No matter who would have found you, you would have been fine.” He pulled me up and enfolded me in a hug. “Your powers would have saved you even if I didn’t. You only think I’m important because I was the one to find you.”

“That’s not it,” I said. But he was already pulling away, and I could tell I should have taken this half demon’s advice and not fallen for him.

Because in the end, he was always planning to leave.

And come back when he needed me.

Perhaps he was just trying to be nice about it.

“Fine,” I said, turning away from him with folded arms. “Do what you need to do, then.”

He turned to go. “I’ll be back, but try not to think about me too much. It would be best if you moved on and considered me just one of many friends.”

I stayed silent, too angry about the one-sidedness of the situation to talk anymore.

It didn’t matter what I said. He was leaving.

And it hurt since he’d been on my side all along.

I knew he thought he was protecting me, but I also knew he was protecting himself. From having to feel again.

Because no matter what, I could tell this was hurting him too.

“I left you a letter with a map to something special that you can enjoy when I’m gone,” he said. “Orpheus has it.”

I sucked in a breath. “So you were already planning it.”

“Immediately after training,” he said. “I realized I’m getting too close. That I have no idea what I’m doing. I can’t help you the way you need.”

“You’re just afraid,” I said bitterly. “Afraid you might fall for me.”

His eyes met mine. “Afraid I already have, and it’s the worst thing that could happen to both of us.” One corner of his lips lifted ruefully. “But maybe, with some time apart, after we’ve been through so much together, we’ll both be able to focus on what matters.”

My nails bit into my palms. “Fine, just go, then. Who needs you anyway? I’m sure Simon can give me anything I want—”

Sam made an angry sound, then turned away again. “Good-bye, Cleo. I’ll be back… when I can.”

“When you’ve killed enough creatures to numb whatever you feel for me?”

He whirled on me, his face red and angry. “When I’ve become the man you need to help you achieve your destiny. When I’ve recovered my senses.”

“I think you have them now,” I said.

“I don’t,” he said, putting his hands up. “What was I thinking even getting as close as I did to you? You’re warm. You’re light personified. Your destiny is to rule over everything. But I’m cold. I was cold even before Cayne died. I was a cold fucker after my childhood and a killer for most of my adulthood. You deserve better, and despite these violent feelings inside me, I don’t think I can ever give you what you want. I’d only be in your way, Cleo.”

“You aren’t,” I said. “You’ve been… everything.”

“And now you need to be everything to the world,” he said. “And I need to leave so you can feel that you are fine without me.”

“But I want you here by my side,” I said softly, brokenly. “I can’t do it without you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he said. “You can, Cleo. Just believe in yourself like I always have, from the moment I met you, and you can.”

I stood there, heart slamming into my chest, wondering what I could say, what I could do to change this.

Then I realized there was nothing. He was right. I had to stop relying on him.

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