me to see Danr emerge from the trees, his expression still as furious as before.
‘You tricked me.’ He stopped on the other side of the fire pit, levelling an accusatory glare at her.
‘Yes.’ She didn’t try to deny it this time.
‘You tricked me so that you could go against my wishes. Despite everything I said!’
‘Yes.’ She took a step forward. ‘It reminded you of her, didn’t it? The woman who seduced you?’
His lip curled. ‘I never thought I’d say this about you, but, yes, it reminded me of her.’
‘Then I’m sorry, but it was the opposite really. I was trying to help, not hurt you.’
‘And what if something had happened to you? Don’t you think that would have hurt me?’
‘I...’ She hesitated. ‘I didn’t think of it like that.’
‘No, because you’re determined to do everything on your own, aren’t you, Sissa? To live on your own, act on your own...’
‘What if I am? I make my own decisions!’ She could feel her own temper starting to rise. ‘You’re not my mate! You’ve no right to tell me what I can and can’t do.’
‘I do when the matter concerns me!’
‘Not necessarily. I let you stay on condition that you followed my rules, remember?’
‘Well, maybe it’s time for things to change.’
‘I decide if things change.’ She clenched her fists.
‘No, trust works both ways, Sissa, and you just betrayed mine.’
‘Only because I was trying to protect you. I didn’t want you to fight!’
‘Sometimes it’s the only way.’
‘But I didn’t want you to be hurt. I didn’t want to—’
‘What?’ His gaze sharpened as she bit her lip. ‘You didn’t want to what?’
‘Nothing.’ She turned her face away. ‘And aren’t you ever going to ask me what I found out about the pendants?’
‘You found something out?’ He tensed immediately.
‘Yes. I did.’
‘What?’
‘Maybe I don’t want to tell you.’ She folded her arms pointedly across her chest. ‘Especially if you’re determined to keep shouting at me.’
‘I’m not shouting.’
‘It sounds like shouting.’
‘Everything sounds like shouting to a woman who hasn’t spoken in five years!’
‘It’s still shouting!’
‘Fine.’ A muscle clenched in his jaw. ‘Then I apologise for shouting.’