Hell, it went past attraction.
But humans and shifters, it wasn’t done. It was against federal law, in fact, not to mention every human or shifter societal norm. Not that he cared about norms, or laws for that matter.
He wasn’t good at relating to people, but every time he was in her presence ... he wanted to try. Really, he just wanted her.
She sneezed again.
“Come sit down. I have stew and some bread and butter.” He glanced at her. “You need to eat something hot. The storm will have let up by tomorrow morning and we can hit the trail again.”
She had less than twenty-four hours to kick the sickness trying to take hold in her body. Mac could sense a person’s physical well-being and, while it was true she just had a cold, trudging through the snow could turn it into something much worse.
“Thanks.” She settled into one of the set places at the table. He served a bowl and she dug in with the kind of appetite that Mac liked to see.
“The scars.” He glanced at her. “On your thigh and stomach.” He’d seen them when he had taken off her wet clothes. Long, wide slashes.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She paused, softened. “If you don’t mind.”
He took a bite of bread.
“It’s, uh—” She swallowed hard.
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“No, it’s OK. I was married once and. . .he wasn’t very nice.”
“Oh.” It came out a low wolf’s growl. The bite of bread in his stomach turned to rock. Knowing someone had hurt her made his wolf hackles rise.
His father had been an abuser too. It was why, long ago, Mac had vowed he’d never hurt anyone else unless it was in self-defence or in defence of another. The Elgonquinn Mountain alpha had worried about Mac for a while, knowing he was strong enough to challenge his alpha position, but Mac didn’t want it and wouldn’t fight unless provoked first. Now the pack just left him alone.
“I was pregnant when he gave me the little love tokens you saw on my leg and stomach. I lost it.” She paused. “The baby, I mean. It was a long time ago.”
She couldn’t have children any more, either. Mac could feel it. The bastard had really messed her up inside.
Lily stared at her stew for a long moment, then got up and paced to the window, wrapping her arms across her chest. “Looks like it’s letting up a little.”
“We won’t lose the boy.”
Her shoulders grew a degree tighter. “I hope not.”
“He’s not your baby.”
She turned, dropping her hands to her sides and taking a step towards him. “How did you know to say that? How could you know that’s what I was thinking?” Swift intake of breath. “I thought your telepathy only worked among shifters.”
“It does, but that doesn’t mean I’m not observant. You’ve committed your entire life to helping people, wildlife, the world, but especially children - shifter and human alike. After what you just told me about your miscarriage, it wasn’t hard to make the jump.”
She turned her face away. “It’s dumb.”
“It’s human.”
Her whole countenance darkened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Damn it. He wasn’t good at this. “I mean it’s not dumb. It’s a reaction to a disturbing event in your life. It might be irrational, but it’s not dumb.”
Lily studied him, licking her lower lip and then pulling it from under her upper teeth. It was a habitual gesture she displayed when she was deep in thought.
Mac had to look away, otherwise he’d get up and kiss her.
“How did you end up so emotionally intelligent?” she asked.