The elevator dinged as the doors opened, and I waved her forward.
As the doors closed, I moved closer to her. “You’re not feeling dizzy, are you? I don’t want you passing out on me.” I used that excuse to touch her shoulder. At first, I saw the same Tessa that I was used to, but then I felt the edge of magic pressing against my hand.
I didn’t have much knowledge about magic—that was Tessa’s domain—but I’d lived in her head. I knew how it worked. I knew how she worked. She always said it was the intent and belief that made her magic work. A lot of her magic worked in the same way that being alpha worked. It was power, and that was something I had.
I pushed my power at her, and there was a pop and stinging prick against my hand. Almost like someone had flicked a rubber band against it. I didn’t flinch, even when my wolf told me to pull away, that danger was ahead.
But when the stinging faded, I saw something very, very different.
This time, what I saw terrified me, and worse, I breathed in, and the scent of her scared me even more.
She was saying something, but I didn’t hear her. I couldn’t possibly hear her over the hard pounding of my heart, and the hollow echo of air whistling out of my lungs.
“Did you hear me?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m sorry.”
She looked concerned for me, which was ridiculous. She was the one in danger.
“You don’t have to worry. I won’t pass out. I’ve already hit my quota. You can let go of me.” She laughed like it was nothing. Like her passing out would’ve been no big deal, but it was. Her cheeks were redder than they had been a minute before, and I knew I was making her uncomfortable.
But what I saw under that magic wasn’t nothing.
“I’m sorry.” I dropped my hand, shoving both of them into my pockets to hide the shaking. “You just looked a little pale.”
She winced, and I knew I’d fucked up. I’d made her even more uncomfortable. I needed to fix that, but I couldn’t come up with anything.
My skin felt cold with fear and panic and dread, and it took everything in me not to take her back up to my apartment and tie her up until we figured out how to break the magic.
What I’d seen scared me, but the scent that came from her told me something much more terrifying.
I didn’t have time to win her back because I was too late.
I was too fucking late.
My heart was breaking, and I had to hide it, but all I could hear was ringing in my ears from the fear and knowledge that after everything, I might just be too late to save her.
“—just never enough.” She was talking, and I was trying my best to keep my fear and horror off of my face. “I keep losing weight, but…you know what.” She looked away from me. “You don’t know me, and you most definitely don’t want to know all of this. Sorry.”
No. I absolutely wanted to know every bit of this. “Why don’t I cook you dinner? Tonight. Come over.” Please. Let me feed you. Like now. Come over now. You don’t need to go anywhere. You don’t need anything except to live.
But saying that would scare her away.
She’d be okay until tonight. Maybe. God. I needed the Wayfarers to follow her. To watch in case she collapsed. I’d call the Wayfarer on duty and make sure they kept a close eye on her. They had to be there if something happened. They had to call me if something happened.
And while she was gone, I needed to make some calls. I needed answers, and I’d get them by dinnertime. “I’m serious. I’m a good cook. You won’t leave hungry.”
“Don’t be so sure,” she said it so quietly just as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.
I wouldn’t have heard her if I wasn’t a werewolf.
But I pretended like I didn’t. “Was that a yes?” I asked her as I followed her into the underground parking garage.
“No!” She took a step away from me. “Sorry. I mean, no. I can’t come for dinner.”
What? She was turning me down?
No. She couldn’t. I wasn’t taking no.