Page 92 of Noah

All Noah’s guilty looks, and the way he would intentionally not mention anything to do with her leaving.

“I don’t feel anything. I let Myers draw his own conclusions and the team searching for answers won’t find any because there was never any reaction. I just wanted her to stay here.”

Drey sucked in a quick breath and Adrienne with a sinking feeling in her stomach understood why Noah hadn’t mentioned her leaving, because he had made it so she couldn’t. In effect making her a prisoner, while she felt terrible, he was a prisoner again.

Everything between them was a lie.

He wanted her so he lied to make it happen.

Now he had what he wanted; did he expect her to live in his home until he found his true mate? Like a human bed warmer.

She rubbed a hand over her eyes, seeing how shaky it was, and her eyes so misty with tears she could only see brown, cream, and green blending together into a watery blurred picture.

“Noah,” groaned Drey. “You have had everyone scratching their heads worried about what happens if we end up stuck with humans who aren’t our mates. Clara was terrified I would end up with a harem.” Drey laughed dryly. “No, that’s a lie. She was ready to do murder if I got stuck with a bevy of females.”

“I’m sorry. Truly, it kept Adrienne here and that was all that mattered.”

Drey groaned.

His selfish needs. They were all that mattered, she thought in disbelief. Of course, they were.

When has Adrienne ever been good enough for anyone? Her stomach lurched as she suddenly thought that this was the reason, he didn’t want her getting too close to Mhane. He wasn’t worried about her safety. He was worried about her freedom.

Having someone, anyone from the outside world hadn’t been an issue because she had no one until Mhane.

Her dreams. God her insignificant dreams of painting had seemed so small and not worth pursuing that it hadn’t mattered if she stayed in Moon.

Adrienne was willing to throw away everything for Noah and he had…that’s why he got her art supplies!

She doubled over as it hit her that he brought her art supplies, so she never had to leave.

Adrienne’s hands hit her knees and she took deep breaths. Air wheezed out of her in a rush.

Adrienne had no idea how long she stayed bent double but eventually, she found herself on the floor with her head in her hands, staring at her knees, wondering how she could have been so naive.

Drey and Noah were long gone and whatever they said was lost to the blood rushing from her head. She had seen Drey usher Noah into his Jeep.

Probably taking him to medical to apologise for wasting their time.

And then they went back to their jobs. But what about her?

Adrienne couldn’t stay here. She couldn’t come back to him and watch him smile and lie to her.

What deep connection? She scoffed. There hadn’t been one. Only her longing to be close to someone and look how that turned out.

Tears rolled down her face as she realised, she couldn’t leave because she wasn’t with Noah. God, he had effectively trapped her, and she hadn’t even seen it. Adriene had let him have her without fighting.

Getting up, she retched again as she remembered the fleeting looks of possession. That’s all she was now, a possession.

Stumbling onto the porch with no idea how to face him, a rumble announced a Jeep approaching and her shoulders shook. She couldn’t turn around. What if it was Noah? The Jeep stopped and she closed her eyes.

Weak and her heart empty, she stumbled.

“Adrienne,” a familiar female voice asked carefully.

A sob tore free from her when she heard Mhane’s voice and in moments she was wrapped up in Mhane’s floral scent.

“What the hell happened?” Mhane hissed.