Page 52 of Wedding for My Werewolf

Her stomach churned.

“You did what?”

“I had to make sure you were safe?—”

“You investigated me? Behind my back?”

“Robin—”

“I trusted you,” she said, her voice trembling. After everything they’d shared, he’d gone digging into her past without even asking. “I told you what happened. Wasn’t that enough?”

“I was just trying to protect you.”

“By sneaking around? By checking up on me like I’m some kind of criminal?”

The flash of guilt on his face only made it worse.

“I—”

“I needed you to trust me.”

“I do trust you.”

“No, you don’t. If you did, you would have asked me first.” The hurt in her chest twisted into anger. “You would have talked to me instead of going behind my back.”

She pushed the chair back, legs scraping against the floor.

“I’m going for a walk. Alone.”

She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t bear to see the concern in his eyes that only made the betrayal sting worse. He followed her out on the porch after she grabbed her coat. He started to say something, then sighed and raised his head, nostrils flaring. After a long moment, his shoulders relaxed slightly.

“I don’t smell any danger.” He stepped aside, though she could see the tension in his jaw. “Be careful.”

She gave him a stiff nod and descended the porch steps. The frozen ground crunched beneath her feet as she headed toward the tree line. Each step put more distance between them, but did nothing to ease the ache in her chest. The icy air stole her breath, the cold a welcome distraction from the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

The forest surrounded her with silence, bare branches stretching overhead like skeletal fingers. The snow muffled her footsteps, adding to the quiet. Her breath puffed out in white clouds as she walked deeper into the woods.

How could he have done that? Even if it made sense for him to check, why hadn’t he asked her first? Because he didn’t trust her? The betrayal stung worse than the cold air against her cheeks.

A sharp crack suddenly pierced the silence, and she whirled around, her heart slamming against her ribs. A massive figurelurked beneath the trees—but it wasn’t Rick. An orc stood half-hidden behind a bush, his tusks gleaming in the filtered sunlight.

Her heart rate spiked again, but then she remembered what she’d once said to Eric about outer appearances not matching what was inside.

“Hello?” she said cautiously.

For a moment she thought the orc wasn’t going to answer her, but then he came towards her. He towered over her, his huge body making her feel small and vulnerable. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but she wasn’t that person any more.

Dark eyes studied her with an intensity that made her skin prickle. Despite his intimidating presence, she detected no malice in his gaze—only a deep, knowing look that unsettled her more than any threat could have.

“You look lost,” he rumbled, his voice as deep as thunder.

“I’m fine,” she snapped, then winced at how defensive she sounded.

A soft snort escaped him as he crossed thick arms over a broad chest.

“Doesn’t look like it. Running never fixes anything, you know.”

The words hit too close to home, and anger flared in her chest.

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