Page 59 of Midnight Hunt

Twisting the handle, I opened the door and stepped inside. As I did, he looked up from washing his hair, and our eyes met. All the words he’d spoken downstairs suddenly came rushing back at me, and I almost looked away. Pursing my lips, I pushed past my cowardice and moved to hop onto the counter. He silently watched me, continuing to rinse the shampoo from his blond hair. We’d been in this position countless times over the years, casually chatting while one of us took a shower or bath.

It had never been awkward before. Until now.

And I hated it. Hated that I was the reason. Me and my stupid baggage.

“How long have you felt this way?” I asked him before I could chicken out. “About . . . about me.”

“A long time. Way before your betrothal to Arrow,” he replied. “I was devastated when your parents made the announcement, but what could I do? You were only fifteen, and I couldn’t offer you what Arrow could. My feelings didn’t matter.”

“Of course they matter,” I protested, hating that he’d endured these feelings alone all these years, even while I’d dated Reid. No wonder he hadn’t wanted me to move in with him. “Is that why you scared off all the guys I tried to date in high school?”

Griff cracked a small smile. “Yes, but also because they were dicks. None of them deserved you.”

I opened my mouth, then thought better of it and quietly said, “What about Reid? Didhedeserve me?”

Griff searched my face through the glass before replying, “Not if you didn’t want to be with him.”

Hmm. Guess I couldn’t argue with that one.

Tilting my head, I decided to ask, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I didn’t think you were ready to hear it. I tried to at the Alpha Meeting last year, but before I could get the words out, you ended things between us.”

I froze, dredging up the painful memory to replay it in my mind. His brother, Mason, had just finished calling him my little heat whore, and I’d quickly stepped in before Griff could punch him. Recalling how furious Griff had been, I replied, “After I saw how upset you were by what Mace said, I thoughtyouwere going to end things between us. I thought . . . I thought you were embarrassed to be with me, so I decided to let you go so you wouldn’t have to. So you could finally be free to pursue your own mate.”

Crap. I hadn’t meant to tell him all that. I immediately felt naked, even with the fluffy robe on.

As his expression fell, I wanted nothing more than to scurry away with my tail between my legs. Pitiful. I waspitiful.

Before I could, though, he said in a hoarse voice, “Did you ever think, just once, that Iwaspursuing my mate?”

My breath caught.

He lowered his arms, his hands forming fists at his sides as he continued, “It bothered me every time your heat was mentioned because I didn’t want anyone to think I was with you only for the sex. I didn’t wantyouto think that. I’ve always wanted us to become more. But months turned into years and that never happened.”

“I didn’t . . . I-I didn’t think you wanted more,” I whispered, so quietly that I doubted he could hear it over the rushing water.

But he did, staring at me with such deep intensity that I shivered. “Well, Idowant more. I want it so badly that I can barely think straight most days. I’m envisioning all the ways I want more with you right now, current danger be damned.”

Good God, I didn’t know how to handle this side of Griff. I could get lost in it so easily. Even more terrifying, Iwantedto get lost in it. I wanted tosubmitto it. Not as an omega would, but as an alpha female would to her mate because . . . because she feltsafe.

And that was dangerous. So very dangerous.

I’d never been one to hide from danger, but that’s all I seemed to be doing lately. I realized how cruel it was to leave Griff hanging again, but I’d rather face thehuntersthan continue down this nerve-racking path a second longer.

I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready for this all to blow up in my face.

“We should go,” I abruptly said, jumping off the counter. “If we don’t leave soon, the hunters could catch up to us.”

As I hurried toward the door, Griff stopped me with one word. “Stay.”

I froze, quietly cursing under my breath. “Griff, I—”

“Stay, Vi. Stay and let me prove just how much I want more with you. Please. We can leave right after.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, barely able to stand under the weight of his words. After all that he’d done for me, after all that he’dsaid, how could I possibly deny him? I’d almost lost him in that plane crash, and it made me realize even more how much I needed him in my life. The thought of rejecting him now when he was being so vulnerable with me was more than I could bear.

I could feel Sable urging me to stay, could sense how much she wanted this for me. What’s more, my body felt the same way, all but chanting,Stay, stay, stay.

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