Page 130 of Stags

His lips parted. He scrubbed at his jaw. “You tease me, Eiren—”

“That’s bullshit,” she said. “You can’t be like, ‘I can’t control myself around you,’ as an excuse for everything.”

“You like it,” he countered. “You like me out of control and you try to get me that way because it turns you on.”

She bowed her head, unable to really argue that this wasn’t true, because it was. But that was part of why this thing with them, the entire dynamic, it was weird and possibly toxic.

“So, let’s go on a date, then,” he said. “You want me to take you into wolfkin society, to some restaurant where they serve steak? Sure, fine, I’m happy to do that. When do you want to go?”

“And you’re going to introduce me to your family?”

“That’s not about you, that’s about them,” he said. “You really think that I’m, like, ashamed of you?”

She shook her head. “No, I didn’t mean… I just don’t get why you would say it. Why would you say we should move in together?”

“We should. Move in with me, Eiren.”

“And, ofcourse, you assume I would move in toyourhouse.”

“I own a house, and you live in a crappy apartment,” he said.

“You don’t want me here.”

“I do,” he said.

She shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”

“You think I’m lying to you?”

“I think you’re convincing yourself of it for some reason, but I don’t know why. Is it because of me?”

“You want it.”

“No, I—”

“You taunt me with it. You are constantlybeggingfor it.”

“Taunt you with what? What are you talking about?”

“I mean, why else are we always doing these… things?” He glared at her, his voice dropping to a growl. “Why else are we always going to these clubs or these bars or whatever? Why else are—”

“You wanted to come to those things, but you never had to,” she said. “Those things are notaboutyou.”

He was quiet. “You like it when I chase you, though.”

“I mean, it’s our thing,” she said.

“What? Because I’m a wolf and you’re a deer. And you think it’s about how I want to hunt you and kill you?Isthat what you think?”

She sighed.

“You know I’d never hurt you.”

She laughed. “I don’t know that, and you don’t know that either. And we pretend it’s something different than what it is—”

“You want it, and I’m giving it to you, and you’re—”

“You don’t want us to move in together!” she cried. “You’re just suggesting it because you think if you trap me under your roof, I’ll stop wandering out where you can’t keep your eye on me.”

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