Page 318 of Primal Bonds

She shook her head but allowed him to pull her into his arms. Above, the wind whistled over the dunes, but here in the cozy hollow, they were snug and warm.

He nuzzled her hair. “It wouldn’t work anyway. You know that, don’t you?”

“Don’t,” she whispered, tears burning her throat. “Just don’t. Please?”

He nodded and nudged her chin up so he could rub his lips over hers. They fell asleep like that, mouths still touching.

The first rays of dawn had pushed through the trees when Adric brushed Rosana’s hair back from her face. “Time to go.”

The two of them crept back to the B&B and peered through the fence. The parking lot was empty except for two cars—theirs, and a white truck that she assumed belonged to Mark. The human couple must’ve checked out.

Adric motioned for her to remain hidden behind the fence. “Wait here until I pull out of the parking lot. Just in case.”

When she nodded, he slipped into the parking lot and strolled up to the Mazda. A press of the keyless remote, and the doors unlocked. He drove it a few yards up the street and then waited as she slid into the passenger seat.

The streets of Lewes were nearly empty, the houses still dark. Streetlights glowed against the slowly brightening sky as they pulled onto the highway.

Adric slanted her a look. “You hungry? We could stop somewhere.”

She shook her head. “I’ll eat when I get home.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

They drove back to Maryland in silence. Rosana stared out the window, dully aware she’d failed.

So this was how it ended. One night was all they’d ever have.

In a few weeks—or maybe even a few days—Adric would leave for Virginia and the New Moon Court, and be captured by the night fae. Maybe he wouldn’t die—maybe he’d somehow avoid that slashing knife. Like he’d said, that was just one possible future.

But even if he survived, what would become of the two of them?

It wouldn’t work anyway. You know that, don’t you?

They were almost at the rest area where she’d left the car when something in her snapped.

No.

She was not going to lose Adric because she was too afraid to speak up. If he didn’t want her, he could tell her straight out.

She turned in the seat to face him. “Why wouldn’t it work?”

“Rosana,” he said in a hard, don’t-question-me voice. “Don’t do this.”

“But it meant something. You felt it. I know you did.” He’d touched her with such tenderness. Held her all night in the park. “You…thanked me for caring.”

“And I meant it. But you and me?” He shook his head.

Her breath felt heavy in her lungs, as if she were trying to breathe underwater. Adric started to say something else and she threw up a staying hand.

“It’s all right. Really. I get it. You don’t want me that bad.”

“Fuck.” He swerved to the side of the highway and stomped on the brakes, throwing them both forward against their seatbelts.

A car zoomed past, horn blaring.

Rosana looked at the arm Adric had flung across her chest. “What the—?”

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