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even yesterday in the woods. All her thoughts had been on him, on what he’d told her, on how hurt he was when she didn’t immediately respond with the same.
    But she could be free, right now. Get out. Escape.
    Did she want to? She…didn’t.
    Fuck, she didn’t. She wanted to stay in this bed with his arm around her, surrounded by his scent and his warmth.
    But that was ridiculous. Even if she wasn’t going to hunt anymore – and that she could never do again, not like she had – she couldn’t stay here. It was too much. True mates and how important he’d become in her life in such a short amount of time, all of it was messing with her mind. She needed space to think, plans to make.
    What about Bethie? What was she going to do about Bethie?
    Steel wasn’t going to let her go, and she needed to make her own decisions on what life held for her know.
    Years of training served her well. She crept out of the house without waking the wolf.
    She headed west, where the sounds of cars had been in the distance when they were out yesterday. She didn’t know how long it would take, but she’d find something eventually.
    Clearing one path, she did.
    She found a very angry wolf waiting for her.
    *
    The chains were familiar now, but the dark, haunted, angry look in Steel’s eyes was not. The wolf prowled around the bed, hands clenching and unclenching as he paced the floor, an animal caged.
    She remained silent, unsure how to defend herself. In some ways, there was no defense. She was a prisoner. She tried to escape. She’d been recaptured. Simple, really.
    In other ways, an ocean of words needed to be said, on how she could learn she was his true mate and make love with him and run afterwards. But she had to begin somehow. “You can’t blame me.”
    “That says everything, doesn’t it?” He didn’t stop the pacing; if anything, he moved faster.
    “No, it doesn’t, but it’s a start. You treat me like a prisoner,” she continued, clanging the chains around her wrist, “but get pissed when I act like one? You call me your true mate but don’t allow me my freedom? You really need to figure out what it is you want.”
    He pushed his fingers through his black hair, ruffling it and making her want to run her own fingers over and smooth it. Damn hormones. “Most times, people let others know that they’re leaving.”
    “Would that have worked? Me asking to go? Because that’s news to me .”
    “I want…” His mouth opened and closed, and he was such a small, lost boy in that second that her heart broke for him. His voice was small when he continued. “I thought you loved me, like I love you. I thought that’s what yesterday was about. Both of us finding each other.”
    And now her heart broke again, and she wished like hell that reality had indeed been that. “How the hell do I know what I am? How do I know anything I think or feel right now is real? You’re being unfair, Steel. You’re being unfair to me, not giving me space and not letting me decide. Do you want me to be your prisoner forever, and parrot to you what you want to hear?”
    And before he could answer, a loud, resonating knock sounded from the front door.

Chapter Ten
    ‡
    P hilip Harris was older now, gray in his thinning hair and mustache, a limping walk that spoke of bad knees and hips, but to Steel’s eyes he was still the tall, strong man who showed no fear to either his father or Iron’s when he heard his daughter Melissa’s tale about werewolves. From that moment on, the three men had been his advisors and coaches on how to be a man and the three men he respected most in this world. Even now, though he was alpha himself, when Philip Harris called Steel answered, and when Philip strode into the diner where they always met to talk, Steel rose in respect.
    “Tell me what’s happening, son,” Philip began as they sat, in that kind tone no wolf could seem to match. Wolves were always aware of pack status and could never quite let down