Page 18 of Warlander Grizzly

“Oh come on. You’re a grizzly shifter. You would survive a crash.”

“Would you?” he asked.

Her eyes tightened, and she stared out the window. “I don’t know.” Truth. Truth rang through her voice.

Huh. Well, that answered a question he’d been harboring. If she had any access to her animal, that answer would’ve been different.

“What else do you think is funny?” he asked, changing the subject.

“I think it’s funny that you’re such a mess.”

Landon clenched his teeth. “I recognize this,” he said of the steel tone of her insult. “I do it too.”

“Do what?”

“Throw daggers if anyone gets too close.”

“I think it’s funny how dumb you are.”

He pursed his lips and grew silent, became focused on driving.

After a few minutes of heavy silence, she said, “I think it’s funny you like women who don’t like you. I think it’s funny that you’re the only one of your brothers who stayed stuck here. I think it’s funny that you think you know anything about me.”

“I don’t hear the heartbeat.” He shouldn’t have said it. The words had just slipped out because he believed her insults and he hated it.

Lucia sat staring at him for a full minute before she softly said, “Pull over.”

“Why?”

“Because I want out.”

“I can drive you ba—”

“Pull. Over!” she roared.

Fuck. Landon stifled the snarl in his chest and pulled the truck to a stop. Lucia was out like a shot, and he winced his eyes closed at how hard she slammed the door.

She stumbled into the woods, but didn’t make it far before she doubled over and pitched onto her hands and knees. She hadn’t even made it out of the halo of light from his headlights.

She curled in on herself, arms thrown around her stomach as she screamed.

Something inside of Landon’s chest felt like a knife was digging into it. He didn’t recognize this feeling. He hated it.

Knowing she was going to tear him apart, he pushed open his door, left it open, and strode for her.

She sat there with her back to him as a sob escaped her. “Does everyone know?” she asked brokenly.

The knife blade slid deeper into him.

Landon knelt. “No.”

“I don’t want anyone to know.”

Landon scooted closer, stopped just a few feet away from her. “I’m no one.”

“What?” she whispered. She turned, and he could see her profile. He could see a tear on her cheek glistening in the dim illumination of the headlights.

“You said you don’t want anyone to know. Well, okay. I’m not anyone. I won’t tell anyone either.”