Abruptly, she wondered how he’d dealt with his sister’s loss. Then she wondered why she cared. She couldn’t afford to care about anything, anyone else but Dani. And keeping her safe trumped what anyone else wanted, including herself. Especially herself.
Yet that knowledge didn’t make it any easier to do what she had to do—try and make him hate her enough to leave.
“Why? Why do you care? You never even wanted kids. Why do you suddenly want one now?” With fresh blood humming through her veins and giving her strength, she faced him, well aware how intimidating she could look in her full vampire glory.
But he was a shape-shifter—vampires didn’t threaten him. Never taking his gaze from her face, his eyes had gone cold and flat. “That was in the past. What I wanted then has nothing to do with any of this. Dani was conceived and born. I would have given my wolf to be there for that. No matter.”
“No matter?” She could scarcely believe his words.
“Make no mistake. I don’t like what you did and I may never forgive you for that. But Dani is all that matters now. She’s just as much mine as yours. I want to see her, get to know her. You’ve already deprived me of two entire years of her life.”
Pain made her temples ache and her throat tight. He was right, but she’d had no choice. She still had no choice. There were no words to answer him. She slowed her frantic pace. No matter that he was right, this was out of her hands. She had to protect her baby. No matter the cost to either of them.
His sensual mouth twisted. “Answer my question. Where is she?”
She hadn’t answered, nor would she, as long as she could stall him. She knew deep down in her bones that if he saw Dani, he’d take one look at her tiny, perfect face, and he’d never leave. Once, Beck had staked a claim on her. The idea that he wanted to make a claim on her little girl terrified her. Both because of what she knew and something else, a tiny, selfish part of herself that she didn’t much like.
Inhaling, she tried to get her second wind. “What gives you the right to know anything about me or mine? Despite our mistake three years ago, we’re actually strangers, with only Juliet in common.”
“Mistake?” For the space of a second he dipped his chin, the movement slight and barely noticeable, but enough to tell her how much her words hurt him.
“I—”
His lip curled. “What gives me the right? That you can ask such a question tells me my sister didn’t know you as well as she thought.”
She felt his words like a knife.
“Don’t,” she said. “You know nothing about me—”
“I’ve lost my sister. She was all I had left in the world. Yes, you were her best friend. And maybe what happened between us never should have happened. But it did, and we made a child together.”
Again she tried to speak, knowing he was right, but also aware she had to try. The words wouldn’t come.
“I have the right to know her,” he continued. “She’s my blood as much as yours, my family, my child, too.” His voice broke, but the accusation in his eyes cut her like shards of broken, lethal glass.
Head aching, she tried to think. His child. Their child. Dani.
Taking a deep breath, she wondered if she’d be able to convince him or if she was simply wasting her breath. Finally, she shook her head, sending her long hair flying. She had no choice but to continue to try. Especially taking into account the High Vampire Priestess’s warning.
Bravely, she lifted her chin. “All I’m asking for is the chance to raise my daughter in peace.”
“Raise your—She’s mine, too, Marika. Mine. It’s bad enough you didn’t think I had the right to know when she was born.”
“For her own safety.” The words exploded from her. “I couldn’t tell you. I’ve been warned. They’ve been after me from the beginning.”
He went utterly still. Finally, he was listening. “You keep alluding to her safety. If you’re telling the truth, tell me this. Who’s been after you?”
“I don’t know.” Even to herself, her admission sounded weak, contrived. Still, he was a Protector, sworn to protect his own kind. She couldn’t tell him what he wanted to know without risk. And if she did, she was certain he would think she was lying.
“Come on.” His gaze raked her face. “You’re looking for excuses.”
Lifting her chin, she let him read the despair in her face. “Beck, I can’t prove anything to you. Take my word for it. Dani’s in danger. I keep her hidden to protect her. I want her safe.”
“You know what? I honestly do believe you.” Dragging a hand across his eyes, his voice roughened. “I don’t know why, but if you think she’s truly in danger, then she is. Hellhounds. Let me help you.”
Stunned, she could only stare. She’d done nothing to earn his trust and everything to make him brand her a liar. Once she would have killed to have him say those words to her. Now, he represented both the past she tried so hard to forget, and danger.
“How you must hate me.” Eyes tearing, Marika turned away so he wouldn’t see.
“Look at me,” he ordered.
Slowly, she turned, wiping at her eyes. Her breath caught as she did as he asked. Even now, she found him beautiful. With his shaggy black hair and intricate tattoos, he looked edgy and more like a vampire than she.
Leaning forward, he spoke earnestly. “Marika, I’ve never blamed you for what happened. I blamed myself. I loved my sister. For the rest of my life, I’ll have to deal with the fact that I wasn’t there when she needed me. I failed to protect her.”
“Because you were with me.”
He dipped his chin, acknowledging the truth of her words, and the lie. “We both know it was wrong, but there was no way we could have predicted what happened.”
“Juliet paid the ultimate price.” With nothing left to give him but the truth, she kept her voice steady. “Dani resulted from that night. Life from death. I would have thought you would hate her.”
“Do you?” His hard voice made her flinch. “Do you hate her?”
She frowned. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I don’t hate my daughter. What happened to Juliet wasn’t Dani’s fault, it was mine—ours. Dani was the only thing that kept me sane.”
“There.” He pounced on her words. “Don’t you see? I’ve fought my own battles with grief, with guilt over what happened. I would have welcomed Dani, loved her, let her save me, too, if you’d given me the chance.”
She refused to allow him to make her feel any guiltier than she already felt. He didn’t know what she knew. “I told you, I couldn’t. I was telling the truth earlier. She’s in danger. I couldn’t let anyone find out about her. Not my own people and certainly not yours.” She clamped her lips together in a straight line.
“Why certainly not mine?”
“For her own safety. And, Beck, I didn’t do what I did out of malice. I honestly didn’t know how you would feel about her, and worse, I couldn’t take the chance of trying to find out. Surely you can understand that.”
“No, I can’t.” His eyes narrowed. “Tell me what happened. That night, after we found Juliet …”
“I waited for you. When you didn’t return, I drove to Addie’s bar. The police were already there. When I learned what had happened, I knew. I searched for you, but couldn’t find you anywhere. Then I looked for Addie, but she’d disappeared, too. Someone told me you’d both gone to talk to the police.” She put her hand to her mouth, wondering if the pain and grief would