Page 6 of Starting a New Life

“Doing what again?” I furrowed my brow as I watched Levi cross his arms in front of his chest.

“Me rambling away because I’m afraid to directly ask the tough questions you’ve been masterfully evading for weeks.”

Oh.

That.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked down at the cup in my hands. I carefully took a sip, revelling in the way the hot liquid burned my tongue. Fuck, yeah. It was too hot to drink, but so good when every part of my body felt chilled to the bone.

“Nix,” Levi said, exasperation in his voice. “I’m worried about you, okay? Really fucking worried. And I’ve tried not to pry, but… you’re vanishing right in front of me, and I can’t take it anymore.”

“Okay?” A lead weight settled in my stomach. This was it. I had no idea what exactly it was, but my instincts told me it wasn’t good.

Did he know?

About me being a mage? About him being a mage?

No. I was certain he had no idea about the magic within him. But maybe someone in the pack had figured it out. Surely there was someone who’d scented a mage before. Someone who knew how to interpret our scent, to recognize the smell of an upcoming storm for what it was…

“Are you homeless?”

My thoughts came to a screeching halt.

“What?” I’d gone for shouting in surprise, but what actually came out was a hoarse whisper.

“Are you homeless?”

“I… I…” I took another sip of hot chocolate, trying to buy myself some time to get my thoughts sorted. Was I homeless? I guess… I guess one could say so. Wow. I swallowed. There was something stuck in my throat, but I couldn’t get it to go away. Homeless. I’d never thought about it like that. “I’m not… not homeless?”

I was on the run.

Was one considered homeless if they were on the run?

I’d had an apartment before, but it was gone now, together with all my worldly possessions. Torched to the ground just days after my coven had betrayed me.

Levi let out a long breath, then nodded, though more to himself than to me. “Okay, yeah. That’s good… no, it’s not good. But thank you for telling me. Uhm… wow, I was not prepared for you to just admit it.” He chuckled and gave me a half smile. “I had this whole speech prepared to convince you that you could trust me and tell me what’s going on, so now my whole script’s kind of gone out the window, not that you actually told me what’s going on…”

And I wouldn’t.

It was too dangerous—for everyone.

For me, and for him.

If push came to shove, I could run again. He couldn’t. Levi had a mate, a shifter mate. He was bound to the pack. If they turned out to be just as bad as the wolves hunting me, he’d end up with a collar around his neck in no time. He wouldn’t be able to fight because he didn’t know how to.

Hell, he didn’t even know why he would have to.

And whose fault is that? asked the small voice in my head.

Guilt crashed into me again, stealing the air from my lungs.

“I can’t,” I whispered. “Please believe me. I would if I could, but I’d… I’d put you in danger.”

Levi nodded, placing his hand on my forearm and squeezing lightly. I felt his magic reaching out, trying to latch onto me, but I hastily put my barriers in place, blocking him from being able to detect me.

I couldn’t risk it.

If his magic reached mine, he’d know. He’d feel it.