Sage couldn’t believe this guy. He’d done his best to make her feel unwelcome all night. Giving her angry stares and goddammit, she needed him to stop because she was getting nervous and aroused. This wasn’t normal.

“I’m sorry,” Feral said. “That wasn’t my intention.”

Sage blinked, unsure what to think. He’d been making assumptions about her since before he’d even met her and now he was apologizing. She nodded. “Thank you.”

* * *

After dinner, she went back to the guest room Reysha had given her and changed into the pajamas Reysha left on the bed. She was such a lovely host. It was easy to see where Ramsey got her dark hair and golden eyes. Both Reysha and Feral had the same look. Unlike Reysha’s soft, happy features, Feral’s harsh, dominating look got immediate attention.

He was really good looking. Not in a regular boy-next-door type of way. More like when you saw an animal out in the wild. You could admire its beauty, but if you got too close, you were likely going to end up eaten.

Her thoughts drifted back to walking to Ramsey’s bedroom to say goodnight, to catch Feral playing tea party in her fort with her. He, big, bad, angry shifter, was playing with a tiny girl and being amazingly sweet. She’d had a hard time staying angry with him at that point. He was protective of Ramsey, that much was clear. No fault in that.

It was his rush to assume she was the bad guy and not give her a chance to explain that bothered her, but he was a protector. Why did her stupid brain insist on explaining his actions and trying to excuse what he’d done? He’d been wrong. No excuse.

It didn’t matter that he was overprotective. Okay, it did matter. Reysha explained the issues with the other pride and why he’d assumed the worst right away. This man was too complicated for her. Why was she even thinking about him in any emotional way? Fuck.

The fact was she’d found him physically attractive, yes. She’d felt a strange electric shock go through her when he first met her gaze.

But none of that meant she was thinking of getting involved with him. Nope. She wasn’t. For all she knew, he was married or mated or a manwhore. Disgust filled her. There was no way she could like a man that got around.

She lay in bed for over an hour unable to fall asleep, no matter what position she got into. Slamming her hands on the covers, she growled and sat up, pushing her loose hair away from her face. She was never going to fall asleep this wound up.

What the hell was there to do when everyone was asleep? Her attention went to the balcony.

Well, now that was something. She could open the door and sit there for a little bit. It was cold out. She knew it was. She’d felt the temperature drop in the van when she’d been in a towel and then when they took her into the house. But fuck it. She slipped on the jacket Reysha had given her earlier to wear for her return home and walked to the door of the balcony.

Sitting outside did sound appealing. Even if it was cold. At least she could get some air. Or heck, she could walk circles along the wraparound balcony on the cabin. Not like she was going anywhere.

The door slid open silently. Quickly glancing both ways, she padded to the left and glanced at the forest.

It must be amazing living out in nature. She had always lived in Full Moon Bay. Even when she’d lived with that one boyfriend for a few years before breaking things off, she’d never moved out of the area.

When her ex had decided he wasn’t moving out, she could have found a new place and left, but she chose to move back in with her mother instead.

The police told her she’d have to take him to court since his name was on the rental lease as well as hers. She spoke to the owner, paid a fee, got her name off the paperwork and left her ex to deal with the outcome. Including all the utilities she’d shut off.

She strolled the wraparound porch in a giant circle. The cabin was truly magnificent. It was massive. Hawk and his family had built it themselves. She could tell he loved Reysha. They had that obvious pull between them that Zuri and Savage had.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

She jumped, her heart thudding in her chest a million miles an hour. Feral. She glanced around but didn’t see him on the porch.

“Down here,” he said from the darkness of the forest.

“Are you out of your mind? How can you see down there?” She blinked at the steps, taking them slowly down until a hand appeared in front of her face.

“Here, let me help you,” he offered.

She gulped and grabbed his hand. An electric zing passed between them. She met his golden gaze, hoping he hadn’t noticed, but it was obvious he had. At the bottom of the steps, he continued holding her hand and walking toward the forest.

“Where are we going?” she asked nervously from the strange energy coursing through her. There was no doubt he was attractive in his wild ways, but Sage wasn’t the type of woman who got involved with dangerous men. Just walking alone with him felt erotic.

“Just a walk. You look like you need it,” he said with a low voice that made her wish she had more clothes on. She felt exposed and it scared her a little.

She didn’t debate with him. A walk was exactly what she needed to help her energy calm down. The crazy bouncing her hormones were doing was new and she wasn’t sure how to stop it. Hand in hand, they walked down a stone walkway.

“You are very protective of Ramsey, I noticed.”

“She’s an innocent. Reysha thinks I can be ruthless,” he shrugged, “but I like to protect my people. Especially the children.”

No blaming him for that. Just the thought of someone hurting little Ramsey made her see red. She could understand his reaction, but it still didn’t sit well that he did it to her. Not that he knew her from anyone so that also added to his treatment.

He’s a shifter. Wild. Unpredictable. They don’t deal with people like humans would.

Perhaps. Okay, yes. That was true. But she refused to let that change her mind. He wasn’t the type of man she needed in her life anyway.