Picking herself up from the floor, Naomi squared her shoulders, feeling a new sense of purpose and determination. It was tough to admit that her stubbornness might have just driven a wedge between her and Sawyer, but she knew a connection like theirs didn’t just go away.

I can make this right. We can make this right.

Running over to the living room window, she peered outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sawyer, but he was already out of sight, and she had no idea where he might have gone.

The city sprawled out in front of her as she sat down on the windowsill, conjuring up the image of her hometown, and the modest two-story house she had called a home. She would carry memories of that time, of her family still intact, with her always.

But it had taken some harsh words from Sawyer to make her realize that while she would and should cherish those memories, she couldn’t let the past control her life. If she did, that would mean Verin had won.

It would mean that the demon had more power over her life than she did. It would give that monster’s actions that night far-reaching influence over her choices, and that was something she just couldn’t let happen.

Not now, when she could imagine a future with Sawyer so clearly, she could almost reach out and touch it.

Naomi knew that scared young girl from that fateful night still lived inside her. And that part of her was stuck on revenge and fear, yearning for redemption, wishing for a confrontation with Verin where she came out on top.

But Naomi was a grown woman now, and it was time to put those fantasies aside. Especially when not doing so jeopardized the relationship between her and the only man that had reached her very soul.

Soul mates…

She rolled the words around in her head, well aware that for shifters, the concept was nothing unusual or extraordinary. For them, it was just how things worked. That was well and good when Naomi had thought she would never play a role in that kind of pairing.

But now that Sawyer had all but said he thought she was the one for him… Well, things had gone from abstract to concrete very fast. Yet, Naomi didn’t feel that fear that had kept her from getting serious with any of the men she had previously dated.

Instead, a powerful sense of peace took over. It was as if all she had been feeling had been justified. She wasn’t just swept up in the chemistry between her and Sawyer, or jumping into things. It was meant to be.

That was an oddly calming realization. Resting her forehead against the glass of the window, Naomi let her thoughts wander, going through the possibilities of what she would say when Sawyer returned.

Just seeing her still there would tell him a lot, but she felt it wasn’t enough. He had once said he didn’t want to play any games, and neither did Naomi. It was time to let him know how she felt, and that a future with him was more important to her than holding on to the past.

There was still a lot for them to overcome – the statue needed to be destroyed, and then there was the demon on their tail, not to even mention their personal issues. But Naomi wasn’t scared. They would work it out.

Together.

Hopping down from the windowsill, she walked around the apartment, trying to distract herself from waiting on Sawyer to get back. It had barely been twenty minutes since he had left, yet it had been enough time for her to realize what was really important.

She just hoped he didn’t come to a different conclusion than her. Naomi knew all too well how tempting it was to turn back to the comfort of shutting others out. You can’t get hurt if you never let anyone in, right?

Entrenched in her thoughts, Naomi almost jumped when the intercom buzzed. She hesitated for a moment before walking to the door, and pressing the button beside it.

“Yes?” she said into the speaker.

“I forgot my keys,” a familiar voice said, making her heart leap.

“Sawyer,” she let out a breath. “You’re back.”

“I am,” he replied evenly, giving her no clues about what could be going on in his head.

“Okay,” she muttered, holding down the button that would open the front door.

Through the speaker, she could hear a creak, and then the clank of metal once the door fell shut again. Naomi waited patiently at the door, waiting to hear the elevator ding open. If he was back so soon, that had to be a good sign.

Right?

All but bouncing on the balls of her feet, Naomi listened to the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway, with all the things she wanted to say to Sawyer swirling in her mind.

Unable to wait, she pulled the door open herself, only to come face to face with Sawyer. She smiled at him, her heart beating fast.

“I’m still here,” she announced.

“I can see that,” he replied, emotionless, and Naomi’s face fell.

Brushing past her, Sawyer stepped into the apartment, coming to a stop at the edge of the living room. He looked around, his back to her, almost as if he was searching for something.

“If you’re looking for my packed bags, you won’t find them,” Naomi offered. “I’m staying. And not because I need your help or because I want to use you against Verin. I heard what you said, Sawyer,” she added, taking a deep breath when he still wouldn’t turn around to face her. “I’m ready to move on. With you.”

The words hung in the air with no response from Sawyer, while Naomi felt her insides turn into one big knot.

“Please, say something,” she said quietly, moving closer.

When he finally turned toward her, there was a coldness in his gaze she had never seen before. Tears sprang to her eyes at the thought that maybe she had it all wrong. Maybe Sawyer had been wrong, maybe she wasn’t his mate…

And maybe he wanted nothing more to do with her.

No, a voice came from deep inside her. What we have is real. I’ve felt it.

Reaching out, she gently grabbed onto Sawyer’s forearm, hoping her touch would soften him somehow, would remind him of their connection. But when her fingers curled around his skin, she felt something… odd.

There was no spark, no skip in her heartbeat, no electricity between them. Even if Sawyer was still angry with her, that wasn’t something you could just turn off. Frowning, she studied him, the way he carried himself, the way he looked at her…

Snatching her hand back, Naomi took a step back, ice spreading through her veins when a terrible conclusion settled over her.

“You’re not Sawyer,” she said, her voice wavering.

A menacing smile spread over that familiar face, contorting Sawyer’s beautiful features in a foreign, ugly way.

“Right you are, sweet thing,” he said, winking at her.

“Verin,” Naomi ground out, taking another step back, her eyes darting all over her surroundings.

Was there something she could run to, reach for, use as a weapon? She knew there was no way she could really hurt Verin, but maybe she could buy some time until the real Sawyer came back?

Who knows when that will be…

“Ding-ding-ding,” the demon grinned, his eyes trained on her every move. “Now that your boyfriend isn’t here to disturb us, let’s get down to business, shall we?” he said, moving closer.

Naomi instinctively backed away, carefully maneuvering herself toward the door, but Verin’s arm snatched out with impressive speed, grabbing hold of her just above her elbow. His cold hand encircled her arm like a vise, tightening the more she tried to pull away from his grip.

“I know you took the statue,” Verin said. “Where is it?”

“I’ll scream,” Naomi warned, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.

“And I’ll snap the neck of anyone who comes to your aid,” he countered, baring his teeth at her. “You know I will. You’ve seen me kill before.”

“Fuck you,” Naomi snarled, the words slipping past her lips before she had the chance to think better of it.

“Do you really want to die over some hunk of rock?” Verin sighed, tilting his head at her. “Just tell me where it is and I’ll walk out of here, leaving you unharmed.”

“Yeah, right,” Naomi scoffed.

“I let you live once before, didn’t I?” he arched a brow at her.

Stunned for a moment, Naomi stared at Verin, imagining his real face beneath the disguise. So she had been right – the demon had chosen to let her escape that night.

“Why did you?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“I like having people out there who remember me,” he shrugged. “Tell me, did you dream of me? Did you imagine my face in the crowd? Did you replay that night in your mind, over and over?” he asked, a sick satisfaction echoing from his words.

“I’m never telling you where the statue is,” Naomi hissed, overcome by her anger. “And we know how to destroy it now. Whatever power you hoped to get from it will be gone.”

Verin’s grip around her arm tightened, until she could feel it in her very bones. Grimacing, she clamped her jaw, holding back her yelp of pain.

“We’ll see about that,” the demon snarled.