"Adeline, why are you like this? Since the moment we met, you've done nothing but leave me completely blindsided," Gideon said in a softer tone.
The presence of his wolf seemed to recede, soothed by her touch and the lack of fear in her eyes. "Others fear me. They keep their distance, especially now. But you... you aren't scared of me at all, are you?"
"I was scared of you in the beginning," Adeline admitted softly, her voice muffled as she rested her head against his chest. "But only a little." She tightened her arms around him, her grip protective. "Don't hurt yourself anymore, Gideon. It's not right."
Strangely, the gentle scent of her pheromones, the very thing that had sent his wolf into a frenzy only twenty-four hours ago, now soothed him.
"I ran for hours last night," Gideon told her, his chin resting atop her head. "I didn't stop until this morning, right before I collapsed back here. But even in the forest, I knew I was home."
