I want to believe her, if only because the potential consequences of this slip-up have me reeling. “I was tested before we came back to the city,” I finally manage. We were all tested, and at the time I thought it bullshit because no way would I be having unprotected sex with the enemy. I can’t believe I forgot myself enough to be this reckless. “I have to go.”

“Broderick.” She sits up, her brows drawing together as she watches me rush to get my pants back in place. For a second, I almost believe that I’ve hurt her, but that’s impossible. The way she shrugs and flops back onto bed seems to support that it’s all in my imagination. “Suit yourself.”

I don’t run out of the bedroom, but it’s a near thing. I just need some fucking space, to think. The worst danger has passed if she’s telling the truth. She won’t get pregnant. I don’t have to worry about the potential of tying myself to Monroe for life, rather than a single year.

The dark, feral part of me whispers that, with that taken care of, there’s no reason to stop fucking her. We only needed to do it once to consummate the handfasting, but that doesn’t mean it only has to be once.

I shake my head sharply. No. She managed to unravel my control inside of an hour. Having sex with her again only provides her more opportunity to mess with me. That’s out of the question.

“Broderick?”

Shame nearly takes all the strength from my body. I close my eyes, but I hear the familiar footsteps that I know as well as my own. Shiloh. I can’t avoid this conversation. Doing so will only hurt her feelings, and that’s the last thing I want. I try for a smile, but it feels wrong on my face, so I let it drop. “Hey.”

She’s wearing her usual jeans, boots, and black tank top. In all the years she’s been running with our group, I’ve never seen her in shorts, even in the height of summer in the South. I know it has something to do with her past, but we’ve never touched on it beyond broad strokes and I have enough skeletons rattling around in my closet to respect her not wanting to drag hers into the light.

I shouldn’t be thinking about Shiloh or her past right now. I should be… Fuck, I don’t even know. “Can’t sleep?” I finally manage.

“I’m on watch.”