Morton belatedly attempted to hide his obsession with his beautiful neighbor.
“I merely believe Sophia deserves a more worthy male.”
Luc lifted a brow. “A male like you?”
“I would certainly appreciate her fine qualities.” The crimson gaze flicked over Luc with a dismissive annoyance. “Unlike you.”
“If you think she’s so fine, then why haven’t you made your move on her?” Luc deliberately widened his eyes, as if struck by a sudden thought. “Or have you already tried and been shot down?”
“Certainly not.”
“No doubt for the best.” Luc gave the cur another slap on the back, barely resisting the urge to unleash his claws and rip out his throat. The mere thought that the creep had been secretly lusting after Sophia made his wolf ache for blood. “Just between us, I don’t think she would ever be interested. I believe her exact words were that you were ‘a sorry excuse for a cur.’ ”
Morton flinched at the insult, but there was a grim set to his jaw. As if he’d made his decision and nothing was going to sway him.
“That’s only because she doesn’t know me.”
“You think you’ll grow on her?” Luc chuckled. “Like fungus?”
“I think she’s an intelligent female who can appreciate the needs of duty.”
Luc stilled, thrown off guard by the unexpected words. “Duty?”
“Precisely.”
All right, enough was enough.
He had no doubt that Morton was the stalker and he intended to get to the truth, one way or another.
He actually preferred the “another” option, since it included a lot of pain and carnage.
“Is it your duty to try and kill her?”
Morton looked like a deer in the headlights for a split second, then meeting Luc’s ruthless gaze he seemed to accept that he was busted. With a shrug he allowed his act to drop, a cunning expression settling on his pudgy face.
“Ah, I feared you had guessed the truth.”
Luc subtly scooted forward, not wanting to be in the position where he could be pinned against the roll-bar of the cart.
Not that he believed for a moment the cur could physically overpower him. Still, better safe than sorry.
“The only thing I’ve guessed is that you’re responsible for stalking Sophia.”
“Not stalking ...” Morton corrected, “testing.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Although I’ve held the greatest respect for Sophia since the birth of her daughters, I needed to be certain that she retained her strength and agility over the years.”
A chill inched down Luc’s spine. There was something far more disturbing about this calm, almost condescending Morton.
“Why?”
“To bear my children, of course.”
Fury pulsed through Luc, his wolf savagely trying to break free of his restraint. It would kill before it allowed another man to steal his mate.
And the man in him was in full agreement.