whether I’m here or not. Changing the world was never really my thing.”
His expression solidified like concrete setting.
Zoe forced a smile. “Come on, Landon. You know I don’t fit here.”
He shook his head sharply and began to pace, stalking across the floor. “You haven’t tried to fit. You never gave this pride a chance. Playing dress-up in cowboy boots isn’t the same thing as trying to fit in. I know you too well to believe you aren’t mocking this place with those clothes.”
She couldn’t deny it so she joked instead. “You have a problem with the way I dress?”
Landon didn’t laugh. “Give it a chance, Zoe. A real chance.”
She huffed out an exasperated breath. “I don’t want to. I’m not you. I’m not looking to settle down somewhere. I didn’t leave our old pride because I wanted to find a better place to plant myself and pop out a few dozen cubs. I left because I felt like if I couldn’t get out into the world and see a bigger piece of it, I would lose my mind. I was going crazy trapped inside that pride just like I’m going crazy trapped in this one.” She gripped the edge of the table, concentrating on the feel of the wood beneath her palms so she didn’t have to think about how she knew she was disappointing him. “I always wanted to be a nomad, even when it was forbidden for females to leave Twelve Oaks. I’m glad we left together, but I would have left even if you hadn’t. I had to get away.”
“If you could just see how a real pride feels—”
“Landon, you aren’t listening. It has nothing to do with the pride. I would hate the Garden of Eden if I thought I had to stay there forever.”
He stopped pacing, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Does this have anything to do with Tyler?”
Zoe’s face heated. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”
This wasn’t about some guy. Though if she was honest with herself, Tyler was part of the reason she’d stayed as long as she had. There was something addicting about him, even when he’d been driving her crazy. She’d been enjoying the game, in a way.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you, but he might have something to say about you leaving.”
“Tyler Minor doesn’t get a say in my life,” she bit out, hating the fact that the words felt like a lie.
Chapter Seven
Tyler crouched in front of the bony, shivering teen who looked like he was one harsh word away from pissing himself. “Relax, Cory. You aren’t going to be punished,” Tyler assured him, reining in all his impatience and trying to remember what life was like at fifteen. Of course, his life at fifteen probably didn’t bear a strong resemblance to Cory Berg’s. He’d been taking care of four younger siblings, not sneaking off into town to climb a tree into a human girl’s bedroom. “We just need to know what you saw and heard in town.”
“I just went to Hailey’s and came straight back. I swear.” Cory’s teeth began to chatter, even though it had to be pushing ninety in his parents’ bungalow.
The kid was going to give himself a heart attack.
“Anything you remember can be helpful,” Tyler said, gently gripping the boy’s shoulder in what he hoped was a comfortingly paternal way. It had been a while since he’d grilled a teenager—Michael and Ava were in their twenties and beyond the need for a firm hand. Hopefully he hadn’t lost his touch.
Cory shook his head, a quick, jerky movement. “I didn’t see anybody. Honest.”
“Nothing was different? Any change, no matter how small, could be significant.”
“No. I mean, Hailey seemed more, you know, into me.” His eyes flicked to his parents hovering on the opposite side of the room, and his face flushed a deep red. “But I never told her a thing about the pride. I know better, Tyler. I swear, man.”
“Did she give you any idea why she was suddenly more into you?”
“Dude, I don’t know. I mean, I’m not a total idiot. I know Hailey Winters is out of my league, but when the head cheerleader asks you out, you say yes, you know? I didn’t want to screw things up with her just because we’d been yanked out of school and restricted to the pride land. And she never asked about the pride or coming out to the ranch until last night. I thought maybe