“I’m sorry I upset you.” Her gaze narrowed and he braced for the coming storm. That had obviously been the wrong thing to say.
“You’re sorry I’m upset? How about being sorry for acting like a possessive asshole?”
He grappled for the right words while his cat roared, objecting to any compromise. She was his and his alone, challenging that fact only made him more determined to prove it. With any other female, he would have kissed her into submission. He’d have accepted the challenge and demonstrated his superior strength and the depths of his hunger. But Ava had been reared human. She didn’t understand Therian ways. No matter how loudly his cat objected, he had to be patient with her.
“I don’t want to own you, but the thought of another man touching you is…upsetting to me.”
For some reason his explanation made her smile. “If this is you upset, I’d hate to see you get jealous.”
“The only weapon affective against jealousy is trust.”
Her momentary amusement evaporated and she was glaring again. “You don’t trust me?”
“I don’t trust anyone,” he admitted. “I’ve been repeatedly betrayed by those I considered friends and more than a few lovers. I try not to expect the worst in people, but experience has taught me to be wary.”
“That’s sad.” She draped the towel back over the rack and climbed into the bathtub. “Is there no one in your life you can relax with, no one who’ll support you no matter what?”
“My mother and Quinn.” He remained beside the tub, not sure if she’d welcome him in the water.
“I thought you were going to wash my hair.”
Suppressing his relief, he climbed into the tub and settled against the molded end, facing her.
“Why have so many betrayed you? Are you that poor a judge of character?” She softened the question with a playful smile and sank to her chin in the water. Even though he could still see her clearly, the barrier seemed to make her feel more secure.
“My ancestors for six generations have held the position of network Prime. Both my father and grandfather resisted proposed changes to the Charter and stood in the way of much-needed changes. Suffice it to say, my family has many enemies.”
“What’s the Charter?”
He relaxed against the tub and spread his arms along the rim. Even keeping his gaze fixed on her face was doing little to curtail the hunger building inside him. But he needed her to understand the forces that shaped him. It would allow them to connect on more than a sexual level, and he sensed that she wanted that as much as he did. So he ignored the pressure in his groin and fought the urge to drag her back into his arms.
“It’s a set of rules and policies governing the behavior of Therians, rather like the humans’ Constitution.” A nod was her only reply, so he went on. “Many of the alphas voiced their frustration with rules they considered obsolete or antiquated. My grandfather insisted there had been a concrete reason for each word entered into the Charter and gathered supporters who shared his view.”
“And your father continued the fight?”
“Yes. The reformers—or rebels as they like to call us—grew in number, but the Prime council dug in their heels and refused to budge on even the most obvious changes.”
“But you’re one of the rebels, aren’t you? That’s what you said when we first met.”
“I absolutely agree that the Charter needs to be updated, but the situation is more complicated than my beliefs. My mother comes from a long line of Historians. They are responsible for our historical relics and maintaining the journals containing our history.”
Understanding narrowed her gaze and her shoulders gradually relaxed. “And these Historians have disagreed with their husbands’ position?”
“My grandmother tried to remain neutral and concentrate on her responsibilities. My mother is too much like her father. Neutrality is just not in her character. She has distinct opinions and she’s not afraid to voice them. She’s been the driving force behind the rebellion for the past twenty years.”
“That must have made their marriage harmonious.”
“Their union was established by the rules she is trying so hard to eradicate. Father wasn’t abusive, but theirs was not a love match.”
She fiddled with the bottles on the shelf beside the tub until she found one that pleased her. “The history lesson is fascinating, but I’m not sure what it has to do with your unwillingness to trust.” She poured some of the blue liquid into the water then reached over and activated the jets. The tub buzzed to life and water swirled all around them, rapidly forming fragrant bubbles.