Read Online Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) by T.E. Ridener - Free Book Online Page A

games.  Arnold slowly turned around to face her and his eyes landed on the floor.
    “Why do you feel the need to babysit me?” He questioned.  “I’m a grown man, Natalie.  I don’t need you hovering over me as if I’m entirely helpless.  I can do things, you know.  I can make my own food.  I can bathe.  I can dress myself.  Hell, I made it here just fine, didn’t I?”
    She studied him closely, noting the dark circles beneath his damaged green hues.  Her heart seemed to shatter all over again as she realized he was wearing the exact same clothes he’d had on yesterday.
    “You didn’t even go back home after going to the Bamey’s, did you?”
    She watched as the corner of his lips twitched and her mind automatically flew back to that moment when they’d touched the corner of her own.  Her stomach flip flopped as she swallowed hard.  She couldn’t’ think about that right now. There were more important issues to discuss.
    “It doesn’t matter.” He said in that deep southern drawl that had a tendency to make her heart melt.  Urseth, she had to stop admiring him and focus! Why was that so hard?
    “It matters to me.” She straightened her shoulders and took a step closer to him, only to freeze when he stuck a hand in the air as if trying to repel her.
    “Don’t, Natty,” he whispered in a broken whisper.  “Please don’t.”
    He was frustrating her.  How was she supposed to help him if she couldn’t be near him?  She understood it would only be like that for a week or so, but that was an awful lot of time to keep her distance from the man she so desperately wanted to help.  She needed to be there for him.  Didn’t he understand?
    “I’m worried about you,” she managed to whisper as tears brimmed over the bottom lids of her eyes.  “How could you stay out all night?  Where did you sleep?”
    Arnold blinked and then frowned.  “Jimbo let me sleep off the alcohol here.”
    Unbelievable.  Natalie’s bottom lip quivered and she bit it, hard in an effort to keep herself from breaking.  She couldn’t be weak when Arnold needed her to be so strong.  He could say whatever he wanted to, but she was the thin line keeping him from teetering over the edge of insanity right now.  If she were to be completely honest; he was the same line for her.
    Danger would return to Kadenburg.  Some ursithropes were under the assumption that calmness meant safety....but she’d been around Breslin Connor too long; she knew better.  He was the type of man who waited patiently for his enemy’s to set up a false sense of security, and then he would attack-brutally and mercilessly.  She’d seen it happen too many times.
    How did I ever allow him to do that? She wondered as shame clouded her heart.  How did I stand by and let Breslin kill off my people?
    “What’s wrong?” Arnold asked.  “Why is your heart beating like that?”
    What?  Natalie blinked rapidly as she tried to make the tears disappear.  Obviously, her body was betraying her on the ‘stay strong’ aspect and now Arnold sensed her distress.  She sucked at being a graceful ursithrope.  She sucked as a person in general, but that was so far beyond the point at the moment. 
    “Nothing’s wrong,” she stated quickly as she lifted a hand to knuckle away one stray tear.  “I’d just like to take you home if that’s okay with you.  You need some proper sleep and a real meal.  Waffles?  I don’t think so.  Let me cook something for you.”
    “I ain’t hungry and I asked you a question.” Arnold said through thinned lips as he took a step towards her.  Wait.  What?  Why was he getting closer?  Didn’t he just tell her to stay away?
    “I’m fine.” She repeated, taking a step away from him.  She would honor his wishes.  She’d stay back and try to keep her scent from reaching him.  It was wrong to drive a man mad with something beyond his control.  Urseth, why did she come here again?
    “You’re lying to