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A pang of regret, yearning for time long past, made me want to turn, walk away, find my own meal, but Levi made a sound, a low growl that rumbled from his chest. “You can’t keep hiding from your truths, Charlie.”
My truths? I was alone. Without family. Sold to the highest bidder. Destined to become a queen and hopelessly, forever trapped by my beast and my inability to control her actions.
“What happened wasn’t your fault.”
I shifted from wolf to human before his last word could fall, knowing that he was taking the stance I’d come to know him for…compassion, understanding.
“Like hell it wasn’t.” Like all werewolves, when I shifted, my clothes came with me, so I stepped out from the trees and into the clearing wearing yoga pants and a loose T-shirt. “I played with their minds. Can’t take that truth away with your version of events.”
Levi looked at me with patience in his eyes and a wry grin. “Yeah but at least I got you talking to me.” He motioned to a log next to him. “Now that you’re here, let’s eat.”
I shook my head, rolled my eyes, but did as he’d said. I was hungry, my stomach rumbling. As much as I wanted to atone for my sins against the Duke pack, I wouldn’t do it with a food strike. That would for sure incite my beast’s rage.
Sitting next to Levi, taking in the scent of his musk, knowing that hours ago we’d breached a boundary and kissed, only made me want to move closer when I should have wanted to move away. My armor was cracking. These men, these wolves? They’d captured a part of me that I’d locked up after my father had died.
He leaned forward, his arm brushing against my thigh, and I shivered. I wanted his comfort. I wanted to know that someone forgave me. Why? I’d never craved that kind of thing before. I was a lone wolf…strong, independent.
Lonely and alone.
“I…” Words crammed themselves in my throat. Apologetic, vulnerable words that wouldn’t come out.
“First, we eat,” Levi said as he handed me a hunk of meat on the tip of his knife. It dripped grease and blood, and the smell of herbs hit my nose and pulled a loud rumble from my belly. “Then we talk.”
I met his eyes, nodded then took the offering.
Like everything I’d eaten made by Levi, the meat was soul-filling delicious. Even if I wanted to speak, I couldn’t. My mouth was too busy. So, we ate in silence, staring at the fire, stealing glances at one another, satiating at least one of our needs. As my belly filled, longing took its place. I ached for Levi to move closer, to press himself against my arm, my thigh, to feel his touch, his heat. I tossed the remaining gristle and fat into the fire then wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, too unsure of where I stood with Levi to make a move, too self-conscious to open my mouth. I didn’t really know how to apologize for what I’d done.
“You have some grease, right here,” Levi said, his voice a rumbled whisper as he gently tilted my chin in his direction, rubbing his thumb along my cheek and the side of my lips. Our eyes met, and I saw a mirror of my own longing reflected back at me.
“Levi…I—”
He leaned in then kissed me, a take two of our first kiss, which had been interrupted by Kane in the library. This one went deeper, our tongues probing longer, harder, stroking the fire within my soul until my beast rattled her cage, and I was unsure if she wanted out to eat him or love him.
His hands were in my hair, tangled, digging his fingers into my scalp, pulling me closer, forcing me onto his lap where I fit so perfectly that I never wanted to leave. With my legs around his waist, my breasts teasing his chest, I slipped my hands around his back and rocked against the bulge in his pants.
He moaned, breaking our kiss to nuzzle into my throat, nipping teasingly as he pulled my head back, exposing the most vulnerable part of my body. My beast railed against her cage, but I shoved her into her pit, forcing her into the darkness so I could focus on what I wanted, what was right in front of me.
“Let me in.”
Levi’s voice echoed into my mind, against my conscious thoughts, knocking on the door of my barriers, the very ones holding my beast in place. I startled, tried to pull away from him, but he doubled down, increasing the pressure in my hair, holding me to him as he kissed me into oblivion.
“Charlie, call me to you.” His voice vibrated against my walls, slithering past my armor.
I wanted to push him away…to fight against his intrusion.
But that was what had gotten me into a mess to begin with.
Quit fighting it, my traitorous mind whispered urgently.
Levi’s chuckle against my lips told me he’d heard my inner thoughts, too.
I breathed out, sighing against his lips, letting my body go limp, the fight sliding out of me.
“Come to me, Levi.”
Chapter Two
You swept into my waking dream world like a hurricane, enveloping me in your arms and taking us both down through the shadows of my mind, until we were floating in the ether.
