She’s flustered for a few seconds, obviously not used to being noticed, which I find crazy as fuck. She’s absolutely stunning. Any man would be lucky to claim her.
My beast flashes his fangs at the thought of anyone else touching her.
No one else was worthy.
It’s almost like she was waiting for us, and I shake my head to banish that dangerous idea.
To avoid the attention, Frankie ducks her head and motions for my cuffs, probably guessing that my beast will be the most troublesome. “Hold your hands out.”
But I don’t move, worry gnawing at my insides as I study her. She’s been awake for who knows how long, probably on the run for months or longer. She’s pushing herself too far. “You’re beyond exhausted, practically running on fumes. You can’t keep pushing yourself.”
Her golden eyes narrow, and her stubborn little chin lifts in the air. “I’m fine.”
But she’s not. Sooner or later, she will break, and my hands curl into fists against the need to shake sense into her. My beast presses against the underside of my skin, urging me to take care of her, and I hate that I have nothing to offer her.
The only thing I can do is be there for her when she falters.
“Start with the others first,” I urge quietly, determined not to let her overtax herself. “I can withstand the effect of the chains better than the others. I can fight with them. I can also take more damage without healing. Tyler can’t. While Dante can protect himself, he needs to be able to shift.”
A furrow appears between Frankie’s brows, understanding darkening her golden eyes. The girl is too smart for her own good, but she listens and nods obediently. “Tyler first. He needs to be able to heal as much as possible.”
She shifts to sit on the floor, but my beast refuses to allow her to rest on the disgusting ground. Years of blood, sweat, urine, and other vile substances have soaked into the soil. She deserves better than to kneel in the dirt, especially to help us.
I snag her around her waist, then drag her into my lap, careful to keep my erection from rubbing against the delicious curve of her ass. An adorable squeak escapes her, her every muscle tensing, but Ishushthe sound.
“The floor is no place for you,” I murmur in a gruff voice, avoiding looking at anyone else.
I’m getting soft, but I don’t really give a fuck, not when it means protecting her, even if it’s from something as simple as dirt.
Frankie doesn’t move for a second, as if debating her options, then she slowly relaxes. Tension eases from my spine at her trust. With her curves in my arms, her scent filling my senses, my feral beast rolls over in my head, as docile as a puppy, completely content at her nearness.
I just can’t wrap my head around the change.
All the rage I carried for most of my life has mellowed.
That doesn’t mean it’s gone.
I can still feel it churning beneath the surface, just waiting to explode.
The smart thing to do would be to leave her the fuck alone, run as far away from her as possible to protect her from myself, and my hands instinctively tighten on her hips at the thought of her disappearing. When she leans into my touch, involuntarily inhaling my scent, my chest puffs up, and I give in to the inevitable—I’ll never be able to let her go.
I thought keeping my distance from her would keep her safe, but the darkness that resides in my soul whispers that the only way to truly protect her is to keep her by my side forever. If anyone tries to fuck with her, I will end them.
Something settles in my chest at the decision, my beast so still that he’s not even moving, as if waiting for me to admit the truth.
That this girl is mine.
In all my years, only she has been able to tame my beast.
I don’t know why I didn’t make the connection sooner.
Maybe it was denial or a last-ditch attempt to keep her safe.
It’s too late now.
My beast recognizes her as my mate. If I fight him on it, attempt to deny it, I have no doubt the fucker will take over completely. The only thing that matters to him is keeping her safe.
I’m flabbergasted by the truth, having long ago given up on the possibility of finding a female. Truthfully, I isolated myself to prevent it from happening. Who the fuck would want someone as broken as me?
