Page 45 of Juniper Unraveling

The fluidity of his touch turns abrupt, fingers digging into my flesh. He growls against my chest and lifts his head just enough to drag my skin between his teeth.

“Ah!” I cry out, and still, I allow it, because even if it hurts a little, a part of me likes his aggression.

He chuffs another grunt, and his fingers dig harder, as his mouth clamps onto the base of my throat.

I open mine to a silent scream and snap my head toward him while a strange dizziness settles over me. “Six,” I whisper.

The energy around us charges like a snap of lightning. Tension steels his muscles. I can damn near feel the heat, the want rolling off his body, like metal in the hot desert sun.

Six flips me over onto my stomach.

One harsh yank of my pants exposes my backside to him and something twists inside of me. Something changes.

“Six, wait.”

He doesn’t stop, though. Hands pinning my wrists to the blanket, his shaky breaths become frantic, and I buck beneath him. He growls in my ear, his fingers curling into mine, pressing me harder.

“Let me up.”

Still, he doesn’t.

“Six!”

Panic zips up my spine, and within seconds, I’ve become prey, all too aware of the man’s strength. He grinds his jean-clad hips into me, harder than before, as if he’s taking me from behind.

“Six, wait!” I writhe in his grip, twisting my arm to break free, and my head slams into the blanket.

He pushes my hair out of the way.

“Stop!” I scream, and as if time has come to a standstill, everything freezes around me.

Six doesn’t move.

I take a moment to catch my breath and can feel him trembling against me. A cold rush dances across my skin as he releases his grip. I know what comes next and flip to my back, pulling my shirt down, but he’s already backed himself off the blanket.

His pupils are dilated again. I’ve noticed the times he’s gotten aggressive and lost control, his pupils have been dilated. Black and crazed.

I reach out for him, but he pushes to a stand, pacing back and forth in front of me, shaking his head.

“Six, it’s okay. You stopped. I asked you to stop, and you did.” I’ve no idea if it was the single command that halted him in his tracks, or something else, but twice now it’s rendered him frozen.

He rubs his skull back and forth as he paces like a caged animal.

I stand up from the blanket, and when I lurch toward him, he backs away. “Come lie back on the blanket with me. Please.” Using the same method as the night in the pole barn, I urge him back to the blanket.

But instead of doing as I ask, he runs.

Away.

***

I burst through the door and find Papa inside, standing with his hands on his hips. My whole body is shaking, my throat coated in flames from lack of water. The tears have dried to my face, and my eyes burn with all of the crying.

“Wren, what happened?”

“Six is gone!” A parched rasp clings to my voice. “He’s gone! I’ve searched for him all day, and I can’t find him! I have to find him.”

I rifle through the drawer in the kitchen, searching for flashlights. The grip of my arm sends me into a rage, and I yank my wrist from Papa’s grasp. “I’m going after him! You can’t stop me!”