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Confused, Loren could only stare up at him, her heart pounding so hard she could hear every beat.Boom, boom, BOOM!
“Give in, Loren,”his voice commanded inside her head. He crouched suddenly, still gripping her arm. His eyes were pure silver holding her captive—she couldn’t even turn away.
Couldn’t think.
“Give in. Give up. I’m all you need. I can be your everything. Just give in to me.”
Yes,a part of her whispered longingly.He can take care of us. Help us. Protect us.
Give in.
No!The fear came like a whip, cutting through the mindless drone. “No,” she croaked out loud. “No, no, no, no—”
“Don’t resist,” he warned, raising his voice to combat hers. “Let me in. This is to help you—”
“No!”
She wrenched her gaze from his, and it was like an invisible chain tethering her to him snapped. With a sudden burst of strength, she was on her feet, running so fast she could barely feel the wind anymore. Just pure motion. Pushing her on, egging her forward.
Run, run, run!
Even still, there was a part of her that rebelled against the desire to flee. It sat, righttherein the pit of her chest, and ached, no itthrobbed, with the need to turn back.Go back.
Give in to him.
“No!” Slapping her hands over her ears, Loren kept moving.
She couldn’t see, couldn’t even think, to pick out a clear path. She just stumbled forward, feeling weeds and stray branches snag at her ankles, rip at her hair and slice into her cheek, drawing blood. The pain didn’t even faze her.
He was coming. She could hear him on her trail. He was uncaringly loud, crashing over brambles and fallen leaves. Shouting…something.
Don’t listen!Stupidly she squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the urge to scream just to block out the sound of his voice. It didn’t work. She could hear him anyway, bellowing through her brain.
“Loren, watch out!”
Her eyes flew open just in time to catch sight of a rock-studded slope—but it was too late to change course. Her boot caught on a slick patch of mud, throwing her balance...
“Loren!”
Wham!
A solid force caught her from behind, knocking her down. She waited for the fall. Braced herself for the pain—but all she felt instead was heat and strength that encased her like a shell. A hand went around the back of her head, pulling her against a muscled chest that smelled like sweat and musk and pine…
She could sense motion around her—the thud and crunch of a body striking the ground. But the only thing shefeltwas sweltering heat and the breath being knocked from her chest as they finally came to a stop.
“Shhhh.” The gentle murmur matched the concern her rescuer held her with. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. You’re alright—”
“Let me go.” Loren didn’t even recognize the sound of her own voice.
Stiffly, she pushed out with her hands—or at least as far as she could, considering they were restrained by an unmovable force. She still managed to glimpse their surroundings from over his shoulder—they were at the foot of the hill, with her body pinned against McGoven’s. He held her so tightly that she could feel his breath ruffling her hair, basting her skin.
Even now, that overwhelming power radiated from him.Give in.
“Get off me!” She tried to kick him. Pinch him. Dig her fingers into the skin of his chest.
He resisted her easily and adjusted his weight to pin her to the ground. “Loren, wait. Breathe.” His tone was insistent. Gentle. “Listen to me. You don’t understand—”
“Get OFF me!” Was that her voice? Whoever it was sounded wild. Insane.
