smiled at him.
Wrath growled. Encouraged, Lauren reached for her borrowed stretch pants. She hooked the waistband with her thumbs, making sure she caught her panties as well. She pushed them down her legs and stepped free of them. She stood in front of Wrath completely naked.
“This is our last night since I’m going home tomorrow.” Lauren moved, putting her hands on his chest. “I want to go all the way.”
His features tensed. “You want me to enter you?”
“Yes.”
The look in his eyes baffled her. He almost looked sad. “I can’t.” His voice came out raspy.
“Why not?”
“There are things you don’t know about me. I don’t want to risk hurting you. I have been damaged, Lauren. I could lose control and that would be a dangerous thing.”
She shook her head. “I know you won’t. You will be very gentle with me. I know that from the way you touch me. I trust you. Have some trust in yourself.”
“I—” He closed his mouth.
“You won’t if you’re afraid of getting me pregnant. I’m on something that prevents it. I have a clean bill of health.”
He shook his head. “That is not my fear. I have been harmed in the past and it makes me afraid I might revert to that conditioning. It could make me dangerous.”
Lauren sat down, ignored her naked state, and tugged on him until he sat next to her. She turned to face him, stared into his eyes and licked her lips.
“There’s nothing you could tell me that would change how I feel about you. I’ve done some reading on New Species and I heard rumors that sometimes some of you would end up killing the jerks who held you. Is that it? Did you kill some of them? If that’s it, I’d award you a medal. They deserved it for everything they did.”
The pain reflected in his eyes tore her apart.
“That isn’t it.”
She took a deep breath. “Just tell me. The worst thing is keeping a secret. Once it’s out, we can deal with it.”
He gripped her hand and his gaze drifted away from her to stare at the carpet near their feet. Lauren waited patiently, didn’t want to push him, and wondered if he’d really talk to her. She was hopeful.
“My life in the testing facility was rough.”
She squeezed his hand but remained silent, waiting for any details he wanted to share.
“But then they moved a few of us to a new place. There was Shadow and another male we didn’t know. He had a mate but the humans killed her.”
Tears filled her eyes at the horror of what he must have seen and endured but she kept silent, waiting. He refused to look at her and she saw his mouth tense, a coldness seep into his stare, and his voice deepened with emotion.
“They drugged me to make me aroused, hooked me to a machine and showed me videos of human naked women touching themselves to force my seed from my body. They would do it for hours until the pain became too much and I would pass out. I grew to hate the sight of human females.” He paused and finally lifted his gaze to hers. “I feel rage, thinking about what was done to me, the humiliation I suffered, and I know you aren’t responsible but I’m afraid of losing control. I might have a flashback and cause you pain.”
Lauren blinked back tears. “I’m so sorry, Wrath. You’re a victim and you’re right—I wasn’t there and I’d never be a part of that.” She gripped his hand tighter. “They can’t hurt you anymore and we don’t have to have sex if you aren’t ready. We could hold each other. I’m okay with that. I don’t believe for a second that you’d hurt me though. You’re the gentlest man I’ve ever met.”
His eyebrows arched.
“I mean that. The way you touch me is special and you make me feel that way too.”
A soft growl rumbled from his throat. “I never believed I’d be attracted to a human female but you’re all I want.”
“I’m right here. We can do whatever you want or what you feel comfortable with.”
“Do you see me as less now?” There was a catch in his voice. “Less male now that you know what was done to me? I should have been stronger and resisted more. They took my seed by force.”
Her heart broke. “No. God no, Wrath.” She moved, released his hand and climbed onto his lap. He let her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her face against his throat and clung to him. “You’re amazing, strong, determined and brave. You hunt down those assholes that hurt your people. That’s so noble and yeah, brave. I admire you and think you’re the sexiest guy ever. I’m so glad you came into my life.”
His arms wrapped around her and he clung. “I want you but I’m afraid.”
Her lips pressed against his skin and she kissed him. “I’m not afraid of you. Why don’t you get naked? I love holding you.”
“I want that.” His voice deepened again.
She leaned up enough to see his eyes and smiled. “We’ll just take everything slow and see how it goes. You’re highly overdressed.”
He chuckled and suddenly lifted her off his lap, placed her in the middle of the bed and rose to his feet. “Give me a moment to fix that.”
