The memory of that night was burned into his mind, and he struggled to continue. “She was on the ground, crying, pleading with Kevin to stop hurting her. I tried to get to her but Jeffrey held me back. Then Kevin began to scream at me. He … he said Caroline was pregnant. And that she had told him about our secret. Even shifted in front of him.” Apparently, Caroline thought they were True Mates and she had been excited to let him know. However, she was obviously incorrect as she didn’t heal from Kevin’s beating right away and their daughter turned out to be fully human. “He called her a disgusting animal and that he could never have gotten her pregnant, and so he thought I was the father. Then he kicked her again, and I lost it. I shifted in bloodlust, and that was the last thing I remember before waking up here. Adrianna and Zac were at the party, but they felt it when I shifted. They described it like a shockwave their wolves couldn’t ignore. They found me and saw that Kevin and Jeffrey were … on the ground. So yes, I did hurt them. I killed Kevin Hall.”
He turned around, not wanting to look at her. Not wanting to see the horror in her eyes.
“Lucas.” A gentle hand landed on his shoulder. “Lucas, don’t turn away. Look at me.” When he didn’t move, she stepped around and faced him. “You did it to protect Caroline and yourself. It was self-defense.” She took a deep breath. “Stop beating yourself up over it. If you didn’t know that she would have … I mean, who knows what would have happened?”
He let out a bitter laugh. “It still doesn’t change the fact that I’m dangerous. This place … this is where my parents brought me after the incident. It’s a place where broken wolves are given a last chance.”
“And it worked, right?”
“For a while. But then …” Then the mages came and threatened Adrianna. And those men threatened Sofia. “I’m losing control. I don’t know what will happen … if you … if something happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.” Hell, he wouldn’t be able to keep living. “We can’t … you shouldn’t be around me.”
She inhaled a sharp breath. “No. Lucas. You wouldn’t hurt me. You didn’t last night and you won’t ever hurt me.”
“But—”
“No, Lucas.” She gripped his forearms. “Listen to me. You protected me. Those men, they were going to kill me. But you were there and you saved me.” Her eyes, now more blue than gray in the scant light, were full of emotion. “I won’t let you take my memories away. I swear to God, if you even try to use that voodoo magic shit on me, I’m going to kick your ass.”
The corners of his mouth tugged up. “I believe you would.”
“This is who you are, Lucas.” She took his hands into hers. “And you’re not a bad person. I don’t even believe that wolf inside you is bad. The only times you shifted in bloodlust was when you had no other choice and had to protect others. Your sister. Caroline.”
“You,” he added.
“Yes.” She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Please, don’t let them take my memories of you away. I can’t—”
She choked on her words, and he felt the wetness of her tears on his shirt. “Sofia, no.” He pulled her away gently, then brushed the tears away. “Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. You don’t know what it does to me.” Unable to bear seeing her like this, he leaned down and kissed her.
He meant for it to be soothing, to comfort her. But when she responded so eagerly and her tongue swiped across his lips, the spark inside him lit into a full-blown flame. God, he’d missed her. Missed the taste of her, smell of her, feel of her in his arms. He lifted her up, wrapping her legs around him. Carrying her over to a corner, he lay her down on the soft pile of hay.
She giggled against his mouth. “A roll in the hay, Lucas?” But she was already unbuttoning her coat.
He grinned down at her as he whipped his shirt off. “I can’t think of a better activity right now.”
The rest of their clothes were stripped off, though she kept her coat underneath her as a makeshift blanket. He kissed a path over her flat belly, then spread her legs so he could taste her. Her arousal mixed with her natural scent was a heady combination, and he stroked his hardened cock to ease the pain as he licked and sucked her to orgasm.
“Lucas.” Her voice was raspy with need. “Inside me. Now.”
He didn’t need a second invite. Placing himself between her legs, he nudged at her entrance. She inhaled and her chest rose as he began to fill her, pushing all the way in until he was fully lodged in her. God, she was so tight and hot and perfect. She let out a whimper when he moved his hips and then clenched around him.
“Sofia.” He captured her mouth again, this time his lips ravaging hers, seeking her surrender. She opened up to him letting his tongue sweep inside to devour her. He felt her hips pushing up at him and knew what she wanted. He too, wanted that friction, that feeling of sliding in and out of her. But he
