The grin of a second ago faded and the fire in eyes dimmed.
"Who was it? Is everything okay?" she asked.
Sitting up, she leaned forward with a sheet clutched to her chest.
"I." He ran his free hand through his hair as he dropped the hand with his phone to his side
"You what?" Dropping the sheet, she moved to her hands and knees and crawled to the end of the bed. "You can tell me. I promise."
He shook his head and for a moment she didn't think he was going to talk to her.
"It's my dad. Or well the call was from my mother. She took my dad back. She doesn't talk to me for years and now all this. She calls to tell me that she's back with a man that enjoyed abusing his family."
"I'm sorry." She wanted to stop the pain etched across his face.
"No. It's fine. I guess I always knew she'd take him back."
Absently he came over to the bed, sitting on the edge. "I." Raine's eyes watched as he flexed his hands.
Instinct drove her to comfort him. Placing her hand on his shoulder she felt his muscle taut and rigid. As if she could feel what he needed, like his cougar could talk to her, she straddled him, taking his face between her hands.
As he turned to look at her, his eyes were all animal.
"Are you going to be okay?" she asked.
"I. Yes. I just need to go. I need to go run or punch something."
His muscles were strained, the veins lining his forearms standing out.
"Let me help you." As she studied him, she saw the predator within the man. She could see the animal. The hunter. Instead of turning away she started to kiss his shoulder. She didn't know why, but she wouldn't back down from a fight. And somehow his fight was her fight.
His skin was hot to the touch as her fingers stroked down his shoulder blades and along his spine.
He sat there. Not moving. She didn't stop.
"Kian, you need to let me in."
She placed a kiss on his cheek. A kiss on his nose. A kiss on his forehead.
She held him. Somewhere she'd read that pressure can help people deal with anger.
Finally, after what felt like forever he finally moved.
Without warning he flipped them over and she was suddenly under him.
His lips were on hers before she could let out a squeak.
As he pulled away for moment, she started to question what she offered him.
"You don't want to be a part of this mess."
She didn't what he meant, but if it was Kian, then she wanted it. She wanted him. She wanted to make everything better.
"Kian, I'm yours no matter what."
His body nearly vibrated with power.
The pain within him clouded the air around them, thick and heavy.
"What do you need from Kian? Take it," she whispered.
He paused long enough for her to take it back. When she didn't he responded with a touch rougher than she'd expected, but one that commanded her to do as he needed.
The next time he looked up at her there was no human lust present, rather she saw the animal need within him.
She could feel the tip of him rubbing along her entrance. He was so close. And she wanted him.
"Yes," was all she whispered as if giving the shifter side of him permission.
He claimed her mouth as he thrust inside her. Her body convulsing in pleasure before he'd started. He was hungry. Everything about this was primal need. His thirst ran deeper and each thrust pulsed with more and more purpose.
Her body coiled, winding tighter and tighter as if each time he pushed into her she took some his pain until she could no longer take it.
Just as she thought she would break, he shuddered within her and with her and for one single moment it was as though she could feel his agony, his fear, his heart.
Her soul was his.
Kian sat on the couch, her legs draped over his lap. As long as he could touch her, his body seemed to work normally. She was the air in the room around him. He watched her lips as she picked a grape from the bowl, he watched her suck at it.
Fuck. This woman had a direct line to his dick.
A movie was playing in the background, who the hell knew what movie it was. Kian needed to not think of his mom. He needed to not think of his asshole father. The only time he seemed to distract himself though was when he was with Raine.
Demons pushed their way into his mind though. The years that his mother hadn't talked to him she'd been safe and he'd had his anger to displace any feelings of hurt. Now though, the muscle memory of fear was trying to come back. He'd thought that part of him was dead, but knowing she'd taken his father back at the fear trying to bubble back up.
The damn was cracking as the frustration started to build. It stayed there though, splashing around behind the wall and seemed to sit just below the surface finally not in control of him. He could breathe.
As he sat there, he forgot all about the movie. Somehow Raine quieted the rage within him. A strange change really, normally he'd have been at the gym ripping a heavy bag to shreds or finding some underground fight. There was never a lack of angry or violent paranormals within the city. Not today though. No. All he apparently needed was her. Her and that amazing body of hers. He shifted as the bulge in his jeans grew uncomfortable. God he needed to mark her. He needed to make her his.
"Raine?"
"Hmmm?" she murmured as she popped another grape in between her beautiful
