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Barrett smiles at me. “You deserve to be happy, beautiful.”
“And then I saw it.” I gasp as the shock of that image hits me. The memories come flooding back in agonizing flashes. I can see myself emerging from the shadows, drawn by the scent of blood and violence. And seeing a hulking beast, muzzle stained crimson, looming over a crumpled form on the ground.
He had to pay!
I’d rushed forward without a second thought. Reason fled in that moment. All I could see was the broken, lifeless form he’d left behind. A surge of uncontrollable rage seized me. I wanted to make them suffer as their victim had. To inflict the same agony tenfold.
I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting back images of snapping jaws and ripping claws…the feeling of fury. The beast in me had taken over then, meting out a retribution that my human side would never be able to stomach.
So much rage…
We’d seen too much violence during our time in the cages…my wolf and I… She stepped in to help me survive it all. And then she’d stepped in again last night.
“She’s been protecting me,” I whisper. “My wolf.”
“And others, too.” He leans in, gripping the bars tightly. “Don’t you see, Cedara? Your instincts were right on. You defended the innocent against a monster. That monster wasn’t you. You did the just thing, the right thing.”
I search his eyes, desperate to believe his words. To find solace in his unwavering acceptance.
“You’re so brave,” he murmurs. “Taking on a killer like that, alone in the darkness. Facing them head-on to protect someone else. Not everyone would have that courage, that sheer force of will…”
“It was her,” I whisper. “The wolf. She did it. She’s the strong one, not me.”
Barrett is shaking his head. “She is you, Cedara. The part of you that steps in when you need it. Maybe you think that side of you has taken over, but it’s the side that’s shielding you from things you shouldn’t have to see.”
“I’m not losing myself?”
“No, you’re not losing yourself. You just found a different side of yourself. A side that you’re not going to have to rely on so much anymore.” He reaches through the bars and cups my cheek. “Because now you have me, my love.”
My love…
It sounds so sweet on his lips.
I sigh and press my face to his hand. For a moment, it feels good to believe that this nightmare might just come to an end.
“Now, come closer,” he says, his hand sliding to clasp the back of my head and draw me in. I don’t resist.
The kiss takes my breath from me, a passionate promise that leaves my lips tingling. Barrett’s mouth moves insistently against mine, his tongue teasing in a way that ignites sparks of desire low in my belly. I grip the cold metal bars, pulling myself flush against them as I surrender to the searing heat of his kiss.
For that endless moment, the world beyond the cell walls fades away. There is only the slick slide of his lips, the earthy scent of his skin surrounding me, the need that burns through me. This is where I belong – right here with this incredible, unstoppable man.
When he finally breaks away, I’m left breathless and dazed, clinging to the lingering sensations. He rests his forehead against the bars, his gaze burning into me with an intensity that makes me shiver.
“I love you, Cedara,” he says earnestly. “Nothing will ever change that.”
A tremulous smile curves my lips as I reach out to caress his face. “I love you too, Barrett. So much.”
He covers my hand with his, pressing a fervent kiss to my palm. “That’s all that matters, beautiful. I’ll make everything else work out, I promise.”
With one last searing look that leaves me weak in the knees, he turns and strides from the cell. The door clangs shut behind him with a dull finality that should chill me. Instead, it’s a seed of defiant hope taking root. He hasn’t given up on me…on us.
And neither will I.
???
Barrett
“Where the hell are you off to now?” Casey calls after me. I’m half-jogging away from the holding cells.
