Part 8 (1/2)

Her answer was another slam against the door.

”It's just for tonight.” Maybe. He could lie easily. ”I know you don't like being prisoner, okay? I heard what the ONS did to you-”

”Let me out!” Her shriek easily carried through the wood.

”But we're not ONS. We're not-” He actually had to catch himself there. He'd almost said We're not the bad guys. That would have been total bulls.h.i.+t. ”We're not the ones trying to hurt you now.” There. Much better. ”I'm walking away, all right?” Rayce took a step back. ”I'd suggest that you go to sleep and have-”

”Screw your sweet dreams!”

His lips twitched. He could really like that vamp. No wonder Julian was obsessed.

Whistling, he turned on his heel and headed down the hallway. He'd check on the human visitor and then maybe...maybe he'd go for a run, too. His wolf had been dying for a night out.

Chapter Six.

Julian came back to the house just before dawn. Streaks of light were starting to edge over the water as the sun rose. He'd grabbed a pair of sweats from one of the cabins nestled on the island. There were plenty of places like that set up-safe spots for s.h.i.+fters so that they could dress after a transformation.

He paced down the hallway and stopped before his room. Rose was in there. He could smell her. He could- The key was still in the lock.

f.u.c.king h.e.l.l.

Rayce had locked her inside. He'd never told the wolf to do that! He'd just said to keep her safe! f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k! Julian yanked at the key and shoved open the door. He bounded inside.

Rose was in the bed. She wore his s.h.i.+rt, a big, black t-s.h.i.+rt that seemed to swallow her. She was turned on her side and he could see the tear tracks on her face.

Rose didn't like to be locked up.

I am going to kill Rayce. He whirled, ready to rip the wolf apart.

”Don't lock me in again.” Her voice. Soft, husky, and coated with pain.

His shoulders stiffened. ”I won't, love. I swear it.” He was just going to beat the ever loving h.e.l.l out of a certain mangy werewolf.

He heard the rustle of the bed covers behind him and then the faint pad of her feet on the hardwood floor. Julian forced his hands to unclench as he turned toward her. ”I'm sorry.” The words came out stilted and felt awkward on his tongue. He didn't usually apologize to anyone or for anything, but this was different. This was Rose.

His hand lifted and he wiped away a tear that lingered on her cheek. Her lips parted. Her eyes seemed to go even greener.

”I never meant for you to be locked up.” Protection was one thing. Trapping her was another.

”So I'm not your prisoner?”

”No, h.e.l.l, no.” He should stop touching her. He wasn't. He was caressing her cheek. Her skin was like silk. ”I brought you here so you could be safe. Not so some dumba.s.s wolf could torture you. You've been hurt e-f.u.c.king-nough. It needs to stop. It has to stop.” If he had his way, she'd never know a moment of pain again. His hand slid down her neck. A soft, tender neck. ”I'll stop it.”

Her head tipped back as she stared up at him. ”How did we get here?”

He blinked, confused.

”I thought I'd found Mr. Right. You were tall, dark, and mysterious. I looked at you and didn't want anyone else.”

He'd looked at her and, as far as Julian had been concerned-there had been no one else.

”But you were lying to me, the whole time. Pretending to be someone you weren't.”

Pretending to be a human. ”It wasn't d.a.m.n easy.” Especially when he'd had her in his bed. He'd wanted to let his wild side out, wanted that so badly, but he'd held back. For her.

Then he'd lost her anyway.

Because when I'm close to her, she always gets hurt. That's what happens to anyone who is connected to me. Pain.

He wanted more for her.

Julian cleared his throat. ”I'll leave the door open, okay? I swear I will. You get back in bed and sleep for a few hours. I won't interrogate the human without you.” Mostly because he needed her for the interrogation. A little vamp compulsion would help immensely. Of course, if she wasn't in the mood to lend a hand, he could always do things the old fas.h.i.+oned way...with his claws.

I've hurt so many others in my life. I'm Luke's a.s.sa.s.sin. Death is my game. Why did I ever think my life could be different? That I could be different?

She glanced back at the bed as his hand slid away from her. She turned away, and he let out a long, slow breath. Right. He had a wolf to find and skin. He had- Rose looked back at him. Her hand lifted. ”Will you stay with me?”

He shook his head. He'd misheard. Absolutely imagined those quiet words. Rose saw him as her enemy these days. No way would she want him in bed with her.

Wishful f.u.c.king thinking.

”I just...I don't want to be alone. When the ONS had me, I was always alone. They kept me away from everyone else. They kept me in the dark and I just...” Her chin lifted and her hand fell. ”Never mind. I'm not supposed to be scared. Isn't that what everyone keeps saying? I shouldn't be afraid. I'm supposed to be a bad-a.s.s. I'm evil. I'm-”

He scooped her into his arms.

Shock flashed on her face. ”Julian?”

”You're not evil. Screw what others say.” But he hated her fear. Hated it as much as her pain. ”You be you, sweets. I've got enough evil for us both.”

A furrow appeared between her brows. He carried her toward the bed and then lowered her until she was nestled on the mattress. Then he stalked around to the other side of the bed and crawled in with her.

And she shocked him again. She rolled toward him. She touched him.

”Are you as bad as others say?”

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Such a small ear. ”Worse.”

The furrow deepened. ”I don't...you're not, though, with me.”

He eased closer to her. ”That's because you aren't like the others.” The back of his hand trailed over her cheek. He liked touching her. Why resist something he enjoyed so much? Soon enough, she'd be far away. He'd never touch her again. ”There's no death order over your head so I don't need to be bad.”

Her eyes widened.

Probably the wrong thing to say.