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“No. What scares me is that I wanted you. I needed you there, not because I wanted you to save me, but because I just wanted you beside me.” She sounds so scared, so unsure of what her feelings might mean that all I want to do is hold her.

I open my mouth to respond, to give her the answer she needs, but I can’t find words. My chest aches at her confession. I’m not sure why I’m so attracted to her, why my need to save her is so fierce, but it’s there.

I can’t deny it.

I can’t control it.

But each time I have ever looked into her eyes, and seen her conviction, I always recognize her ferocity in those mere glances she gifts me. Her words though, they hit me right in the very heart of who I am. The same place I vowed never to let someone in, I realize I’ve already allowed her to enter.

I’m no hero, and I’m certainly not some knight in shining armor. I’m her equal, but what she doesn’t realize is she’s the one who controls us.

My little wolf is stronger than I am.

She twists the door handle, pulling it open and soon enough, I’m met with those gemlike eyes. They pierce me, stabbing me right in the stupid muscle that’s already filled with her.

It’s then that I find my answer. “And I want to be beside you. Not as some caveman, but as the person who can stand beside you when you need it.”

“Are you finally admitting that I don’t need a hero?” She arches a brow at me as her lips curl into a naughty grin.

“I am. You’re far stronger than I gave you credit for.”

“And you’re far more stubborn than I thought you’d be.” Her words are soft, a whisper of amusement.

“Be mine. We don’t have to promise a forever if that’s not what you want,” I tell her. “But give me you, for now. Until we decide otherwise.”

She’s silent for so long, I drop my gaze to the floor, praying that she says yes. But the more I listen to the silence, the more my chest tightens because I half expect her to refuse. I almost hear her saying no but it’s in my mind. It’s the fear that seems to drive me as I wait for her to answer.

Lifting my head, I meet those eyes that see me for who I am, a broken boy trying to be a man. Then she gifts me her perfect smile and nods.

“Okay.”

23

Rukaiya

He’s silent for so long that I wonder if he heard me. Perhaps he’s not even listening. My heart is thudding against my ribs so painfully that I feel like I can’t breathe. Stress, it all comes down to the worry that he’s going to tell me he’s done fighting for me.

It’s stupid. I’ve always said Dahlia was silly for having these fairytale dreams, but here I am, wanting someone to care for me the way Ares does for her. That’s what I want. A relationship that’s open and true. Hearing that Etienne was sleeping with Tarian’s mother shocked me, but I understand that it was before I even knew him, and I’m acting like a teenage girl with a crush.

But then again, that’s exactly what I am.

When I twisted the doorknob, and pulled open the door, I found Etienne standing there looking broken, tortured, and hurt. I fall into his arms without thinking. When he wraps me in his warmth, the doubt that’s been plaguing me constantly slowly melts away. And I realize it’s not only a fantasy in my mind that I am his, it’s real.

“This right here,” he speaks, pressing a kiss to the top of my head, “this is where I’m meant to be.” He sounds so earnest, so real and true, that I have to look him in the eye. “And I’d like to kiss you,” he grins, “a lot. I don’t give a shit if you argue with me, I’ll make you see that you’re special to me. That I’m not going anywhere.”

“Then you better come inside,” I tell him, lacing my fingers through his as I pull him into the room and shut the door behind him. “I think it’s time you show me just what it is you’ve been thinking about all these months.” I’ve never been so brazen with anyone, but Etienne seems to enjoy playing with the wolf that normally lies dormant inside me. As dangerous as it may be, I want to make him see just what he does to me.

“You’re a predator, little wolf. I’m merely your prey tonight, your turn to claim me,” he informs me in a low, husky whisper that has a direct link to my core. “Because when you’re done, you better be sure, I’ll be fucking you until you’re nothing but a sweaty, sated woman in my bed.” A tingle shoots through every nerve ending in my body, all the way between my legs, and I can’t help squirming at his promise.