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CHAPTER EIGHT

TITAN

T itan waited by River's door as she changed her clothes.

Watching her take down Vanessa had been thrilling.

Seeing the power she possessed. The fire.

The grit. He wondered if that was something she'd inherited from her mother or something she'd had to learn for herself.

One of the things he'd learned about River over the past four years was that her upbringing had been almost as hard and isolated as his had been.

Losing her father. Never belonging to her pack.

People looking at her differently. They were so similar…

So why couldn't she see that she fit better with him than with those asshole twins?

What did those bastards have that he didn't?

River emerged from her room, and Titan's breath caught.

She'd changed into a pair of black yoga pants and a loose-fitting gray t-shirt.

Her silver hair was pulled back in a messy bun, exposing the graceful curve of her neck.

For a moment, Titan imagined pressing his lips to that spot just below her earlobe, marking her as his for real.

Feeling her arms wrap around him as she begged him to take her.

His wolf growled in approval.

"Ready?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral.

River nodded, not meeting his eye. As they walked down the hallway, Titan noticed how she kept a careful distance between them. His wolf whined, wanting to close that gap. Wanting to kiss where Titan had imagined. To pin her to the wall and rip her clothes off.

"The art studio is down here." Titan gestured to a door halfway down the hall.

He unlocked it and stepped aside, allowing River to enter first. The large room flooded with natural light from windows high on the west wall, and French doors that led to the backyard. Easels, canvases, and a variety of art supplies filled the space.

River's eyes widened as she took it all in. "This is... impressive," she admitted reluctantly.

Titan's wolf chuffed.

"I wanted you to have everything you might need. There's a small fridge stocked with soda and snacks."

River walked to an easel, running her fingers lightly over the smooth wood. "I told you, I don't paint."

"Maybe you'll discover a hidden talent." Titan smiled. "After all, you learned to carve wood recently."

She tensed.

He thought about saying something to smooth over the fact that he'd been watching her. He didn't want to ruin the moment. But what was the point? He'd apologized enough.

"I have to go to a meeting, but I'll be back in a couple of hours. Will you be alright?"

River's eyes narrowed. "I'll manage."

So feisty.

Titan nodded, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms. "If you need anything, press the intercom button by the door. Kane will come."

As he turned to leave, River's voice stopped him. "Titan?"

He looked back, hope rising. "Yes?"

"Earlier, you started to say something about the night you bit me. What did you mean when you said it wasn't you?"

Memories of that night flooded back. The primal urges that had overtaken him. "It's... complicated," he said.

Before River could respond, Titan exited and locked the door behind him.

He leaned against it for a moment, taking a breath to steady himself.

He'd told her that he'd not been himself when he'd bitten her, but that wasn't entirely true.

Yes, he'd been his wolf at first… but biting her had been all him.