Page 77 of Destined Dawn

“But the beast said–”

“The beast!” he growls.

“Is a part of our …” I wave my hands around frantically, “whatever you want to call our set up.”

“Family.”

“Okay,” I say, “the beast is as much a part of this family as you or I.”

Azlan nods without argument. Maybe a beast and an assassin aren’t exactly his preferred choices for this new family of ours; then again his actual blood family consists of a power-hungry psychopath so it’s hard for him to complain.

“What did the beast say?”

“He seems to think we’ve met before – have been fated together in past lives.”

“Sounds like Ellie’s woo woo shit to me.”

“That isn’t the bit I’m worried about,” I say, wringing my hands. He takes them in his and squeezes them.

“What are you worried about, little mate?” he says gently.

“He says it’s always been the same: whenever we’ve met in these past lives, I’ve always had both light and dark inside me. And sometimes the light has dominated and … and sometimes the dark …” I trail off, watching his face a second time with my heart in my throat.

“Hmmm,” he says, mulling over my words. “Spencer … Spencer isn’t the first were I’ve come across, Rhianna. I found them all to be rather mystical and superstitious. Maybe it is down to the circumstances they find themselves in – maybe they need something bigger to believe in to persevere through the prejudice and persecution.” I go to argue with him but he speaks again first. “Or maybe they know more than us. Maybe he is right. What difference does it make what you may have done in past lives? What we all may have done? All that matters is the present and what we choose to do now.”

“That’s what Spencer said,” I mutter, “that who we are is determined by the choices we make.”

“I think you are far better off listening to him than his beast,” Azlan snarks and I smile. “Rhianna,” he says, pulling me closer towards him, “I’ve spent the last decade chasing down bad people–”

“Bad people like me.”

“No, Rhi, you are not bad. If I’m honest with myself, many of them weren’t bad people, they’d just found themselves caught on the wrong side of the authorities. However,several of them were bad people, very, very bad people. And I can tell you, with my hand on my heart, you are not like them. Not like them at all.”

I inhale, his masculine scent swimming into my nostrils, and filling my lungs, and then I let that same breath out slowly.

“What if the bad magic takes over? What if I can’t control it? I have a temper and I’m not always the most patient of people.”

Azlan tugs me right into his lap. “Really, I hadn’t noticed that about you at all,” he teases. I pinch his bicep. “Or your occasional acts of violence,” he says, flexing his bicep where I just pinched. “But, seriously, Rhianna, I believe in you – we all do. And if that ever happened, if you ever struggled to control it, we’d be right here to help you. I promise you that.”

I snuggle up against his broad chest. There’s something about being in his arms, strong and dependable, that makes me feel so safe, like nothing and no one could harm me.

“Thank you, Azlan,” I say.

He strokes his fingers along my jawline and tangles them in my hair.

“I think we’re both guilty of hiding our feelings away at times. And I’m not exactly the best at talking about mine. But I think it’s better when we try.”

“Yes,” I say. I feel better for talking to him, the worries dissipating. He’s right, I have these five men here to help me – to help me make the right choices. “However,” I add, “I happen to think you’re very good at showing me your feelings in other ways.”

“I am?” he says, voice lowering and his grip in my hair tightening. “How’s that, little mate?”

“With your lips,” I say, tracing my fingertips around hismouth, “with your touch,” I take his hand from my waist and draw my fingers up his, “with your body,” I glide my hand down that broad chest of his, “and with your cock.” I grip him through the front of his pants, stiff and hard.

“You forgot my tongue,” he growls, licking up my throat and then sinking his tongue into my mouth. I wriggle around until I’m straddling his lap as he kisses me. I grind against him.

I bet Winnie would be rolling her eyes at me. I seriously can’t keep it in my pants. I blame the bond and hormones and the fact that fate has handed me possibly the five hottest men on the planet. I really can’t be held responsible for my actions.

I guess Azlan is thinking the same thing.