Page 103 of Inhuman Nature

Rake stared at Kit, his thick brows high on his forehead. Shaun threw his head back and let loose a cathartic laugh.

“He’s right, isn’t he?” Rake checked.

Shaun just kissed him.

He ended up having to use more kisses as a distraction as the night wore on into morning. By the time Lynette returned, Kit was pretending to nap on a sofa as Shaun once again talked Rake down from going after DJ by himself.

There was a palpable tension in the air when Lynette and Julia walked back into the room. Two of Lynette’s creations who’d been sitting at the bar turned in unison, and Kit sat up. Shaun couldn’t figure out what had changed until he noticed Julia’s scent.

Lynette had recreated her. Shaun whispered just that into Rake’s ear, as he was far too new to tell. To Shaun’s shock, Julia headed for him. He couldn’t stop himself from stiffening.

“You saved my life,” she said.

While his first impulse was to tell her that’s what he’d been saying all along, tact would go further. “I’m glad you didn’t become another of Lawrence’s victims.”

“Wait, you remembernow?” Rake said to Julia, incredulous.

Kit cut in. “Vampire perk. Remembering all the times you were compelled. Or, you know, not so much of a perk when you spent the last few months of your mortal life with someone like Lawrence.”

Shaun caught Kit’s eye, trying to convey his understanding. After a long second, Kit’s gaze darted away as he gnawed on a thumbnail.

“Lawrence grabbed me that night when I was walking home from here,” Julia said.

“Waited until Steve thought she was safe and then swooped in,” Lynette added. She cast an unimpressed look at her creation, who lowered his head.

“Lawrence told me I was going to die,” Julia continued. “That he was going to get Shaun to do it. I remember little after that. I saw your face, and then I woke up in the hospital.”

“I took you there,” Shaun confirmed. “And had to fight Lawrence off when he tried to kill me for it.”

“Thank you. Sincerely. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for you.”

Before Shaun could respond, Lynette broke in. “I need you to make your vow to me now, Rake.”

Rake’s jaw tensed, and Shaun worried Rake might refuse point-blank. But he gave a small nod. Shaun only hoped he wouldn’t bolt at Lynette’s touch. Their peace still seemed tenuous at best.

Shaun would just have to keep Lynette on their side until this whole thing wasover and done with.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Rake

Rake fought back bile. He clung onto the sofa, only realising that his new claws had dug into the soft leather when Shaun tapped on his knuckle.

“Let’s get this over with,” Lynette said, as if the process was an inconvenience forher. “I need to bite you, and you need to vow you’ll follow the laws of the territory.”

Rake didn’t think vampires could sweat, but he felt he might be managing it.

“Hey,” Shaun said. “I’ll hold you through it, all right?”

Rake grimaced. He was supposed to be the Dom between them, not someone who needed their hand held through what should be a simple exchange. “I’ll be fine,” he gritted out.

“Let me do this for you. Please?” Shaun shot him a wide-eyed, pleading look of the sort Rake had seen him give in the bedroom. Even though Rake understood he was being played, he acquiesced.

Lynette held her hand out. “Wrist,” she commanded.

Shaun moved to the arm of the couch, gathering Rake’s free hand in his lap. Rake tensed at the sensation of Lynette’s soft hands, the contact like stinging nettles on his arm. Onlyhis connection with Shaun kept him from flinching backwards. As Lynette leaned down to bite him, Rake chose to look at Shaun instead.

Shaun’s face was pinched with worry, and he squeezed Rake’s hand. Discomfort never affected Rake when touching Shaun. Not even from the very first time.