Page 43 of Wrapped in Their Arms

What the hell?

She took a step.Herjoints moved smoothly, fluidly.Nothingcreaked or cracked.Evenher vision seemed clearer somehow—sharper.

I feel… young.

She stared down at herself.Herskin had a luminous glow, and her legs—always one of her best features when she was in her 20s—looked impossibly smooth and toned.Itreminded her all over again of the strange rejuvenation treatment—apparently the effects were long lasting—possibly even permanent.

But that wasn’t the only difference she felt in her body.

Her breasts felt heavy, almost swollen.Hernipples ached with a deep, persistent throb that hadn’t gone away since the suction cups had been used on her.Andbelow, her pussy felt way too sensitive—every step, every brush of silk against her inner thighs made her wince and twitch.

Even deeper inside, there was a strange, warm ache—low in her belly, like the crampy feeling she sometimes got during ovulation.

What didLupindo to me?AmIreally younger now?Youngerforever?

The thought both thrilled and terrified her—it also brought more questions with it.

What if they changed more than my looks?Whatif they altered something inside me—turned me into somethingIdon’t recognize anymore?

There was no time to dwell on it because the guard was clearly tired of waiting for her.Heturned around, bearing his horrible teeth again and motioned sharply.

“Time’s up—back to the cell.”

Noelle walked carefully, her mind spinning, her body still tingling with confused sensations.Everystep reminded her of the changes she’d undergone.Everybreath reminded her that something inside her had shifted.

I don’t know what’s happening to me… butIdon’t think this is over yet.

She only hopedBurnandBrightcould help her through whatever came next.

23

BURN

The lights had gone out ten minutes ago, plunging their cell into total blackness.

Burn lay on his side, his chest toNoelle’sback, the cold of the floor pressed along one part of his body and the warmth of her soft curves against the other.Itwas like being caught between two worlds—one of comfort, the other of pain.

They’d taken off their shirts earlier—he andBright—despiteNoelle’sprotests.Shehadn’t wanted to accept the makeshift bedding, hadn’t wanted either of them to be cold.Butof course,Brighthad deflected her objections with charm.

“You’re much too delicate, my lady,” theLightTwinhad said, his tone playful but gentle.“Wecan’t have you freezing to death.”

“And besides,”Burnhad rumbled, “Kindredrun hotter than humans.Wecan keep ourselves warm.”

Eventually, she’d relented, and now her slender frame was nestled between them, cocooned between their heat and their bare chests,Brightcurled around her front andBurnwas behind her.Herbreathing was slow now, her head tucked underBright’schin.Shewas asleep, or close to it.Burncould feel the rise and fall of her curvy body with every breath she took.Thesoft press of her backside against his stomach and her scent, warm and feminine and sweet, filled his nose and wrapped around his thoughts.

She’s safe now.She’ssafe,he told himself over and over.

But the words were useless.Thepast which he had carefully buried had been unleashed in his mind and he couldn’t cover it again.

His body was rigid with tension.Hisfists clenched.Histeeth ached from grinding.

Don’t think about it,he ordered himself.Don’tgo back there.Don’tthink about it…

But the dark invited old memories like open wounds invite flies.

Burn pushed and pushed…cramming the memories away, like shoving unquiet corpses back into the soil.

At last his big body relaxed and sleep claimed him.