“This whole compound could burn down on my head, and I wouldn’t care as long as you were alright.” Grabbing her hand gently, he ran his thumb over her knuckles. “You, Narae! You’re the only fucking thing that matters to me. Not this cabin, not this place, not this land. You! I’ve waited my whole fucking life for you. And I didn’t think I deserved you, and that this would never happen for me. And when you got hurt, and we weren’t sure if you were gonna make it, I got so damn mad. Because me losing is so typical. My whole life, good things have been dangled in front of me and then ripped away. And all I could think was, here we go again. But it was different this time. This time, I couldn’t lie to myself or my wolf and say that it didn’t matter. Because it does matter.Youmatter. You matter more to me than anything ever has, Narae.”
She released a pent-up sigh. “So, do you still want me?”
He barked another laugh. “Want you? I don’t just want you, Narae. I need you. And I’m claiming you and keeping you and if anything like this ever happens again, I’m locking you thefuck up whether you like it or not. I can’t have my woman charging off into battle like she’s some kind of Demon.”
She grinned and boasted, “I was kicking the shit outta Lionel before he stabbed me.”
“I don’t wanna talk about him or any of those Biter cowards.” He paused a moment. “Are you okay about Bragga. I know he was your…”
“He was nothing,” she cut him off. “And he got what he deserved. I’m glad it was you who killed him.”
Daemon held her gaze for a minute, and she could tell he was trying to gauge her sincerity, so she didn’t blink. She wanted him to know that she meant every word. When he finally seemed satisfied, she asked quick, while she suffered a moment of bravery, “Would you kiss me?”
She watched his Adam’s apple dip low in his throat before he said, “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I picked you up off that field all bloody and broken. But I didn’t want to take any liberties while you were out. But I’ve been wanting, Narae. I’ve been aching to my marrow to place my lips on yours.”
She melted at his words, a grin curving her lips. Tilting her chin up, she closed her eyes and waited. She didn’t have to wait long. Heavy footsteps sounded, and then she was enveloped in Daemon’s dark woodsy scent. She felt the fan of his breath, and then his lips pressed into hers, not urgent or insistent, just steady, like him. She kissed him back and wanted desperately to lift her arms to wrap around him, but that was too much for her right now; her body wasn’t ready.
Daemon broke the kiss. Pulling back a fraction, he looked deep in her eyes before stealing another gentle peck. Reaching down, he tucked her blanket tightly around her. “Come on.” He eased one arm beneath her knees and the other carefully behind her shoulders.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going to your room. It’ll be our place for now until I can rebuild your cabin.”
“Mycabin?”
He gave her a lopsided smile as he stood. “I didn’t build that place for me, love. I built it for my mate.”
“You don’t have to rebuild on my account. We could live anywhere. As long as we’re together and close to Jury.”
Daemon stopped walking and looked down at her, his smile slipping. “As long as we’re together?”
Narae shrugged her good shoulder. “I waited my whole life for you too.”
Daemon drew in a slow breath like her words had broken something in him, and he was finally able to drag in real air. Finally, he started walking. He shouldered his way through the door and growled, “Do you have any idea how hard it’s going to be to sleep next to you without touching you?”
Narae frowned, “Who said no touching?”
“Oliver said you need at least five days to get back to normal, even with your shifter healing, so five days it is.”
“Five days?” Narae groused. “I bet we’re fucking in three.”
“Jesus Christ,” Daemon hissed. “You can’t talk like that, love, because I can’t handle it.”
Narae giggled. “These next few days are going to be fun.”
Daemon was shaking his head. “Hell. I’m in hell, aren’t I?”
As he carried her up the stairs, their voices carried through the foyer as Narae asked, “You gonna help me shower?”
“Woman!” he barked. “Stop. Do you know how hard it is to walk with an erection?”
Chapter 38
(One week later)
Moon hanging heavy in the night sky, Daemon eased his blacked-out Dodge to a halt in one of the furthest parking spots in the movie theatre's parking lot. He’d learned a long time ago that he had to keep his distance from humans as much as he could. They were silly little creatures with big mouths, big egos, and zero survival instincts. On more than one occasion, a door ding to his truck had nearly turned fatal for the offenders. So, for the sake of his sanity, he chose to keep his distance when he could. Now, climbing out of the truck, he rounded the front just as Narae opened her door and tried to get out.
“Hey!” he barked and pointed at her. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
