Page 14 of Hart's Redemption

I shook off the troubling thought and answered his question. “Here should be good.”

Josh glanced around the small clearing I’d found for our things. “And you’re sure no one else is out here?”

His obvious concern about hurting someone made me feel that much guiltier for my doubt. Josh would conquer this like he conquered everything else. Wasn’t that what I’d told Dr. Lyons? “I’m positive. You’ll be safe here.”

He whipped around to look at me, no doubt having picked up on my exclusion of myself.

“Wewill be safe,” I corrected.

His shoulders instantly relaxed. He then finished stripping and set his clothes aside.

My gaze rebelliously traveled over his body. The extreme definition had softened slightly over his weeks of captivity, but thewere-gene had maintained most of the toning. I was pleased to see he’d put some of his weight back on in the days sincehe’d returned to normal, though he was still too thin. Even then, his naked form was enough to make my mouth water. The sleek lines of his torso drifted down to a tapered V and trim hips, then on to legs that seemed designed to wrap around me. Fuck, those legs along with that pouty mouth of his had starred in countless fantasies.

I fought back the rising ache. It didn’t matter how much I wanted to be buried deep in his exceptional warmth, to feel his fingers coasting along my shoulders, his lips brushing my flushed skin. I suppressed a groan.

This isn’t about me.

Josh

I shot Elijah yet another nervous glance. Whatever was going on between us, I didn’t like it one bit, but everything I tried to bridge the chasm only made things worse. We’d made a peace of sorts before confronting my mother, before I’d nearly died… before I turned. Perhaps my belief that we could work things out had been naïve. No amount of suffering on my part would ever atone for the horrible atrocities I’d committed against his kind.

Elijah’s soft sigh tickled my ears and caught my attention in time to see him rake a hand through his gray hair. The move accentuated his broad chest and muscular arms.

I swallowed past the want, the burning, achingneedto feel those arms around me, to have his fingers slide through my hair, and to have him tell me I was going to be okay, even if it was a lie. My breath came out shaky. I spared a glance at the darkening sky where deep oranges bled to crimson through the leafy trees.

Not much longer now.

“I’ll step away.”

Panic raced through my system so fast I choked. “Wait.”

Elijah glanced back at me, his brows drawn into a V of worry. “Is something wrong?”

My tongue stuck in a suddenly dry mouth.

Don’t ask. Don’t ask.

“Don’t go.”

Elijah blinked, but didn’t resume walking.

“I… I know it’s not really customary… and… and…” I clenched my fists by my sides as I fought to ask such a horrible favor. I knew lycans didn’t watch each other change. It was a breach of etiquette like no other. Taboo didn’t even come close. The level of trust awerehad to have in someone to even allow themnearduring the process was staggering. Except I trusted Elijah with my life, and if I was being honest with myself, I was scared. “Please stay.”

The tension in Elijah’s shoulders softened at the quiet plea. “Okay. Have you seen a lycanthrope go through the change before?” No sooner had he ask, then he scoffed. “That was a dumb question. Of course you have.”

Self-loathing bubbled like boiling acid in my stomach. I dropped my gaze to the ground, where it riveted on a stubborn sprig of growth. “I’ve never taken advantage of the change to harm awere. I was… curious.” Forced in truth, but there had been a certain level of morbid curiosity. To see such a magnificent creature reduced to helplessness by the very thing that made them great‌ was both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking.

“Josh… I didn’t think that was why.”

I swallowed thickly. “If you prefer to change somewhere else, I understand.”

“No. I’ll change here and then keep watch while you go through the transition.”

I finally lifted my gaze to focus on his cognac eyes. A riot of emotions tumbled through me—relief, fear, hope, sorrow, joy, love. In the end, I seized on the only one that mattered. Three steps were all it took to clear the distance separating us. The moment my lips touched his, searing heat spread like wildfire through my body. My fingers curled in his hair, and I pulled away with a gasp. “Thank you.”

He gave me a gentle push on my hips, though I didn’t know when his hands had gotten there. “Moonrise will be here shortly. Dr. Lyons and I agree it would be better if you tried to initiate the change before then.”

I nodded and stumbled back, my lips still numb from the first kiss we’d shared in months.