Page 44 of Knight’s Absolution

She felt so goddamn weak. Once again, she had to rely on someone else just so she could function.

A giant fucking burden, that’s what she was.

And Gunner thought she was so pathetic, so pitiable, that he didn’t even want to use her body. He wouldn’t take from her the only thing that she could give him as payment for letting her feed off him like a goddamn bloodsucking parasite.

She squeezed her eyes closed and more tears escaped—and she hated fucking crying.

“Shhh, love. It’s gonna be okay,” Gunner said against her ear. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

No, it wouldn’t.

Nothing would ever be okay again.

Gunner was afraid to move.

When Luna finished feeding, she’d kept hold of his arm, hugging it to her. Eventually, though, she’d rolled in her sleep so she was facing him. Her face was pressed against his chest, one arm up between them, the other over his waist. She was holding him tight as if she were afraid he’d get up and leave.

That wasn’t going to happen.

His cock throbbed, but he ignored it. Wanting to fuck your mate as soon as you found them was a given, but that was the last thing she needed from him.

He bit back another growl; he’d been doing it all night. The realization that Azel, that twisted, motherfucking angel—who had murdered Luna’s mother, then abducted her and her brother for their powers—had used her like that, had made her think she had to give him her body in exchange for blood, made him want to roar and tear shit to pieces, preferably that fucker’s limbs from his body.

His beautiful, precious female had been through hell. She was so strong, stronger than anyone he knew. Christ, the shit she’d survived. But there was this vulnerability, an innocence, an insecurity that she couldn’t conceal.

Most people—demons, angels, demi—built walls, shields, using anger or sarcasm or humor as a defense mechanism. Luna didn’t have that. He guessed that’s what came from being so removed from the world. Every emotion she felt was written all over her face.

There was no hiding, no pretense.

She fascinated him more with every moment he spent with her. God, he wanted to protect and take care of her so badly he vibrated from the need of it.

She made a little whimpering sound in her sleep and pressed closer. Gunner held her tighter in return. Luna was petite and curvy, and right now her soft, round hips and breasts were plastered against him. He glanced down at her, and his mouth literally watered from the desperate need to taste her skin, her lips—shit, every inch of her sweet little body.

The fact that he had to take this slow was torture. It also soothed him, because he would do anything for his female. If he had to walk around with blue balls for months, fucking years, if that’s what it took for her to accept him, he would.

With another sweet little sound, she bent her knee, her thigh moving up over his hip. Jesus fucking Christ. He could feel the heat of her pussy, could smell her heady scent. She was…fuck, she was turned on right then. He’d bet his incredibly hard, aching dick, she was wet.

He groaned under his breath. What if she never wants you back?

And, of course, now he desperately wanted to know what she was thinking about to make her body react like that. Who was she thinking about? Did she actually want Azel? Was it more than his blood she craved?

Grinding his teeth, he sucked in a sharp breath through his nose. No, no fucking way did she have feelings for that sick fuck. All he could do was hope that her reaction was from being so close to her male. That being pressed up against him this way was having the same effect on her as it was on him.

Luna stilled in his arms.

She was awake.

Her head tilted back, her gaze sliding up to his.

“Hey,” he said, his voice sounding utterly wrecked.

She licked her lips and looked away, at his chest, his shoulders, his arms. “I-I’m sorry…I’m not sure how I…” She tried to move away.

Gunner held her firm. “It’s fine.”

She blinked up at him in that slow way of hers, and Gunner got caught up in the vibrant color of her eyes. They were brighter, darker after feeding, and so pretty he couldn’t look away.

“I don’t usually move in my sleep, I’m not sure how I—”