Page 49

The rat kept his head down, and his buddies did the same. The other male was shaking and, judging by the smell, had peed himself.

Draven turned to me and held out his hand.

And I was so damned thankful to see him, I took it.

CHAPTER 13

Draven

Iris clung to my hand as I strode from the alley. She didn’t fight or try to pull away, letting me lead her from the pieces of shit who were about to hurt her.

The idea of anyone causing her pain, of touching her—touching what was mine—filled me with fury.

“Where are you taking me?” she said, trying to keep up.

“I don’t know.” The words came out blended with my beast. “I just know I need to get you away from those fuckers back there or I’ll turn around and tear them to pieces one by one.”

Wisely, she said nothing and let me pull her around the side of the next building and into the parking lot behind it. It was dark, heavy in shadow, quiet. My wolf was right there at the surface, and there was no holding him back this time. I needed a taste of her, and if I didn’t get one, I would literally lose my fucking mind.

I closed in on her, unable to keep my distance another moment. The fear I’d felt rolling off her had all but gone, but I still wanted to go back and kill every male in that alley. “You okay?”

Her big brown eyes were wide, and she blinked up at me as if she were surprised by the question. Which was fair. So far, she’d only seen the worst of me. But then, when I was with her, my emotions were so fucking conflicted, so raw, there was no holding any of it back.

“I am now,” she said.

Christ, she was beautiful. Need clawed at me, thick and hot and urgent. It felt like a molten fire burning through my veins. I needed her. I wanted her. She was mine, and I was going to have her.

I pressed her small body against the brick wall at her back.

She stared up at me, her deep brown eyes searching mine. “You’re going to kiss me, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t tell me to back the fuck up or try to run. No, she submitted, licking her lips and waiting for me to claim what was my due. My right.

Maybe if I was in my right mind, I could still walk away. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight, there was no walking away. There was only her and me and the burning need between us, the desperate aching thing that buzzed in the back of my head and sparked and fired across my skin whenever she was near.

The thing that told me that on every level she was mine. My mate. And not tasting my mate at that moment was impossible.

I drew in a ragged breath, my hands hovering at her sides above the curve of her hips.

“Go on then, do it. You earned it,” she said, goading me, something she seemed to enjoy.

Maybe she thought her taunting would snap me out of it, would make me stop, that I’d turn away. Not going to happen. With a snarl, I scooped Iris up in my arms. She gasped, the sound turning into an alarmed cry when I slid a hand up her back, thrust my fingers into her hair, and fisted, holding her still.

Her lips parted to fire more of her attitude at me—

I claimed that smart mouth and kissed her hard.

Yes. This was what I needed, what I’d been missing my whole fucking life.

I forced her mouth open with mine and slid my tongue deep inside, needing more, taking more, and still not being able to get enough.

She moaned against my lips, and that sound—fuck—had my heart beating so hard I thought it would explode out of my chest. I shouldn’t want this. I shouldn’t want her. But fate had other ideas.

Christ, nothing had ever felt this good, this right.

She clung to me, letting me take everything I needed from her.