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I was so warm.

My sleepy brain cleared, and I became aware of the hard, naked flesh pressed against me.

Draven.

He was still there, like he’d promised. He’d held me tight all night as dreams of the caves and the crones, of Brody, had invaded my mind and tormented me all night long. But every time I woke, Draven was there. He’d never left me, not once.

I turned my head on the pillow, and blew out a shaky breath. He was brutally beautiful, raw, and untamed. The sexiest male I had ever laid eyes on.

He’d kissed me again in the shower.

And I’d liked it way too much.

My gaze moved over his chest. Claw and teeth marks, gouges, scarred his skin. Scars he’d gotten protecting his pack, fighting demons.

What would it be like to be one of the people he cared about, one of the people he loved? Sudden and fierce panic fired through me. I shouldn’t be here. I couldn’t do this. All the awful things Brody had said to me, done to me, shot through my mind.

There was no missing the connection between Draven and me, the obvious attraction, but I couldn’t do this to myself again. I wouldn’t. No, Draven wasn’t Brody, but there was a whole lot of messed-up stuff between us that could not be ignored.

Biting back a groan, I eased carefully out of bed.

Draven muttered something and rolled to his back, and I froze in place. I bit my lip, then winced because they were still tender. He didn’t wake, though, and my gaze skimmed over him again. Goddess, he was gorgeous, lying there. That richly tanned skin, the muscles on top of freaking muscles. And I liked his hands, a lot, they were large and rough and always warm.

Stop.

I tore my eyes from him and rushed to the other side of the room. This felt cowardly, but he looked so tired. Waking him would be a shitty thing to do, right?

Leaving without saying goodbye after he saved your ass would be an even shittier thing to do.

I ignored the voice in my head and listened to my heart that was currently beating out of my chest, telling me to run.

I found some workout shorts in his drawer and slipped them on, knotting them at the waist to hold them up, then grabbed my car keys and phone that were now sitting on his dresser, and with one last look at the sleeping alpha, got the hell out of there.

“Nice outfit,” someone said as I hit the bottom of the stairs.

Asher. She was sitting in the great room.

“Yep, stunning,” I said and held up my phone. “Can I have Draven’s number?” I was running away, yes, but texting him a thank-you note would hopefully soften the blow of me taking off while he slept.

“Why don’t you ask him for it yourself?”

“He’s asleep, and I didn’t want to wake him.”

Asher started for the stairs.

“Please, don’t wake him. He looked seriously wiped. And I need to get home, but I want to thank him again for everything he did…and you, too, of course. It’s thanks to all of you that I’m going home to my family at all.”

Asher watched me for several long seconds, then held out her hand. I gave her my phone, and she tapped in Draven’s number. “He’s going to be pissed you left,” she said as she handed it back to me.

I knew that already. “I’m sure he’ll get over it.”

Her gold gaze stayed on me, and she tilted her head to the side. “He won’t.” Her lips curled up a little. “Don’t be surprised if he comes for you as soon as he wakes.”

Something sizzled inside me because I knew it, didn’t I? That Draven would come after me, and deep inside I thought I might want him to. Yep, I was seriously messed up, which was exactly why I needed to get the hell out of here. I needed to get my head on straight, and fast.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket. “You guys are close, right? Make him see that chasing after me is a mistake. This obsession he has for me…it isn’t good for either of us.” Which was the truth, no matter how attracted I was to the alpha.

Asher tossed her head back and laughed.