Page 57 of Broken

“He can’t even run in the woods now. He’s shackled to me, and my wolf is too unpredictable to go with him.”

He had taken her running in the woods close to the valley a couple of times. She’d loved that—it was so exhilarating being a wolf. But he was afraid to take her too far.

“So what does he do instead?” Karisma asked.

“He goes outside and paces around the cabin. Or runs his wolf in fucking circles around the compound in the dark until he’s exhausted.” She turned to Karisma, miserable. “This is my fault, isn’t it. I’m hemming him in, and it’s making him crazy.”

“It’s not your fault. For one, he’s always been crazy. You make him less crazy.” Karisma thought for a minute. “You could try grabbing him and fucking him silly. That usually works with Boomer.”

Ireland sighed. “We do that after. And it’s amazing. But…”

“But he’s still holding back.”

“Yeah.” She kicked a pile of leaves. She didn’t know what she was doing wrong. And apparently, neither did Karisma.

Karisma shook her head. “I am so there with you, girl. Boomer was like that too. He and Bro are really different on the outside, but on the inside they’re a lot alike. Wounded, and never feeling like they’re good enough. Like they have to prove they have the right to even exist, let alone be loved.”

That was exactly what it was like. “Yes. That.”

They walked in silence for a minute, and then Karisma asked, “Do you love him?”

Ireland froze. Because she’d never said the word to herself, about Cole. Not like Karisma meant it—for real, forever love. Karisma added, “Because it would be cool if you did.”

Ireland didn’t know what to say. But Karisma took one look at her, and a smile spread across her face. “Oooh! You do!”

“I think yeah,” she said shyly, and then her spirits dropped. “I don’t think he loves me, though. Just because we have great sex doesn’t mean he has feelings for me. Not like you and Boomer.”

Karisma was still smiling. “It doesn’t mean he doesn’t, though. And why would he be so worried about showing his real self to you, if he didn’t care?”