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"Soest one I’ in earnest now, deep, hiccuping sobs that made hientle his voice but that wasn’t who he was It carowl "Come on, baby"

She scooted a little bit closer Carefully, he closed the gap between her body and his bent knees, one hand stroking over her hair, the other clenched into a fist so tight, he was bleeding froh to bite into skin

Ever since joining DarkRiver, he’d been taught to take care of the pack, to protect He’d taken to the task like a natural, funneling all his anger and rage into so that ht find him a loner, but not one would hesitate to co for the one person who mattered ry he ith her, she was his to protect "Baby, I need to help you"

"Don’t," she whispered, "don’t treat me like a patient" Like Isla

He heard the words she would never say "You give me far too ht with, his to keep safe "Do you want me to call Sascha?" He wasn’t too proud to ask the pack for help, not if it would lessen Tally’s pain "She’s good at this kind of stuff"

Talin bit her lower lip again, a lip already swollen froue over it The leopard couldn’t understand why he didn’t

"I want to say no," Talin replied even as he fought the internal battle "I don’t know her She’s a stranger andwell, I’ she would hate platitudes, he gave her the truth "I didn’t sood at picking up scents"

"That doesn’t hter "I don’t think anyone in your pack will ever like me Look what I do to you" Her hand brushed over his fist "You’re bleeding"

He released the fist and flexed his fingers, soaking in the heat of her touch "It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last Don’t worry about it"

"Your pack worries about you," she insisted "I’ flowers and butterflies into your life"

He gave her a tight smile "I’s anyway" Giving in to the needs of the leopard, he cupped her cheek with his good hand "I am who I as you can’t control"

Her hand rose to lie over his, soft, fragile "But part of who you are is because of oes both ways - part of who you are is because of what I did" And what he had failed to do He sat un as her hand clenched on his, as her eyes darkened, that fine ring of bronze alray

"Do you think we can ever get past that?"

He shrugged, his leopard gaining strength as a fiercely sexual hunger uncurled inside of him, fostered by the delicacy of her touch, the soft warmth of her scent The leopard needed to mark her, to convince itself she was okay "Who says we have to?"

She frowned "It’s like a white elephant between us, Clay"

"No" He moved his hand from her cheek to the side of her neck, closed Careful, he told hith "That would imply we aren’t aware of it Which is definitely not true"

Her frown turned into a scowl "Are you saying you’re sick of talking about it?"

"Talking never solves anything" He could feel her pulse, thudding hard, out of ti else? He was sure it was the latter - she wasn’t scared of hiht this second "I have no idea o I et how to speak," Talin said, trying to tease "I’ll talk to your Sascha, too" She was no use to anyone if herout of control "But not now" Not when she was at such a huge disadvantage The cardinal Psy was so coantly beautiful, that Talin felt like a drab sparrow in comparison

Clay’s eyes were on her lips and suddenly she re Her palms dampened "I told you not to look at me that way"

He blinked, but it was the slow, lazy blink of a predator very sure of his prey "Why does it bother you soreen of his eyes "Admit it - you hate me for what I did"

"Why?" A stark de clasped around the side of her neck "Why did you give ahat you should have protected?"

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