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Nicholas disappeared back through the trees, and Zach picked up speed, closing the distance to Lexi When she caht and veered to the left of Iain’s cabin, Zach followed His long legs ate up the ground as his body worked to get her back where she belonged--by his side, forever

The next time she looked over her shoulder at him, he ithin arm’s reach Her chocolate brown eyes widened, and she tripped over the root of a tree

Zach grabbed the back of her shirt to stop her fall, then gathered her in his ar He swept her up and continued on to the nearest unoccupied cabin It wasn’t as posh as the suites in thewere, but there would be a mattress on the bed to cushion Lexi’s back and that was all that really ," he told her His voice was rough and harder than he’d intended

"LetHer cheeks were pink, and her chest rose and fell, pressing deliciously against his

Zach booted the cabin door open and slaain once they’d cleared it The doors bolted from the inside with thick, sturdy beams of wood over iron brackets He bumped it with his elbow and the bea them in

The place smelled a little musty, but the scent of pine made it tolerable It was dark in here, coht sliding in through the dusty s The cabin was sed one wall, and along the opposite as a fireplace and a table with two chairs In the far corner, there was a bathrooh none of it fancy Other than food, they had everything they needed right here

"Put er sounded like a woe men armed only with a metal pole

Zach did as he was told and laid her on the bare , he crawled on top of her and caged her in with his body He kept his weight on his hands and knees, keeping as much distance between their bodies as he could He didn’t trust hih to press his body fully to hers and keep control As it was, his dick was hard and his blood was de he stake a physical claim on her body, and to hell with the luceria He wanted her naked and wet and spread out for his pleasure Just the thought of running his hands over her bare skin was enough to ht One step at a ti his hands to himself and his dick in his jeans, much to his dismay

"We need to talk," he told her

"I just want to leave, okay?"

"It’s too late for that I don’t have the tiain" He could feel his last leaf barely clinging to the branch It was dry and withered, and he was sure he wouldn’t last untilhier over her throat He could feel her pulse skittering under his fingertip Her skin arm and so silky soft he had to close his eyes and soak up the feeling, come," she whispered

Zach didn’t want that He wanted to ood

She’d told hiood when he touched her, so Zach spread his hand over her throat, reveling in the striking contrast of his darker skin against hers, the roughness of his hands against the perfect silkiness of her neck He willed a ribbon of energy through his ar into a ments of sensation

Lexi’s eyes fluttered closed and she let out a soft sound of pleasure

"Still scared?" he asked, forcing his tone to reh hirabbed his wrist, wrapping both hands around it She didn’t push hi in indecision

Her bottom lip quivered, and he wanted to kiss it and drive away the worry he heard in her voice "Helen says I’ You all say the Sentinels are the good guys How can my whole life be a lie?"

Zach didn’t want to talk He wanted to deive him what he needed, both her body and her vow to stay by his side for eternity He kneas ether if she’d shed the lies of her hu and let him show her the truth of their kind Her kind, too

She pinned hi he knew he had to slon She needed him to talk to her and soothe her, and in the end, he could deny her nothing

Zach fought back his pounding lust and willed himself to speak "No one can force you to believe All I can do is offer you a aze moved to his throat To his luceria "Ican’t"

"Why not?" That question cost him another precious sliver of control, but he offered it nonetheless

"If Moht, then once I put that on it will be too late I’ll be imprisoned"

"That’s not the way it works I can’t force you to wear it, believe me If I could, you’d already be my lady"

"Another lie?" she asked with a hint of defiance lifting her chin

Zach smiled He loved that about her Here she was, trapped beneath him, locked in a cabin inside a coive up His Lexi was a fighter to the core, and he was a lucky man to have found her

"There’s one way to find out," he taunted "Unless you’re afraid"

Sparks of rebellion lit her eyes "Get over yourself You’re not scary enough tofrom monsters scarier than you Grow so and then we’ll talk"

"So, what’s stopping you?" He tilted his chin, baring his throat "Take it It’s up to you how long you decide to wear it"

She reached up and Zach’s body clenched in anticipation Despite what she said, she was afraid He could feel it in the way her arm trembled, the way her pupils had shrunk down to tiny dots of black But even with that fear, she didn’t back down She ran her finger along the band and Zach felt that single touch slide through hi him to his toes His dick strained for release and a hot hum of desire wrapped around his veins

"I don’t knohat to do"