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God, she knew Did he have to throw it in her face?

"If that’s what it takes to bring you some peace with your life now, yes I accept you as you are I won’t h and ain in fine silks for his pointless Privileged parties, then take you home for polite sex?"

She wanted to push Shock’s words back at him But too much of what he’d said was true

"What then? Will he look the other hen Mathias knocks on your door again?" He thrust his fingers deeper into her hair and clung "You can’t let Lucan hurt you again, little one"

She hadn’t grown up Deprived, the lower rank of rown up aonto that classification by her fingernails Her family had lost all connections, power, and influence in the past few centuries No h to sit on the ardless, her parents hadn’t approved of her childhood friendship with the elder Denzell boy, Shock But that had been okay They understood one another after she’d discovered his secret To gain his trust and make him feel safe, she’d told him hers They’d been nearly inseparable for decades, and she hadn’t been surprised when he Called to her

Then Lucan MacTavish had looked her way, pinning her with his hot blue gaze that had seared all the way down to her soul In that moment, the air had stopped Her heart stuttered He was the most beautiful man she’d ever met And he, the nephew of a Council ed, the scent of it oozed from his pores With his deep voice and wry smile, he’d quickly charmed her out of a kiss

She’d fallen in love the second his lips hungrily covered hers

"Oh, stop et to the part of your memories where the fucker leaves you alone in your house without special protection so Mathias can abduct and violate you Get to the part where he loses his fuckingto your rescue Where, when he finally sees you, he lets you go with barely a token protest, then brings a surrogate to the bed you once shared"

Anka shoved her face in her hands, wishing she could block out his words "Shut up!"

"Fuck no I’ to watch you turn yourself inside out for the prat who tried to mold you into his ideal woman, then didn’t bother to be your hero when you needed hi Shock said rong…at least not totally After she and Lucan hadHow to dress, how to behave, how to socialize She’d done everything to be the sort of ret her less-than-perfect bloodline One year had slipped into decades, then into a century She barely remembered what it was like to live a life where she wasn’t striving to please Lucan

Then Mathias had taken her Afterward, she’d felt so stricken, so dirty and guilty and tainted, she’d barely been able to face her former mate, but she’d forced herself to do it so she could perfor Once done, the ease hich he’d let her walk away…she had to wonder if he was secretly relieved to be rid of the barely Privileged woman he’d shared his home and life with

"Of course he is," Shock cut in "For fuck’s sake, if I’d been in Lucan’s position, I would have burned down the world until I found you I would have killed anyone stupid enough to stand in my way"

That wasn’t idle talk fro he believed was important, and over the last few months he’d proven over and over that he would do whatever necessary to protect and care for her

"That’s right" He wrapped his arhtly "And what did Lucan do?"

According to Sabelle, he lost his mind

None of it was i over her shoulder and eyeing her past She had to look ahead

"That’s not what I want to talk about, Shock"

He peered at her with those unusual eyes, dissecting, digging into her thoughts Anka let hi hi Mathias"

She’d known that would be his reaction "I don’t need your permission You’re not retted the words as soon as she spoke therabbed her Then her remorse seeped into him His face softened "A feords will fix that, Anka Speak the Binding to me I’ve waited over a century for you"

Anka closed her eyes as guilt slid through her "I’ive you the power to stopI need this Please understand"

Shock swore and pushed away "Then why the fuck are you here?"

She hesitated, al to say it Her request sounded so selfish, but she couldn’t afford to hold back "I want you…in that way" She nodded to the restraints sticking up fro for her wrists and ankles For that crop he’d tucked under the ed

Anka knew his expectation If she wanted hiuilt, then she had to play his game Quickly, she stripped off her skirt, blouse, knickers, and bra She left on her thigh highs and shoes, then dropped to her knees, staring at hi in them "I need you"

"Fuck," he swore alrabbing a fistful at the crown and tugging, forcing her gaze to remain on him "You’re bottled up, aren’t you?"

"Yes" The word tre"

He stared down at her, and she treer all roiling inside her No doubt, he could feel every one of her ehts of hiate now She needed this for her, to unravel her feelings, to scrub herself raw of the disgrace For the energy

"That’s right He has nothing to do with this, Anka It’s fucking rubbish,your thoughts revolve around howht of him, and it all stops Are we clear?"