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Anka had no doubt that her next and onlyto hurt But she’d rather take the physical pain than the dent to her pride

She lunged forith all her rip Instead of letting go, that stubborn bastard Lucan released her hair and wrapped both arms around her waist As they tuh her She’d brought hiround! That was a victory in itself Now she could fight, tooth and nail Scratch and claw and battle until he knew she was serious about beating back the Anarki and killing Mathias

Before they landed, he jerked, twisting his body until he cushioned her fall The irunted in pain, her shoulder raainst his hard shoulder

As she tried to roll away and continue the fight, he tightened his hold on her andmental inventory "Just shaken"

Before she could draw in another breath, Lucan rolled thes, and he used his thighs to part hers wider, settling his hips in the cradle of hers He was as hard as she’d ever felt hih her

"What the fuck were you thinking?" he barked, breathing hard

"Of breaking your hold Fighting back"

But all she could feel noas his body against hers, hard in all the right places, sliding across her skin Everything inside her lit up Yearning bubbled in her veins

"Instead of being upright with soravity working against you Regret that decision?"

Yes No She closed her eyes, no longer interested in fighting hiain Painuntil it becaather every bit of her control not to lift her hips to him and pretend the last three months had never happened, especially when he pressed his erection right against herfolds He wanted her, too--or at least his body did She bit her lip to hold in a et free now?" His voice had dropped to the rough muring in her chest spread crushing fingers through her

"I-I…don’t know"

His breathing was jagged as he braced hihtly above her, on his elbows Anka could feel hi down at her

"You won’t until I release you" The words were like a vow, and her heart stuttered "Why did you coht?"

The question ca her "It was a uessed that you’d have…co"

"I don’t give a shit aboutfor you You caalloping, out of control He’d sent the surrogate away? He hadn’t taken her to their bed last night and… She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, unable to bloody think of hiht, as Shock slept beside her, she’d been unable to i to help "

"Damn it, Anka! This is the first tiht answer fro you up until I’ve heard the truth Tell ht Tell me why you left me to wonder for weeks if you were even alive Tell h to come back"

Tears threatened He totally misunderstood She’d loved him so much that she’d cut her heart out to spare hih to leave him with the fantasy they’d shared for a century She alone bore the crushing weight of reality now

"Unless the Anarki are going to pin round and ask me pointless questions, let me up"

Above her, Lucan tensed His harsh breaths fanned across her lips, and she shivered He was close So close that if she just lifted her head a fraction, their lips would touch… She wanted his kiss with a guilty need that thruht of need pressing in on her chest

Suddenly, he sniffed, then ripped away fro of foul curses she’d never heard fall froer covered hers, she felt a bone-deep chill that ain

"The Anarki won’t say anything, just kill you I’ve pro you need to know to defend yourself and fight back But goddamnit, you’d better take a shower before you co hts slowly flicked on, gradually getting brighter until she saw the angry brilliance of his blue eyes, his stiff stance, the fists clenched at his sides

She frowned and shrank away froh," he growled "You s she intended to train today, he’d covered her in his scent, blanketing her body, rubbing all over her Fresh shame sliced her open "Sorry"

Lucan’s stare outlined her body, studying her uilt slithered through her No doubt, he’d taken note of the change in her energy level from yesterday--and knew exactly who had provided for her