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Thunder crossed his face "Don’t fucking think that I’ve been here for you in all the ways that count"

Anka couldn’t argue with that, so she just nodded and silently pleaded with him not to breathe a word about the banshee in the rooht nod "We?"

"You know I’ve thrown my lot in with the Doomsday Brethren"

"You’re bloody serious?" Shock pushed his way past Bram and entered the house

"Come in, then Don’t wait for otiate with Mathias about ending Morganna"

No eet word to him"

"Of course you will," Lucan sneered

Even behind the sunglasses, Anka knew Shock’s eyes narrowed She felt the anger radiating fro The need for violence shiotten into him Could he be…jealous? Did he still care? She didn’t want to hope so Hope hurt too much when reality crushed it But the truth was, she was jealous of Sabelle and every other woman Lucan had touched Maybe--

Very aware of Shock’s growl and his charge toward her, she broke off the thought and tiptoed back

Lucan stepped between theer "She is a groitch who can make her own decisions"

"I can also speak for ently pushed Lucan aside "I’m sorry, Shock" And she was He’d done sofor her forle day "Yes, I’ Mathias to hell, of stripping him of his sense of power and personal safety the way he stripped me of mine"

Shock stared at her for an uncohts She winced as he intruded He wasn’t subtle or careful, and it hurt more than a little But she allowed it She allowed hile herself in front of Lucan with the hope that he would take her back She gave hi that, no matter how badly she wished otherwise, she intended to be nothing more to her former mate than a trainee

Finally, Shock turned to Lucan, brows narrowing into a vee as he thrust his way into Lucan’s face "Hell, no This bleeding arsehole isn’t training you He isn’t touching you I know exactly what he’s thinking What the fuck could he teach you except to neglect your responsibilities and turn rabid when danger strikes?"

Fury ru about o to in order to see Anka protected So fuck off You e to be conveniently absent whenever there’s a battle What do you think you can do for Anka? Ignore her for a bottle of scotch, then beat her arse blue for the hell of it? You’ve kept her in that ra down around your ears, and have you taken proper care of her? Do you know that she’s allergic to shellfish and coconut? Do you care that she prefers a very particular brand of silk knickers? Did you bother to find out that she likes to be held when she’s sleeping and that she’ll have night to feel that you care?"

Anka closed her eyes With every word, Lucan was re her of so iven herself to hiiven her so veryshe wasn’t certain she could ever find with another er afford the deepest wishes of her heart, not with Mathias still on the loose

"Oh, boo hoo," Shock spat "Anka doesn’t need that anyer on her "Is that really true? Have Mathias and Shock really gutted your heart so er seek the love and reassurance you once craved? Or do you si yourself that’s the case?"

"I don’t need any of that anymore" And I can’t afford to need you The words sat on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t make herself say them They burned every inch of her flesh, all the way to the deepest part of her soul "I was a stupid, fragile princess who knew nothing about protecting ht me that in the most vicious way possible"

Lucan looked like he wanted to argue, but Braree else now is petty and pointless I won’t have you wastingto save nored his best friend’s pretty speech "You’re going with the china doll excuse again, Anka? Can you stand here and tellwe once shared?"

She sed down a searing lury part of her that still yearned for him "I’ve said I don’t need any of it"

Defeat crossed Lucan’s face, slu fury followed "Then it’s a da I don’t want them, either"

He lied Because she’d hurt hi out a hole in her heart and pouring pain inside

"When did your period start, then?" Shock challenged Lucan before turning to Bram "Got a ta hatred seizing hie, coed her Ruined her You’re going to pay I will kill you if it’s the last thing I do"

Shock smiled like a shark, all teeth and bad attitude "Not if I kill you first"

"Shut up!" Bra like he intended to hurl a lethal dose ofbattle cry

Nothing happened

With a curse, he looked up to find Felicia standing there, wearing a Mona Lisa s a bit of difficulty finding your way back to the office Shall we?"

Shock flung his hand down and grabbed her by the elbow, dragging her toward Braled in her face, offering her everything she still wanted--but kept just out of reach

~ ~ ~ ~

She no longer wants er wants me

Theecho, jarring hih his brain again She didn’t want him How many times and in how many bloody ways did she have to tell hiave up?