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She was co too close to him Az wanted to back away, but needed to be near her Needed it more than humans needed their breath

"Guess I couldn’t see the ht there behind the man’s smile I didn’t see it until it was too late"

Everyone had a ht Some embraced

Some kept imprisoned

"It had been a month since I ran aith hi that matters when you’re seventeen" She blinked quickly, and he wondered if she realized he could see the tears on her lashes "But I missed my mom My dad I missed theet them to answer the phone"

Az waited He wanted to hold her, but he was afraid to touch her

"So I slipped away one night I stole a motorcycle--Brandt had been the one to teach me to hot-wire them--and I went back home" Now a teardrop slipped down her cheek "They were dead They’d been dead since the night I left The-the neighbors told me it was some kind of wild animal attack My parents had been killed, buried, and I didn’t even know"

"Ananirowl of a beast

Her eyes closed "Even then, I still didn’t realize the truth Brandt found raves Told ether was just beginning"

A life bathed in blood

"Then one night," she licked her lips, "this guy at a bar started flirting with ht with him I sawhis claws caht open I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t"

A human would be no match for a shifter

"I ran froet away He said ereor no one would ever come between us" She swiped away the tears on her cheeks "And he toldotten in our way eventually, so he helped rown ragged with pain "I didn’t want theone I loved them But they were dead, and I was left with a hter was broken "He thought I should appreciate what he’d done I kept wondering when he’d killhow he’d proven his love for me"