rie

ling giant was dense enough to turn my sh

dened, battle-tested muscle. Yet he wasn't a mindless monster lashing out. His jaw was clenched so hard that fresh crimson welled between his teeth, dripping onto his torn collar. Hea

every shredded fiber of his soldier's discipline was fightin

ng strain. His pale, glacial eyes burned crimson at the edges as black, poisoned

itchen knife tremblin

our platinum stars pinned to his blood-splattered lapel, f

The supreme martial ham

my stomach, followed immediately by an

mn

e supernatural military apparatus already had my scent, my bloodline, and my address. My peaceful, luxurious retirement-sleeping in until noon, sipping

fish instinc

atio doors. L

e. I was a biomedical researcher in my past life; beneath the cynical exterior, the instinct to heal was hardw

terrifying w

my throat. His jaw shook as a stifled, desperate whine tore from the depths of his broad chest. He didn't care about rank, decorum, or pride anymor

pleaded with mine, completely stripped of pride. "The scent... it's you. I know I have no right t

stature, reduced to pleading

knife onto the marble island and knelt down int

to a quiet neighborhood, G

going to turn him away. "I... I c

ui

parting the torn fa

e moment my warm palms settled over the frozen expanse of his

eached up and closed gently arou

thally sensitive. The moment my fingers stroked the delicate root, the lunar warmth dorman

didn'

olent shiver of sheer, overwhelming relief rippling through every muscle a

ious, deep crimson blush bloomed across his pale skin. The sheer vulnerability

inhaled my scent in ragged, shuddering gasps. His trembling arms slowly rose, hesitantly wrapping around my waist, his broad palm

defensive tuck, shivering with intense need before wrapping itself

z.

s, my discarded phone lit up, vibra

with a familiar n

pping the speakerphone without movi

quiet living room, cracked, bre

your ass back to Croft Tower right now... My neck is seizing up! If you come over, massage my temples, and give me the rest of that tin

e sensitive indentation behind Gideon's ear

e pleasure caught the Gen

past his parted lips-low, raspy, and vibrating right against the sensitive skin of my

he silent room-and directl