Chapter 0231
He takes the keys from my grasp. “I’m driving.”
I don’t argue. I let him have them.
While I slide into my wedges, he asks where we’re headed.
“Just drive,” I murmur, following him outside.
He stays silent as he navigates the back roads. He gives me space. Lets my mind race.
He’s waiting for me to speak.
I don’t know how far we’ve gone when he pulls over beneath some trees. The sun is beginning to rise in the distance.
“Keep driving.”
“I’ve been driving for hours. We’ll need gas soon.” His voice is low.
It’s time. I have to tell him.
“All my life, I’ve been searching for my half-sister. Trying to fix what was broken. What happened to me and my mother. She was impossible to find. Until recently. All I had was a name. When our kind hides in the shadows, do you have any idea how difficult that is?”
He stays quiet. His eyes don’t leave me.
“I discovered I had a talent for killing when I was a teenager. I was damn good at it. It felt natural. People paid me to solve their problems. It was a convenient way to make money while doing what I loved. Do you know how rare that is? Of course you don’t. I’m sure big brother gave you everything you ever wanted.”
It was a cheap shot. I knew it. The anger was talking.
“Did Zachary ever seem evil to you?”
He shakes his head. “Honestly, I didn’t know him that well.”
“Shifting and killing… it does something to Lycans.” I shake my head. “It turns us into worse monsters than we already are. Sometimes, you can’t stop it.” I let out a heavy breath. I’ve never told anyone that. It’s exhausting just thinking about it.
“You came back from that,” he says, his dark eyes holding mine.
“And one day, I might lose that fight all over again.” He deserves the truth now that he’s hearing my secrets.
“How long has it been?”
“Four years.”
“And you still think it could happen again?”
I nod, watching the sun climb over the hills.
“Why?”
My eyes snap to his. “What do you mean, ‘why’?”
“Why would you go back? If you don’t want that life, just don’t go back.”
“If only it were that simple. The best way I can explain it is… it has a grip on you. Lycans weren’t meant to live like humans. Or even like Wolves. We were designed to control the population.”
“Human numbers keep growing. They’re slowly destroying the world. So we… thin them out. But some Rogues take it too far.” I add.
“You’re talking about that town. Where Gabriel was from.”
I nod. “They should have moved on. Their mistake.”
“You’ve never talked about this, have you? You’ve kept it bottled up for years.”
“If you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly have friends.”
He pulls the lever and slides his seat back. He reaches over and unclips my belt. In one motion, he pulls me onto his lap. His hands frame my face, drawing me close.
“You have me.”
His lips crash into mine. Rough. Urgent. His tongue demands entry.
I gave him the worst parts of me. And he didn’t flinch. He didn’t pull away. He let me pour it all out without pushing for more.
I twist my body, straddling his thighs. My arms lock around his neck. I kiss him back with the same ferocity.
He understands me more than anyone ever has. I’ve let him in deeper than anyone else.
I break the kiss. My chest heaves as I stare at him. Maybe he is my salvation.
“Okay,” I whisper. I tilt my head back, offering my neck. “Do it.”