“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

I stared blankly at the fire in the fireplace, mindlessly tossing pieces of paper into the flames. They flared up instantly around the edges and became blackened by the orange streaks of light as flakes of ashes fluttered up from the flames. I shrugged.

“I mean, it's really nothing,” I insisted.

“Are you sure? You seemed preoccupied when you came in from the hunt. And you weren't talkative at dinner at all,” Zane went on.

I offered another light shrug. I was entranced by the flames, by their beautiful and rhythmic lapping at the brick surrounding them, and by the sound they made when they crackled. I stuck my hand out towards them to feel their warmth, crumbling my fingers as they licked at my skin.

“Riley, don't do that!”

Before I could say anything, Zane took my hand and pulled me away from the fire. It was like I was bewitched by some strange sorcery. I stared at him and then at the burned piece of skin that flaked up from my palm, my eyes wide with horror. He sat me gently in a cushioned chair.

“I don't...” I trailed off and lowered my head.

“What's going on with you?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“I have no idea,” I whispered. “I really have no idea.”

“You almost burned yourself.”

I took a deep breath and sighed, inspecting the damage I had done to my skin. I didn't know I could withstand the flames like that. Bleed, yes. Burn at the stake, absolutely. But withstand flames with minimal pain? That wasn't something Draven or Sirus had ever mentioned. They had continued to threaten me with the stake burning without mentioning that I wouldn't even feel it. Maybe I would have been fine after all.

“I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that,” I sighed.

He knelt down in front of me and took my face between his hands, forcing me to look into his eyes. Those brown, incandescent eyes reflected the fire in a glorious wash of color ranging from dark brown to light hues of honey. I searched them for a hint of truth, for something more substantial than what I held now.

“There is no reason to harm yourself, Riley. You've done nothing wrong,” he explained.

“I didn't think that at all.”

His eyes softened. They studied mine with delicate intensity, the pupils dilating as they washed over my cheeks and down my chin. When they flitted back up and met my gaze, I shivered.

“It's clear, Riley, that you're still feeling some level of guilt about leaving your coven,” he whispered.

I stared down at my palms. The one that had been burned had already healed up at this point, appearing as smooth as the day I had turned into a fang. I ran my finger over the area that had once been charred. It didn't look any different than ten minutes ago.

“But there's nothing wrong with what you did. I want you to understand that before you sneak back into that castle,” he assured.

Tears began to brim at the edges of my eyes. My lower lip quivered suddenly, an uncontrollable response to his words. Why was I so emotional? I couldn't hold his gaze now. It was much too painful to see those kind eyes; to be healed by them. His hand rose to my face and stroked away a few tears. I felt ashamed of them.

“I don't understand why I'm upset,” I whimpered.

“You've been traumatized, Riley. There's no way I couldn't see that. You're stunned by your choice even though it was the right thing to do.”

I licked my dry lips and shook my head, still refusing to meet his gaze.

“I can't imagine what would have happened if I had given in. How many people would I have killed?” I pondered.

“That's of no consequence now. The only thing you should be concerned about is what is happening right here, right now,” he asserted.

I sniffled while wiping my face. His hand was resting on my shoulder now, benevolently rubbing the emotional tension from my skin. As the tears subsided, I rested my head against his shoulder and pulled him into me.

“And what is happening right now?” I posed while tangling my fingers through his soft brown hair.

He sighed contentedly into my ear and whispered, “Something magical.”

I melted into his arms at the sound of those words. A sigh and a moan transported me from the cushioned couch to the warm hearth. Zane ran his fingers over my black blouse, sliding the fabric up to reveal my pale stomach. His eyes remained fixed on mine as he massaged my skin with skilled hands that rubbed away the guilt and the tension I retained in my gut.

“You have such a way with healing,” I whispered.

The flames danced over his face, temporarily making him look gruesome, but he leaned forward and the morbid expression dissipated into one of pure affection. He smiled wide, revealing a pair of slightly elongated canines.

“That's one of my gifts,” he grinned.

“So, why me?”

A look of hurt fell over his face briefly. It was as if I had challenged his emotions; questioned his motives. And I did question them. I was in enemy territory as a young fang without any protection or any preparation. He had me in a vulnerable position next to the fire. If he wanted, he could toss me into it and drop the wrought iron gates. I shivered under his touch.

“Because I feel connected to you. It's uncommon for shifters and fangs to have anything in common, let alone an affectionate connection.” He patted his chest. “But I truly feel it, Riley. I feel you in here.”

Another wave of emotions washed over me as he leaned down to kiss my neck. It made me feel warm just as Forrest had made me feel warm. The feeling washed over my limbs and brought with it a desire to run my hands over the length of his torso. He sighed as I rubbed his muscles, trailed my nails down his stomach, and fumbled with his jeans.

“I promise I'll protect you,” he whispered to my skin. “I promise I will cover you in this raid. I don't want to lose you.”

I bit my lower lip to stifle the tears that were surfacing once again. Did he really mean those words? I couldn't tell what I believed anymore as my emotions became a frenzy of waves. They crashed over me and sucked me into a riptide where I nearly drowned, choking as I sat up to catch a breath.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have moved too fast. Are you alright?” he asked.

I offered a chuckle and wiped the rogue tears that had fallen down my face.

“I'm fine. I'm just surprised.”

Another smile formed as his lips greeted mine, pressing me back down to the warm hearth in a fit of passion. He removed my clothes delicately slow as if preserving my porcelain body and then ran his fingers over my bare skin. After removing the barrier of his clothing, he pressed himself to me and nuzzled my neck.

I could feel his member pulsing against my entrance, begging to be allowed access. I happily received him and groaned while lifting my legs up into the air. His firm cock spread my legs wider, inspiring a thrust of my hips as he rocked gently into me. Every touch sent shivers throughout my body and each kiss silenced my fears.

While his hips rhythmically thrust against my thighs, I rested my arms above my head and smiled. The warmth surrounding me—from the fire and from Zane—was enough to put me into a state of ecstasy. His girth filled me, his hands caressed me, and his lips delightfully marked every bit of my body he could swallow. I smiled when he engulfed my nipple into his mouth, sucking gently at my sensitive skin.

I sighed and rested my arms over his shoulders, a content smile crossing my lips as he met my gaze. I didn't look away this time. I kept my eyes steady on his, almost daring him to look anywhere else. We held this position for a moment as his grunts turned into primal growls and his hands gripped my skin with heated desperation. I could feel our climaxes approaching, the knotted rope in my gut slowly growing tighter and tighter.

“Take me, Zane,” I growled. “Take me and keep me.”

He grinned.

“With pleasure.”