choice,” he whispered, and she felt his breath stir against her ear. She would
not
shiver.
She shivered. Dammit. “I didn’t realize I had a choice. You said I had to stay with you. Twenty-four, seven, right? Weren’t those your words?”
He was wet. But warm. Always warm.
“Yeah, those were my words.” He smiled. “But you could have run again. Made me chase you.” He…nuzzled her.
Seriously, that was what he’d just done. Nuzzled her neck as if he were giving her some kind of panther caress.
Then he let her go.
“But if I’d chased you, that would have just brought out the beast in me.” He stared at her with his glowing eyes. “It’s better if he comes out when we’re alone. Not here.”
Rose swallowed. “Julian…”
The boat was already moving.
Julian turned his back to her. “Don’t forget…”
Her hands twisted nervously in front of her.
“I’ve already kept up my part of the deal. Your turn will come soon.”
She knew he’d just given her a warning.
Chapter Five
He wasn’t surprised to find Rayce Lovel waiting on the island’s dock. The wolf shifter would have heard the boat’s approach, and Rayce—being Rayce—would have come down to see just what was happening.
After all, Rayce and Julian had both been left to guard the island in Luke’s absence. If anything happened to the place while their buddy was gone, there would truly be hell to pay.
“Didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” Rayce called out. His blond hair glinted beneath the light on the dock. “Poor hunting night?” Then his gaze darted to Rose—a very quiet Rose. “Or perhaps, a very, very good hunting night?”
Julian growled. He didn’t like the way Rayce eyed Rose. The wolf needed to tone that shit down.
“Why do wet women keep being brought to this island? Not that I’m complaining,” Rayce added as he caught the line that Marcos threw to him. “Quite the contrary. I just—”
“Get the human off the boat. He needs to be taken into containment until morning.” Francis had woken up on the ride out to the island. His terror had turned into screams—screams that had stopped when Julian gagged the fellow. “I am not in the mood to deal with him now.”
No, what he needed right then…it was a run. A wild, fast and furious run across the island. He had to let his beast out. Too much had happened that night—
Two times. Two fucking times death tried to take Rose.
His control was razor thin. The beast demanded his freedom, and the man wasn’t going to be able to hold him back much longer.
“A bound and gagged human?” Rayce bounded onto the boat and eyed the kid. “Definitely an interesting hunting night.”
Julian grunted. “I think he was under a compulsion. He doesn’t seem to remember jack shit right now, but I am hoping with the right…tools…” Tools the human would
not
like. “With the right tools, I’m hoping that will change.”
Rayce easily slung Francis over his shoulder. “I know just the cell for him.”
Because, yes, Luke’s island paradise came complete with its own prison. Luke truly believed in being prepared.
But before Rayce could leave the boat, Rose stepped into his path. “He’s a kid, okay? Not some prisoner. He doesn’t belong in a cell. He’s confused and scared and he has no idea what’s happening.” Her words tumbled out, fast and husky. And…shaking. “You can’t just lock him up. You can’t hurt him.”
They could. “The cell is for his protection, Rose. Rayce and I aren’t the only monsters on the island right now.”
At that one word—monsters—she flinched. Then she turned the full force of her big, green eyes on him. “Locking him up…how does that make us better than the ONS? How does that make us any better than—than this Collector guy that you keep worrying me about?”
“It doesn’t make us better.” He’d never said he
was
better and, hell, he was almost out of time. He could feel his muscles jerking and
not
shiver.
She shivered. Dammit. “I didn’t realize I had a choice. You said I had to stay with you. Twenty-four, seven, right? Weren’t those your words?”
He was wet. But warm. Always warm.
“Yeah, those were my words.” He smiled. “But you could have run again. Made me chase you.” He…nuzzled her.
Seriously, that was what he’d just done. Nuzzled her neck as if he were giving her some kind of panther caress.
Then he let her go.
“But if I’d chased you, that would have just brought out the beast in me.” He stared at her with his glowing eyes. “It’s better if he comes out when we’re alone. Not here.”
Rose swallowed. “Julian…”
The boat was already moving.
Julian turned his back to her. “Don’t forget…”
Her hands twisted nervously in front of her.
“I’ve already kept up my part of the deal. Your turn will come soon.”
She knew he’d just given her a warning.
Chapter Five
He wasn’t surprised to find Rayce Lovel waiting on the island’s dock. The wolf shifter would have heard the boat’s approach, and Rayce—being Rayce—would have come down to see just what was happening.
After all, Rayce and Julian had both been left to guard the island in Luke’s absence. If anything happened to the place while their buddy was gone, there would truly be hell to pay.
“Didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” Rayce called out. His blond hair glinted beneath the light on the dock. “Poor hunting night?” Then his gaze darted to Rose—a very quiet Rose. “Or perhaps, a very, very good hunting night?”
Julian growled. He didn’t like the way Rayce eyed Rose. The wolf needed to tone that shit down.
“Why do wet women keep being brought to this island? Not that I’m complaining,” Rayce added as he caught the line that Marcos threw to him. “Quite the contrary. I just—”
“Get the human off the boat. He needs to be taken into containment until morning.” Francis had woken up on the ride out to the island. His terror had turned into screams—screams that had stopped when Julian gagged the fellow. “I am not in the mood to deal with him now.”
No, what he needed right then…it was a run. A wild, fast and furious run across the island. He had to let his beast out. Too much had happened that night—
Two times. Two fucking times death tried to take Rose.
His control was razor thin. The beast demanded his freedom, and the man wasn’t going to be able to hold him back much longer.
“A bound and gagged human?” Rayce bounded onto the boat and eyed the kid. “Definitely an interesting hunting night.”
Julian grunted. “I think he was under a compulsion. He doesn’t seem to remember jack shit right now, but I am hoping with the right…tools…” Tools the human would
not
like. “With the right tools, I’m hoping that will change.”
Rayce easily slung Francis over his shoulder. “I know just the cell for him.”
Because, yes, Luke’s island paradise came complete with its own prison. Luke truly believed in being prepared.
But before Rayce could leave the boat, Rose stepped into his path. “He’s a kid, okay? Not some prisoner. He doesn’t belong in a cell. He’s confused and scared and he has no idea what’s happening.” Her words tumbled out, fast and husky. And…shaking. “You can’t just lock him up. You can’t hurt him.”
They could. “The cell is for his protection, Rose. Rayce and I aren’t the only monsters on the island right now.”
At that one word—monsters—she flinched. Then she turned the full force of her big, green eyes on him. “Locking him up…how does that make us better than the ONS? How does that make us any better than—than this Collector guy that you keep worrying me about?”
“It doesn’t make us better.” He’d never said he
was
better and, hell, he was almost out of time. He could feel his muscles jerking and
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