Soul Avenged (Sons of Wrath, #1) (38 page)

Her stomach
turned in on itself. Red filtered in.

***

Shooting
straight up in bed, Ayden panted for breath and wiped a trembling
hand across her brow. She drew her knees to her chest, tucked in,
as her body began to rock.

Kane sat up
beside her, and the backs of his fingers drifted like snowflakes
against her arm, but she pushed him away. Once her breaths had
calmed, she lifted her head enough to cup her face in her
palms.

“What’s
happening? They feel so real.” Her body refused to cease
trembling.

“Tell me about
your nightmare.”

She shook her
head.
You did this.
Being with him incited all of the images
that had never existed before. “No. Can you just leave me alone for
a minute?”

Kane kissed
her temple, and she cringed from the gesture. “I’m going to
shower,” he whispered. “I’ll be right back.”

***

Kane grabbed a
pair of boxers, ones he’d brought from his house, and headed toward
the bathroom, fatigue weighing heavy on him.

Morning must
be approaching.

His rhythms
had gotten so out of whack in the past week, with his waking,
starved, in the middle of the night, and exhausted by morning. They
hadn’t slept long before Ayden had roused. His body felt tacky from
earlier, desperate for the warm spray of the shower.

Tendrils of
steam swirled around the stall, fogging the glass surrounding Kane
as he stood beneath the spray. He’d left the door opened a crack,
listening for Ayden, as the jets pulsated against his skin from
different angles, soothing his aching muscles.

He tipped his
head back into the hot stream, his mind immediately turning to the
female he’d just left.
What did she dream?
Her reaction came
as no surprise. The woman was a closed book that he yearned to open
and explore. If only he had more time. Finally, a woman who seized
his attention, set his body aflame, and made him want to piece her
puzzling complexities together—the same one who’d be severing his
head. What a cruel paradox.

I will help
her. But how?
He’d thought Evan was the wolf who’d bitten him.
Ayden hadn’t seen any memories in him, though—imprinting, Ayden had
called it. Perhaps the other wolf from that night had bitten
him—but Kane hadn’t a clue who it was.

No matter how
hard he wracked his brain, trying to remember if Evan may have had
an accomplice, a friend he’d seen him with at the hospital, Kane’s
mind drew a blank.

The pounding
of the water drove him into a trance. So much so, he didn’t notice
Ayden at first, standing completely naked outside of the shower
stall.

He broke from
his thoughts the moment she stepped inside.

He hadn’t
before seen her body unclothed. So tight, in perfect proportions,
her tone legs looked delicious enough to eat. Stilling, he feasted
the sight of her as she stood, the slight downturn of her chin, the
upward gaze of her eyes, giving her an air of vulnerability he
never expected to see—and his mind instantly wanted to stake
claim.

Mine.

She crossed
her arms in front of her, one hand cupping her forearm.

Kane reached
out, taking hold of her arm. Though sealed, a fresh pink cut stuck
out from the many white scars on either side of it, but blood
streamed down her wrists, rinsing away in the dribbling water from
his fingertips.

He lifted her
arm to his mouth. His lips ran over the wet surface, water from the
shower trickling across his face and onto her skin. He kissed the
wound and felt her tug back. Gripping tighter, he drew her into
him. He opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed her finger
against his lips.

Her eyes, as
she peered up at him, seemed saddened, as if she would cry. “Shhh,”
she said, reaching outside the shower and flicking off the lights.
“Help me forget.”

The moment
blackness fell, his eyes adjusted, the colors dulled but
discernible. Something about the darkness called to him, and he
leaned down, pulling her into the warmth of the water. His lips
tenderly brushed hers then captured that soft, pouty mouth that he
so wanted to chew.

She tipped her
head, allowing him full access to her neck, her small body, slick
with water pressed against his.

Tingles spread
through his veins, like sparklers on the verge of igniting into
flames, as his teeth hovered over her neck with the urge to bite
down.

No.

He willed it
away, her skin sliding beneath his hands as he explored the curves
of her back, her slippery breasts rubbing against his chest.

She turned
around, her back sliding across Kane’s chest, that perfect ass
taunting his already stiffened sex.

He brushed her
hair aside and sucked the trickling streams of water from her skin.
As he slowly lowered, his lips traced down her spine to the middle
of her back. Wet silk passed beneath his palms as he worked his
hands around her body and caressed her belly. On his knees, hands
roaming her curves, he reverently kissed the dips at her lumbar,
before rising just as slowly until he towered over her, where he
fondled her breasts, rubbing her nipples between his
fingertips.

She groaned
and arched into him. “Take me this time, Kane.”

“No. I
won’t.”

She bucked
against him. “Just do it.”

Goddamn.
“I said, no.”

Her fingertips
dug into his palm as she tugged at his grasp. “Look, I’m not going
to be some pretty little princess you can woo with kisses and hugs.
What you did just now? I wanted to crawl right out of my skin.
That’s how fucked up I am.”

“I can’t do
what you’re asking me to do.”

“Please, I
need you to. I need this.” Her voice arrived as a breathy please.
“I can’t do the lovey shit right now.”

The very
thought of taking her hard and fast made his sex spring to
attention—but he stemmed the idea. “No,” he croaked.

The wolf
inside had taken enough from him. He wouldn’t give it the
satisfaction of taking Ayden, too.

Sliding his
hand up her slick body, he cupped her jaw and tilted her head back
into the water until her neck had stretched tight, allowing the
streams to wet her long brown locks. He reached for the shampoo and
lathered a small dab in his hands, then massaged it into her hair,
slow and gentle.

Though her
body grew rigid, Ayden made no move to stop him.

Rinsing the
soap away, he ran his fingers through her thick hair. He’d never
washed a woman’s hair before, didn’t even know if he’d done it
right. Not that he mattered. His objective was simply to
pamper.

Shampoo was
switched for soap, and Kane worked it to a white foam inside a
washcloth, using the cloth to gently scrub her back, up to her
shoulders, then around and down over her breasts to her belly.

She tilted her
head back against him, her eyes closed.

He planted a
kiss at her collarbone before shifting lower, caressing her arms
and legs. After setting the cloth aside, he ran his palm lightly
down her arms, over her hips, across her belly and between her
breasts.

Her arm
reached up and snaked around his neck.

He held her
jaw in one hand while his other hand traveled between her thighs,
spreading them apart, and past the soft black curls. His fingertips
dancing across her cleft, before he plunged two fingers inside
her.

Her grip
around his neck tightened as her other hand slid over his, the
smooth wetness of her body gliding against his chest. Her moan
bounced off the walls and traveled along his spine, inciting a
shiver in Kane.

More.
He longed to make her scream.

She released
his hand and reached behind, grabbing hold of his shaft.

His knees
nearly buckled with her ministrations.

Grinding
against him, she gripped tight.

Motherf—
He froze when she guided him to her slick core,
rubbing him against her swollen flesh.

“Please,” she
whispered.

Something
snapped inside of him. He crowded her with his body, pressing her
against the tiles.

Fuck, yes.

The sexy moan
that passed her lips, as he slid into her delicious folds, almost
broke his concentration, and he had to order himself to enter her
slowly. As he seated himself deep inside her, she braced both hands
against the tiles. Moving with a slow and steady rhythm, he pulled
her away from the wall and into his body, but Ayden leaned forward,
allowing him to thrust all the way to the hilt.

A growl
rumbled in his throat, his wolf emerging once more, demanding he
take the female.

No. Not like
this.

He withdrew,
his body instantly frantic to feel her again, and turned Ayden to
face him.

The sadness in
her eyes had vanished. Only a carnal need stared back at him. She
hiked her thigh around his waist and grabbed the back of his head,
tugging him down to her.

Hoisting her
up against the wall, he slid back inside. His dick gave a sharp
salute from the inside.

So hot.

He nuzzled her
neck, breathing hard against her skin as he rocked into her, slow
and controlled.

She wrapped
both legs around him, her nails scoring his back.

So
good.
Gripping her bottom, he pounded a steady rhythm.

She tilted her
head back against the tiles, biting her lip, her eyes closed.

Faster.
He hastened the pace. Losing himself. His body wild and feral with
need. Need for the act.

Need for
her
.

The pulsating
water against his skin cheered him on.

The tightening
of her muscles and her moans in his ear excited him.

He would give
her pleasure. Make her feel beautiful and good.

***

“Faster,” Ayden
whispered at Kane’s ear. “Harder.”

His mouth
seized hers, quieting her, the water trickling between their
lips.

Kane’s green
eyes bored into Ayden’s with intensity as he released her. The
water glistening in his black hair, over his body, in the darkness
gave him the look of a god.

That
familiarity swept over her again. When she’d stepped inside the
shower it was as if she’d known her lover forever, as if he’d
already seen and adored every curve—even the scars.

The way he
looked at her certainly gave her that impression, like he was
making love to her without even having to touch.

The muscles in
her body tensed and trembled with a yearning to burst into flames.
Heat swarmed her, making her dizzy.

So hot.

As if Kane had
been created purely for Ayden, he moved with her like an erotic
dance of the gods.

As she neared
climax, he upped the pace, his hips bucking between her thighs.

Don’t
stop.

Something
swelled in her heart as she stared at his face, so taut with
concentration, with desire, and irrational thoughts materialized
from nowhere. Traitors to her instincts that had no place inside
her head.

How can I kill
him now?

She couldn’t.
Wouldn’t. She would find a way to save his life. Her reasons might
have been selfish, yes, but she would do it.

Even though
Kane could never be hers. Her life didn’t allow for such
indulgences as pleasure and love. Still, he deserved a chance.

What they
shared felt too damned good to be destroyed by her hands.

Muscles rigid,
she stilled as the orgasm shot through her body, squirming as the
tiny contractions squeezed tight around Kane’s sex. She dug her
nails so deep in his flesh that she wondered if it’d hurt him.

His hands
gripped tight around her ass, Kane’s release followed hers, his
body pressed hard against her chest and his face nuzzled close into
her neck. His satisfied groans were candy to her ears and a drug to
her senses. Kane let go of one side of her, bearing her weight with
one arm as he braced the other against the shower wall. His body
shuddered as the last bit of his orgasm spilled into her.

She released
her legs, and he set her carefully to the floor. Palms against his
chest, she pushed him away, and twisted away toward the shower
door, but arms snaked around her waist and yanked her backward.

He leaned
down, his eyes glistening with satiation, and licked the water from
her lips. “I could devour your lips, they taste so good.”

She opened her
mouth, hesitating for only a second before lightly tracing the
large tattoo on his chest. “Thank you for this.”

Kane’s gaze
flittered on hers, his brows drawn tight as though her words had
puzzled him.

Allowing
softness into her expression, she kissed him one last time then
left the shower.

As she stepped
into the bedroom, wrapping a snatched up towel about her body, the
hum of water cut off, replaced by the slap of wet feet against
tile.

Ayden perched
at the edge of the bed, lifting her gaze to Kane’s entrance. “I can
sleep on the chair—”

“No.” He leapt
across the bed, his towel barely clinging to his lower half,
grabbed hold of her arm. Sliding her beneath the sheets alongside
him, he tossed the towel to the floor, and pulled her body
nearer.

As he kissed
her forehead and buried his face in her wet hair, she edged away
from him, from his arms. “Do you regret this? I mean, since …”

At first, no
response—then his finger hooked beneath her chin.

She diverted
her gaze, but he followed. “Why do you do that?” she asked, her
focus riveted to the window across the room.

“Do what?”

“Look at me as
if you’re looking through me. It’s unnerving.”

“I’m just
looking at
you
, Ayden.” His fingertip tucked a stray hair
behind her ear, and he cupped her jaw, kissing her once. “You’re an
amazing woman. I don’t regret a minute that I’ve spent with
you.”