The Awakening: Liam (Entangled Covet) (10 page)

moment I sense that she is seeing more than she should, she’ll have to be dealt with.”

Jesus.
“D-dealt with how?”

“If she becomes too curious, she’ll have to be removed from the premises. You might want to think of

an alternate living arrangements if that were to happen.”

“Emma will not be forced from my home.”

“Then I suggest you make certain she remains ignorant.”

Easy enough since Ava had been able to do that for the last eight months. Emma had no clue her life

was in danger, and it would stay that way.

A door slammed open somewhere in the distance. “Ava!”

Liam’s voice washed over her, and her heart picked up speed, even knowing she was going to have to

hurt him again. Why was it so hard? She’d been tortured because someone was seeking revenge against

Liam. Her sister had also been hurt because Ava had not broken up with Liam quick enough after she’d

been ordered to.

Long list.

Danger surrounded Liam. But her body…and her heart...refused to forget the man she’d loved so

completely. And she
hated
hurting that man.

He rushed into the room, his gaze travelling over her. Then his shoulders relaxed. “I wasn’t sure what I

would find when I walked in.”

Sending him a reassuring smile, she flinched when it felt like her bottom lip split open. She touched the

wound with the tip of tongue and tasted blood. God, she had to look a fright.

His hands fisted open and closed at his sides as he looked at the detective. “Out.”

At the order, she didn’t even scowl, just nodded and left, closing the door behind her. Liam crossed the

room and yanked the curtains closed. Without a word, he walked out, only to return a few moments later

with a hairbrush in his hand. As he came to stand at the edge of the bed, he said, “Scoot up.”

“W-what?”

“Scoot up,” he repeated.

Her chest fluttered. “Liam, I can brush my own hair.”

“I really don’t care. Now scoot up.”

She’d give him this. Knowing he needed to touch her, just as much as she needed him to. Selfish on her

part, considering what she was about to do, but she’d sacrificed a lot, had escaped a man intent on killing

her. She would take this one small thing from Liam to treasure.

She shifted forward on the bed, giving him space. After he climbed up behind her, cradling her body

between his powerful thighs, he ran his hands gently over her head, gathering her hair until it fell down her

back. Tears burned the back of her eyes at the torrent of emotions that engulfed her.

Comfort. Peace.
Pain
.

When the first stroke of the hairbrush ran through the strands, she silently swiped a tear from her cheek,

caught between this moment and memories so bittersweet they threatened to break her.

He’d done this so many nights after her shower. Cocooned her between his legs and just brushed her

hair. Each stroke was gentle, thoughtful, to the snarls knotting her hair.

And each was now agony to her soul.

She missed this. Missed the intimacy. Missed how much this simple gesture had always pleased him as

much as it had her.

She closed her eyes. When he was finished, he worked out the last of the knots with his fingers until

they moved freely through her hair. Then he set the brush on the nightstand and lifted her arm. The angry

cut that ran from her wrist to the bend of her elbow stared back at her.

A growl vibrated against her back, then Liam maneuvered out from behind her and slid off the bed. For

a moment, he stood with his back to her, shoulders tense.

“Don’t be afraid, Ava,” he whispered, and turned to face her. “I have to do this. I will not hurt you, I

swear. My beast could never hurt you.”

She stiffened. “W-what are you about to do?”

“I can’t do anything about the bruises on your neck. But I can fix this.” He sat on the edge of the bed

and gently ran his finger over her injured mouth. “And this.” He touched the gash on her eyebrow. “And

these.” He lifted her arm again.

“You can heal wounds?” Awe tinged her words.

“I can’t, but my beast can.”

“You mean the animal you can change into?” She leaned back a little, alarm slicing through her. The

little he’d shared about his world had been hard enough to digest, but actually watching Liam become an

animal? She wasn’t sure she was ready for that. “I-I thought you didn’t want to share that part of you with

me.”

“Ava, I can’t sit back and look at those wounds, knowing I can take them away. You just have to trust

me. Can you trust me?”

At his question, her panic morphed to sadness and her shoulders slumped. She used to trust him with

everything in her, never doubted a single word that came out of his mouth. Now she wasn’t so sure.

A muscle ticked in his cheek before he abruptly stood up. “You still don’t trust me. What’s it going to

take to make you believe I don’t have enemies?”

“Whether you are aware of them or not, the last two days are proof that you have enemies, Liam.

Besides, you’re keeping secrets from me.”

“I’m not, but you are.”

A harsh exhale breathed out of her. Yes, she was, and she was no more willing to share hers than he

was to share his. “You said that awful man who kidnapped us knew you were deserted. Not bonded.

Deserted. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that, Liam. You
are
keeping secrets.”

“I’ve tried explaining it to you,” he said. “It’s a shifter term for being dumped. I can’t help that you

won’t accept that.”

“Because there’s more to it!” Her voice rose in response to the nonchalance in his. “People don’t get

kidnap—”

Shrieking, she scrambled backward on the bed. Her ankle burned in protest, but she ignored it as she

gazed into the caramel eyes of—

A lion.

The transformation had been flawless, done almost too quickly for her eyes to track. One moment he

had been there, and the next—

“That was a really shitty move, Liam! How would you like it if I turned into an animal when we were

arguing?”

The lion tilted its head to the side, but didn’t so much as inch toward her. Its tail swished as it sat down

on its haunches on top of shredded clothes, watching her. Could he even understand what she said now?

She swallowed again, taking in the thick golden mane that surrounded the elegant muzzle and light

brown eyes. Power exuded from the feline body, just as it did from Liam’s human one.

He’d said the beast would not hurt her, and she believed him. Liam would never knowingly put her in

danger. The realization hit her hard and she exhaled harshly. Only days ago, he’d vehemently sworn that

exact same thing, but the pain
she’d
endured because some madman was out to torture Liam had kept her

from truly being able to believe him. As angry as she was about his secrets, she now felt certain he truly had

no clue who was behind their kidnapping, or why.

Her anger slowly faded to awe the longer she gazed at the lion. She held out her hand. Only then did the

animal move toward her. As it closed the distance, her breath caught. The lion stopped at the edge of the

bed and rested its chin on the mattress, caramel eyes watching her.

“You’re beautiful,” she said. “Can I touch you?”

It inched up the bed, closer to her, and again rested its head on the mattress before nudging her fingers

with its nose.

The lion
could
understand her.

She ran her fingers over the muzzle and through its mane, amazed at how soft the fur was. The lion

caught her arm gently in its mouth to stop her movement. But she wasn’t afraid. It was a message from

Liam. He needed to do what he’d said he would.

When she offered her injured arm, the lion dropped her other one. Its long, rough tongue licked up the

inside of her forearm. Tingles heated her skin and, right before her eyes, the wound healed. No evidence of

the slash was left anywhere on skin. “My God,” she whispered.

The lion propped its front legs onto the bed and came face to face with her. Her breath quickened.

Never in her life had she imagined she would be so up close and personal with such a large and powerful

animal. It rubbed the side of its face against hers and a familiar, deep humming noise emerged from its

body, filling her chest with emotion so strong she wanted to latch on to this beast and never let him—or

Liam—go.

He pulled back and flicked his tongue across her brow, then her lip. The same tingling spread across her

skin. Cautiously, she touched the wound with the tip of her finger. Not even tender. Then the lion scooted

back and nudged the comforter. She swallowed. “Um. We can leave that one alone.”

The lion shook its head like a dog slinging off water, and nudged the comforter again.

“No. Seriously. I’m good.”

The animal made a noise that sounded very much like a huff of exasperation, and took the comforter

between its teeth and pulled it down, revealing her legs. When she started to back away, he placed a

massive paw on her lap with another shake of the head.

“Okay. Fine!”

With its nose, the lion knocked her knee. God, she didn’t know if she could do this. Even knowing this

animal was Liam, it was too intimate,
especially
knowing what the marks felt like when
he
touched them.

Squeezing her eyes closed, she parted her legs. The rough texture slid up her inner thigh. A gust of

relief whooshed out of her lungs when nothing arousing happened. Just as she had the thought, the tongue

swept again, and lust poured through her veins, circling her clit in a firestorm of need. Her eyes popped

open. The beast was no longer at the edge of the bed between her legs, but had been replaced by a very

naked, very aroused Liam. He had his head buried against the skin of her thigh, and she felt a light nip that

made her almost come apart.

Grabbing a handful of his hair, she yanked his head up and was greeted with a wicked smile.

“That wasn’t nice.”

He crawled up her body. “Maybe not, but I’m not against using any means to be able to feel your skin

beneath my tongue.” As he studied her face and neck, the mischief left him. “I truly wish I could erase the

bruises, Ava.”

“They’ll heal,” she echoed what he’d said earlier.

“Not fast enough.”

They’d heal a whole lot faster than her heart.

She glanced away, shutting him out, and shoved at his chest. It was time to put the distance back. It was

for the best reason ever—to save her sister—but her heart broke again, just as it had the night she’d done it

eight months ago.

“Liam, I’m glad you’re safe, but I don’t know what you’re expecting from me. Nothing has changed.”

For several seconds his body went rigid over hers before he shot off the bed. “What the fuck, Ava?”

As she shoved the hospital gown back down over her legs, she pushed herself up, refusing to look at

him, guilt heavy in her chest.
Think of Emma
. “I’m just being honest.”

“So what was that back there? You returned my kisses. Were just as desperate to be in my arms as I was

to have you there.”

God, she had been, still wanted to be, but she just couldn’t.

“I was scared I was going to die. I think it’s was pretty instinctive to seek comfort from another person

going through the same thing.”

He flinched. “That’s what I am to you. Just an instinct?”

“Isn’t that what I am to you?” she shot back.

When his body started to shake, she knew she’d made a grave mistake by saying that. He spun away

and ran his fist through the wall, then pointed a finger at her. “
Never
compare my instincts to yours. You

have no fucking clue what mine do to me.”

He stormed from the room, leaving her stunned. No, she didn’t know, and with the rage he’d just

displayed, she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.

Chapter 6

Liam stormed down the hospital corridor intent on getting outside and as far away from Ava and the

pain she seemed determined to inflict on him for a second time. Inside him, his furious beast paced, tail

whipping from side to side, low rumbles coming from its body.

The added agitation made Liam want to hit something. Hard. But he already had. He flexed his

throbbing knuckles. And it hadn’t helped a damn bit. When someone grabbed his arm, he spun, knocking

the hand away. “Fuck off.”

Brit held up his hands. “Dude, if you want to go outside in your birthday suit, don’t let me stop you.”

Liam glanced down, cursed, before he opened the nearest door and slipped inside an empty

examination room. Not that his nudity would shock anyone on this side of the building. They were all from

the same gene pool… all except for Ava. But he didn’t want anyone to know he’d finally shifted and then

had his mate reject him…again.

Brit followed him into the room. “Liam, did you shift?” Awe tinged his friend’s words.

Yeah, he’d fucking shifted and healed his mate, then got the big F.U. afterward.

He ignored Brit’s question, knowing his friend knew the obvious answer. “You got any clothes in the