Rafe sighed with relief when he was finally able to escape from the meeting hall with Lacey clutched tightly to his side. He glanced down at her, his heart turning over in his chest as her beautiful eyes rose to meet his. She smiled softly at him and he sucked in a deep breath as his gaze roamed greedily over her perfect features.
She was so beautiful both inside and out. It tore at his heart that she had known such pain at the hands of Richard Graves. Every time he thought about it his wolf dissolved into a black rage and he had to fight the need to go looking for the vampire on his own. Logically he knew he wouldn't last a second against the ancient vampire, that he needed the pack and Caleb and Annie to help protect his woman. But that didn't stop him wanting to rip the vampire apart. That didn't stop him from wanting to sink his teeth into the disgusting creature's neck and feel his hot blood sliding down his throat.
"Rafe, are you trying to squeeze me to death?" Lacey asked with a little laugh.
Her voice shook him out of his thoughts and he realised he was holding her a little too tightly. He gentled his touch instantly, his expression turning regretful. "I'm sorry, baby," he sighed leaning down to catch her mouth underneath his, his tongue lightly tracing her bottom lip before he dipped inside to taste her more fully.
He groaned as his body hardened instantly as he stopped dead in the middle of the compound and moulded her soft body very intimately with his. His hands roamed hungrily down her back as she responded with a fiery passion which knocked him a little off guard. He had expected some reticence as they were out in the open but she surprised him with her eagerness.
His wolf howled loudly, his body became harder and his kiss deeper, more demanding, crushing her soft lips under his determined assault. She was perfection and she was all his. His beautiful, amazing woman. He growled loudly and slid his body sensuously against hers, letting her feel his desire, his need for her.
Lacey couldn't breathe. The instant Rafe's lips touched hers she had gone up in heated flames, desire exploding deep within her, an urgency to get as close to him as she could get overtaking her. She was vaguely aware that they were in the middle of the compound but she didn't care. All she cared about was her need for the wonderful man holding her so tightly, rubbing his achingly hard body against her with a fierce need as his mouth mauled hers almost desperately.
She felt something click into place deep inside her. It happened so fast and was so strong she was momentarily stunned by it and stiffened in his arms.
"Lacey?" Rafe's voice was thick with passion, his brown eyes smoky with need as he pulled back and looked down at her with a confused expression on his handsome face.
She stared up at him, her eyes widening slightly with surprise, her swollen lips parting to allow her to lick her lips in a nervous gesture. How had this happened so fast? It didn't seem possible but as Rafe kissed her she just suddenly knew that she was in love with him. She knew he was in love her even though he hadn't said the actual words. It was all part of being a wolf for him. That instant certainty that he'd met the woman he would love forever.
For her it was different, wasn't it? She wasn't a wolf. She didn't have those same instincts. So how could she be staring into his gorgeous face and feeling such deep, intense love for him? She had only known him two days!
"Lacey?" Rafe said again his expression turning slightly anxious when she didn't answer him immediately. "What's wrong, honey? You can tell me. Whatever it is I'll fix it for you."
Lacey let out a long slow breath and blinked slowly. "I'm in love with you, Rafe." It didn't come out quite how she intended it to. Her tone was so disbelieving, confusion reining on her very expressive face. For a moment she thought he hadn't heard her or maybe he thought he'd misheard her words. Then a slow smile crept across his face and his deep brown eyes began to almost glow with joy as he reverently took her face in his hands.
"Well, it's not the most romantic of ways for my woman to tell me she loves me for the first time, but I'll take it anyway," he laughed softly as his leaned down to lightly brush her lips in a fleeting kiss. "You do know that I'm in love with you too, don't you, baby?" he murmured against her lips. "I would have thought after last night and this morning that I'd made that abundantly clear."
His light tone and teasing touches settled a little of her confusion and she smiled against his mouth, sighing softly at the thought of their lovemaking and how fantastic it had been. Her slight relief didn't last long though and she frowned as she tried to work out these new feelings inside of her.
"It just seems too fast, Rafe," she said quietly, pulling away slightly to look in his eyes. "I know it makes sense to you this mating thing but what if what we have isn't what you think it is? What if my feelings for you are a reaction to my life being threatened and you protecting me? It's been known to happen before. Relationships built on danger invariably fail. Then we have to consider my appalling lack of judgement when it comes to men too."
Rafe growled low in his chest and his hands tightened around her face as his expression turned fierce. "Don't you dare let that bastard do this to you, Lacey," he ground out angrily. "Don't you dare let him inside your head for even a fraction of a second more. You were not to blame for what he did to you. It wasn't your fault. Don't lose faith in your judgement because he turned out to be an abusive prick!"
Lacey felt her eyes fill with tears as Rafe trapped her gaze with his. His rage was plain to see but it wasn't directed at her, he was furious on her behalf. She saw no condemnation in his eyes, not even a little hint of disapproval that she'd taken so long to be free of Richard. It suddenly occurred to her that they had never spoken about what had happened to her, that maybe they should.
"Lacey," Rafe groaned as the tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. He pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly as she clung onto his shoulders and her body began to shake with the emotions ripping through her. He muttered a curse under his breath and swept her into his arms, striding quickly towards his own small private cabin which was the closest building to them.
He had them inside and sinking down onto the old leather sofa in a matter of seconds, his hands stroking her hair soothingly as she wept quietly in his arms. "It's not your fault, baby," he whispered gruffly. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Lacey. I wish I'd known you sooner, that I could have been there for you. I won't ever let him hurt you again, I swear it, baby. No one will ever hurt you again, not as long as I live."
Every sob was like a knife wound to his heart as he cradled her gently, rocking her soothingly and whispering to her over and over again. She cried quietly, her body shaking as the pain poured out of her in endless torrents. She clung onto him as if her life depended on him and Rafe thought his heart would surely break if her sobbing didn't cease soon. His own eyes filled with tears and he found himself weeping along with her, his hands stroking through her hair as he kissed her cheeks softly.
"Lacey," he groaned hoarsely, his tears sliding down to join hers on her cheek. "Baby, everything's going to be okay. I swear it! Please don't cry anymore, Lacey. It's breaking my heart. I'll protect you. You're my whole world now, honey. I love you so much and I won't let anyone take you away from me. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."
His words washed over Lacey as all the pain, misery and fear erupted out of her. She had held it all back for so long, having to be strong to withstand Richard's many abuses and then having to be strong to protect Jen. She'd never let herself really think about what she'd been through. She had always been too scared to, too afraid that if she let go she would lose herself completely and never find a way out of the black hole which had been her life with Richard Graves.
And now she had Rafe, her handsome, strong wolf who was holding her so protectively, who was claiming her as his life's mate. Who loved her and accepted her and didn't judge her for the poor choices she had made in life. She could hear his love in every word, she could feel it in the gentle touch of his hands even as his strong arms crushed her so protectively. She could hear it in the anguished tone of his voice and she could feel it as his tears fell on her face and he wept openly and unashamedly because he ached for her pain.
"Rafe," she sobbed her mouth seeking his urgently, needing to connect with him so desperately. She whimpered as his mouth met hers, their lips moving frantically against each other as she dug her fingers into his silky long hair. There was an urgency inside her she didn't understand, a deep, overwhelming need to be as close to him as she could. She gasped pulling back from him, staring wildly into his eyes and seeing a feral glint in their smoky brown depths.
The intensity of the emotions they were both feeling was triggering Rafe's wolf. She could see it so clearly in his eyes and her body was responding to it wildly. For the first time she consciously looked at him and recognised him as her mate, even though she wasn't a wolf yet. That was what had clicked inside her earlier. That was what had made her realise she loved him. She was meant to be with him, forever and for always.
She laughed. She threw her head back and laughed loudly even as her tears still fell, but they weren't tears of pain any longer, they were tears of joy. Her laughter shook Rafe out of his feral side and he held his woman and watched her with a quizzical expression on his face. Her head tipped forward again and her silvery blonde hair fell forward across her shoulders.
