Page 43 of In the Shadows

“Had Rogers hand her a bunch of birth control options out of the blue.”

His brows rise almost comically high before he chokes out a laugh. “Did she slap him?”

“No, I was hoping she would.” I chuckle. That would have been a damn sight.

Kaos sighs and leans back against the wall, his head resting against the plaster. “So I guess it’s decided then?”

“What?”

“That she’s staying. If Crew’s future-planning, he must be serious, which means I’m outvoted.”

I shrug. “I don’t know, K. This was news to me too.”

“Whatever.” He stalks off without another word, and I waste no time following after Camilla. I’m like a fucking moth to a flame with this girl, and I’m not fucking ashamed.

Inside the room, I find her in the chair that Bishop normally occupies, her knees pulled up to her chest and her face buried in them. Her gentle sobs fill the room, and before I’ve made the decision, I’m making my way toward her.

I crouch down in front of her and rest my hand on one of her knees. “Little Lamb?” I say as softly as I can manage, but my gravelly voice only allows so much softness.

“Go away,” she chokes. “I really want to be alone right now.”

I sigh, but I don’t move, keeping my hand in place so she knows I’m here if she needs me.

“Kovu, please,” she chokes out. “I don’t want you to see me like this. Isn’t it bad enough that everything has been stolen from me? Can’t I just have a minute of privacy? Please?” The plea falls from her pretty pink lips as she looks up at me through tear-stained eyes.

The sight of her is breathtaking. Fuck. Tears have always gotten me off. I can imagine that they’re as broken as I am as I fuck them so hard they sob harder. But Camilla’s tears? There’s no imagining it. She’s every bit as broken as I am.

Before I can stop myself, I have her in my arms, and I deposit her in the middle of the bed.

She’s too shocked to fight me, and I don’t waste any time as I crawl up over her, pinning my little lamb to the bed. Her scent envelops me, and I breathe her in deeply. It would be so easy to take her right now. To fuck her. To make her cry even harder. I want to fucking consume her.

My lips crash down on hers. The gentleness I’ve shown her since Bishop brought her into our lives flies out the window, and in its place is the savage beast everyone knows me to be.

I bite down on her sensitive bottom lip, knowing it’s likely still sore from where Crew did the same thing just minutes ago, and I fucking bathe in the pained hiss she lets out.

Her tongue slides along the seam of my lips, demanding entry, and I give it to her. I’ll give her any fucking thing she wants as long as she’s mine.

I grind my aching length into her lower belly, chuckling against her lips when she pauses mid-kiss at the feel of my hardness. “See what you do to me, Little Lamb?” I murmur against her pouty lips.

She opens her mouth to respond, the blush on her cheeks enough to have my cock pulsing. I need to set him free soon or I’m going to do some permanent fucking damage. But before she can get a word out, I drag my tongue across her cheek, lapping up the last of the tears from her soft skin.

Her wide eyes stare up at me, but there’s no fear in the deep gray abyss of her gaze. I could lose myself in her eyes over and over again, and I’d never want to be found. I don’t give a fuck how sappy that sounds, I just need her.

“Kovu.” She murmurs my name like a prayer, but she should know better than to pray to the devil.

Her hands move to circle my neck, but I quickly collect them in one of mine, careful to handle her broken wrist with care. As much as I like tending to my broken little lamb, I’m fucking obsessed with the fire she threw at Crew, and I want to see it every day for the rest of my fucking life.

Camilla’s eyes flare with uncertainty at being at my mercy, but I know she’ll love it once she gives it a go.

None of us are the right choice to take her virginity. Too bad for her, the only options are between these walls.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

BISHOP

Iclimb out of my Aston Martin and make my way toward the door into the compound with a yawn.

Sleeping in that damn armchair is definitely not doing me any favors, but I don’t have a lot of other options. I can’t leave her at night, not when I’m sure she’s nearing a breakdown. And I can’t lay beside her like Kovu does. I wish I could. Fuck, do I wish I could pull her into my arms and hold her like I crave.

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