Page 87 of Wanted

“All clear,” Caden says loud enough for all of us to hear without speakerphone.

Caden must be still pissed off, and I can’t wait to slap him around a bit.

How fucking dare he almost say I don’t deserve her.

Fucking hells. The way I’ve treated her, I suppose he could be right.

But to say it out loud…

“Close your eyes,” I murmur to Alena. “The sun will be very bright.”

I don’t know why the sun bothers her, she’s still human.

Maybe it’s like Asher said… Maybe it’s my proximity causing it?

She nods her head in understanding and squeezes her eyes shut.

Lifting Alena into my arms, I step out of the car. The sun shines brightly through the tree leaves. It’s still painful even to me after all these years, but manageable.

Alena, though, cringes even with her eyes closed.

“Why does it feel weird on my skin?” Alena asks, before peeking her eyes open.

“It’s…” I say at a loss.

The last time she saw the sun, it hurt her. But now she’s able to deal with it?

It makes no sense to me. I glance at Asher, and he looks just as confused.

“She’s shut down that part of herself,” Ambrose whispers as he dances past us.

Pushing hard against my chest, Alena grunts, “I can walk on my own two feet, you know.”

“But you’re safer in my arms,” I explain.

“Put me down, Raphael. I’ll let you hold my hand, but I want to walk,” she says.

The ache deep inside of me screams, wails, and howls.

Even the monster hates the idea of her not being in my arms.

But I can hold her hand?

What kind of fucking pathetic beast I must be that she’s only willing to give me that small portion of her.

Fuck,I scream into the void of my brain.

Taking in the gravel drive and her bare feet, I refuse to let her hurt herself. “Not yet. The stones will rip up your feet.”

“And that is why you should let me play dress-up with our little sister, dear brothers,” Ambrose sings out to everyone.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Matthias growls.

Carrying Alena to the grass near the front porch, I finally set her down.

And my damn arms yearn to pick her right back up, regardless of her protests.

But I don’t want her to see me as the monster who will ignore all her wishes.

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