Page 70 of Blade's Battle
“No.”
“Why?”
“He won’t risk you,” Damien answered as he entered. “For as much as the right female calms our wolves, our wolves don’t like to lose control. When they gain that first taste of power, it creates a hunger for more. Our wolves can see the female as a threat because of the blood-bond, as what happened with you.”
Blade walked away from the bars. Damien was wrong. Blade’s wolf didn’t see her as a threat, just the opposite. His wolf wanted the blood-bond as much as Blade, and her rejection earlier, her outright refusal to blood-bond, had enraged his wolf. His wolf sought the calmness that came with being with her, and it hadn’t taken kindly to her declaration that she would never blood-bond him. His wolf had attacked her, not to harm her, but to assert dominance over her. It was Anna’s fears that Blade needed to address, not his wolf’s.
“Can you at least let Blade out of the cell?” Anna asked, her tone softer now that she believed Damien.
She didn’t understand. Hell, Blade wasn’t sure he understood. He only knew he needed her and he couldn’t push her. She had to want him or a blood-bond would never work.
“I’m in control now,” Blade said to Damien, though part of him worried releasing him would be a mistake.
Twice, now, his wolf had taken control, and both times involved Anna. He could not afford to allow shifters such as Ravirez or Liam enrage him to the point of losing control to his wolf again. Blade didn’t care if Anna refused him every day, he would NOT allow his wolf to force anything on her.
“I can see you’re in control. But for how long?” Damien asked as Callen returned.
“I was caught off-guard before. I won’t make that mistake again, especially now that I understand my wolf better.”
Damien was shaking his head. “I want to believe you, but I’ve walked that line before. Knowing for sure who’s in control is tough. You attacked Liam. I can understand that. I’ve wanted to do that once or twice myself over the years and that’s without my wolf riding me. But attacking Anna. . .” Damien was shaking his head, gravely concerned. “Your wolf either didn’t recognize her or didn’t care, both are signs that you’re close to going completely feral.”
“She’s not at risk,” Blade said, trying to keep the growl out of his voice. He and his wolf took offense to their alpha’s suggestion that he would harm Anna. “I won’t lie to you, Damien. My wolf’s pushing hard, unbelievably hard. Except when Anna’s near. She calms him.”And me.
“And yet you–he–attacked her.”
“My wolf did not intend to harm her, only dominate.” Blade ignored the hiss he heard from Callen at that moment. Dominating a female wasn’t much better than outright attacking one, but from a wolf’s perspective dominating was natural. Either way, it wouldn’t happen again. Blade wouldn’t let it.
“I lost control because I didn’t see the signs, but there were signs. When the time comes, I won’t fight you, Damien.”
“You know what I’ll have to do.”
“Yes. I just ask for whatever time I have left to be spent with Anna, if she agrees.”
Anna was staring at him, her gorgeous blue eyes wide and somewhat lost. She hadn’t picked up on what Damien was saying. She hadn’t been with her husband’s pack long enough to see what happened to a feral shifter. It was just as well. There was so much he wanted to say to her, to explain to her, but mostly he wanted to spend what time he had left simply being with her.
“Even if it’s only a day, Damien. Please.”
“Bring him to my house, but watch him,” Damien ordered Callen.
When Callen unlocked the cell, Anna threw her arms around Blade. He inhaled her scent, still amazed at how lucky he was to have her in his life. He’d been right about her, all along. She was the one for him and his wolf, but for the second time in his life, his timing was horrendously bad. Despite her words, she wasn’t ready to blood-bond, and wouldn’t be for a while. And he could only maintain control over his wolf for so long.
* * *
ANNA
Anna couldn’t contain her smile. Blade was himself again, albeit a somewhat reserved version. He’d been through a lot over the past few days, not the least of which was having to confront the scrutinizing faces of his pack brothers, the ones he held most dear. They were all waiting in Damien’s house, along with Tess.
Hayden and Pryce gave silent but cautious nods as Blade entered, while Callen and Frank seemed to take up defensive positions by the door and windows as if they expected Blade to revert and try to escape. Tess was the ice-breaker of the group, telling everyone to ease up and give Blade some space.
Anna took a spot on the sofa next to Tess. When Blade sat down next to Anna, Damien abandoned his spot in the center of the room to stand beside Tess. They had their doubts about Blade. Anna tried not to take their behavior personally. After all, they were his pack, his family, and they loved him.
She loved him too, didn’t she? It was so hard to know what she was feeling these days. She hadn’t known him very long, but that felt like an excuse. She’d fallen for Kurt fast too when she met him, and her instincts about him had been spot on. Except fate intervened. Now she found herself asking if what she felt for Blade was love or simply lust. Lust was easily handled. Love—that was an emotion she dare not risk. Never again.
The idea of Blade going feral scared her to death, which is why she had offered to blood-bond him. When he refused, she had felt relieved. And puzzled. Why had he turned her down? Perhaps fighting with his wolf had opened up his eyes. Or maybe he just didn’t love her as he claimed. Seeing Blade nearly lose to his wolf had opened her eyes. She wasn’t ready to lose Blade.
“We’ve put this conversation off too long, Anna,” Damien began. “I need a better understanding of why Drake took you, so I know how to handle him.”
Hayden stood straighter, and the muscles in his jaw tensed. “One doesn’thandlemy brother.”
