Page 75 of Stealthy as a Wolf

“You don’t.” I skimmed my hands up her back and cupped her chin so she had no choice but look straight at me. “You just face it. You are a strong woman, a fucking alpha, even without shifting, which is incredible. I have every confidence that you can fight your way back if you want it enough.”

I took advantage of her nearness while I still had the chance and dragged her closer. “I want you to fight. If not for yourself, then do it for me. I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive the outside world without you by my side. The choice is yours. What do you want to do?”

Chapter Twenty-one

MAGGIE

Matty was a true cat, all stealthy and sneaky and shit, somehow working his way into my affections without me being aware of it. He might’ve been the youngest of the men, but he’d lived through hell and survived. If anyone knew of a way forward, it would be him.

The real question was whether I could trust him enough to overcome my own fears.

“I’m tired of living in fear,” I answered him truthfully. “I’ve done it my whole adult life, accumulating one fear after another until I’ve become trapped in a prison of my own making. This isn’t a life anymore, but I’m not sure how to break out of the walls that have been building around me over the years.”

Just thinking about my fears threatened to overwhelm what little courage I’d managed to gain just from their nearness. I nibbled on my bottom lip and peeked up at Matty from under my lashes. I had no right to ask it of him, but I wasn’t strong enough to do this on my own.

“Then it’s your lucky day.” A stubborn glint had his green eyes blazing, and he flashed me a crooked smile. “I happen to be an expert at prison breaks.”

He held his hand out to me, his gaze unwavering and full of determination.

Asking for my trust.

With a deep breath, I took his hand, accepting the lifeline.

I desperately wanted a future, a chance to finally break free from my past.

I shivered at his callused grip, and I knew no matter what happened, he would see me through this.

He wouldn’t let me fail.

The most striking smile crossed his face, stunning me with the way it transformed his too studious expression into something breathtaking. I was completely flummoxed, too dazed to do anything but follow when he nudged me toward the door.

As we came to a stop in the clearing, my nerves were trying their best to claw their way back into my head. But before the panic could take root, Matty distracted me in the best possible way—he stripped.

He never once looked away from me as he slowly peeled off each article of clothing. He let his clothes land helter-skelter, more concerned for me than worried about getting them dirty.

I sighed in appreciation at all the muscular flesh on display. Naked or not, there was something about the way he moved that captivated me. I could watch the man for hours without ever getting bored.

Matty kept his head high, every inch a strong, proud warrior.

I could do no less than follow his example.

If this was my last moment before I turned feral, I wanted to make it count.

I quickly crossed the clearing, going up on my toes just as I reached Matty, and kissed him with every fiber of my being.

Kissed him so he would know and remember how much he mattered.

He froze for a second, taken by surprise, then he was kissing me back with the ferocity of a man starving for contact. As he devoured me, he gripped the back of my shirt in his fists and dragged me even closer, as if afraid I would escape.

A loud rumble filled my ears, and it took me a heartbeat to realize that he was actually purring.

And I was completely charmed.

My whole body vibrated at the sound, much like a giant dildo, and it was all I could do not to moan and demand more. That second of distraction allowed a fraction of my common sense to return, although it still took all my willpower to drag myself away from his addictive kiss.

I took a step back, away from temptation.

With the distance, I was able to rub two brain cells together, and I remembered why we were there in the first place.

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