Page 36 of Sinful Shifters

Which is exactly what will happen to her if Klaus gets near her and she's still unmated, unclaimed, without the protection of an alpha's bite and the changes her body will go through after being tied. As sweet and slutty as she may be now, her body is still virginal compared to an alpha's full abilities. She'll be destroyed if Klaus comes near her at his full arousal.

"He could take her again," I point out to Everett, grief in my chest, my voice raw with emotion. "If he does, he'll hurt her."

"We won't let that happen," Everett says. "Even now, she's experiencing pleasure at an alpha's touch, and being shown our self-control. By the time she goes into heat, she'll be ready to take a knot—without any fear. And we'll keep her safe until that happens."

Hearing her cries of pleasure, accompanied by Thale's moans, makes me want to burn the world out of frustration. So I stalk outside, letting the wind wash away the heat of my anger, and feel for Lucian through our warrior bond.

Brother.

Where are you?

Miles away now.

He shows me a preview of the world through his eyes. Currently, he's leading the warriors on a scouting mission, so we're prepared for the battle to come. Once he knows what we're up against, he'll send word, and we'll invade.

How goes it there?

Rina is still unmated.I let my frustration leak through the bond.She's been begging for the knot, but Thale and Everett won't mark and claim her.

Are you going to change that?

I wonder if I am.

I know that I could. It would hurt her, yes, but only for a while. The pleasure would follow. And if she wants it, she may welcome the pain, though the thought of causing it tears me apart.

I don't want to hurt her,I confess to Lucian,but I'm afraid that he'll get her hands on her again.

We won't let that happen,he responds fiercely.Trust your gut and your instincts, Adar. Let her go into heat naturally, without pain, and protect her so she gets to have that shining moment of true desire.

It would be a pleasure to watch her first heat happen without any assistance from us.

Then choose that path. Or don't. Either way, I have business to get back to, and I'm sure I'll feel it if you bring her into the bond.

He lets our connection fade, focusing on the scouting instead. My eyes roam; I'm not ready to go back inside again. Hearing Rina beg for Thale's knot and bite only to be denied both would make me rage for her.

Spotting Rhea and a few of the coven witches in the distance, I stalk towards them. They jump at my presence—everyone does when I'm irritated.

"Where is Ali?"

They point towards the center of town. "She went on an errand."

The most powerful witch in their coven, going on an errand. Either they're fools, or it's a very, very big errand.

Their loss. Shifting to my wolf form, I find Ali's scent and trail her down easily. She watches warily as I shift to my human form to approach her, playing with a small flame that dances between my fingers.

"Do you ever burn yourself? Nevermind—forget I asked that." She sighs. "What's wrong now? Tell me Rina is okay."

"She's fine—we're keeping her safe." For now, that is. "But we got very close to disaster yesterday."

"I know." She grimaces. "If we're going to fight Teller's army again so soon, we need to neutralize Klaus in some way. I'm trying to figure out how to do that."

"She has to be mated to an alpha," I insist. "That way, if he takes her again, we'll be able to find her. The bond will keep her safe."

"It won't stop her from being taken in the first place," Ali points out, "or potentially raped."

"It could," I answer bullishly.

Ali raises her brows. "Weren't omegas stolen from their alphas with false heat all the time?"

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