Chapter 28
Kane
“So, I was thinking I’d come by tonight.”
“Tonight’s no good,” I grumble, shifting the phone to my other ear.
My brother huffs on the other end. “Why not? Didn’t you just say you’re at the lake?”
“Yeah, but I’m not alone,” I reply, my gaze fixed out the kitchen window.
Violet’s out on the dock, framed in late afternoon light that spills molten gold across the lake.
The water is glassy and still, reflecting the treeline in deep emeralds and shadowed greens.
She stands at the very edge, bare feet curled over the sun-warmed planks, staring out at the horizon like she’s plotting something.
How to unravel my life even further, probably.
“My mate’s here.”
There’s a beat of silence, then Whit barks a laugh that pierces my eardrum. “Oh shit. You brought her out to the lake?” His voice shifts immediately, thick with implication. “That’s sacred ground, man. Must be getting serious.”
“Shut up,” I murmur, distracted.
Violet lowers herself to sit on the edge of the dock, legs dangling over the side. My t-shirt hangs loose on her frame, swallowing her shoulders and skimming the tops of her thighs. The hem flutters in the breeze, brushing sun-kissed skin.
She looks way too good in my clothes.
“So, when can I expect some little nieces and nephews?” my brother presses, clearly enjoying himself.
“Whit,” I say flatly.
He laughs again. “Relax. I’ll be there at eight.”
My jaw tightens. “Didn’t you hear me? I said she’s here.”
“So what?” he replies easily. “I’ve been wanting to meet her. We’re family now, Dare. You don’t get to keep her hidden forever.”
Out on the dock, Violet kicks her feet a few times, the tips of her toes brushing the water’s surface. Then she pushes to her feet, glancing once over her shoulder toward the house– toward me– and something about that look feels deliberate.
She reaches down, hooking her thumbs in the waistband of the borrowed boxers.
My breathing slows.
She shifts her hips, shimmying the cotton down inch by inch. The fabric slides over the curve of her ass, down her thighs, pooling at her feet before she steps out of them.
My grip on the phone tightens until the plastic creaks faintly in protest.
“Derek?” Whit says, suspicion creeping in.
Violet crosses her arms, catching the hem of my t-shirt. She pulls it up slowly, exposing the flat plane of her stomach, the slope of her ribs, the swell of her breasts as the fabric glides higher and higher…
The shirt clears her head, and then she’s fully nude. Sunlight spills across her skin, and my wolf surges forward at the sight of her, claws raking at the inside of my chest.
Mine.
“Shit,” I mutter, already moving toward the back door. “I gotta go.”
“See you tonight, then?” Whit asks.
“Whatever. Bye.”
I hang up without waiting for a reply, shoving my phone into my pocket as I stride across the lawn, eyes locked on Violet’s bare body.
She takes a running start just as I reach the edge of the grass, launching herself off the dock. She hits the water with a splash that shatters the stillness of the lake, sending birds scattering from the trees.
I don’t break stride.
By the time I step onto the dock, she’s already resurfacing, dragging a hand through her wet hair to push it back from her face. My boots thud against the wood as I walk to the very end.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demand.
She blinks up at me, water lapping at her shoulders. “Swimming, obviously.”
I fold my arms over my chest and glare down at her. “You’re naked.”
She laughs, completely unbothered. “So?”
“So, someone could see you.”
Her brows lift. “Who?” She sweeps a hand toward the treeline, sending ripples across the surface of the lake. “There’s nobody around. That’s the whole point of this place, isn’t it?”
I glance around reflexively.
She’s right.
That’s why I love this place. It’s secluded and heavily wooded, with no neighbors in sight. Just water, trees, and silence thick enough to swallow the rest of the world.
It’s the one place I can let my guard down and take the mask off.
And how she’s here, dismantling my peace one reckless act at a time.
“Well?” Violet asks, splashing me to get my attention.
Water slaps against my thighs, instantly soaking through the front of my slacks. I jerk back on instinct, cursing under my breath while she grins up at me in smug victory. The reflection of the sunlight off the water catches in her eyes, turning them an impossible shade of blue.
“Join me,” she coaxes, a smirk tugging at her lips.
I scowl down at her.
I haven’t gone swimming in… I don’t know how long. Not for leisure, at least.
“Or don’t,” she laughs, rolling her eyes as she flips onto her back. She spreads her arms wide, floating effortlessly, the lake cradling her body. The waterline shifts lazily around her, the swell of her breasts breaking the surface before dipping under again.
My jaw tightens, cock thickening behind my zipper.
Swimming suddenly feels like an excellent idea.
She rolls upright and dives under again, disappearing beneath the surface of the lake.
My wolf stirs, immediately tracking her.
Even though I can’t see her, I feel her movement– the displacement in the water, the faint shift in current.
Instinct hums low in my chest with the primal urge to give chase.
She resurfaces several yards away, slicking her wet hair back. A little too carefree for someone who just challenged a predator.
“It’s weird if you just stand there and stare,” she calls. “You’re either getting in or going back inside. Pick one. Don’t be a creep.”
I huff out a breath. “You’re acting like a child.”
“And you’re acting like an old man,” she fires back, smirking.
That does it.
She’s deliberately provoking me, trying to pry at the edges of my control, seeing how far she can push before I snap. It’s fucking working, and the little menace is enjoying every second of it.
I hook my fingers into the hem of my t-shirt and yank it over my head in one sharp motion, tossing it onto the dock without breaking eye contact.
Her gaze drags down my chest.
“Careful,” I warn, voice low.
Her grin widens.
I pop the button on my slacks. “Now you’re gonna get it.”
She squeals and kicks her legs, splashing me as she swims for deeper water.
I strip the rest of the way out of my boots and pants, kicking them aside. Then I step to the edge of the dock and dive in after her.
The lake closes over my head in a rush, my body sinking beneath the surface, then rising to break it. I level out and drive forward, long, powerful strokes eating up the distance between us.
She’s fast.
But I’m faster.
I close the gap in seconds, hooking an arm around her waist and hauling her back against me. She gasps, twisting and splashing wildly as we tumble together.
Water churns around us in sharp, chaotic waves as she fights to wriggle free. Her laugh is bright and breathless, the sound vibrating straight through me as her bare skin slides against mine beneath the surface.
I’m fully hard now.
“Okay, okay!” she pants between laughs. “You win!”
I don’t loosen my hold.
Instead, I shift my grip and turn her around to face me, pulling her flush against my chest. Her legs wrap around my waist without hesitation, arms sliding around my neck like it’s second nature. Her skin is cool against mine from the lake, but the heat building between us is anything but.
The water rocks gently around our bodies, holding us suspended, and I look into her eyes.
They’re so damn blue up close, rimmed faintly with silver, defiance still flickering even as her breathing slows. The air between us feels charged, like the second before lightning strikes.
My gaze drifts to her mouth.
Her lips part slightly in anticipation, and I lean in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wants to.
“You’re not gonna bite me again, are you?”
I freeze.
She remembers. Of course she does.
My jaw tightens as I pull back to look into her eyes again, brain replaying the moment I still can’t make sense of.
I don’t know why my canines descended last night. We’re already bonded– the impulse to mark shouldn’t have surged like that. And yet my wolf lunged forward with a possessive, primal need to reassert our claim.
It caught me completely off guard; unsettled me enough that I called Dr. Aspen on my way to the store this morning.
He was all too eager to discuss it, calling the incident ‘highly unusual’ and ‘further proof of this theory’.
Then he asked again to conduct testing on our bond, and I promptly hung up on him.
“Sorry about that,” I murmur.
Her nose wrinkles faintly. “What was up with that, anyways?”
“Don’t know,” I admit. “It’s never happened before. I called Dr. Aspen to ask, and he has a theory.”
“Let me guess,” she snorts. “He thinks we’re fated mates and wants to make us his lab rats?”
“Pretty much.”
She rolls her eyes. “If we’re fated, then fate has a weird sense of humor. We have literally nothing in common.”
“No shit,” I chuckle, shifting my grip on her waist. “My brother’s coming for dinner tonight,” I add, abruptly changing the subject.
Her brows lift. “You have a brother?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know that.” She shifts slightly in my hold, adjusting her position, but I keep her close. “What’s his name?”
“Whitaker.”
She smiles faintly. “Hot.”
I snort. For all the ribbing he endured on the playground about his name, I bet he’d just love to hear her say that.
“Do you have any other siblings?” she asks, cocking her head. “Parents?”
“Just the one brother,” I reply. “Our parents are gone.”
The shift in her expression is immediate, the teasing edge instantly gone. “How?”
I swallow thickly. It’s been a while since anyone’s asked me that. I’ve given the same answer countless times, but it never gets any easier.
“Killed in the line of duty,” I say evenly. “They were pack enforcers.”
Her eyes widen slightly, sympathy softening her face. “When?” she whispers.
“A long time ago.” I stare past her for a second, toward the treeline on the opposite side of the lake. “Whit was still in high school. Took it hard.” I pause. “I took guardianship. Finished raising him.”
Her eyes go glassy.
“Not sure I did a very good job,” I add, almost to myself. “But he still speaks to me, so I guess I didn’t screw it up completely.”
Her fingers tighten at the nape of my neck, and the touch is unexpectedly grounding. “Why would you become an enforcer if that’s how they died?” she asks softly, brows knitting together.
“Because that’s how they died,” I answer. “If the people in charge back then did their jobs properly, then maybe they’d still be here. Someone needed to run things tighter. Make fewer mistakes, bury fewer bodies.”
She studies me in a way that feels far too perceptive, fingers toying with the hair at my nape. “So it’s not some elaborate revenge plot?” she asks lightly. “To burn it all down from the inside?”
My mouth twitches faintly. “Why are you asking so many questions?”
She glances away with a shrug, gaze skimming over the water. “I realized I don’t actually know much about you, beyond what’s on paper.”
“I thought that’s how you preferred it,” I reply, watching her closely.
Her face stays composed, but I feel it– the subtle stiffening along her spine, the shift in her breathing.
“It is,” she snaps quickly, going on the defensive.
She wriggles free of my hold before I can tighten it, slipping through my grasp with a sharp twist of her hips. The sudden absence of her heat leaves the water feeling colder as she swims for the dock, catching the edge of the wood and hauling herself up in one smooth motion.
Water streams down her back, tracing the line of her spine. Sunlight glints off her skin and catches in the curves of her hips as she stands fully upright, completely bare and unapologetic about it.
“Where are you going?” I call as she starts walking away.
“If your brother’s coming for dinner,” she tosses over her shoulder, stepping right past the pile of discarded clothes on the dock, “I need to shower and try to make myself look cute.”
I slick my hair back with a groan as she struts toward the house, hips swaying like she knows I’m watching.
I am.
Every step she takes is deliberate. She’s daring me, testing me, reminding me exactly who she is.
By the time she reaches the end of the dock and steps onto the lawn, my pulse is pounding hard enough that I can feel it in my teeth.
She knows exactly what she’s doing, and I play right into her hands, cutting through the water to climb out after her.
Whit won’t arrive for hours.
Plenty of time to remind Violet of exactly who she belongs to.