Leaving Her
Sloan
Ispirited the little minx away as soon as I could after we returned to her nan’s place. I wanted the saucy Hunter all to myself. Because I wouldn’t get to claim her time for a little while after this.
Pinning V to a large tree, hidden away from the world, in a space of our own, I stared down into her devastating hazel eyes, trying to burn every detail into my memory.
It never occurred to me how afraid I’d be to leave her even though she’d be with Phillip—someone who’d quite literally destroy the world to keep her safe. Even when I knew her power was stronger than our group combined. Even when she didn’t need anyone to protect her.
If anything, we needed her.
My little darling’s gaze floated around my face, confused. “You said we were going to train…”
V’s body was rigid and her breath came faster.
Her pulse was racing in my ears, and every look she sent at me was charged with an intense, seductive heat.
It was oddly relieving that she couldn’t hide what she felt no matter how often we trained, but those sultry looks of hers made it impossible to think or act like the gentleman I pretended to be.
I never stopped craving her. It was a bit mad how addicted to the woman I was.
Any chance I got, I chased her down. I couldn’t help myself.
I’d even shared her without argument when everything inside of me wanted sole claim of her heart.
But if I could have a piece, I vowed I would be satisfied with it. I vowed it would be enough.
For this I was certain, Phillip made her smile in a way I never could.
He gave her things I never would. He was a source of support I couldn’t hope to offer.
And for that reason, I’d do whatever it took to give her the things—the people—she needed.
I wouldn’t let my greed master sense because V deserved every happiness I could afford her.
Falling so hard and so fast for someone was new for me.
But everything was new to V. So, I vowed to learn with her.
Her life was ever-shifting, and each day came with a new threat or challenge.
No one deserved to tie her down, and I’d be the last person to make her feel like she had to surrender any part of herself to make me happy.
So, whatever she needed that was within my power to give, I’d give it to her because V was more important than my jealousy or desire to monopolize her time. Still, I took my pieces where I could and surrendered them to no one.
“Grams is going to kick my ass if I don’t act like I was raked over the coals training with you today, Sloan,” V added, jerking me out of my head.
Her lower lip was pushed out in mock pouting—something she did a lot and I couldn’t help but find absolutely adorable. But her skin was a gorgeous soft red and her pulse thrummed in my ears. The little Hunter wouldn’t put up a fight. She wanted me as much as I wanted her.
Chuckling huskily to myself, I stepped closer and crowded her against the tree, not at all sorry for what I was about to do.
Because what I told her next made it worth her nan’s wrath.
“Oh, don’t worry, love. You’ll look proper tired when we return.
Might struggle a little on those powerful legs of yours. ”
Her eyes rolled, pretending that her face wasn’t a fierce red after my sexy insinuation. “You’re sounding more and more like Phillip every day.”
“Oi,” I growled, hiding a smile. “Are you taking the piss? That’s just plain brutal, V. Take it back.”
I laid the accent on thick because I’d seen what it did to my little darling.
I rarely leaned into it with anyone other than Phillip or Kris, and only ever when I wanted to taunt them.
But with V, it made her giggle and smile so cutely I couldn’t help wanting to see more of it—to use whatever was in my arsenal to get the cheeky thing snickering in that enchanting way of hers.
V rubbed her lips together and crossed her arms over her chest, trying desperately not to laugh. She knew the minute she did it’d be my win. Her eyes stole a look before she pushed my chest with her tiny hand, finally laughing. “What, you want me to lie to you?”
I captured her hand, feigning hurt. “And here I thought you and I had something special, love. Something written in the stars.”
“Oh, shut up. Christ, you and Phillip were made for each other. I totally get why you’re friends now. You almost had me fooled,” she sassed, grinning in spite of her complaints.
I wanted to savor the moment where she was all smiles and sassy quips, but if I prolonged the inevitable, I’d have less time to apologize and whisper promises so she’d forgive me.
I wasn’t sure if it excited or devastated me more should the statement glean a smidgen of sadness from the terrifying beauty, but it needed to be done.
Because tomorrow I’d be gone.
Brushing my thumb across her lower lip, I dipped my head down and hovered close enough that if either of us shifted, we’d collide. “We don’t have a lot of time, love. This is our last night together for a while.”
The beautiful Hunter’s mouth dropped open in surprise, her ethereal, heart-stealing gaze shooting up from my mouth to my eyes.
Surprise quickly morphed to outright devastation, and while I thought it’d make my heart sing to know she’d miss me, instead I felt like a villain for even saying the words.
She looked as if I had…betrayed her.
“You’re leaving? Why?”
It hurt more than I thought it would to see her eyes tear up and that strong stare and spirit of hers try to mask that she hadn’t. My throat seized in an instant, making it impossible to speak at first, so I kissed her instead.
Our tongues dueled for several seconds, lips and teeth clashing. My hands sunk into her silky red hair, and hers twisted the fabric of my shirt. But then she pulled away and turned her head, putting a halt to everything, and my heart squeezed for a second time.
“Don’t you fucking dare try to distract me, Sloan.” V’s searing eyes cut over to me, accusation beaming in all the dazzling color. My chest and throat burned as if I’d truly betrayed her when it couldn’t be any farther from the truth. “Why are you leaving me?”
And there it was. She thought this was me leaving her.
It took longer than I cared to admit to form a response convincing enough for the powerful Hunter—a woman who I adored more and more with every breath I took, with every kiss I stole, with every collision of our bodies and whispered promises of tomorrow.
I thought walking away from her so she and Phillip could be together was difficult, but nothing prepared me for leaving when I didn’t know how to function without her nearby. When I craved her taste, her body, her everything so much it was air in my lungs and the blood that pumped my heart.
How did I ever think I could leave this sweet creature? In what world did I believe I’d ever be okay without her near me for any stretch of time?
But our options were limited.
“Someone has to go with him,” Phillip muttered to me when we returned to Rose’s home.
The rest of the group ushered the wolf inside ahead of us, and it was just the two of us left standing outside.
When I looked over at him, I immediately knew why Phillip was conflicted.
He’d left her before, and it had nearly destroyed V when he did.
The committed player-turned-boyfriend couldn’t be the one to go, and the other two were tied up with collecting Hunters for the future clash.
Unfortunately, Phillip was painfully familiar with the witch we were after and had better control over Cassius. He was better suited for that task than this one. It only solidified the reality that the only person left to go with Nigel was…
“She needs you, mate,” I finally said, sighing. “I’ll go with Nigel and collect the necessary information to convince the rest of their wolf society that their leader is a traitor, yeah?”
The blue-eyed wanker didn’t speak, barely even reacted, but I’d known the surly Hunter for a very long time. He was relieved I’d offered. It was all there in his sidelong glance before he headed into the house without another word.
Phillip didn’t want to leave her. He might’ve convinced everyone else he was perfectly happy without anyone by his side, but I saw how afraid he was; how terrified it made him not to be with her.
Sinking a hand into my hair and brushing it away from my eyes, I stared at the door to my little darling’s childhood home and swallowed the burn climbing into my throat.
He wasn’t the only one scared…
I stared at the angry redhead pinned to the tree, my pulse racing, the urge to stay making it impossible to speak.
I didn’t want to leave her either, but we needed to work quickly to bring down every person Lux relied on.
I couldn’t be selfish when her life was at stake.
Phillip would take care of my little darling.
He’d keep her safe and distract her in my absence.
He always did.
Her fuming gaze had strayed, probably concocting ways to convince me to stay, so I cradled her face and silently forced the gutted little thing to look at me.
Her snarling lip and mumbling petulance brought a smile to my face even when my chest hurt so fiercely I worried I wouldn’t fool her; that my voice would give me away the second I said anything at all.
But she needed to hear the words. She needed reassurance.
She might have her nan and Phillip back, but she’d lost people, been betrayed by friends, and her heart was wavering.
Despite being the driving force of a rebellion, V was young and fragile.
Fierce, strong, and beautiful, but frighteningly fragile with the people she cared most about.