couldn’t protect herself.
Harmony licked her lips nervously. “When I was wounded, the men who fought off the Coyotes found me a week later. I was very ill.”
His gaze sharpened on her.
“They had known then about the Coyotes. They hunted them; I wasn’t certain why.” She hadn’t known then, though she knew now. “They nursed me back to health and protected me. They never told me exactly why they had no scent. But sometimes, if I’m in trouble, they know it, and they show up.”
“Does Jonas know about them?”
“The information contained in the Breed database on me isn’t everything the Council had,” she revealed. “I don’t know why Jonas has hidden the files on the few times the Coyotes actually managed to capture me, but those reports aren’t in there. Just as the reports reveal that each time I was captured, the same two men rescued me.”
“Who were they?”
She glanced away for a second before turning back to him. “I can’t reveal their names to you, Lance. Their lives…”
He held his hand up. “I don’t want names. Why do they watch you, Harmony? What do they want? What does Jonas want?”
She shook her head, a frown creasing her brow.
“Jonas wants me dead, Lance. But he can’t kill me without giving me a chance to redeem myself first. But make no mistake, he hates me.”
“Why?”
She inhaled painfully at the question.
“I killed his mother. The only person at those labs who cared anything about Jonas, besides me. And I couldn’t show him how much I cared, or I suffered for it. Madame LaRue was very possessive of her personal creation. As for why the others help me, it benefits both of us. They help me, I help them. It’s enough that they’ve been there.”
“So why tell me this much now?” he asked her, rather than pursuing the information further.
“You protected me while I slept,” she whispered. “You didn’t have to do that. You deserve to know what you’re facing.”
“You’re my woman, Harmony,” he growled. “I always protect what’s mine.”
She shook her head slowly. “I can’t belong to you, Lance. Not ever. In six months, when this is over and I’ve redeemed myself by Breed Law, then I’ll leave. If I can manage to keep my enemies from finding me that long. You can’t afford to take me as your woman, any more than I can claim you as anything of mine. Doing so will only get us both killed.”
“How much longer can you fight alone? How much longer, Harmony, before Death gives up because she can’t kill enough monsters or save enough children?” he asked as she moved to turn away from him.
“Why are you doing this?” It was a question she had fought for too long now herself. “Why can’t you just let it go, Lance?”
“Come here.” His voice gentled.
“What?”
He lifted his hand, crooking his fingers in a wave back toward himself.
“Come here,” he repeated.
She moved toward him slowly, hesitantly. He didn’t know what it did to her to be too close to him, how much he made her want. It rose inside her like a hungry beast, tearing at her soul with a need she had pushed back all her life.
“What?” she asked again as she paused by the couch.
“Touch me, Harmony.”
“I told you…”
“I didn’t say fuck me, dammit, I said touch me,” he growled. “Right here.” He thumped his chest. “Just touch me.”
She bent and placed her palm on his chest.
Heat. Harmony felt the weakness that flooded her as she went to her knees beside the couch, feeling the incredible heat of his body moving into hers. The phenomena was unlike anything she had ever known with another person. She had touched others, she wasn’t a virgin, but she had never experienced this.
“This is why, Harmony.” He brushed her hair tenderly back from her face, his thumb caressing her cheek as she stared into his eyes. “Feel my body giving to you. I’ve never done that before. As though my soul knows what you need, just as my body knows, and
Harmony licked her lips nervously. “When I was wounded, the men who fought off the Coyotes found me a week later. I was very ill.”
His gaze sharpened on her.
“They had known then about the Coyotes. They hunted them; I wasn’t certain why.” She hadn’t known then, though she knew now. “They nursed me back to health and protected me. They never told me exactly why they had no scent. But sometimes, if I’m in trouble, they know it, and they show up.”
“Does Jonas know about them?”
“The information contained in the Breed database on me isn’t everything the Council had,” she revealed. “I don’t know why Jonas has hidden the files on the few times the Coyotes actually managed to capture me, but those reports aren’t in there. Just as the reports reveal that each time I was captured, the same two men rescued me.”
“Who were they?”
She glanced away for a second before turning back to him. “I can’t reveal their names to you, Lance. Their lives…”
He held his hand up. “I don’t want names. Why do they watch you, Harmony? What do they want? What does Jonas want?”
She shook her head, a frown creasing her brow.
“Jonas wants me dead, Lance. But he can’t kill me without giving me a chance to redeem myself first. But make no mistake, he hates me.”
“Why?”
She inhaled painfully at the question.
“I killed his mother. The only person at those labs who cared anything about Jonas, besides me. And I couldn’t show him how much I cared, or I suffered for it. Madame LaRue was very possessive of her personal creation. As for why the others help me, it benefits both of us. They help me, I help them. It’s enough that they’ve been there.”
“So why tell me this much now?” he asked her, rather than pursuing the information further.
“You protected me while I slept,” she whispered. “You didn’t have to do that. You deserve to know what you’re facing.”
“You’re my woman, Harmony,” he growled. “I always protect what’s mine.”
She shook her head slowly. “I can’t belong to you, Lance. Not ever. In six months, when this is over and I’ve redeemed myself by Breed Law, then I’ll leave. If I can manage to keep my enemies from finding me that long. You can’t afford to take me as your woman, any more than I can claim you as anything of mine. Doing so will only get us both killed.”
“How much longer can you fight alone? How much longer, Harmony, before Death gives up because she can’t kill enough monsters or save enough children?” he asked as she moved to turn away from him.
“Why are you doing this?” It was a question she had fought for too long now herself. “Why can’t you just let it go, Lance?”
“Come here.” His voice gentled.
“What?”
He lifted his hand, crooking his fingers in a wave back toward himself.
“Come here,” he repeated.
She moved toward him slowly, hesitantly. He didn’t know what it did to her to be too close to him, how much he made her want. It rose inside her like a hungry beast, tearing at her soul with a need she had pushed back all her life.
“What?” she asked again as she paused by the couch.
“Touch me, Harmony.”
“I told you…”
“I didn’t say fuck me, dammit, I said touch me,” he growled. “Right here.” He thumped his chest. “Just touch me.”
She bent and placed her palm on his chest.
Heat. Harmony felt the weakness that flooded her as she went to her knees beside the couch, feeling the incredible heat of his body moving into hers. The phenomena was unlike anything she had ever known with another person. She had touched others, she wasn’t a virgin, but she had never experienced this.
“This is why, Harmony.” He brushed her hair tenderly back from her face, his thumb caressing her cheek as she stared into his eyes. “Feel my body giving to you. I’ve never done that before. As though my soul knows what you need, just as my body knows, and
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