Page 8 of Reaper
Chapter Three
Reaper
“Isn’t it better to know?” Reaper asked.
Before Ara could shake her head, he pulled her from her chair and onto his lap.She snuggled her face against his chest and relaxed into him, and he rubbed her back as he tried to control his reaction at her trust in him and having her so close.
It had been like this for the past three days and nights.He touched her, held her, and yet he held himself back from demanding more from her.He gathered from what little she’d told him about her past that she hadn’t had much affection throughout her years.He wanted to change that.
When he’d woken with her in his arms that first morning, something settled inside him and he knew that he would fight any of her demons to keep her close.The panic that had threatened to overwhelm him when he couldn’t find her had dissipated, and what had taken its place was a sense of satisfaction.
For the last several days, he made it a point to touch her at each and every opportunity.He reached for her hand whenever they left a room, and when they sat down to watch a movie or read, they were connected in a way he’d never experienced.When he moved, she sensed it and followed.It had been the same for him.Everything about her screamed innocent and because of that, he held back.
His wolf had other ideas.More than once the wolf had roared in his head when he denied himself a taste of her lips, but he warned his elemental side that she would run if he pressed her, and the wolf calmed.He didn’t want to lose her after doing so twice before.
“Why?”
He tightened his hold on her and waited until she placed her hands on his chest before he spoke.
“I believe that you’re more powerful than you realize.If you can get control of those powers, then you won’t have to run any longer, or be afraid of what you can do.You’ll know.”
She grew quiet in his arms and he hoped that she at least considered what he said.Not understanding how powerful one could be was dangerous, and because of past experience, he knew the fear she would feel as she experimented.He squeezed her in reassurance, but he knew not to pressure her.She had been through an ordeal for most of the past year, and he would never take away her choice.
“Were you born a shifter?” she asked.
The thoughts long past buried, he had to take a moment to dredge them up from the depths of his memory.
“No.I was bitten by a rogue shifter when I was twelve.”
Her eyes met his and her earnest expression had him continuing.
“I grew up on a farm and it was customary to rise before the sun.That morning, I had the job of feeding the horses and mucking out the stables before school.I hadn’t been paying attention to the sounds coming from the barn because it was like any other day.But when I opened the door, something solid hit me in the chest and knocked the wind out of me.I didn’t even see who or what had hit me.But I felt teeth sink into my shoulder.The pain had been excruciating.He kept biting down, but I have no idea when he let me go, because blackness pulled me under.”
Her eyes were wide as she met his gaze, and he couldn’t help the smile that tilted up the corner of his mouth because of her concern.
“I woke up two days later with sharpened senses and strength, and when I went to my parents for help, they kicked me off the farm.They thought I was an abomination.I roamed around, working odd jobs, until Ghost, my boss and the owner of Dark Company, recruited me.I have been with him ever since.”
“What do you do?” she asked.
“Technically, I’m a government assassin.Well, me and the team of shifters and vampires who Ghost has working for him.We only kill those deemed a threat to the country, and only when our human counterparts have found the task too difficult.I’ve grown to love the people I work with.They’re more like my family than those I had before I became a shifter.”
“Why would you raid Standard if you’re assassins?”
“Because Liv used to work there.She stumbled onto the experiments they were performing on the immortals, and had a feeling that there were more held captive.And she was right.We had thought we planned for every contingency.You were a complete, but pleasant, surprise.”
Her brows drew down before she dropped her gaze to his chest.Again, brushing off his compliment.
Every word that he’d spoken to her over the past few days had been the truth.But whenever he called her beautiful, or commented on how much it meant to him that she was in his life and under his protection, she blew them off with a wave of her hand or wouldn’t meet his eyes.
He was obsessed with the woman who sat in his lap, but the importance of keeping her in his life made him hold back his true feelings.And he was willing to continue to hide for as long as it took her to trust him.
Quiet descended upon them as she thought about what he’d said, when another thought came to mind, something that might have her agreeing to work with him.
“Do you want to see me shift?” he asked.
Her eyes widened and she sucked in a sharp breath at his question.
When he studied her face, he could see the excitement that lit her eyes and could feel her pulse accelerate.He couldn’t help but smile at her excitement.
