“No.” He shook his head. “No. You don’t argue with me, not on this. He won’t touch you again. We’ll have to warn your sisters.”
“What? Why?”
“Because Nero and Reece are my friends, and they’ll help protect you.”
“This is way too much of a problem. I did this to myself. Maybe I should just go. Disappear.”
“He would find you. You’re not going anywhere, trouble. Your place is right here with me.”
“But I’m nobody to you,” she sighed. She hated how pathetic she sounded. How fragile. But she was so sick of running, and here was the first person she felt safe with. It cracked her open like an egg.
“Don’t. Don’t you ever say that. You’re family.” His eyes burned bright with conviction. He blinked back a powerful emotion she couldn’t name and cleared his throat. “Family to my best friends.”
She nodded, grateful for the wolf bonds her sisters had made.
It had brought Atlas into her life. And in another life … one where she got to choose her path … she could’ve fallen in love with Atlas Silvers.
SEVEN
ATLAS
Atlas felt sick.
A vampire had tasted his mate’s blood.
The words were like poison, making his stomach clench. The only thing that eased the rage was to remember Lilliane was in his house. She was sleeping inhisbed. Sure, he wasn’t in it with her, but she was still with him.
Fuck that vampire.
Victor could try to get near to Lilliane again. He wouldn’t get too far before Atlas ripped him limb from limb for giving his girl nightmares and for keeping her away from her sisters.
Lilliane said he had gone full alpha, and she was right. He would always go full alpha where she was concerned, and he wished he had told her then. He wished he could’ve been honest and told her the truth.
But after everything she said, why would it matter? She was clear: she would never be mated.
Atlas didn’t need to add pressure on her. She already had one paranormal fuckwit messing with her; she didn’t need another.
He would do right by her. He would protect her and make sure she had a good life safe from Victor. But he wouldn’t expect her to know what she was to him.
“But I’m nobody to you,” Lilliane bit her lip, tears lined her eyes.
Atlas had to grip his chair to keep from reaching out to her. “Don’t,” he called out, wishing he could hold her and whisper it in her ear. “Don’t you ever say that. You’re family,” he slipped.
Fuck. Quick. Recover!
He cleared his throat. “Family to my best friends.”
She nodded and stood from the chair. “I’ll go call my sisters.”
“I’ll meet with Nero and Reece, but first, you and I need to agree on something.”
“What?”
“You have to promise me that you will never go back to him again. You are not to be sacrificed for the safety of others, do you hear me? You are too damn important to be his pet. Promise me.”
She sniffled and crossed her arms. “I don’t think that’s a fair thing to ask me. I can’t promise that. If I need to protect my sisters, I will.”
“There is a wolf shifter between you and the vamp who would come for each of your sisters. More than that. There are three wolf packs between you and your sisters. I promise you, Lilliane, with all that I am, that fucker will never lay another finger on you.”
