Meredith and buried his face against her throat before whispering something in her ear—maybe she was beginning to understand.
They had a connection, but it was more than that. It was as if they were two halves of the same whole and being parted physically hurt the other.
The strange longing in her chest gripped tighter.
“Ready, love?”
She jumped, her face heating at being caught watching such private moments. She looked down, suddenly self-conscious. Sir had told her nearly every day that everything about her was ugly. A blood-sucking creature like her would never know what it was like to be someone’s missing half. And standing there beside Gunner, so handsome and kind, it hit her harder than she was prepared for. Than she had the ability to process.
“You okay?” he asked.
God, could he be any more wonderful? One day he’d find his missing half the way the rest of his brothers had. And that knowledge hurt.
More reason for her to leave here as soon as the threat was gone. He’d find his female and move her into the compound, into his apartment. With a connection like the ones his brothers had with their mates, Gunner would forget all about her. He wouldn’t have time for her anymore.
He sure as hell wouldn’t want to feed her.
Pain lanced through her.
But she’d always known she’d have to leave, right? And Spencer needed her, wherever he was.
The knights rescued and trained demi-demons here before they left to start their own lives. They would expect her to do the same.
A light weight pressed against her lower back. His hand. She looked up, and his worried gaze was focused on her.
“Luna?”
“I’m fine, just a little nervous, I guess.”
His eyes softened, and she had to remind herself that this was his job; caring for her, being kind to her was all part of being a knight. Nothing more. Though, maybe they were friends as well. She hoped so.
“I’ll be with you the entire time, and if you feel him, if we see him, you throw up your block, okay? You shield yourself from him the minute you feel him close.”
She swallowed hard, painfully. “I will. I promise.”
That steady touch to the small of her back stayed there as they walked toward the balcony where the knights had gathered.
Gunner pulled off his shirt, tucking it in the back of his jeans, and without a word, he scooped her up in his arms and held her close to his chest.
“Arms around my neck,” he said near her ear, making her shiver.
She did as he asked, and the nerves in her stomach that had become unbearably strong at Gunner’s mention of Sir lessened. No, she hadn’t known this male long, but everything he’d done since he found her made it hard not to trust him—not to lean on him.
The knights flew from the balcony, one at a time, and she tightened her hold on Gunner. Leaning on this male was a terrible idea. Relying on anyone but herself was a path right back to pain and regret. But she couldn’t help it. Being with Gunner was intoxicating.
For so long she’d felt nothing, disconnected, empty, and every day she spent with Gunner she was learning more, experiencing more, feeling more.
“You okay?” he asked as they moved away from the safety of the compound.
She nodded against his chest, her throat too tight to speak. She was more than okay when she was with him. He held her tight, but he didn’t need to, she wasn’t sure she could let him go even if she wanted to.
Yes, she should keep him at arm’s length, or at least try to—not easy when she was relying on him for blood—but she wasn’t going to. From the moment she saw him, she was drawn to him.
Fighting it wasn’t an option right now, not while she was with him so much.
And when she left, when this was over, it would hurt like hell. She had no doubt about that. But then, she was used to pain. What was a little more?
They flew over the city, and Gunner gave her a small squeeze. “Lower your blocks, Luna.”
Fear ignited in her veins, right down to her bones. There was no mistaking this feeling for anything else. What if Sir was strong enough to take her from the knights? What if he took her from Gunner and back to the hell she’d been living before?
His mouth went to her ear. “I got you, Luna,” he rasped. “That fucker is not ever getting