you back,” he said as if he could read her mind. “I won’t fucking let him.”
She believed him at that moment; the conviction in his voice made it hard not to. So tightening her arms around him and burying her face against the crook of his neck, she squeezed her eyes closed and let her guard drop.
Gunner’s arms flexed like the movement was involuntary, as if he felt it when she let her block drop. He cursed under his breath but didn’t say anything else as they began circling the city streets.
Luna had expected Sir’s presence to immediately flood her, and when it didn’t, she forced herself to reach out with her senses.
Nothing.
She continued to try, even when everything in her recoiled at the idea. But Gunner never once loosened his hold on her, making sure she felt safe and protected, like he’d promised, and checked on her in that low rumbly voice at regular intervals.
“We’ll do one more sweep,” he said after several hours of trying, and still no sign of Azel.
Gunner signaled to Chaos.
His brothers split up, heading in different directions, and Luna glanced over Gunner’s shoulder to the big male still flying behind them. He’d been there almost the entire time. “Rocco’s your brother as well, why doesn’t he live at the compound?”
“He hasn’t been okay since Kyler was taken from him.”
“I wish I knew how to bring her back.” The other male was suffering, and it was impossible to miss.
“He was there when I found you. He’s made it his mission to help keep you safe.”
She didn’t remember much of when Gunner found her, except wanting him, needing him.
They flew over the lot where she’d lived with Azel, where the house had been at least. There were only charred remains there now. Azel had always moved them around a lot, but they’d been in that house for over a year.
“Anything?” Gunner asked.
She closed her eyes again and tried to concentrate.
A vibration skated across her skin as they drew near.
“I can feel…something, but it’s not strong enough to be him. He’s not here.”
When Sir…Azel was close, she knew it. A shiver sliced through her even as that unwanted craving inside her tried to fire back to life.
It scared her how quickly it grew. Feeding from Gunner every night had helped. In the morning Luna was fine, but by the end of the day, before she’d fed again, she felt it fighting to take hold of her once more. What would she do when she had to leave the compound? Where would she go? Who could she bear to feed from after Gunner?
“Time to head back,” he said, rousing her from her thoughts. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”
She nodded and clung to him as they headed back to the compound, Rocco veering off when Gunner gave him a signal.
The idea of doing this again tomorrow sent fear through her all over again.
But she’d do it. She’d help the knights however she could.
She owed them everything.
Chapter 17
They landed on the balcony off the control room, and Gunner lowered her to her feet, his wings vanishing as if they’d never been there. She itched to touch them again, to make his big body tremble. To give him pleasure.
He cupped her face gently, tucking her hair behind her ear. “How’re you doing?”
She remembered Lazarus kissing Eve before they left. He’d looked down at his mate with eyes soft like Gunner’s were now. She licked her lips. What would it be like if he leaned in and kissed her now? What would it feel like?
“Luna?”
She blinked up at him. “Sorry?”
“You okay?”
She nodded. “Good, I’m…good.”
“Do you need to feed?”
His voice dipped low when he said it. It always dipped low when he asked if she needed to feed. She didn’t know why, but she liked the way he sounded, even while she hated that she needed that from him, that she had to take from him. But after what happened when she hadn’t fed, when she’d tried to resist, it wasn’t like she had any other choice.
She lowered her gaze to the floor, hiding her eyes again. They must be lighter now. Ugly. No, she hadn’t felt Azel tonight, but there’d been a shadow of him when they were near their old house and it had affected her.
It coated her skin even now, like toxic ooze. She shuddered. “Yes…please.”
He took her hand. “Come on.”
She followed like a lost lamb, through the control room and down the stairs to her room. He sat on the