Page 61 of Into the Fire: Before

My shift had been nearly over when Lin burst in earlier. Eyes wide and jaw clenched. In quick order, he’d told me of Caine’s call, and I’d told my boss—not asked—I was leaving.

Fuck, when we’d come up to the women’s apartment…the spoiled stench of blood orange and toffee pouring out throughthe open door…smears of blood tracked down the lobby’s tile floors…

When we’d found Caine clutching Taryn to his chest, feral and possessive…

“I thought—” I chewed my lip and blinked tears free from my eyes. “I thought Caine hurt them. I thought he hurt Brea to get to Taryn.”

Shame leaked through me like blood from beneath a useless hand unable to staunch the flow.

“And as I thought that, I wanted—I would’ve…”

Lin pulled my face to rest beneath his chin, hands soothing over my bare back as I broke down.

“Fuck,” I breathed through my stifled sobs. “How could I think something like that?”

“Easily,” Lin said immediately. “We had no details. We had no clue what we were walking into. Your mind trying to fit the pieces together isn’t a sin.”

“But me being ready to kill my own packmate is.”

Caine had been working so hard, for weeks, and my mind immediately assumed he’d been the aggressor. More than a month of following through on therapy—with someone he knew, no less—and we couldseethe changes, the efforts. He was more patient, less apt to snark and snap at us. When Lin and I were both home, more often than not he joined us in the kitchen or on the couch. The first time he’d saidgoodnightunprompted as we headed to bed had been like witnessing a triple rainbow—mythical and so fucking beautiful.

Yet when I’d seen him in the Maddox apartment, I hadn’t thoughtsaved Taryn.I’d thoughthurt Taryn.

I was lower than low. I was subterranean. I could burrow a hole through the entire damn earth and fall into space on the other side, and thatstillwasn’t how low I was.

Lin pressed his lips to my forehead. “But you didn’t. And you wouldn’t have.”

“That’s the thing,” I choked out. I pulled back to look him in the eye. “I think…if someone hurt her, hurt either of them…” I swallowed. “I would kill for them, Lin.”

He nodded. “And I’d kill for you. I’d kill for Caine. I’d kill for them.” He kissed my lips. “That’s love, B.”

Falling in love was all butterflies and pickup lines until someone threatened to do your love harm. Then it was cold, unapologetic vengeance at whatever cost.

I much preferred the flirting and sexing.

“You did nothing wrong,” Lin murmured against my lips before kissing me again. I leaned into his warmth, willing my heart to take in his words. “And we’re gonna figure this out.”

His hand wrapped around my cock, and I jolted at the touch. “And keep them safe?” I asked.

He began a torturous, slow slide of his hand, his breath moist against my lips. “And keep them safe.”

Faces pressed together, I drew a shaky breath and let out a shaky exhale as Lin kept his pace agonizingly slow. Our faces rested against each other, the moisture of his breath against my lips intoxicating. The moment his grip expanded to hold both our cocks together, my eyes rolled back. He frotted us at the same glacial pace, his choppy breaths racing to catch mine.

“You’re good, B,” his whispered as he rolled me to my back, him straddling one of my legs. His touch never ceased, but never sped. The heat of his cock disappeared, but he kept hold of mine as he lowered himself down the bed.

“A good beta.”

With his free hand, he pushed gently against the tender part of my inner thigh, imploring me to open myself for him. Little nibbles of my stomach and groin made my whole damn body twitch.

“A good mate.”

Steady was the grip that made me see stars as Lin spat enough to lube up my hole. As he dropped his face and rimmed me with a light touch that had sweat beading on my chest.

“A good doctor.”

I willed myself to unclench, to relax as he probed gently with a finger, alternating between licking my hole and leaving erotic open-mouthed kisses along my thighs. His finger breached me the same moment he took one of my balls into his mouth, and the moan that left me was almost fucking embarrassing.

“A good man.”

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