Chapter 39

The night he’d spent with Alec was hard enough for him to sift through. Hearing Alec scream had been the most terrifying moment of his life, surpassed the instant he opened the door and found him writhing around on the bed. He reacted on instinct, glad his training hadn’t let him down, but when Alec curled into him afterward, so weak and scared, his reactions hadn’t been nearly as pure. He’d had to fight against the incredibly bad timing of his physical response to Alec’s hot, hard flesh clinging to his.

Almost as bad were the overpowering protective desires that had come with the embrace. He hadn’t wanted to let Alec go for anything or anyone, too afraid that something else would happen he couldn’t shield Alec from. He’d justified it in the moment as a familiar reaction, but later, after he’d snatched a quick hour of sleep when Alec finally drifted off, he’d wondered if it was something more.