Chapter 5: Hands to yourself!
Kane sat in the parking lot of Custom Creations, it was 6:30 in the morning, even though it wasn’t open for business he could see lights on, so he knew she was awake. So what are you waiting for? I….I.…! Is the big bad Alpha scared? No! Then get out of the truck and go see her! I will, I just need a minute! Pansy! Shut up! Let’s go dumb dumb! Kane took a deep breath and exited the truck. He had some business earlier in town and told Johnny he would pick up his pieces. He knew Johnny only bought more stuff to have another encounter with her, Johnny always had a plan, it’s what made him one of the best Betas. He crossed the parking lot quickly and quietly reaching the door at record speed. A million thoughts going through his mind, what would he say to her? After their last encounter and the way they spoke to each other, he was pretty sure she’d throw something at him. There’s a lot of heavy and pointy things for her to throw. Door is probably locked anyway, she technically wasn’t open for business yet. Just try the door! With a deep sigh, he reached out and pulled on the handle, to his surprise the door opened. His brows furrowed and his body tensed, he didn’t like that her door was unlocked, was it unlocked all night. The town was safe, but bad things still could happen in small towns. Maybe she stepped out for a second and forgot to lock it behind her! Ky comforted trying to calm his thoughts from the dangers that could have potentially happened. Her scent immediately reached him, and his mind calmed and his body eased, she was fine, she was safe. He would have to talk to her about locking her door though.
Silently making his way through the office area to the door that leads to the warehouse, he opened the door to the harsh lights, blinking and allowing his eyes to adjust to the brightness. He heard movement in a room that was on his right side, and she walked out. Her snow white hair piled on her head in a messy bun, she moved with grace and a gentle sway to her hips. He took a moment to take in more of her features, her ears were small and came to points at the tip, her right ear had a jagged scar across the top, like someone tried to cut the tip off. Her delicate small hands clutched a metal mug with all her might. She held it like someone would steal it, judging by the smell of the contents in the mug it was coffee. She wore a grey cami that again hugged her body, accentuating all her attributes of her upper half. Along her back he saw the beginnings of another scar, starting from her left shoulder and heading diagonally across her back, it disappeared under the fabric of her top. How did she get it? How far down does it go?
He traced where he thought the invisible line of the scar would go until his gaze dropped to her small waist. The hem of her shirt met with the top lace of black panties that had KISS ME written across the bottom in red. Kane’s eyes widened when he realized she wasn’t wearing pants. Her perfectly round tight bottom covered in black fabric on display right in front of his eyes, he felt himself stirring to life, he tried to look anywhere else, but his eyes were drawn to it, he gazed down her slender legs and then back to her bottom, he lingered a bit longer on her backside before he forced his eyes away. He saw the haphazard bandage on her knee and he grimaced remembering what he witnessed yesterday afternoon. She had apparently cut her knee on the sharp rocks when she fell. Judging by the blood seeping through the bandage, it was deeper than he liked.
“Hello” Kane’s voice broke the quiet of the warehouse. Dax jumped startled by his deep husky voice causing the too hot liquid of her cup to slosh and spill on her hand.
“Holy fuck that’s hot” as she let go of the cup and it clattered to the ground spilling the rest of the coffee. “What the fuck are you doing here?” She asked him as she spun around to face him, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Your front door was unlocked” he replied
“I’m not open yet, I open at 8 ” she moved to get a towel to dry her hands off
“Your front door was unlocked” he repeated, his eyes following her, his lips twitching.
“How did you even get in?” She kept staring at him. A small smile played on his lips, but he maintained his composure.
“Your front door was unlocked” he repeated for the third time.
“What? Fucking Georgie, you had one job!” She whispered more to herself, but he heard her. “So you just walked in?” She glanced from the office to him “What are you doing here?” She asked.
“I came to pick up the pieces Johnny purchased.” He replied,
“At 6:30 in the morning?” She furrowed her brows at him.
“I had business to attend to in town, and thought I would drop by and grab them” he answered amused by her look of confusion.
“At 6:30? Who does business at 6:30 in the morning?” She questioned him,
“The bank!” He said flatly, tilting his head to one side raising his eyebrow.
“No bank opens its doors for customers at 6:30 in the morning” she retorted,
“For high profile clients, they can be quite accommodating” he replied,
“Oh! And what, you think because the bank will be accommodating at 6:30 then I would also?” Her question caused him to smile wider.
“No! I saw your lights on and seeing how I was in the area I thought it was worth a shot” his answer surprised her.
Not sure whether she believed him or not she just nodded.
“Well I can’t help you. My system turns on at 8, when I open, you’ll just have to wait till then” she simply stated. It was his turn to look confused. She just smiled at him, “I had someone set it up so that at 8 am it turns on and 6 pm it turns off. As you have clearly seen, I cant trust my receptionist to lock a fucking door, do you think I can trust her with something as complex as shutting down or opening my system properly or handling any aspect of my business for that matter that is not answering a phone and it’s one less thing for me to worry about! Besides, I haven’t finished packaging them all up. I have two more to do”
“Very well then I’ll wait” he was pleased by this. Gave him a reason to stick around for a bit. He watched her absorb his words, not sure of what to really say or do.
“Ok then! The diner down the block is open” she offered at last pointing in the direction of the diner.
“I suppose it is, they have good coffee” he stated
“Yeah, I guess they do” she wasn’t sure why he was saying this to her, she put the towel she used to dry her hand on a desk.
“Seeing how yours is now all over the floor, would you like some?” He asked, he liked seeing her like this.
“What?” She arched an eyebrow, a look of concern washed over her face. He chuckled at her,
“Dax, would you like to have coffee with me this morning?” A wolfish grin spread across his face as he watched her process what he said. She looked at him then to her coffee that was spilled all over the floor. She bit the inside of her lip and looked at him again.
“Uh!” She wasn’t sure what to do, or what to say for that matter. She honestly didn’t think she would see the mountain named Kane again.
“I am asking you for coffee, not for your kidney. I feel slightly responsible for yours being all over the floor” he said calmly.
“Slightly! You are completely responsible” she quipped back, and there’s that sharp tongue of hers.
“You’re right, I am completely responsible, allow me to make it up to you” he was trying, but he could see the hesitation in her eyes.
“Um….” She again looked from her coffee on the floor to him. It’s just coffee! Just coffee! You need coffee to function! Shut up! You do!
“Ok, I guess” she reluctantly agreed
“Great, are you going to put some pants on before we go, or do you want the world to see your….KISS ME?” He asked looking down at her bottoms, only to see the red lips on her panties sitting just above her V between her thighs. His lips curved into a smile as his eyes darkened a bit but he looked away quickly before she noticed anything.
Her eyes shot open as a gasp escaped from her and she blushed a deep red when she realized she was standing there in her panties in front of him.
“Shit, shit, shit” Her hands moved quickly to cover the front of her and she prayed he didn’t really see what was on them. But her luck, she had a feeling he did, by the light red that crept on his cheeks, she knew he saw everything, Fuck! He recovered quickly but he failed to suppress a laugh when he saw the shock on her face. Now he had her attention, she tensed her shoulders and a tinge of anger flared up in her.
“I...I changed my mind, I no longer want coffee” she said, still trying to cover herself.
“Ok then, I’ll stay as well. I’m sure...something will come up to keep us entertained while we wait ″ he let his eyes leisurely travel down the front of her letting them rest where her hands covered for a brief second before he gazed back up at her and raised his eyebrow, she didn’t miss the sexual nature of his tone. Her eyes wider than before and her blush deepening on hearing his words, she swallowed hard, not wanting to be alone with him and his innuendos she just nodded her head and started moving towards the stairs that led to her loft.
“I..I’ll j..just get my things” she stuttered out, not taking her eyes off him. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she quickly rushed up them only to hear him call after her,
“Oh and Dax, you better hurry” this earned an eye roll
“And why is that?” She asked him standing there with her own delicate eyebrow raised. He looked up at her and a slow grin spread across his already handsome face.
“Because I’m getting hungry.” The look washed off her face and she quickly nodded, swallowing hard and rushed into the loft, leaving him standing in the warehouse chuckling.
Fuck, fuck, fuck me! Oh, I think he wants to! I need pants, like right now. Why are we rushing? He already saw everything or did you miss the sexy vibes he was sending? No, he was teasing just to see me squirm! She didn’t miss the look or the vibes, they radiated off of him. He saw me in my panties and said nothing. Fucker! She glanced out the window that overlooked the warehouse and saw him looking at some of her pieces. He was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. A mega watt smile and a voice that could melt the panties off the most celibate prude. Hell, she bet one look into those mesmerizing grey eyes and their legs would just fly open for him to have his way with. He was probably used to getting any girl he wanted, but she refused to be a notch on a belt. Didn’t stop her body from responding to his look though, didn’t stop the butterflies. Even yesterday when she stood toe to toe with him she felt something spark, but she’s not someone’s plaything. She wasn’t commitment material either, she carried too many secrets that no one else needed to be burdened with, her nightmares owned her and she wasn’t sure they would want to share. She was better off alone, though the thought was sad she knew it was for the best, she didn’t want to weigh anyone else down with her inadequacies. That didn’t stop her from admiring him, she wasn’t blind, he was gorgeous and she was human after all, she could still look. Looking didn’t mean touching! Looking could lead to touching! Her subconscious reminded her. Well we’ll just have to make sure we keep our hands to ourselves then! What about his hands? And his out of my pants!
Once back downstairs with a pair of pants on she went to look for Kane. She found him at one of her work tables looking at one of her sketchbooks, his shoulders looked tense, but seemed to relax.
“Ready?” He said not turning around. Now how the fuck did he know she was standing there?
“Yes” she replied after some hesitation.
“Hope you don’t mind, I was looking around while I waited for you to find some pants.” He turned then and looked at her with a glint in his eyes that told her, he still had visions of her in her panties running on repeat in his mind she couldn’t help the slight flush that crept up her cheeks.
“No! It’s why I keep them lying around. Sometimes customers want something, but they just don’t know what it is.” She said, referring to the sketchbook he was holding. He arched an eyebrow, he wasn’t a customer but he knew what he wanted.
“You don’t view it as an invasion of privacy?” He asked seriously,
“Not at all, anything private doesn’t come down here” she stated. He thought about that for a moment before he closed the book and stood tall. Guess her panties aren’t private or she wouldn’t walk around in them! Ky snickered in his head.
“Shall we then” holding out his arm for her to take. She looked questioningly at it for a moment before she accepted. As soon as she touched his arm she felt electricity shoot through her hand and tingles dance across her skin, the spark from yesterday ignited once more. Not wanting to draw attention to it, she did her best to ignore it.
“I guess, I’m not the hungry one.” She replied with a smirk to which he laughed a deep soulful sound. God, he should be a walking violation, too good looking, too tall, too muscular, a smile that can melt panties and now a laugh that could make a nun orgasm. UM….And you’re gonna try and keep your hands to yourself, girl, you are in a world of big trouble! Shut up!
They walked quietly down the block, though Kane did offer to drive after he watched her wince from the pain in her knee a few times, she politely declined each offer, stating that she was fine and the walk will do her some good. Thinking now she should have said yes, she had chosen the only pair of skinny jeans she owned, she hated them, she preferred a loose fitting pant leg but they were sitting right there and she needed something fast. However the constant pressure and rubbing against her knee was hurting like hell, but she’s a stubborn girl, and had to go this uncomfortable route, then the uncomfortable one that would lead them to be alone in the small space of his truck. Truthfully she didn’t want to be in such close quarters with him, he hadn’t really made a move on her, but the sexual nature of his comment this morning stirred something inside of her and it was working over time. If she was going for even more truth, the thought scared her, she met him yesterday and he was already doing things to her insides. Hands to yourself!
“How did you injure your knee? I saw the bandage earlier” he asked, cutting the silence of the morning pulling her from her thoughts.
“I fell” she frowned thinking back to yesterday, but upon seeing the look on his face that said he was not satisfied with that answer she added “It was nothing….lost in a memory, and...wasn’t watching what I was doing,” he just nodded, he knew she wasn’t lying, he saw her reaction to whatever memory she got lost in.
“So...what do you do, that banks would consider you a high profile client and have dealings with you well before opening hours?” She asked curiously. He grinned and wondered how long that question was rolling around in her head.
“Investments, and acquisitions.” He replied simply.
“And that means what exactly? You know for those of us that don’t speak high profile.” She teased, he chuckled at her, her quick wit hasn’t ceased to amaze him.
“Well, it means when I see a business that has the potential to make money I invest, and when I come across a business that is struggling to make money I acquire it and help it succeed in making money.” He explained.
“I see, so you’re in the profession of making money for a living. No wonder the banks deemed you high profile, you make money, they make money. Win win”
“To put it bluntly, yes” he grinned “I make money for a living, why do you make art?” He asked “With that sharp tongue and quick wit, I’m sure you could have done something else” she laughed and smiled up at him causing his breath to catch.
“No! I like art, it’s calming, the world just fades away and I get lost in the piece I’m creating. I can achieve a level of perfection in my pieces that is unattainable in life.” Not sure why she said the last part, a touch of hurt hit her eyes but she quickly blinked it away. “And I’m not sure if you noticed but I don’t really play well with others. The art world is the perfect place for my sharp tongue and quick wit.” He laughed at that.
“Oh I noticed, my backside still smarts from my first round with you yesterday, but maybe you haven’t met the right people that can handle your fiery nature” she flushed a bit
“About yesterday….I’m sorry, it wasn’t a good day, and I took it out on you, lack of sleep and too many interrupting demons” she apologized to him saying the last part quietly a tinge of guilt washed over her, she was such a bitch yesterday.
Kane stopped walking and lifted her face so she could look at him. He saw so many mixed emotions written on her face, but the ones that stood out the most to him were remorse and sadness. He did not like this look on his mate’s face, she flinched when he cupped her cheek and tensed at the contact that he liked even less.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I am a big man and I have broad shoulders.” She smiled weakly at him, guilt and sadness still present especially in her eyes. “Listen, little mouse you were not the only one in the wrong yesterday, I probably should not have….provoked you and for that I am sorry. You stood your ground, which isn’t something that happens. My size tends to intimidate people so I was a bit thrown.”
“It might have been the use of ‘little mouse’ that provoked me a little bit.” She muttered, he chuckled but he saw some of the humor return to her eyes.
“But you are a little mouse compared to me, an adorable little mouse with a fiery temperament” he purred, his thumb brushing her cheek and her face flushed at the intimacy of it. GAWD! He was turning her insides to goo. Hands to yourself remember! But he is making this so hard!
She stood there lost in his eyes standing in the middle of the sidewalk, when someone harshly bumped into her causing her to crash into his chest, his arms instinctively wrapped around her, holding her to him, feeling the muscles under his shirt and his scent filling her, tantalizing her, entrancing her, her face heated up even more. She felt her core stir and come to life, she didn’t dare look up at him, she would die of embarrassment if she did.
“Oh excuse me dear….Dax is that you?” The voice called. Ah! Erin Morganson the old woman is a walking cold shower. When Dax felt collected she turned to face her.
“Mrs. Morganson, so nice to see you, how are you?” She placed a well rehearsed pleasant smile upon her face, so this was Mrs. Morganson Kane thought, remembering the way she reacted when she was on the phone with her.
“I’m good dear, how sweet of you to ask. You look….well it’s nice to see you.” Dax just nodded as the woman was too polite to tell her she looked like hell froze over.
“Thank you! How is Mr. Morganson?” Kane listened to the interaction between the two, but never said a word, he too placed a pleasant smile on his face and kept his hand on the small of her back.
“Oh, he is doing well. Just bought himself a boat, he’s going to take up fishing now, you know” the older woman chuckled, shaking her head.
“Finding retirement a little boring?” Dax asked
“He just hasn’t found himself yet” the old woman sighed “Ever since Donny took over the store and wants to take it in a new direction, Kent can’t seem to relax.” At the mention of the name Donny, Kane could feel Dax tense a little bit, he thought it an odd reaction to the name. He calmly snaked his arm around her waist and rested his hand across her flat stomach. He felt her sudden sharp intake of air before her body eased at his touch, but other than that showed no other signs that this was out of the ordinary, it felt natural. He could feel the skin beneath his hand start to warm and electric sparks were flowing up his arm. Her body was responding to his touch, but he had to admit she was doing an impressive job of not showing it. He focused on her, her posture trying to keep from leaning into him, her breathing would slightly hitch, even her heartbeat sped up. She was trying to control it all.
“He really is a good boy” the old woman was droning on about her son Donny and Dax was finding it really hard to concentrate on what she was saying with Kane’s hand touching her. Though it was placed gently she could feel how strong it was. This simple gesture spoke of intimate sexy promises, sparks coursed through her, teasing her, she could feel her skin heating up at the attention it was receiving, she was trying her best not to respond to his touch, or the fact that he was only inches behind her.
“He could really use a girl like you,” Mrs Morganson said, looking at her. Dax’s eyes went wide when those words rang in her ears, snapping her back to reality.
“Oh, uh!” Before she could say anything else, Kane calmly and gently pulled her closer to him, he now understood her reaction to the name. He moved his arm so it was around her waist and rested on her hip giving it a squeeze allowing his thumb to trace small circles on the soft smooth skin that became exposed. He bent down and kissed the top of her head. This action did not go unnoticed on Mrs. Morganson, when realization flooded the old woman’s eyes, a look of disapproval crossed her face. A smile flashed on Dax’s face, and as she spoke she subtly leaned into Kane.
“Kane this is Erin Morganson, Mrs. Morganson this is Kane-” she intended to introduce them but failed as she didn’t know his last name.
“McKenna! Hello, Mrs. Morganson, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Kane immediately finished offering his free hand, and the older woman hesitantly accepted it. She muttered a hello and something about not seeing him there. An amused look crossed Kane’s face; he suspected this was not the case. His size commands a presence anywhere he goes. It’s not his ego talking, it’s just facts standing at almost 7 feet tall, he is really hard to miss. Dax stifled the urge to giggle, but her smile lit up her face at the old woman’s rigid posture. Before any further conversation could be had, a low grumble came from her. She was starving and her stomach chose now to voice its hunger. Kane chuckled and squeezed her hip tighter.
“Forgive us Mrs. Morganson, but we worked up quite the appetite earlier and if I don’t get some food into her, she might take my arm instead. It was really nice meeting you.” He said and started leading her towards the diner. Dax’s eyes shot open, her face flushed and her jaw dropped at what he said.
“Yes, it was nice meeting you as well Mr. McKenna” she replied stiffly. The farther away they got from Mrs. Morganson, the more curses Dax said under her breath.
“What the fuck? Are you crazy? Why would you say that to her?” Dax said when they were out of ear shot.
“You should be thanking me” Kane shrugged, clearly amused by her reaction.
“Thank you-”
“You’re welcome!” He cut her off there, smirking he was pleased with himself.
“I should fucking smack you” she grumbled,
“This is not the first time she brought up you and this Donny?” Kane asked with tightness in his voice.
“No, and it won’t be the last I’m sure, she has it in her head I would be good for him, I’m not even good for myself, let alone anybody else. Besides he’s too busy banging his way through the town and I refuse to be a...a notch on his belt.” she responded, she looked up at him, his jaw was clenched and his mouth was set in a thin line. When he looked down at her, his features softened, but he kept his arm protectively around her waist. He glanced over his shoulder and sure enough Mrs. Morganson was still watching them. He leaned down again and pressed another kiss to her head, before she could protest he whispered in her ear that they were still being watched and so she would have to forgive him later for this. When confusion washed over her face, he pressed his lips to hers.
The touch of his lips to hers was soft and delicate at first holding so many promises. Unsure of what to do, she froze, completely taken by surprise, but when the kiss became harder and more demanding, she leaned into him and kissed him back. The world vanished, it was just the two of them standing on the sidewalk, he pulled her closer to him, when a smile tugged at his lips he never broke contact, shocks and sparks were flowing up and down his body. What started off as a see Mrs. Morganson, she is taken. See Mrs. Morganson, stop trying to push your son on her. Turned into fuck off Mrs. Morganson, she is mine and your manwhore of a son can’t have her. But he knew that if he didn’t stop now, then he never would and would have her right there. Though he didn’t see an issue with that, she might think otherwise. He broke the kiss, but he continued to hold her close, continued to press her into him, he felt her breathing ragged. They stood still like that for a bit, collecting themselves, he kept his eyes closed, he felt them change and he knew he would have a tough time explaining what that was about. When his breathing returned to normal, they continued to the diner, he did keep his arm around her waist and her tucked into his side. Could never be too careful, he said the nosy woman could still be watching.
What the fuck! Still planning on keeping your hands to yourself! Shut up, it’s his fault, he can’t do that again or I’m screwed. Uh huh! You were screwed the second he saw you and you know it. Just sit back and enjoy it now! Shut up! It’ll be fine, he just has to keep his lips, and his hands and every other part of him to himself and it will all be alright. Keep telling yourself that! Shut up! Oh, you know I’m gonna make you fantasize about that later right! Fuck! Why did her subconscious have to be such a bitch. They reached the diner and stepped inside. It was the usual busy morning crowd, but they knew her and the second she walked in, Glenda the owner started putting her order together, she noticed Kane had walked in behind her right away and she shot her a questioning look, then wiggled her eyebrows. Dax blushed and that told Glenda everything she needed. Glenda headed to the counter where Dax stood and handed her order to her,
“Here you go honey, I added extras this time” she drawled, still looking behind her to Kane “That tall drink of water with you, this morning” she asked,
“Uh! Yes, we….are….just….friends?” Dax wasn’t sure what to call Kane, the man just kissed her on the damn sidewalk. Her cheeks flushed at the memory of how his lips felt on hers.
“Oh honey! You can’t just be friends with men that look like him” Glenda just smiled at her, pulled her in for a quick hug and whispered “Good for you” in her ear. Dax stood up 6 shades of red, she paid Glenda, grabbed her order and Kane’s hand and pulled him from the diner fast. She could hear Glenda laughing and calling behind her “Go get him girl.”
The transaction happened so fast Kane missed something next thing he knew he was standing back on the sidewalk with a cup of coffee in his hand.
“That was quick” he said confused, she nervously laughed, relieved he didn’t hear the conversation with Glenda over the busyness of the diner.
“Well you might be a high profile client at the bank, I am a high profile client of Glenda’s Diner” Dax said suppressing a laugh. She glanced back at the diner and saw Glenda watching them, she blushed again, spun on her heel and started walking away. Kane looked really confused but quickly caught up to her, she could only move so fast with a bad knee.
“Did I miss something?” He casually asked.
“Nope, we just need to get going” she said in a hurry, he wondered if it had anything to do with what the older server had said to her. He had to fight with himself to remain stoic, but he heard it all. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and an eerie feeling of being watched washed over her, but all the excitement of everything that had happened this morning had taken a toll on her knee, it protested moving any further and gave out on her. Pushing the feeling to the side she braced for an impact that never came. He held her and her coffee tightly against him.
“Are you alright?” More than concern expressed in his voice. She winced at the pain that shot up from her knee, her hands balled into fists against his chest as she waited for the pain to pass.
“Hmmm, I just need a minute,” she said through clenched teeth. He held her to him, while she dealt with whatever pain she was feeling.
“You should get to a doctor and have that looked at,” he said sternly.
“No it’ll be alright, I just need to get back to the warehouse, and clean it up again. It’s not deep enough to burden anyone with” she replied. This statement made him look at her. Burden anyone? Odd choice of words! Ky agreed.
“Then I’ll take a look at it” Kane wasn’t taking no for an answer, he picked her up bridal style and started walking towards his truck.
“Shit! Kane, put me down, what the hell are you doing?” She was a bit startled by his actions, her body tensing up immediately.
“No!” His reply told her, he was firm this was happening and she would have to deal with it.
“It’s fine! I’m fine! Put me down! I can take care of it by myself” Why the fuck does he even care? She thought.
“No!” He said flatly
“Where are we going?”
“To my truck”
“Why?” She asked
“To get my first aid kit” he replied
“I have one”
“Mines better” he wasn’t in the mood to be argued with, and it was written on his face. He was kicking himself, he saw her get the injury, he saw it earlier this morning and he was too busy staring at her panties. He was an idiot, what kind of mate was he, she was injured and he was ogling her, her….kiss me!
****
His angel, his gorgeous angel, there she was, but this time she was not alone. Someone was with her, someone big and tall, someone he didn’t like. Who was he to touch what was created for him? It was bad enough he already had another to contend with. He didn’t want to contend with a giant of a man. He saw her almost fall, her knee buckled and he fought to stay rooted in his spot when every instinct told him to go to her. Was she injured? How did his angel get injured? Who dared to injure her? The giant of a man had caught her before she went down, he held her to his chest while she worked out whatever she was going through. This angered him even more, he was the one to help her, he had always helped, always taken care of her. He had been there from the very beginning, had cleaned her, washed her, and took care of her when she was left broken and battered on the floor. She was created for him, and he would always be there to help her when she fell. Unlike that simpleton Magnus, he never needed to be told she belonged to him, he already knew deep in his heart she was meant for him. The moment her delicate little baby fingers grabbed his, he knew. Now he watched from the shadows his blood boiling as the tall one picked her up and carried her away into the early morning.