Free Bound to Secrets by Nina Croft Page B

Why would he have? If he’d known, he might never have had sex again.
    But he remembered the days after the attack. Once he’d recovered, he’d gone around with a constant hard on. At the time, he’d reckoned it had been some sort of survival reaction. He’d nearly died, but he hadn’t, so he wanted to screw every acceptable woman he came across as a celebration of life. That’s how he’d excused it anyway. Apparently, the urge was normal. Something else he hadn’t known.
    “And it’s not going to be you,” Sebastian continued.
    The words dragged Connor from his less than pleasant memories. “The hell it isn’t.”
    It certainly wasn’t going to be anyone else.
    “She won’t heal entirely until she shifts for the first time, and until then you can’t get near her. I think her best bet is a vampire. They’re the only ones who aren’t affected. Not Jack—Tasha might stake him first. But Keira can pick one of the others.”
    Connor growled. “Any one of them fucking bloodsucking leeches touches her and I’ll rip their fucking throats out.”
    Sebastian grinned. “Hey, did you know you’re actually starting to sound like a werewolf?”
    “Piss off.” He had the distinct impression Sebastian was baiting him.
    “Seriously though,” Sebastian said. “How are you going to do it? Maybe you could drug her—though I’m not sure it will work if she’s unconscious.”
    He so did not want to be talking to Sebastian about having sex with Keira. But the alpha had a point. “I need another implant.”
    “Yeah, because that worked so well last time.”
    “I’ll be careful.” All he had to do was make sure she didn’t enjoy it. She’d been fine right up until the point she came. He just had to ensure she didn’t come. He’d make it up to her later.
    “And I thought you’d decided against another implant.”
    “I had. And now I’ve changed my mind.” He hoped his tone made it clear the conversation was over.
    Finished.
    Sebastian shrugged. “So, I’ll go put it to her. See what she says.”
    “I’m coming.”
    “You are?”
    Connor was already stripping.
    ***
    Keira glanced up as the outer door clicked. She fixed a smile on her face.
    Trying to feel optimistic was getting her down. As was this place. She longed to be able to talk to Connor face to face. Though she supposed she did talk to him, every night when he came to her in wolf form. Only trouble was, she wanted him to answer back and apart from the odd growl when he disapproved of something she said, she didn’t get much response.
    Her sisters had also spent time with her in their wolf form. Tasha was a beautiful slinky red wolf with golden eyes so like Keira’s own. Anya was silver blond with dark eyes. Keira wanted to talk to them so badly. They were gone now. They’d written her a wonderful letter, but said they couldn’t block her out and it hurt.
    She hurt everyone.
    Connor and Sebastian were working hard, doing tests, trying to find a way to help her. But she also knew that so far they had come up with nothing.
    When the inner door opened, she was surprised to see Sebastian. He’d stayed away since their first meeting. She suspected that despite the implant, she gave him a headache.
    She’d been expecting one of the vampires and had braced herself accordingly. She hated to admit it, but they terrified her. Jack was okay. She reckoned because he was older and better able to hide what he was. With some of the younger ones, you could almost see them sniffing at her neck. Or maybe it was just her overactive imagination.
    Behind Sebastian padded a huge black wolf. Connor. Her fake smile faded to be replaced by the real thing. He came to a halt by her chair and sat on his haunches, resting his great head on her lap. She stroked him while she waited for Sebastian to speak.
    He perched on the edge of her bed, his expression solemn. Keira glanced from one to the other.
    “Tell me,” she said.
    It was bad news. She knew it. She was